Halloween Party 2011...

The party table...

Yes... I LOVE confetti...

 Kendra cutting the pumpkin bowls...

Dad ~ Aunt Peggy ~ Mom

Kendra ~ Josh ~ Vicki

Our Halloween Confetti Cake...

After the Logan High game we raced home to get ready for our Halloween Party.  Josh has decided that he loves soup bowls (and it is a Halloween Party tradition to have them). Mom made her famous Potato Soup.  We played games and then had treat time... my first home made confetti cake... well the cake part was a mix but instead of buying the special cake mix and frosting I had a plain white cake mix and cream cheese frosting in a tub and added a bottle of sprinkles to both the cake batter and for the decorations... I had read about it on Pintrest and decided to try it! It works perfect!

 

Logan High Playoff Football...

The Grizzlies entering the field...

#3 ~ Jayden Connor (Kendra's brother)

 #56 ~ Jacoby Wildman (Payden's brother)

Andrea ~ Bud and Jordan Connor ~ Duncan Olsen

Josh and Kendra

While we were busy making pretzels on Thursday night we were all talking about how much fun it used to be making treats for the football players (I made football shaped rice krispie treats for all of the varsity team on the night before the last game of the season ~ they each were hand decorated by my dad with their number. Since we made it to the playoffs they asked if I would make them again... I told them as long as they won... I would keep making them for their pre-game dinner. We made over 70 of those sweet footballs each week for 4 weeks). I started thinking about how much fun I had at the games and so I asked Kendra if she thought her family would mind me crashing the game... she said they would love it! The morning of the game it was cold and gray... but by noon the clouds had all cleared out and the sun was shining... what a beautiful day for football! It was so much fun sitting in the stand and cheering for the Grizzlies... just like old times... and yes they won! Way to go Grizzlies!

Logan High Football Pretzels...

Football pretzels...

 Jaden eating one of his pretzels...

While we were busy making Cowboy and Halloween pretzels (see post here) I thought it would be fun to make some special pretzels for Kendra's brother. Dad decorated them with red gel ~ some said LHS ~ others had just an "L" ~ some had smiley faces and some were special just for Jaden with #3 on them! Go Grizzlies!

 

Surprise Party for Kendra...

 Kendra and her cake...

Can you say Surprise?

You can see by the look on her face she was!

The table... complete with confetti...

 Balloons...

 The pink gift bags (she loves pink)

 Reece's Pieces from Aunt Peggy

 A coat from Grandma ~ Papa and Vicki

especially picked out by none other than Joshua

(since I'm not allowed to pick out clothes...

I don't know what's new and cool!)

 Supermodel Kendra with her million dollar smile!

It looks so cute on her and such a good color too!

Nice job Josh!

 

 Aunt Peggy ~ Grandma and Papa

The newest family picture...

Josh and I wanted to throw Kendra a birthday party... then we got to thinking... let's throw a surprise party... she wouldn't think anything about us having a party for her.  Kendra's birthday is on October 14th.. it just happened to be on a Friday... (Logan High football game night) ~ Saturday was with her family... Sunday Josh had to work so we decided that Monday would work perfect.  That was normally the night she and Josh worked on homework.  So on Friday... I sent her a text and Papa and Grandma called her for the birthday wishes. Come Monday I left work early to get the balloons and get everything ready... at 5:15 the call came and she was on her way. We had my mom and dad park in the garage so she wouldn't see their car and get suspicious.  Josh was out messing with my car in the driveway when she arrived.  Mom ~ dad ~ Aunt Peggy and I stood in the hallway waiting for the front door to open... SURPRISE... and she was... mission accomplished!  Steak ~ baked potatoes ~ corn ~ mom and dads homemade rolls and Aunt Peggy brought the apple cider fresh from Zollinger's Fruit Farm (I have to say... it is so delicious!).  Cake ~ ice cream and games completed the night of fun.  Happy Birthday Kendra... I hope you had a wonderful birthday weekend!

 

Painting Completed...

 

Getting the paint stirred up and ready to go...

 The awesome painters...

 The Dynamic Duo...

 The TV is still in the living room on a chair...

Josh didn't want to miss the baseball playoffs...

 I couldn't take pictures while my dad was suspended above the stairway...

but you can see how he did it...

Josh held the ladder... I held the paint...

 After years of my dad telling me...

"You are going to drive me to drink"

It looks like I finally succeeded!

 This pic does not show the true color... but it is beautiful

See those sweet "white" baseboards...

my mom painted all of those!

 Moving on to the kitchen...

 

I will have to get some pictures of the completed job in the kitchen and some better ones of the living room.  After the living/family and hallway was all painted... we had to wait 8 days for the carpet to be cleaned... can you say MESS!  The living room had a card table (great for eating on since the kitchen table was buried) 4 folding chairs and the TV. We lived in total chaos for over 2 weeks... no Halloween or fall decor in sight... take out dinners were our friend... but in the end it will be worth it I keep telling myself!  After the carpet was cleaned we moved everything out of the kitchen/dining area and moved it to the living room.  It only took dad and Josh 2 days to get it done and we were ready to getting the house put back together again... I still have things to get finished...but we have Halloween and fall decoration out and everyone is a happy camper!