This year we had two Utes, a princess, and two pirates. Kelsey really wanted to be a vampire, but most of the vampire costumes we found were pretty inappropriate, so we nixed that idea & went with the same one we got for Emma. The boys didn't have a choice. I saw the Ute costumes at Tai Pan Trading and bought them, but they were very excited. Mallory was SO cute as Snow White, and everyone commented on what a cute costume it was. Another great creation from Aunt Amy....
This was Kelsey's first big school project for the year, besides book reports. We couldn't have done it without help from Grandma Linda. I knew when she came home with it that I would love to get her help....it would look good and I thought it would be so fun for my kids to see what a great artist their Grandma is. She really helped us get everything sketched in, then Kelsey and I drew our "final lines" and painted it. I didn't realize how long the painting would take. Nearly the whole time from when she got home from school at about 3:00 until 9:00 she and I were at the counter painting it all in. My feet were so swollen from standing in one place for so long & being 36 wks prego....Jared called them "Fred Flinstone" feet. 
THE BEGINNING.....
This part was SCARY! Jared's brother Todd, and his maintenance guy, Jack, took out our porch. We made all the kids get out of the house. I was sure something was going to go wrong and the walls would fall in. I didn't trust that Todd or Jack knew what they were doing, and I didn't trust our old house! I went inside through the back door for something (can't remember what) just as they were taking the cement steps out. It made the loudest, most awful cracking noise, I thought my roof was about to fall in! I ran out fast.... I will never forget that sound.
That's Mallory's little head poking out, looking at what was going on. We lived with that ramp for quite a while. It was sure fun lugging groceries in. I'm surprised none of us ever fell off, especially when it would get wet or frost over. The foundation took a while to put in. While they were getting ready to pour we had to climb in & out a window for a couple days, the one that's in our dining room now. After that Jim (Jared's uncle who did the remodel) made a ramp down from the front door to the dirt, then another ramp from the dirt up over the foundation wall, then back down to the grass until they got the sub-floor in. The sub-floor was done by Halloween of 2007, then Jim left until after the new year. Anytime it snowed, we had to shovel it. We had no sidewalks or driveway to shovel, so I guess it was kind of a trade off. How many people can say they shoveled their bedroom?
Little did I know that we wouldn't be done until Halloween of 2008. I've been thinking a lot about it, now that we have been HOME for a year. I will never, ever want to move or remodel again.....heck, I don't ever want to even paint my walls!
I was surprised by Mallory's excitement with every gift, she was enjoying it as much as Ashton....go figure
He wanted GI Joe's, and he got them. This one is 'Snake Eyes', one of his favorite good guys.
I love Mallory's face here....why is she so excited? I'm glad that she was happy for her brother and not crying that she didn't have any gifts. 
Birthday cake from Grandma Hibbert
Conner ready for his first day! He started on Wednesday Sept. 9th.
Mallory on her first day, Tuesday Sept. 8th
Jared is always cooking! He made cookies on Labor Day & he always offers the bowl to the kids after. He's such a good husband and father! I would have just put it in the sink & filled it up with water to soak & ruined all the fun. But aren't Daddy's more fun anyway?
Grandma Hibbert always comes with goodies for birthdays! Conner and Mallory enjoyed it very much! I was surprised he shared so nicely with her.
I think his favorite gift was his puzzles. He got a couple from us and a box of 8 different Disney puzzles from Grandma, they kept us occupied over the holiday weekend! He also got a race track from Papa Brent & Grandma Denise, he loved that one too.