It Happened

Out in the Bookdocks

While I hosted a baby shower for my friend Esther, the boys retreated to Bookdocks Fun Center (thanks for the passes Grandma and Grandpa).  Evidence of the fun:

After the baby shower, I joined them for a couple rounds of golf and the batting cages.

Happy Everything! Farewell for Grandpa and Grandma Wheeler

Before my Mom and Dad left for South Africa, we had one last family party, which was called "Happy Everything!" We celebrated all birthdays and holidays in two three fun-filled days.  It was a great weekend, with only one hiccup: Jesse wasn't able to be with us since he was beginning his new job.

Pickle ball was one of the favorite activities with opponents tall and small.

The cousins spent the nights and Grandma and Grandpa's home in Santa Clara

Doing the cousin salute: ACFE!

Mom and Dad gave their farewell talks that Sunday and did a great job! Afterward we went to Ryan and Wendy's home to have a safari party complete with a cookie bar and ice cream indulgence!

Ryan also blessed the newest member of the Wheeler clan - Morgan!

Halloween 2013

Halloween this year was another scramble at the last minute for costumes.  It's a good thing I have a few costumes to draw on!  Spencer got to play "Hedwig's Theme" at a Halloween piano recital where he decided to dress as Slenderman (An underwhelming computer game where you spend the whole time trying to run from a being called Slenderman, who you rarely see while playing the game, essentially you run around in the dark. Whatever.) This is what he looks like. Dapper, but freakish.

Mark's firm always has a Halloween party with some games and a little dinner.  The boys weren't too crazy about the games this year and immediately asked where they could find the pizza.  They go mostly for the bag of candy that is handed to them without even a "trick or treat." D.J. wanted to be a football player this year, he borrowed the Larsen's football pads and was able to wear Mark's official Sugar Bowl helmet while at the party.  James was Sorin, a character from a Magic the gathering card ("Mom now I know how it feels like to be a girl with long hair.")

Before trick or treating picture.  Spencer went back and forth deciding to be a scarer on the porch and a trick or treater. He decided to be a bloody zombie surgeon for the actual Halloween night, with his friend Jackson. DJ went around trick or treating with his friend Brock, armed with scooters and an area map. They came back with the most candy.  I went out with James and three friends: Jack, Nate and Carson. They were especially loud and less tactful when discovering a house that gives away FULL SIZE CANDY BARS!!!!!!!  They pooped out after two neighborhood until I got out the wagon to pull their bags of candy.  That revitalized them, but I pooped out when they started riding in the wagon.

I'm usually running crazy right before trick or treating, but this year was relatively calm. So I made hot dog mummies (hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls), which was a hit!

The boys sold their candy to a local orthodonist for $2/lb AND he pays in $2 bills! James sold all of his candy! Spencer and DJ held back a bit.

Warning: TEENAGER!!!!!

Close your mouth and try to get over the shock. We have a teenager in our home. Complete with the whole teenage package. Many people come up to me and tell me what a good kid Spencer is.  He is not afraid to talk to adults and loves to have fun with just about anyone.  He gets along well with his brother for the most part.  He is always hatching some sort of plan or other and looking for recruits to help carry them out.  He is a voracious reader and has read the books in his room multiple times.  His wit and conversation is maturing and we are having new experiences with him daily it seems and bless him for being able to forgive quickly.

Spencer is really into a card game called Magic the Gathering, so that's what he wanted for his cake.  This is a sweet duplicate-ish of one the card front.

He's 10 + 3. I'm sure he's holding up 3 toes.

We finally let him read the three Hunger Games books (which he did in three days). When Mark was wrapping the books up, he decided to slip another book inside of the book cover.  When he came home for lunch he was waving Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers at me saying, "What is this?!? This isn't Hunger Games! Where is it!"  We are evil.

Excitement over new Magic cards and a plate full of bacon.

I brought lunch to him from Crown Burger, his favorite burger place (thanks Granna) and he ate lunch at home with a friend.  That night he attended a Court of Honor where he earned two handfuls of merit badges.  He's a good kid and we are blessed to enjoy him and learn from him!

Fabulous at 40 and 39!

I got special treatment this year for my birthday! Beginning a few days before my birthday with a beautiful gift from Priscilla, ending with a party that Mark got together with many friends and loved ones and yummy cupcakes! My parents happened to be in town for the shindig and they snuck around hanging and painting these signs. The sign on the garage made it possible for every one I know to be informed that I am indeed 40. It's a good thing I don't feel bad about 40 coming around!

Then just to make sure that every last person I know is aware of my age, I got the shoe polish treatment. Yes, I had to run errands that day. When I went to lunch with Mark downtown I got a call from my friend Michelle who passed me on State Street. We ate at Gormandi's Bakery downtown and just as we were finishing our lunch, Mark noticed that my Aunt Kaye was a few tables away. What a fun surprise!

Even better was her surprise visit as Glendima, or Newanda, or some sort of crazy name, with toilet paper hanging out of her pants, a purple cane with a honking horn on it, offering me bread and butter pickles and "over-the-hill" prune juice. So thoughtful! My mom and sister made delicious cupcakes and Mark bought cupcakes at the Sweet Tooth Factory. Many wonderful friends came to wish me happy birthday. It was a great day!

Mark's birthday follows mine by 17 days. He likes to remind me that for 17 days I'm two years older than him.  Although it wasn't a huge celebration (working on that for next year), our family and other family members were pleased and proud to celebrate his life which blesses ours.  His birthday cake was an apple pie (al a mode).  We went to lunch together (a perk that comes with having kids in school) and I got to talk to my most favorite person in the whole world, so I guess it was more of a gift to me than to him.  Bless Elford and Priscilla for bringing him into the world!