Halloween

Alyssa and I went to the pumpkin patch with school to start off the Halloween holiday

 Then we went to the Zoo and enjoyed all their cute displays from Candyland to Star Wars. The girls enjoyed it...mom and dad didn't enjoy the crazy amount of people that were there.

We also enjoyed a little Fall Festival at school. Alyssa threw a ball at the dunk tank and dunked the kid! Then we did a little pumpkin carving with a friend

 And of course Halloween finally arrived we started it out at our Trunk or Treat for church and then headed out to the neighborhoods and came home with an amount of candy that should be outlawed

 This year we had a vampire, a cat, a fairy and a lady bug

Zhara's baptism day

Our sweet Zhara turned 8 this September and in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints that is an age that you look forward to since you are about 3. Her beautiful dress was made by my sweet friend who allowed Zhara to create her own pattern and pick out the material. As I look at the pictures I am amazed at what a great young lady she has grown into be and how proud I am to be her mom.

 Her big day was Sept 15 2012 and it started with some french braids from Aunt Tanya

 Many family and friends joined us for this wonderful day

 Our dear "adopted" grandmother Sue let Zhara wear the jumper her daughters wore for their baptism days. Zhara was nervous before she was baptized and asked me if she could go in the room and say a prayer by herself.

 Many family and friends joined us for this special day

Zhara's dress maker, Carol Angle

No big day is complete without a BBQ

Haleigh enjoyed a bag of Doritos for dinner

 FINALLY my family is getting better at the "funny face" picture

 wow that's a lot of women in my dad's life

Happy 8th birthday Zhara....you are such a beautiful young lady and we are blessed to have you in our lives and your sisters are blessed to have you as their example

Time with Aunt Charlotte

My Aunt Charlotte (who our sweet Charlotte is named after) came to visit and meet her namesake

 she came with me to pick the girls up from school and bought them "slap watches"

 Charlotte enjoyed seeing our desert landscaping

 Here is Charlotte Rachelle with the two wonderful women she is named after

 "no she is named after me"

My Aunt Charlotte is more like my sister than my aunt, she has been there for me in the darkest times of my life and always been someone I could turn to for anything and I knew that she would just love me through it all. I hope that my Charlotte will know what a great honor it is to be named after such a great woman. I am so thankful she came out for one of the most important days in our families life....Zhara's baptism