Halloween Recap 2012

If you know the Griffin clan, you know we spread our holiday celebrations over multiple days.  Hank decided he'd had enough of his "special spot"/birthmark earlier in the month and it was only fitting to have it removed in time for some Halloween appropriate stitches.  Hank was awake for the entire procedure.  They gave him 5 shots to numb the area.  He handled it like the champion he is.  It was a bit more invasive than we had anticipated.  I feel a little sad having his sebaceous nevi gone.  Hank loved grossing out all his friends at school the next day.  He won't let me clean off any of the dried blood.  It's disgusting.  I can't wait to get the stitches out this week.

 It wouldn't be Halloween without the Evil Ball.  Randy and I took home the funniest costume award for our representation of Michael Phelps and an Olympic Gymnast.  I think everyone just gave us a prize for dancing around 1/2 naked all night.  I still can't believe I went pants-less.  If you haven't busted a move without pants on recently, you should try it.  It's kinda fun.

 My mom was the girl from the movie "The Birds" and my dad was a bird.  Sarah and Brett spent countless hours crafting their pumpkin heads.  All their hard work paid off and they took home the most creative costume award.  Chris and Missie reclaimed their title of best overall costume.  It was a sweep for the Wankier Posse.

Here's a better shot of Mr. and Mrs. Pumpkin head,.

I got a kick out of watching them break it down on the dance floor.

I'm a lucky lady.

 The Evil Ball Dictator never disappoints with his costume.  He was Teen Wolf this year and it was nothing short of perfection.  This year, the party moved upstairs at the Red Lion and they had a legit DJ.  The Evil Ball is becoming the real deal, a far cry from the early days in Phil and Jil's house. 

Randy and I had a blast.  I look forward to that party all year.

The kids had a party of their own thanks to their awesome Grandma Jeri.  Max couldn't stop talking about how fun it was when he got home.  She simply amazes me.  I love her black widow costume.

The kids have been dying to carve their pumpkins all month.  They couldn't wait to get started.  Hank and Max really helped out this year.  Carving pumpkins is such a mess but they were quite proud of the result.  Hank's pumpkin was the creepy hands, Max's was the bat, and mine was the witch.  Randy ran out of steam and didn't carve his.  I don't think my kids will get over it!

Now...Halloween!  Since the kids can't wear masks to school, I had to do my best with make-up at 6:45 a.m.  Hank was pretty pleased with his punk zombie attire.  He told me he was tired of being a ninja and wanted to be something scary.  Mission accomplished.

Good thing Max decided to be a desert ninja.  I don't know what I would do without at least one of my boys in ninja garb.  I helped out with Max's preschool Halloween party.  Nothing like sixteen kids high on sugar in a confined space.  It was nuts.

After a little rest, we were ready to gear up for one of the warmest trick or treating nights I can remember.  I couldn't wait to try on Sam's vampire costume.  I think the blood in the corners of his mouth combined with the slicked back hair made the perfect costume.  He loved wearing it too which was the funniest part.

Everyone came over to have soup and trick-or-treat in our neighborhood.  I love this tradition.  It's kind of nice to have everyone come to me.

Colby was a zombie, Lennon a butterfly, and Dyson...too cool to come hang out at Auntie Annie's house.

Lucy was an adorable nerd, Isabel was Gothic little red riding hood, and Jack was bones.  Considering what a hectic day it was, the evening turned out to be quite low key.  It was anything but low key for Hank, however.  He had his goal set high for the quantity of candy he would collect.  You know Hank doesn't do anything half way.  He ran around our neighborhood and Jeri's all night long, pushing through low blood sugar and fatigue to obtain over 6 pounds of candy!  He hasn't eaten one piece of it and is turning it into the dentist for a dollar a pound.  On top of that, he stands to make money from Grandpa Curt, Grandma Jackie and Randy and me.  I'm sure he'll turn a nice profit on the deal and he deserves every penny.  Halloween isn't the easiest holiday to be a kid with diabetes but he handles it amazingly well.  It's a little ironic the next day is National Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day.

I know I say this all the time but Hank truly amazes me.  What an incredible little boy I have.  He takes all this stupid disease throws at him in stride and doesn't let it stop him for a minute.  I for one am relieved to have Halloween behind me this year. I'm not that excited to be entering Christmas season though...ugh.  I need a nap. 

An End To A Great Season

Max's fall soccer season and Hank's flag football season has sadly come to an end.  It has been so fun to watch Max compete.  He really brings his A game when he has adoring fans there to watch.  He has loved having his turn to shine and as hard as it is for Hank to not have the spotlight, it's been good for him to learn to cheer for his little brother for once.  Hank helped Randy coach Team Snakes to a undefeated season.  They were a scrappy bunch and everyone improved so much during the season.  Randy has the patience of a saint, these kids are so lucky to have him as their coach. 

Randy sadly missed Max's last game since he was at the Notre Dame, BYU game.  Good thing we have such amazing support to help fill the void.  When Max looked over at the sidelines to see the entire Ross Family and Grandma Jackie, his face lit up.  Team Snakes will reunite in the spring.  Until then, I need to find a hobby other than the Wii for Max this winter.  Hopefully he is more excited about skiing this year.

Hank had such a great experience playing flag football this season.  He had such great teammates and great coaches.  They were so much fun to watch.  

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Hank was all over the field.  He had his sites on the ball at all times.  He scored at least 2 touchdowns every game and made countless defensive stops.  

He's such an athletic kid.  Combine natural talent with his intense competitive nature and hard work ethic and you have a force to be reckoned with.  Can you tell I'm just a little proud of my Hanksta?  He also loves to perform for a crowd and had many fans to every game.  I must say though, there is one fan who didn't miss a single game of Hank's or Max's all season....Grandma Jackie.  I'm not sure how she will be able to keep up that pace when Sarah's kids start playing ball, but I'll enjoy it as long as I can.  Thanks mom, and thank you to everyone else who made an effort to come watch my boys. 

After the season ended they celebrated with a little banquet at Trafalga.  Their coaching staff was quite the dynamic trio!  These boys are so lucky to have coaches who are willing to take the time to teach them and make sure they have a positive experience.  Basketball practice has already begun and Hank will be playing in two leagues this year.  I am so excited!  Basketball season is my favorite.

Fall Break

Autumn in Utah this year has been spectacular.  It's such a festive season and we haven't wasted any time experiencing all of it.  Max had a field trip to Pumpkinland earlier this month.  We kept ourselves entertained by going through the corn maze, playing in the gardens, and visiting the animals. 

Max may have had more fun playing photographer at lunch.  He directed this photo entirely himself.  Maybe next time we'll just sit the field trip out and take pictures of ourselves instead.

 

The day before Fall Break was crazy hair day at Hank's school.  It may be his favorite day of the year.  He wanted me to draw the breast cancer awareness ribbon in his hair to support grandma.  Too bad my artistic ability couldn't accommodate his request...we just went with straight pink hair instead.

To kick off Fall Break, we decided to join the rest of Utah County at Cornbelly's.  It seemed like something we just had to do.  Sarah, Jack, Tucker, Kate, Lucy and Isabel all joined in on the fun.  There is plenty to do at Cornbelly's, yet I found myself frantically chasing Sam everywhere.  He has an eye for danger, that is for sure.

For example, he likes to chew on extension cords.  Totally safe.  The kids had a blast, I was exhausted, seems like a pretty typical day around here.

Randy and I were really wishing we had planned a vacation over the holiday weekend, so last minute we headed up to Park City for a few nights.

The kids looked especially adorable waiting for the bus to take us downtown.  Here is proof that not one of them looks like the other. 

After dinner the kids insisted on a late night sugar rush at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

The sugar high set in before they even got their chocolate!

When I made the hotel reservations, I was blinded by the insanely good deal I got and overlooked the fact that we would be staying in a studio.  That means Hank and Max were on the fold out couch, Randy and I were on a murphy bed, and that left barely enough room for a porta-crib for Sam.  It was close quarters indeed.  Sam was not feeling it at all.  That kids loves his crib, why on earth would we take that bliss away from him?  Let's just say it was a LONG night for all of us.  At one point I looked at Max and he had his ears covered with a pillow and he loudly exclaimed "Sam is being so annoying, I'm trying to sleep!".  Good thing we were all awake by 5:30 a.m., we had to be in Salt Lake that morning for a breast cancer walk with Jeri.  

The kids insisted on pink hair to match their pink "Walkers For Knockers" shirts. Even though we had a restless night of sleep, we quickly rallied to support Grandma Jeri.  She is such an incredible, beautiful woman.  The way she has fought this horrible disease with courage and strength has inspired me greatly.  

Sam and Lennon love their grandma so very much!

Jeri had such an amazing group of supporters.  You could feel the love.

Randy doesn't discuss his feeling very often but the love and respect he has for his mother is something I can only hope for from my boys one day.

After our walk we all went to lunch together and Sam was in fine form.

Some poor soul put their iphone in the hands of this crazy man.

"What mom, I'm not doing anything."  

After our sleepless night, Randy and I decided to cut our trip short.  We headed back to the hotel and had a much needed hot tub party.

It sort of made the entire trip worth it.  My boys are hilarious little creatures! I'm one lucky mom.

Poor Randy was left in the hotel room to wrangle Sam.  

It's a good thing he is so damn cute!  I guess I've forgotten what a handful a one year old can be.

We headed downtown one last time before heading home.

Sam enjoyed smacking Randy's head the entire walk.

The rest of the break was spent enjoying the beautiful weather...at home!

Randy just can't help himself when there is a neighborhood game going on.  He just has to participate, even if it means beating up on innocent kids.

My mom organized a caramel apple making session with all the grand kids.  They turned out adorable and delicious.  The kids had a blast.  They each made a special apple to give to their dad and their school teachers.

There is never a dull moment around here.  Randy and I had hopes of a relaxing vacation but I have a feeling that's not going to happen for at least 10 more years!  

Thank Goodness For Antibiotics

The first part of October brought some serious bacteria to our family.  I swear my house is clean.  I came down with step even though I was told I an immunity to it.  Sarah had it a week earlier and since we share everything, it was only right we include infectious diseases.  I've realized a few things about myself through my illness.  I hate to be sick and am not a very good sick person.  I have zero pain tolerance and I HATE shots!  I have never felt so much pain in my life.  The antibiotic shot they gave me was the real deal.  Randy can attest how much I hate shots.  I nearly broke his poor hand while the nurse was injecting me.  Luckily my mom was willing to help out with the kids while I was moaning and wailing for a few days.  After 3 or 4 days, I was feeling much better.

Just prior to my bought with bacteria, Hank got a nasty infection where his pump site was.  The amount of pus coming out of that area combined with the redness and pain was alarming.  I took him to the doctor where they took a sample of the bacteria and put him on a pretty aggressive dose of antibiotics.  Thankfully it got drastically better quick or they would've admitted him to the hospital.  Since he is a diabetic, infections are nothing to mess around with.  I'm glad we caught it early and he was strong enough to fight this.  I call no more sickness for this family!  If only it were that easy.

Grandma

It's time to update the old blog.  I'm determined to keep this as current as possible so my goal is a post every day until I'm caught up.  

My beautiful grandma turned 82 on September 28th.  We had a celebration in her honor with all my cousins and our kids at a park in Highland.  I feel so grateful to have this incredible lady in my life.  She is witty, smart, loyal, strong, elegant, and supportive.  Her influence in my life is very strong and I can honestly say I wouldn't be the person I am today without her.  I miss Grandma Joanne so much and I am so lucky to have Grandma Yvonna live so close to me.  She possesses so many qualities I hope to attain some day.  Her devotion to my Grandpa Sherm and her family is unmatched.  Through all of life's ups and downs she has a way of lightening any moment with her hilarious sense of humor.  I love you so much Grandma!  Here's to many more birthdays!

Sam Enters Toddler-Hood

It's amazing how Sam's first haircut magically turned him into a different kid.  It might also have something to do with the fact he has entered toddler-hood and all the irrational mood swings that come with it.  I swear it was the haircut though!  I had Hank and Max in for their regular haircut's and Weston had a few minutes before his next appointments.  In a moment of weakness I sat Sam in the chair and told Weston to trim up the rough edges.  I'm not ready for a real haircut just yet.

Sam had his sucker, covered in hair, and had no idea his lovely locks were getting chopped off.

I couldn't believe how fast he went from a long haired rat to a nicely trimmed up rat.

  

The back of his hair reminds me so much of Grandpa Karl's hair!

Here is the final product and the personality that came with it!

I guess in all fairness to Sam, his hair probably has nothing to do with his behavior.  He is still such a great little sleeper, however we had to lower his crib to the lowest setting since he's already plotting an escape.

Sam is always looking for the next thing to get into.  It usually involves a button, a plug, an outlet, a sharp object, or something that could potentially poison him.  I had all three boys at the doctor for flu shots and I was constantly stopping him from playing on the computer, opening the drawers, and playing in the garbage.

Give Tucker a few more months and these two will be a force to be reckoned with!

Not to mention the trouble these kissin' cousins are going to get into!  Lennon is a little scared of Sam. 

Being the youngest brother, Sam has to endure plenty of time at the soccer/football field.  He loves to run onto the field, I'm sure just because of the reaction he gets from me.  He found some goal post sticks to keep him entertained and had them wrapped around his neck in no time.

He needs to be holding something at all times and his pants, just won't stay buttoned!  Sarah suggested sewing in a little maternity panel.  I guess skinny jeans are just not made to fit his body shape!

He has recently began pooping in the tub, such a lovely new trick. 

It's a good thing he is so freaking adorable or I just might lose my mind!

For every fit he throws, or mess he creates, he quickly makes me forget it all with his hilarious personality.  His smile is contagious and his dance moves are an instant mood boost.  It is an exciting world for this independent little one year old.  I hope I can keep up! 

The Griffin's Got a Boat

When Randy and I started our little family, I just knew one day a boat would be in our future.  Randy has so many fond childhood memories of boating and of course wants that for our kids.  I'm all for quality family bonding time.  Although I didn't grow up boating, it's an activity I can definitely get into.  When the opportunity arose to purchase this boat, the price was right and the timing was right so Randy and James jumped at the chance and I'm so glad they did.  Unfortunately we didn't get it until boating season was coming to a close but we had a few jaunts to the lake before the weather got too cold.  Here she is!

I have lots to learn about the art of backing up a trailer, and driving a boat.  I'll get it one of these days.

I love that we are officially a boating family now.  The kids were a little nervous our first time out.  Sam was trapped in his life jacket so he decided to just take a nap.  The kids didn't want to get in the water so I decided to show them it wasn't scary at all.  It's been a good 8 years since I've put on a pair of water ski's but I couldn't let my boys down.  

Oh yeah, I still got it!  It actually felt pretty amazing to be out on the water again.  The kids weren't too excited about learning how to ski but the tube was an instant hit.

They literally stayed on the water for an hour.  We have some serious tubers on our hands.  I love hearing their little giggles and squeals from behind the boat.  Randy couldn't be more stoked about being a boat owner.  That probably makes me the happiest.  He's like a little kid out there.  I know we have many years of adventures ahead of us and I can't wait!