The Winds of Change: 2009

OK this was a Halloween for the record books! It was a fairytale trick or treat excursion... the night was warm, the moon was full, the leaves were crunchy, cousins were plenty, and there was good candy to be had at every door! I thought Nyah was going to literally BURST with excitement!

She calls it her pumpkin purse and she knows what to do with it! :)

She was warmed up from the afternoon activity but nothing could have prepared her for what the night held!

She would stand pumpkin purse in hand at every door and wait to have candy shoveled into it...one piece was not acceptable she waited to be given multiples or she would take matters into her own hands! It was hilarious! The only problem was that she didn't know what good candy was she was passing up perfectly good chocolate and going for the suckers every time! Nothing a little training can't fix!

When I say she was bursting she seriously did not stop screaming with joy the entire night!!!! Nyah and Trick or Treating were a match made in heaven. Derek and I had AMAZING time too!! It took us back to the good old days when Halloween was always like this :)!

Trick or Treating by Day

We met Sarah and Jayci at the mall for some Trick or Treating!

Then we moved downtown for some more of the goods! Nyah was sooooo PLEASED!

First things first and sampling is definitely first!

We let the girls run and play in the leaves afterward.

Look at these AWESOME superheroes we are committed to keeping the city safe and defending the innocent! :)

Halloween Party at Grandma Poulsen's with The Pack

Heaven on earth...all your cousins dressed up in costumes downing lots of sugar!

More Halloween FUN

We had a Halloween Party at our house with a few friends with some serious pumpkin carving we just can't get enough!

Second Times a Charm

Since Nyahs cake was still in tact after her party she took about 80 practice runs hearing me sing happy birthday and blowing out her candles again, and again, and again, and if that wasn't enough she would yell "AGAIN"! Ha. She has it down to an art for next year. Yes that is toast on the table and yes we did have birthday cake for breakfast! :)

Child Labor

Nyah has her first job. I have her unload the silverware from the dishwasher and put it away. She really likes it...and does a pretty good job...well, except last time I found all of the silverware in a pile on the table and she was no where to be seen! What a good little helper :)!

More Birthday

Nyah had to wait until we got home to open her present from Mom and Dad her very own kitchen! It was LOVE at first sight!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NYAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We celebrated Nyah's 2nd birthday in spooky style with the whole crew...

Darrick, Kellie, and Addison came in from Hawaii, Dee came in from San Fran, and Brian and Sher cut their Vegas vacation short to be there...it was THE event of the year :)! Here we are with all of Nyah's Aunties and my cousin Heather...what a HOT group! From left Maleficent, prima ballerina, Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), Where's Waldo, Wonder Woman, Bar Wench, MASH character that we kept calling Hugh Hefner, and bat woman.

My parents were soccer players :) My mom was a HUGE help in putting the wicked bash together!

Nyah knows all about presents now and is so excited to open them she was very spoiled!

Singing happy birthday...my camera was on a funky setting...good thing there were like 8 other cameras!

Yet again Nyah was too lady-like to dive into her cake. She daintily tasted each color of frosting despite shouts from the crowd to stomp or sit on the cake. :)

Best costume of the night goes to...My sister Kellie...a little too good her nails stuck a little tighter than expected here she is soaking them off at the end of the night. I think if Nyah could have voted Kellie would have gotten her vote two. Sleeping beauty is her fav and she was loving Kellie's costume all night!

The pressure was intense as the evening wore on their was a haunted house decorating contest... the costumes came off, and the gloves went on!

Brian and Sher were the WINNERS! I'm sorry to say I have no pics of the final product.

What a GREAT night thanks to all my family for being there...it was a night to remember...at least until next year. HA! :)

Autumn Arts and Crafts

Nyah is painting all of our left over pumpkins on the most beautiful fall day EVER!

Nostalgia

When I was little we would visit my Grandparents and as soon as my Dad hit the breaks in the driveway or sometimes a little before that my sister and I would pile out running for the basement yelling at the top of our lungs "I CALL THE BIG DOLL!" Well, this is the big doll and I scored it for good the last visit to Idaho! My Grandma gave it to me...Being almost 40 years old I figured it was time for a bath :) This was probably a year ago...

Nyah loves to play with her (even though most people think she looks a little freaky) funny that I have my own big doll that plays with the big doll from my childhood.

SURPRISE!

Derek threw me a surprise birthday party the night before my birthday. I went to Young Women's and when I came home Derek had the house decorated AWESOME and it was full of friends and family. Now normally surprise parties are difficult to pull off without the person suspecting but the proof is in the picture above I had no idea I was going to have a house full of people...I went running right before and did not get ready at all. What a SWEET husband! I had a most fantastic Birthday! :)