Team Lautner

My brother's fiance noticed as we were going to see New Moon...that it was indeed a night of a new moon...

Me and Eric waiting in line...Eric was a good sport and came since my brother already pre-purchased four tickets.

Before

After

My brother Peter, his fiance Christina, Eric and I went to see New Moon on the opening night (Peter was awesome and bought them in advance online). In preparation, we watched Twilight before...I have to admit that my expectations were low (does that mean that I was not giddy like a preteen school girl- of course not?)...Christina went in team Jacob and I, of course, was team Edward (aside from this little indiscretion, I thoroughly support my brother marrying Christina!!!)...after the movie, I must pay tribute to that young Taylor Lautner...he made a supporter out of me!! I am so Team Lautner, now (note, I still reside firmly on team Edward, but as Team Edward and Team Lautner don't exist in the same world, one set in fantasy and the other in reality...actually, I guess both are quite clearly in the land of fantasy, but membership in 0ne does not preclude membership in the other)!!!!

Before

After

I think my conversion was aided by the hordes of teen girls giggling every time Taylor took off his shirt...even my brother admitted that it added something to the experience to be around all of those screaming teenage fans.

Is this a scene from New Moon? It looks like it doesn't it...it's actually Big Basin Park near Santa Cruz... That's me, trying to see if Max will sparkle when the sunlight hits him!

Here Eric and I are frolicking in our vampire wonderfulness...you'll get the mockery if you've seen New Moon.

Eric ode to Karate Kid!

Our little family in a tree hundreds of years old...

My mom and dad at the waterfall at the end of the trail...

Me, Max, Eric, Christina and my brother, Peter at the same spot.Peter & Christina showing their brute strength. Having some fun, under the boardwalk...boardwalk...tell me you're not singing it in your head!

This is also the spot where a lot of scenes from The Lost Boys were filmed.

This is Natural Bridges State Beach. The rocks behind us used to form a bridge...but erosion set in...but the name still stands.

Here we are enjoying some birthday cake, notice the beautiful flowers and balloons from Eric and his family!!! They were such a great surprise and reminder of how much I'm loved, THANKS!!!!...And Carli, I knew they were from you, too!!! :)

A walk by my parents' house.

Eric swinging on a rope...you can't tell, but he was really high!
More pictures to come...I just wanted to get it started before I got too behind!

Left over pictures...

We decided to go to the South Lincoln Hospital Halloween fair and were shocked at all of the wonderful functions! Not only was there a spectacular Haunted House, a Vampire to take pictures with...
...the best scones and honey butter...
scary monsters to torture your soul...
the best part was that it was all FREE!!! Let me tell you...it was great!!!
Max was pooped after all of the festivities...in this picture you can see the chocolate eye ball he grabbed upon arrival and never let go of until bath time that night (by that time it was more of a chocolate slime ball)!!!!
My mom took this picture...I love the random monkey above Max's head!
We went to visit my brother at his new office...I thought this was a funny (lame) radiology sticker.
Here's Peter's door...
Max wearing Peter's jacket! :) So far, I've been having a great time in California...but missing Eric! Even home isn't home when you don't have all of your family with you!

More Halloween Festivities!!

We put on a 1st Ward Halloween Carnival packed with a Halloween Costume contest,

A caramel apple bar (eerily similar to Carli's :) !!!! ), a cupcake walk...

"Homemade root beer (long story)",

Here are Max and Bella...both wearing skeleton costumes...

The skeleton family

Eric carving out his pumpkin...

Carli, Chuck and myself in front of our masterpieces!

Our pumpkins in all of their glory!
Eric's pumpkin. It was a great Halloween this year and we're excited for the holiday season to begin!!!

Our Halloween Party!!!

We had our third annual adults only Halloween Party...this year we happened to have ordered some leather dining chairs that came in a huge box...it was too good of an opportunity to pass up...

This first couple, Blake and Amanda (Paper and Plastic) are so cute...Blake figures it our pretty quickly, but doesn't ruin the gag for his wife!!!





Emily and Colton heard another couple screaming...so, they don't look that scared (on the outside)...but Colton later admitted that he let out a little tinkle



Here are the Hogans...I can't tell if Janelle is mocking us and pretending to be scared or if she really is scared!!! You decide for yourselves.




This is a new couple in our ward (Chase and Meagan)
...they were such good sports and were so fun!!!


This video is my personal favorite...Holly and Kasey!!

We wear this costume at least once during each Halloween season (and, yes, we consider it a season!!)

200720082009 We had a great night of Mafia, Cafe Rio and friends!!!!

This was Carli's amazing wedding cake that Jacquie Bryant took a chunk out of...we peeled off the fondant and re-frosted it and made a skeleton take a bloody bite out of it.

It was a great night, we were just sad that we couldn't invite all of our friends...this year we limited it to just our ward...When I was a Girls Scout, there was a song that we sang that I've often thought of, 'Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.' We hope our third ward friends know that they're platinum in our eyes!

Carli's Married!!!

So, you know how they say it takes a village to raise a child...well, they should amend it to be it takes an entire family to have a wedding!!! Spectacular is the word that comes to mind!!!

The wedding was beautiful! It was a little stressful as the sealer began to speak and still no sight of Eric...but, for dramatic effect, he made it by the skin of his teeth!! There was such a tender spirit in the temple that morning. No tears for me...until I saw Jim literally burst out with emotions...nothing sweeter than a father who loves his family that much!!!

Here's the softy now...doesn't this picture look like Christ is literally floating next to him...a little creepy!!!

Before the sealer began the sealing, he spoke with Chuck and Carli...he said, just in his preparations, he assumed that they were both raised in the Church,...it surprised me how overcome with emotions I was at this simple assumption...I may not have been raised in the church...but how lucky my little Max is to have been born into the covenant...it really was the most magnificent feeling.

After the temple, Chuck's parents put on an amazing dinner, the main course: lamb...I would expect nothing else!!!! I had to laugh when I saw Wendy's son Jackson grab a huge mound of the mint jelly...I quickly asked him if he knew that it wasn't LIME jell-0!!!!

Here's Dylan showing me how good the rolls were (and they were delectable!!!). I knew that lamb was going to be the main course and because I'm a total freak and have been obsessed with Max eating what I eat, I found some lamb baby food...it was not as good as what we got...but it was still lamb!!!

Everyone had fun dancing at the reception, eating delicious foods, singing karaoke...the D.J. Mike Ellis was fantastic...I don't think I can remember a better wedding (well, of course, present company's wedding excluded!).

Chuck!!! That would have been the perfect picture!!!! Why must you torture my soul!!!???

The Phillips family!

...another Phillips family...

Eric asked Julie to dance during the mother-son dance...cute!!!!
Dan asked Mary during the mother-son dance, as well!!! What good guys!!!

Eric, Carly and I sang, "Summer nights." (Um...Meradith...somebody had to sing it!!!!)Becky was holding Max and asked if he would like a friend, "YES!!!" I replied!!!! She then said sometime in April he would get a friend...assuming she meant Meradith and Jason's baby, I disappointingly told her I already knew about that friend. I wanted her to provide a friend for Max, to which she answered, "I know...that's what I mean!" It took my brain SO LONG to process that...she's also due in April!!! FUN TIMES!!!!! They're going to make the best parents!!!

Chuck's brother dancing during the Y-M-C-A song!!

All the Phillips men singing, (Willie Nelson's) My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.