Lil Halloween Spirit

If there is still anyone out there who doesn't know about my obsessive compulsive LOVE of decorating then beware of this post.

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I am having a small party at my house this week and just HAD to get my Halloween decor out!

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I have a few things that I just DIE over because they are so fun, so I just HAD to share them!

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Let's start with my jars!

First up, black licorice!

 I love how cute this turned out for Halloween!

Gotta have candy corns! No questions!

I ALMOST DIED WHEN I FOUND THESE GUMBALLS!!

Aren't they so super fun! 

This is also new!

I leaped into the aisle when I saw this bad boy!

A cupcake cookie jar for Halloween....

SO ME

I love these handblow glass candy corn ornaments

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They hang so pretty from my chandelier!

This "SPOOKY" I embroidered a few years ago!

LOVE IT!!

My spider with a tutu

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The ONLY was to make a spider "cute"

This baby is one of my all-time favorites

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My mom makes these witches for boutiques every year

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Isn't she adorable!!!

Gotta love a great pair of witch boots

Then I have my witch....

Mummy...

And of course Frankie!!!

This Frankie doll is another one of my mother's amazing creations!

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He has a lil hunchback, crazy hair and so much personality!

Last but not least, my glittery "BOO"

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Ok so there are 2 ways to make spiders cute!!!

Ok there's a sneak peak at what we have going on here!

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Just in case you are interested, my mom is selling a few witches and frankies this year too!

 Let me know if you would like one!!!

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I hope you are all getting ready for the Halloween spirit too!

If You Give A Mouse Velveeta...

THE LIGHTING...

THE WEAPON...

THE HERO...

THE ENTREE...

THE YORK PEPPERMINT PATTY...

OR THE VELVEETA?

THE SET UP...

THE UPSET...

THE GERM FREAK :)

IT'S BAAACCKK!!!

I kid you not.

The stupid mouse came again. And PS...he is NOT interested in peanut butter.

I was calmly watching television last night when it had to AUDACITY to run into MY vaccum closet, then run out under my table and into my game closet.

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Matt was at softball when he got MY CALL, naturally in hysteria. When he arrived home, I left for Walmart determined to buy 1800 snap traps if that is what it takes to KILL this damn thing

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I came home to find tools spread throughout the house, extra lighting, Matt now in full shoes, not sandals, vaccum out and things pulled out of every closet.

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He told me he found it, it ran, he kicked it, it ran again and hid in our vents.

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UN-FREAKING-ACCEPTABLE MOUSE!!

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Then he took apart the main return and it ran back into my vaccum closet. Nasty little beast. When he was rediscovered, he ran into the living room. Matt had me go get the neighbors cat.

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Kurt and Kaitlyn arrive with a (worthless) cat. It pees all over my tile and all over Kurt because it doesn't like being removed from his home. The mouse ran past the cat twice and the cat didn't even blink.

Cat=Totally Worthless Stupid Idea.

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We barricade the hallway, I try my hardest to be semi-heroic and stand three stairs above ground holding a broom and await divine intervention on what the hell I will do if/when I see it. This is SO not my thing. I am with the cat...I wanted to pee on the floor and go to another home myself.

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Kaitlyn grabs a bowl and  Matt lifts the couch. It runs past them both and I am faced with the 3 inch scurrying beast myself. So I smack it, hard, with the broom and it runs away. DAMN

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After we repeat this scene another FOUR times, I open the door. Not how I really want this to end but maybe if we just get it outside it will be smart enough to move on to...I dunno anywhere else but my house.

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I smack it with the broom as hard as I can from 3 stairs up and it FINALLY just takes the exit.

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This is better than having it inside, but not ideal either because the freaking thing CAME from outside at some point.  I spent the next hour Lysoling everything it might have possibly touched and then drempt all night of nasty scurrying beasts.

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I WANT THIS THING TO DIE

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Seriously a painful death for all the stress it has caused me. And so help me if it was female and left anything behind in my home....

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I simply can't go there or even finish that sentence.

The Intruder

I am not even sure where to begin.

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I woke up this morning a happy mother. Taking kids to school, doing dishes, cleaning out the fridge, doing laundry and had dinner in the crock pot before 11:30. WOW

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Needless to say, I was feeling rather Domestic Goddess-y

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I was catching up on my blogs, and helping Cooper with his homework, when our peace was not only destroyed, but obliterated in a matter of 2 seconds

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At first I thought a leaf was blowing through my kitchen as today is a rather windy day and I had the windows open.

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To my utter HORROR, it was NOT a leaf.

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IT WAS A FREAKING MOUSE

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It was as awful and disgusting as it sounds. I leaped from my kitchen table, said some very un-blog worthy words, grabbed Cooper by his shirt and screamed my way out the back door. I stood on my porch in horror deciding what to do first.

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I called Matt. No answer. I called again. No answer. For the love...what could he be doing that could possibly be more important than THIS. Call again. Nothing. (A few more more unmentionble words)

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I clearly knew I could NOT go back inside. No matter that this beast was only 2 inches long, I had been standing by my dishwasher making dinner no more than 20 minutes before. Oh goodness even typing that I have the chills.

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I ran to my back door neighbors house. No answer. Seriously, where the hell is everyone during my emergency. I kept on...

Next neighbors house. Home. Thank freaking goodness. Just being in her house I relaxed enough to take a moment break from the constant dry heaving. I asked for her advice. She offered her cat.

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Not that I am ungrateful, but no go on the cat. There has to be another way. I call Matt again, this time holding back soft sobs that are bound to escalate. He finally answers and when I spit the nasty words out of what I am dealing with, he makes jokes.

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WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?

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I am so not finding the humor in any of this issue. I have a freaking mouse who has entered my home through my dishwasher. I have been in my kitchen all day while it lurks (dry heave again). The thought of dealing with trapping it, either dead or alive makes me want to curl into fetal position and die. All of that, SO NOT FUNNY.

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Round two of my problem....my car battery is dead. So now I am trapped in this mess. I borrow Karen's car, go to Walmart looking super sweet in my exercise clothes, wearing a ponytail AND headband ( a vision am I). I get to the aisle where they keep items for "PEST CONTROL" and just looking at the pictures on the boxes I have chills over my entire body and the heaves are returning. Seriously WHY OH WHY do we need things that 'CREEPETH' upon the earth. Not in my world, I tell you that right now.

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I pick a trap and head out of Walmart, ignoring the fact that even in a place like WALMART I am getting stared at cuz I look so amazing.

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I pick up my boys, return the car and we head home. We get to the back door and we all freeze. Here is where I am supposed to give a pep talk to my boys about how its all ok etc.

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Clearly, I throw open the door and just yell RUN RUN RUN UP THE STAIRS!!! HURRY BOYS!!!

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Against all odds, we make it. Cooper lays in his bed and asks questions like "Are we going to catch the mouse? What color is it? Are you going to put cheese in the trap?" I can't bear to answer any of them. I tell him his Dad will deal with it. He HAS to

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I lay Judd down. He thinks the mouse is kind of a neat part of our day. He just wants to know when access to the pantry will be granted again. Sadly, I tell him, I have no idea. Not for a while

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As for me, I am curled up in fetal position on my bed awaiting my husband to get home. I have another hour and a half until that happens. Matt is sure to find less humor in the situation once its all in his hands.

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As I sit here I realize that no matter how lonely you feel, no matter how rough a deal life has dealt you, Cinderella was STUPID CRAZY to pick mice as friends.

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That's all I have to say about that.

Suprise Party

This week my darling mother turns the big 5-0

Naturally we threw her a huge party to celebrate a year she hoped would just pass quietly

PSSSHT

Not likely with us for daughters!

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We planned it for weeks, invited lots of her friends, neighbors and family

Against all odds, she was genuinely SURPRISED

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Trying to keep a secret like this from our MOM was no easy task.

We yelled SURPRISE, she turned bright red,

then she hugged us all haha

She is in the YW presidency

I had her Pres tell her they were having a quick meeting

She was STUNNED how many people were in on this

We were so thrilled with how many people came

My Aunt and Uncle serving a mission even took a weekend to come celebrate!

One of the evening highlights was my Dad

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He has found joy in singing love songs to all us girls

This night was no exception

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He sang "Remember When" to my mother in front of all their friends and neigbors

Pretty brave right

It was very sweet and I bawled like a baby through the whole thing

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Not shocking right?

I am such a pansie

Here is the cake table

There were four cakes that read

"50 Years"

"Oldie but Goodie"

"We love you Mom"

"Happy 50th Cindee"

Here I am...

The CRAZY party planner

SOOO glad to have the party here and be done planning it haha

Here are a few snaps of our wonderful guests...

You really can't have an over the hill party

without DEPENDS!!!

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Needless to say, this was not MOM's favorite decor

Hahaha

Here is the cute bday girlie!

Time to blow out candles on 4 different cakes

OUCH BABY!!

In our family we have a very WEIRD tradition.

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I can't even remember when it started but many years ago, my Grandpa started sticking his finger all the way down into whomever's bday cake we had.

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It honestly kind of disgusts me, but clearly you can't mess with tradition right

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I usually just take a peice from the "OTHER" side

Here is my Mom with one of her great buddies, Nelea

Here is my Possie!!

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Seriously, I can't even say how glad I am for all these sisters and my amazing mom!

Hope you had an awesome party Mom!

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Please forgive the old age jokes and depends

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Most of all, don't pay us back by making us use them on ya someday :)

Preschool Has Begun

Yesterday marked Judd's first day of school....

Well Preschool that is!

He had a lot of fun and made LOTS of new friends!

This was his first preschool project.

We had to decorate a cut out of a person to look like him.

He was VERY proud

It is hard to imagine that my baby is in school.

 Two days a week all of my kids are in school

WOW

I am seriously getting old