Speed Demon!

Last year for Christmas Santa brought Gabe a motorcycle. Brad and Grandpa Mike added the training wheels. Today he had some fun riding it and he was looking so cute I couldn't resist the urge to snap some pictures of him. The weather has been just so gorgeous, we are trying to get in every last minute we can of fun outside before it gets too cold.

 

Little lady killer...right here!!

Crazy Hair Day?!

This past week Gabe had something fun going on at school every day. Monday was crazy sock day, Tuesday was wear your favorite team jersey or color day, Wednesday was Halloween, Thursday was crazy hair day and Friday was wear your school shirt day.

Gabe was sooooooo excited for crazy hair day when I showed him that I had bought some colored hair spray for the occasion. We had a fun time getting him ready for school that morning and he had a blast having "crazy" blue hair for a day.

Get out of town...are you kidding me?! Look at that face!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Blue mohawk baby!

 

He kills me!

 

As a little Halloween surprise for Gabe I purchased this Halloween sweatshirt and cool skeleton gloves. He loved them and I loved seeing how excited he was about them.

Halloween!

We had a very busy but equally fun Halloween this year. Gabe decided he wanted to be Spiderman...(again- last year it was black Spiderman-Venom) this year he was just good ol regular Spiderman.

We kicked off Halloween this year at Brad's work by attending the annual office Halloween trick or treating party. It is always so much fun and we really look forward to it.  They close the whole office down early and everyone can bring their kids, grandkids, friends etc to the office to trick or treat. The whole office goes all out with people decorating and handing out  WAY too much candy. It's so nice to know that no matter the weather, we always get to get in our trick or treating in a warm and safe place. Besides...Gabe just loves to visit Dad at work, so it's a win win.

Mum and Gabe-We love this little guy so much!

 

 

Loved this guy...Gabe wasn't too willing to get much closer

 

 

On Halloween day, Gabe had a school Halloween parade in the morning and then I volunteered in his class for their class Halloween party. They did crafts, played games, decorated a cookie you name it. It was fun to watch all the kids and to be a part of the fun.

School Halloween Parade

Soooooo embarassed...Gabe is not a show pony...lol

 Class Halloween Party

Making Spiders and Ghosts

Gabe's Spider

Gabe with one of his little school buddies Max

Decorating Cookies

 

The handsome Mr. Spiderman!!!

 

 The party was a little chaotic but so much fun!

 



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More school buddies- Issac, Nash and Gabe

 

After school got out we rushed back home to our neighborhood where the neighborhood kids were doing their Halloween parade followed by a little luncheon.

 

Gabe and his little friend Lincoln

On Halloween night, we went over to Nana and Papa's and went trick or treating with cousins and aunties and uncles. The boys had a blast. Once we got done trick or treating we went back to Nana and Papa's house for homemade soup, homemade bread and homemade root beer. One of Gabe's favorite things to do on Halloween is to hand out candy. So we went home in time to be able to hand out candy from home. Watching Gabe's face light up when kids came to our door was priceless.

Fun with cousins our little monster (Carson), Cutest Tiger (Davis), Pirate (Andrew) and Gabe

Going door to door

My cute sister in law Shanna and the cutest little Tiger. We were so glad that they were in town for Halloween

Uncle Brad and little Davis- I love watching Brad with Davis

 

 

We had a really fun Halloween this year and were grateful to be able to enjoy it with family and nice weather. Gabe is already planning next Halloween!

Our Forever Family

This weekend has been awesome. Yesterday we were able to go to the temple to see our baby nephew Davis be sealed to his Mum and Dad. Davis is our adopted nephew. He couldn't be more perfect and our family couldn't love him any more. We are all so thrilled to have Davis be a part of our forever family. Watching Davis be sealed to my brother and sister in law brought back so many sweet memories for Brad and I of our own experience with our Gabe. Dealing with infertility is very hard and adoption is also extremely difficult, but having the oppurtunity to take your sweet baby to the temple to be sealed to you makes all the hard, sad, empty days feel worth it. I truly consider it a tender mercy and I'm so glad that Brian and Shanna got their turn!

Shanna had asked me to take some pictures after the temple and then we all went out to dinner as a family. It was so much fun.

Here are some of my faves!

 

It was getting dark and I was getting nervous about losing light but it made for some cool sunset pictures

 

Davis and his cute Daddy

I love love love this one!

 

Brad's Mum and Dad- Sandy and Clark. Proud Nana and Papa

 

Not the greatest picture of Davis and I but I just can't tell you how much I love this special little boy.

Today Davis was blessed in church. It was so fun to see the large circle of men surrounding baby Davis as his Dad officially gave him a name and a blessing. After the blessing, we all went to Shanna's parents house for lunch. It was a perfect weekend and we couldn't be more thrilled for Brian, Shanna and baby Davis.

Father and Son's Day out Fishing!!!

Yesterday, Brad and his brother Blake took Gabe and our nephew Andrew fishing at a local pond. The boys had so much fun. We were grateful the weather was so nice and that both boys were able to catch some fish. Having grown up with no aunts, uncles or cousins close by I am so grateful to know that Gabe will be able to grow up surrounded by so many amazing people who he loves and who love him so much.

Cute cousins- Gabe and Andrew

Gabe's little Spiderman fishing pole we bought him for his birthday proved to be great for catching fish. Brad said he could barely sit down to fish himself because Gabe kept pulling them in so fast. 

 

My lil man

 Brad took this video of Gabe bringing in a fish. We laughed at how he calmly sits in his little chair and doesn't get out of it the whole time he is pulling it in.

 

 

Messin up the kitchen

Today seemed just perfect for making some chocolate chip cookies. You just have those days sometimes.

Gabe loves to be my lovely assistant in the kitchen and I LOVE that he likes to cook and bake with me. He was so excited when I told him this morning that after school we were going to the library and then we would head home and make some cookies together.  He loves to "try" the dough and it is always his job to dump the chocolate chips in...if I ever forget that I'm in BIG trouble.

 

Step away from the chocolate chips! They are MINE!!!

My lovely assistant!

This was a new recipe I had found on Pinterest and was wanting to try. I have another FABULOUS recipe that I love from my friend Holly BUT these are awesome! It's hard to know which one is better.

 

OH YEAH!!

 

 

(I may have already eaten 3...shhhhh!)

 

Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pinterest

Ingredients:

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

3. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

4. Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)

5. Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely. Makes just shy of 3 dozen if your kiddo also can't keep his mits out of the dough =)