It's hard to imagine...

...that our baby girl will dig into her first birthday cake in less than a month. Maybe it's because she's so tiny (16 pounds, to be exact). Or maybe it's because she's our last. Whatever the reason, I'm in disbelief that Libby is 11 months old.

These days, she's jabbering up a storm. She can say, "Uh-oh" and "mama" and likes to let out an ear-piercing squeal:

 She's right on the verge of walking:

She loves being sassy & silly:

And she still gives us that surprised stare from time to time:

 Most of all, she's just a happy, easy-going baby:

And we love her to pieces... even if she is growing up too fast.

M&M

Our family has grown by two!

Meet Molly:

 and Maeby:

 (Anyone who understands the reference behind Maeby's name earns a gold star.)

Jamin welcomed the kittens with a special picture:

Molly loves to curl up on our laps, and Maeby is a playful little thing. They spend much of their day in the garage, running around and sleeping. We adore our low-maintenance furballs!

Sneak peek

Yesterday was stunning, perfect for our family photoshoot. Certain boys weren't entirely cooperative (*cough, cough*), yet talented Charlotte managed to snap some fantastic photos. Here's our sneak peek (also found in her photoblog):

Thank you, Charly!

Season finale

Last night, the Blue Seals celebrated the end of their fall season with a party at Idaho Pizza Company. The kids gulped down their food and then rushed to play arcade games.

Had I remembered my camera (oops!), I would have shared a cute picture of them huddled together around a single console. Those who watched alternated between sheer excitement and sheer impatience. Those who played stood on a chair above the crowd with the comparatively huge gun controller. It was really funny.

 Instead, here are a few photos from the rest of the season:

Every time Jamin and Daniele were on the sidelines together, they would have grass fights and play tag:

 Our (loud) cheering section:

 This is a rare moment when Travis actually watched the game. He usually ran into the field (to "play on Team Jay-Jay"), ran to the street, or ran to the playground:

 Jamin's skills improved quite a bit. He started understanding the concepts of the game, had a ton of fun, and made some good friends. That's what it's all about.

Halloweekend Part IV: Halloween Night

Last night was the much-welcomed culmination of Halloween weekend. Since it was a Sunday, we decided to keep it simple.

Charlotte, Clarke, Brock, Nanay, and Papa all came over for dinner. There were tons of tasty treats! The kids even got personalized goodies from Nanay and Papa.

We talked, ate, and laughed while the kids played, handed out candy, and went trick-or-treating (thanks for supervising, Clarke). 

Next up, Christmas!. I suppose we can squeeze Thanksgiving in there...

Halloweekend Part III: Trunk-or-Treat

Trunk-or-treating is an annual tradition at most LDS churches. Yesterday was our first time. Jamin and his cousin/best buddy Brock always trick-or-treat together, so Charly and I planned a joint evening for the kids.

First, we went to their stake center. We arrived a few minutes late, and the local kids were chomping at the bit while we attempted to set up. Charly handed out candy while I took Brock, Jamin, Travis, and Libby around the parking lot.

After one time around, the kids helped pass out the rest of the candy:

At this point, Charly joined us as we walked around the outer loop of the lot. The kids got a lot of loot! 

They were having such a great time that we decided to refill the candy bowl and go to our church building next. By this point, the sun had set, and the parking lot was packed. 

It was hectic, to say the least. But it was a gorgeous evening, and the kids had a blast. 

Next year, we may just stick to trick-or-treating.

Halloweekend Part II: Costumes

My boys love the movie How to Train Your Dragon. So it came as no surprise when Jamin asked to be a Monstrous Nightmare, and Travis wanted to be a Deadly Nadder for Halloween. When I searched for the official costumes, though, I was disappointed at how cheap they seemed for the price. I decided to do something completely new for me: make costumes myself!

 Though my idea was simple, the entire process was a learning experience. Just shopping for materials was a dragged out mess. I spent two rainy, cold afternoons lugging the babies from store to store, discouraged that no one carried what I needed. We lost shoes, socks, and binkies-- and took over an hour retracing our steps to find those items. After spending way too much money settling for the less-than materials I could find, I just happened to stumble across exactly what I needed!

Then, I assembled for several hours. Much of that time was trial and error (not to mention lots of starting and stopping while watching the kids). When I finished at 2:30 this morning, I felt very proud of myself. I realize this is a basic project, but it was completely out of the norm for me.

Here's Travis' costume, pinned and setting:

 And Jamin's:

 Hand stitching the details took hours. But I like how it turned out:

(Please excuse the funky colors. The lighting was dim, and my photo editor doesn't allow me to manually adjust levels. I can't wait to have Photoshop again!)

The boys also have coordinating fleece pants that they'll wear. Libby's costume was by far the easiest: I bought a graphic tee and a hat from Target's $1 section. More pictures to come!