Halloween Fun

I for one am so glad tomorrow is Halloween, I really feel like this year we have done so many fun things to welcome in this great holiday for kids. I am starting to get to the point though that I am sick of pumpkins and orange and ready for Santa Clause and red and green. Oh yeah I guess there is that other holiday Thanksgiving, which is fun, but let's face it it's no Christmas.

My sisters and I started a fun new tradition this year that will hopefully carry onto coming years with our kids. We had a "Halloween Fun Day", such an original name I know, we are very creative....I drove down from Logan early this morning after stopping for a dozen donuts (that was my contribution to the day, though I actually had ulterior motives Schaffers bakery in Logan has great cherry filled cookies, start the day out with that and a large coke and I am good to go!

Enjoying their donuts!!

One for each hand is Luke's philosophy!!

Here is our best attempt at a fall cousin photo shoot, not great, none of them would cooperate, too excited for the coming festivities....

Though this is a mighty cute one of Lancey and Cars, even if they are acting like the sunlight is about killing them. Boys I understand your pain, nobody has more sensitive eyes to sunlight than me just ask the girls, right girls?

First project painting pumpkins, these two goofs were the only ones willing to paint them. What is it about those little almost two year olds, no interest whatsoever. Everything was going great until Carson accidentally knocked over a cup of black paint water, it went downhill from there. Try to remember if you are ever at Teri's house and knock over a cup of black liquid in her driveway watch out for your head, if you're in her house you might as well just show yourself to the door. Just kidding Ter, but you are funny to watch get all feisty over washable paint!!!

After an exciting lunch at where else but McDonald's we went to Ashley's to make pumpkin sugar cookies. What actually happened was the kids ran around playing while the mommies did all the work. But that is what is so fun, I love spending time doing mindless activities while chatting the day away with my sisters. I start missing them when it's been longer than a couple of days without seeing them, how again did I live in Kentucky for three years?

They may have not enjoyed making them but they sure did enjoy eating them, well my boys did anyway. Carson just enjoys licking the frosting and putting his hand print in all of the cookies and I am not sure what Brev was up to.

Just a sweet little moment my mom had to work all day but dropped by for a minute to pick up a costume she was wearing tomorrow. You would have thought it had been months since the grand kids had seen her. The second she opened the door they all went running and screaming "Grandma", I love how much my kids love her, she sure is special.

I have to end off on a happy minute, I have not done this segment in awhile but the greatest thing happened to me today that I just have to share.

Are you ready?

I filled up an empty gas tank this morning at Flying J for $2.63 a gallon putting my total at $36.02! That is the lowest I have ever filled my tank since we bought this car a year and a half ago. If that doesn't make your day, I don't know what does!!!!

Happy Halloween tommorow everyone!

Carve or Paint?

I have had such a dilemma the last few weeks trying to decide what to do with our pumpkins. I am all about tradition and as tradition every year we carve our pumpkins for Halloween. Okay that's all fine and dandy with Eric around to do all the hard work like actually carving the pumpkins. It really didn't sound all that fun to me for the boys to spend two minutes (if I'm lucky) to "pretend" carve their pumpkins and then being up until midnight myself carving three pumpkins all alone long after the boys have lost interest. What's a mom to do? Of course paint them instead, they found this a lot more exciting and I did not end up doing it all alone. I don't think the finished product is quite as cute as a carved pumpkin but for this year it worked out great! Next year we will be back at them with a good old scoop, yanking all those pumpkin guts out and saving the seeds.... (Lance does have shorts on in this picture, you just can't see them with my old pajama shirts on they were wearing as smocks.)


For a boy who loves destruction he certainly had no interest whatsoever to paint pumpkins. He lasted about a second and spent the rest of his time wiping his hands all over Lance's freshly painted pumpkin, making Lance scream out in agony at him, or zooming around on his bike. Apparently he only likes to destruct things he is not allowed to.....must be the rise he gets out of me every time he is being naughty, no fun when all I do is laugh!

A little Picasso hard at work, he took his job very seriously. His goal was to recreate the "Incredibles" pumpkin he saw at the Pumpkin Walk the other night.

What do you think?

It's got Dash Incredible written all over it right?

PuMpKiN wAlK

My mom and I took the boys tonight to the North Logan Pumpkin Walk. This morning for Luke's school class we went on a fieldtrip there, and it was so cute that I wanted to come back and take Lance as well. Grandma is always up for a night full of fun so we waited until it got dark (and very crowded) and had a great time! It was kinda hard getting good pictures it was so crazy busy and my boys were too in awe of all the pumpkins to ever look at the camera and smile for me, but oh well we made good memories.....

Grandma and Luke.... I sometimes feel bad every time we go somewhere fun with the boys poor Luke always has to be confined to the stroller, it's just too hard shepherding two little boys around. I don't feel too bad though this was Luke's second time coming and he got my undivided attention on the first round.

Lance was mostly interested in all of the lighting effects they had everywhere. I would point out a scene to him and he would say "Oh wow" and then two seconds later he would be back to admiring the candles and spotlights they had all around.

My mom and I's favorite "Noah's Ark"!

Lance's favorite "The Incredibles"!



Lance has really been into princesses lately ever since they came out with "Sleeping Beauty" a few days ago. Of all the characters they had around to stick your head in for a picture he was really only interested in princess ones. There he stood in line full of girls waiting to put his head on Cinderella. Shhh....don't tell Eric, he is only 3 after all!

And finally a masculine mickey mouse, at least he wanted this one as well as the princesses.

Thanks mom for coming with us, braving the cold and for the hot chocolate afterwards!!!!!

High School Musical

Friday Date night I found a substitute for Eric, he is just a little bit shorter but otherwise the spitting image of my sweetie, a certain little boy named Lance. We got all dressed up for a night (or an afternoon, actually) on the town together and dropped the kids (Luke) off at Grandma's and Grandpa's. Doesn't he just look like a little man in this picture, and he was on his best behavior all night long just like a little man. We went and saw High School Musical 3 which I strongly suggest. It was so great, I think probably my favorite of them all, the music was fun and happy as well as the dancing. I know they are meant for kids but really I think they are great shows and Lance liked it too. It didn't quite hold his interest as much as an animated show would but he did really well, only got antsy a couple of times. Of course we did miss the last five minutes of the show. When a new potty trained little boy says the words "potty, mommy", you don't mess around, even if it does make you miss the finale. Oh well, great night, thanks to all who came with us!

Making a Difference

Eric here. I usually wouldn't put anything beyond our family on the blog, but I wanted to post this piece. I thought it was a wonderful demonstration of what it means to be selfless and Christ-like. This is the story of the Head Coach of the University of Georgia's football team. It should be noted that he and his wife were initially hesitant to do the piece as they seek no acclaim or adoration for what they have done. They did it to hopefully spur others to do the same. To me, these people demonstrate what it means to be in the service of your fellow man. I'll be pullin' for the Dawgs the rest of the season.

"I Did It"

I am a little out of control this week doing a post a day. It's just been a really busy week with a lot of big things happening. I had to do this post because I am so proud of Lancey he is fully potty trained in just four short days. Yes this was our second round of trying to get him potty trained, the first time was in June which was a nightmare. I was fully expecting this round to be just as bad but it went so smoothly. I still can't quite believe I only have one child in diapers now, it's just the greatest feeling.

Day 1--too many accidents to count
Day 2--3 accidents, 3 successes
Day 3--1 accident, 4 successes
Day 4--2 accidents, 1success--this was our first day out of the house when we went to the Black Island Farm, he had some trouble...
Day 5, 6, 7, 8--no accidents, not one!

Here is what finally worked for me, just in case there are any first time potty training moms out there that are needing some tips. Thanks to all of you who gave me tips in my last entry in June calling for help. I tried a variety of your ideas, and it worked!

Bribery was a big hit with Lance you can see his shelf full of toys he got one every time he had a successful trip to the potty. Sadly all together this did cost more than I had anticipated, but it was so worth it for the finished result. Next I loved the tip of setting the timer every 15 minutes and taking him whether he said he had to or not. He loved the idea of setting the timer himself and when it went off it was more the timer saying it was time and not mommy. He really liked that idea. No pull ups was also a really good idea, I made that mistake the last round and they really are just a glorified diaper. And my final thing that made all the difference was three little friends who are fully potty trained themselves and all I would have to say was "be a big boy like Carson, Hallie and Mitchell". He did not like being grouped in with the babies like Luke and Brevin he was all about being the big boy too. So thanks again your tips were all great and worked like a charm. I am so enjoying this new freedom of one last thing to pack in the diaper bag.

Bribery shelf, I feel a little guilty about bribing him, but not really it worked so well!

I promised him when he went three full days without any accidents he could go to the toy store and pick out any toy he wanted. The day finally came yesterday, all day long he kept telling me he was going to get something Buzz related. Well the toy store did not have anything Buzz related that he did not already have. I was preparing myself for a big giant meltdown from him but then he spotted Handy Manny which is also one of his favorite shows. He is happy as a clam with his purchase and yes it accompanied him to bed last night. Yeah Lancey we are so proud of you, what a huge accomplishment!

Nothing related at all to this post, I just thought it was a cute picture of Luke. He loves cruising the sidewalk on his bike he was a little bent out of shape with all the leaves covering his racetrack, but don't they look so beautiful, I love fall!

Questions????

So I sometimes forget that with the overload of information that is rolling around in my head all day that the average people do not understand what the cochlear implant does and the success rate. We only know because obviously we have done our research on the subject making ourselves as knowledgable as possible. We have to do this as advocates for Luke, we are the ones making the difficult decisions for him. Alot of you wanted to know the success rate, I will do my best at explaining. Eric would do a better job at this post but poor guy has too much going on right now with school. So you have to muddle through it with my poor explanations, I am not so eloquent as he is. What we have researched shows that the success rate with a cochlear is great. So you think why not just get one then. Here is where our hesitancy comes from. First Luke is not completely deaf, he does have some residual hearing in his cochlea on his own. When they do the surgery they destroy all residual hearing and basically give them a mechanical ear. With a deaf child this is a no brainer, they have no hearing at all so anything you can give them is better than nothing. With Luke he has some residual hearing, so that makes us very hesitant to shut off all that is working as it should be. Nobody can say for certain what children with implants hear exactly it is described as very mechanical sounding which makes sense. Our audiologist Cache Pitt who is one of the leading in the country right now says that he does not agree with this. You take a child with an implant, put them in therapy and they are talking like any normal child, not mechanical sounding at all. Wouldn't it make sense that if they were hearing it different than us they would mimic more mechanical as well. This information gives us hope that if he does in fact need an implant he will still sound like any other child. All research however agrees that hearing aids are definitely more natural sounding than implants. Of course because they are just enhancing what the child is hearing on their own. However if Luke is not hearing certain ranges with his hearing aids he will not learn certain key elements of speech that are crucial. This is where we wait and see exactly what he is picking up as his language starts taking off, if we are noticing a pattern with certain words that he is not picking up then we start to consider the implant. On his audio gram they are showing him falling behind in certain areas, however we also know that Luke has a stronger right ear that may be picking them up after all and compinsating for his left. We just don't know yet it is too soon to say. I hope this helps some of the questions asked.

One more thing to address whether he gets a implant or not will not sway our decision in teaching him to speak, we are not doing the sign language route. I am in no way saying sign language is a bad route to go , we just feel with our circumstances and Luke in general this is what we feel is best for him. The success rate with Sound Beginnings is huge and we feel that with all the care he is getting outside and inside the home, he will be a successful hearing and speaking child one day. We believe it will open so many more doors to him as an adult knowing how to speak and not limiting him to the deaf community only. This route is more grueling to him now as a child but we believe he will benefit from it as he grows into an adult.

Sorry so long and boring, now you all know to not ask me questions, I am just not able to make them short answers. Way to go if you read this through!

Little Boy Blue

I want everyones honest opinion. Luke got new ear molds today for his hearing aids and I got them in as you can see bright BLUE. Is it too much? Hearing aids for little kids are designed different than hearing aids for adults. There ears grow so quickly that they have to be replaced quite frequently. So instead of making them fit inside the ear they attach on the back of his ear to an ear mold that goes inside of his ear. That way you can just replace the mold and not the whole hearing aid which is ALOT less expensive. This is already his third pair in just nine short months he has had them. The problem with this is when Luke's pulls them out of his ears which he does a few times throughout the day when he starts getting tired. He not only pulls them out but then proceeds to take them apart in pieces, four to be exact. I have lost those clear ear molds quite a few times and luckily have found them each time. I thought making them bright blue would make them easier to find and not blend into the carpet all the time. We went and got him sized a few weeks ago and then it takes two weeks for them to come in, I have worried about my decision thinking I would make him stand out to much. So what do you think? I like them now that they are here but I still worry that they are too look at me I have bright blue ears!!!!


On another note he had an audio gram today as well they do these every few months to see how his hearing is doing. Getting better, worse or staying the same. Luke is in the severe range of hearing loss and is a borderline candidate for a cochlear implant. It's hard to say at this point if he will benefit from one or not he is picking up most sounds with his hearing aids but not a few crucial ones for speech. They said this kind off makes are decision hard as parents because he is so borderline. Nobody wants to put their child through a surgery and it destroys all residual hearing which we know Luke has some. On the other hand if he is not picking up all sounds that's not good either. We just have to wait and see if his speech plateau's or not and then make a decision. If you could send some good thoughts are way that he will continue to improve with hearing aids alone, we would really prefer not to have to get a cochlear implant.

51 and Counting

It was my Dad's 51st birthday last week and as tradition he went hunting with his brothers and nephews for the week, because it is hunting season after all. So we weren't able to celebrate with him until yesterday. We were all able to go to my Grandparents house in Tremonton with all of my extended family for dinner and to celebrate his many years (just kidding dad, you are still a spring chicken). It was a great day, never a dull moment with the Williams side of the family, I love them! We even watched old home movies featuring a stunning moment of me at three years old running around naked, so glad we all still get a good laugh at my expense everyone. Love you all thanks for the great day!

I don't know why but my sisters really found my present humorous, beats what you two got him , nothing. I thought it was a good idea, I guess I can see the humor in it though. I am on a budget after all, I got him a carmel apple but it wasn't just any carmel apple it was special. Maybe you guys have seen them they are covered in carmel then white chocolate and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. They are delicious it took all my self control not to eat it myself while it sat in my fridge. My dad liked it that's all that counts, though he laughed as well.

More pictures from our day they were just too cute to leave out....




Happy birthday Dad here is your top ten reasons I love you....

1. For helping me fix my flat tire last week and paying for two brand new tires, what would a girl do without her dad.

2. For buying me and the girls packets of bubblelicious as prizes everytime we stopped at a gas station when we were little, great memory.

3. For taking us to Jackson every year and being such a good sport while it took 3 teenage girls 3 hours to get ready in the mornings. You would always go get coffee and bring us back a treat as well, only the last 20 minutes or so would you start getting feisty with us.

4. For making me play softball as a kid, I am sorry I am such a let down in all sports, it wasn't for your lack of trying. I am just very uncoordinated, so are Teri and Ashley.

5. The year I was 12 years old and giving me the best gift ever for Christmas, still the best Christmas of my life. In case you can't remember it was a pair of pierced earrings.

6. For coming out to Kentucky a week after we brought Luke home from the NICU. I remember the tears in your eyes as you held him for the first time along with all of his paraphenila he had attached to him at the time. You were one of the very first family members to see him at 3 months old.

7. For sending Teri to me in Kentucky when I needed her at a hard time, she was the perfect person to bring me some cheer.

8. For understanding my need to be married in the temple and the importance it held for me. It broke my heart having to leave you in the waiting room as I am sure it did yours.

9. For calling me every day of my life when we are not together, there were times you weren't able to be around but I never felt your absence. I knew I was still loved by my father.

10. Most importantly for your kick a-- stocking stuffers, I am sure you can fill in the blanks!!!

I love you!

Black Island Farm

We went to Black Island Farm in Syracuse with all of the cousins yesterday and of course Grandma Tammy. If you have not been here and are in the vicinity, GO! It was so much fun we were there for four hours yesterday and could have stayed longer but it started getting dark and too cold for us. I have heard from most people that it is pretty pricey but worth it. We looked online and it said adults were $15.00 and kids were $10.00 and under 2 was free. We got coupons for $2.00 off so I was planning on $23.00 for me and the boys, we got in for $9.00. We tried telling the girl three different times that she was doing it wrong and it should be more, my sister Ashley got in with her and Brev for $1.00. There was no specials or anything, so after three attempts at being honest we just took our good luck and it was way worth that $9.00!

Top row: me, Luke, Lance, Hallie and Jill Bottom row: Teri, Carson, Brevin, and Ashley

Luke loved all the animals, Lance you guessed it did not...

The slide was a big success for all the kids, we spent at least an hour on this. I have to say I am loving being the only not pregnant sister (NOT). Thank goodness for Jill helping me, I was mighty sick of hauling all those kids up the rope web to get to the top of the slide and then taking the babies down. I probably went down the slide at least 20 times, each time climbing up myself then the four boys after me. So fun....only five weeks left girls, then I will have assistance in carrying strollers, pumpkins, tying shoes and everything else you two force me to do for you, ha ha!!!

The little cow-pig train pulled by a tractor was probably my favorite thing about the park. It was so cute, though a word of advice to anyone accompanying a child on the ride. Pick a pig to squeeze into they are twice the size of the cows. I am not a very big person but squeezing me and Luke into the cow was a nightmare. I am pretty sure I made quite the scene trying to get out of that thing without dropping Luke.

I didn't get many pictures of the hay ride, Lance was having a meltdown because he thought it was going to be like the County Fairs and there would be a car ride for him to go on. It took twenty minutes to calm the kid down and explain we were going on a wagon ride to pick our pumpkins. Luke took his job very seriously, his only criteria was it had to be three times bigger than him and would then a through his own fit when surprise, surprise he couldn't carry the giant pumpkin on his own.

They loved this too, a sandbox filled with corn kernels. I am still finding the kernels all around the house though, the only downfall. Somehow Lance had them in all of his clothes, pockets, shoes, everything.

Overnight Guests!

Yesterday afternoon my cousin Jill, aunt Tammy and my little niece Hallie called up to say they were coming to spend the night with me and Gran for a little girls overnighter. Is this not the best kind of trip, unexpected and totally spur of the moment? We had such an action packed 24 hours, thanks girls you came at a great time. I was desperately needing a break from being confined to the house with potty training and grouchy kids (which is surprisingly going pretty well, I don't want to jinx myself because he is still having accidents here and there but I think I am definitely on the way to a potty trained child).

Who says you need to go out on the town to have a fun night away from the kids. Tam and I went for a power walk to burn off that Firestone pizza we had for dinner. Thanks Jill for watching the kids and encouraging Lance with the potty, part credit is going to you. Tam I had fun with you, you are my second mother and I can talk to you like any daughter could to a mother....we had a great walk!!!

Moral support for a little boy learning to use the potty...

The kids playing with the new prize Play-Doh for a successful trip to the potty. Sorry if I am talking to much about potty time, it's been ruling our lives for the last three days.

Wouldn't be a sleepover without a bubble bath up to your necks in Grandmas giant bathtub. I think every grand kid has a picture of them as children similar to this one, IT'S TRADITION!!

Sleeping arrangements started out with Lance and Hallie in Lance's bed and Luke in his all in the same room....yeah right....that lasted about ten minutes. It was all fun and games until it actually came time to get some sleep then Hallie decided she wanted to sleep with her mom and Lance was going wherever Hallie was. So...Lance and Hallie ended up with Jill in my bed, Luke in his and me in Lance's bed. (Notice the prizes that are accompanying him to bed.)

Today we ran a bunch of errands and then ended up at the Duck Pond to feed the ducks.

After eating two pieces of bread himself Luke finally got the hang of the game and actually started feeding the ducks as well instead of just his cute little face.

Lance decided that the ducks were a little to close for comfort and found shelter on the bridge overlooking the pond. When I joined him up there he was shrieking with delight that he had fed the ducks the only problem was there were no ducks near the bridge and he was basically just throwing them in the pond. I didn't burst his bubble that in actuality he had not fed the ducks, but fed the rocks instead.

After he grew tired of the ducks he found a little picnic table and lined up his prizes to admire yet again. He carried all five of them around with him all day long in a Walmart grocery sack. Can you tell he really loves the Play-doh.

Just a cute picture of these two!

Thanks kids for the fun couple of days, and we will see you tomorrow for more fun!