His 11th Birthday

Our Kyler is eleven. 

We're so proud of this boy. 

This boy who loves posing for pictures.

We celebrated his birthday at home after picking his aunt Jenny up from the airport. We played Harry Potter Trivia games, ate a Hogwarts themed mixed up meal, sang happy birthday over Texas sheet cake, opened presents, and then watched the 6th Harry Potter movie.

If you haven't done a mixed up meal before they are really fun. And an Allen family tradition. You plan your menu and then assign names to each item. Make sure you also assign a name to each piece of your silverware. Your guests look over the menu of funny names and write down their orders. They choose three items from the list for each of three courses. 

Once all orders have been placed, you use your fancy little cheat sheet and fill each person's plate course by course. Sometimes you win (like when Layla ordered beans, a spoon, and a cup of juice), and sometimes you lose (like when Kyler got a plate with a little pepper sprinkled on, a knife, and a fork). You may eat with your hands or have to wait patiently until you get to a course in which you ordered the good stuff. Napkins are always available, you have to return everything you ordered at the end of each course (no keeping your fork to use again), and after the three courses, if you are still hungry, you are welcome to serve yourself whatever food you'd like. I was too busy serving plates to get any pictures of the eating of the meal.

We love our 11 year old!

We're thankful

We passed around the camera last night to document 5 things we are each grateful for this year.


Kyler

I'm thankful for Studio C because it's funny.

I'm thankful for Harry Potter because it has excitement and gives me something to read.

I'm thankful for Star Wars because it has laser guns and light sabers.

I'm grateful for my family because I have someone to live with.

I'm thankful for Jesus because then I can have the gospel in my life.

Kacin

ASU is a good college to learn at.

Jesus helps me make the right choices.

I have warm blankets to sleep.

I have clothes so I don't have to run around naked.

Taylor Kelley because he helps the Sun Devils get touch downs and win.

Perry (with Kacin as photographer)

Toodles

Keys

Elmo gloves

Monkey book

Perry's cookie monster

Layla (with Kyler as photographer)

Thank you Pinkalicious book

Thank you toothbrush and toothpaste

Thank you dolls
(Kyler had to photograph the porcelein doll that creeps me out, not her cute baby dolls. ugh)

Thankyou markers to draw

Thank you ipad
(wow! look at those fingerprints. time to clean that one) 

Laura

I'm grateful for lavender smelling cleaner. ahhh.

I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon. It is a true book. I read each morning and it starts my day out right. I'm glad to be a part of the Relief Society in my ward taking on the challenge to read it by the end of the school year.

I love hot showers. So grateful for hot, clean running water.

I'm so grateful for glasses and contacts so I can see clearly.

I'm so grateful to be married to Eric.

And for each of my children and their beautiful artwork.

Eric

I get to smoke meat. Yum.

I have a phone that actually works.

We have a blue chair that has many uses. Here it is in it's position as the timeout/calm down chair.

I like the smell of clean linen. And it covers up the smell of stinky children.

Candy corn satisfies my sweet tooth.

We have a lot to be grateful for!

a note in the mail

I got a note in the mail.

There's something about getting a letter in the mail that makes me quite happy.

This is the third sweet note I've received from this thoughtful man. He gave me one once after I gave a talk in sacrament meeting when he was visiting our ward and another when he heard of a new calling I had received. Isn't that the nicest thing?

I know he sends out many of these notes. He keeps a stack of those pre-printed "I like__ because __" notes ready to go. He spreads a lot of love and brightens up a lot of days with a quick handwritten note.

As the note says, I received a new calling as the Assistant Stake Camp Director. After the initial surprise of such a busy calling, I am really excited about this new experience to serve. I love girls camp!!

these days

I planned our anniversary celebration this year. We try to take turns year by year, but neither one of us could remember whose turn it was. I found a Brazilian churrascaria in Bellevue for us to go to. It had been a long time since we had been to one. We ate a lot of good food. It was nice going somewhere fancy, but we were just content going out together. Eric's wedding ring had been missing since September. Out of the blue, I found it the day before our anniversary. His gift from me was his wedding ring back.

We had parent teacher conferences. My kids are awesome. All good things.

One afternoon, I took Layla and Perry to Target. 

We had three things to get. Perry wanted to bring his truck into the store. I thought it wasn't worth the fight and it would be fine if he held the truck. I didn't predict that he would refuse to ride in the cart. I didn't imagine that as soon as we entered the store he would drop to the ground and sit on the truck and scoot around to drive the truck through the store.  Yet, those things happened. We managed ok getting the first two things. He would ride on his truck for a bit and then I could convince him to park the truck on the cart for a minute so we could walk down the aisle for a ways.This was turning into a 10 hour trip. We were getting our last thing when I moved Perry's truck from the position he put it in. That set him off. A nice man saw us, blocked Perry's path until I could reach him, and asked if I needed help. I carried screaming Perry. I heard a mom say to her daughter as we walked by, "yes, he is hitting his mommy." Those items we were getting were necessary. There were long lines to check out. There should be a free pass to the front of the line when you have a tantruming child. As it was, he calmed enough to just lay on the floor near my feet as we waited. And waited. Perry was about to lose it again. I finally grabbed a Target manager and pleaded with him to check me out quick. He did, thank goodness. I was able to get us all into the car (now that 20 min. car ride could be a whole dramatic story in itself! i'll have to save it for another time). 

In the moment, these experiences aren't so fun. But I can't help but laugh later. Never a dull moment here.

Speaking of . . . my first child to decorate the carpet so beautifully. We really need new carpet, but what's the point? ;)

This is the favorite dress up at the new therapy office. We put out a lot of fires in that play room!

We managed a date night to a corn maze. Fun!

Kyler got his Webelos in cub scouts. I got to paint his face. Good job, Ky!

Kyler is really a great person. We challenged both of the boys to re-memorize the 13 Articles of Faith. Actually, it could be deemed bribery since we said we would pay them if they knew them all by Halloween. Kyler took us up on the challenge and practiced them almost every morning until he had them down really well. 

Layla keeps asking me to take pictures of her with food hanging out of her mouth. I don't know why. I can only blame her brothers.

We spent a day at the zoo. I am exhausted after outings like these with all the kids by myself. But we scored free carousel rides. due to honesty.

Kyler, Eric, and I will be having a Harry Potter movie marathon tonight. Kyler finished reading the books so he is quite anxious to watch the rest of the movies. We plan on getting through 5 and 6 tonight. 

Happy Friday!