ROB'S BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, Rob! You are 41 today, but you don't act a day over 25! Ha! The kids helped me make a cake and we used the candles we had in the cupboard in true LaDuke style.

You are generous, good-hearted, kind, funny, funny, funny. You care so much about others and want to make others happy. That is a good quality that you have taught your children. You make all of us laugh every day - never a dull moment with you. I love most how you play with the kids. You get down on the ground with them and play at their level. We love you!!

LADUKE FAMILY NIGHTS

For years, my family talked about getting together once a month for family night. We wanted a way to stay connected and for all these cousins to spend time together. Thanks to Addie who stepped up and hosted the first one, we finally got it going. It has been so much fun watching these kids interact and play together. And the grown-ups get to visit with each other too.

This was our Nativity play. Each of the kids played a part. In her creativity, Addie came up with cute costumes for wise men, shepherds, angels. Cameron and the three oldest cousins that come, Gage, Maya, and Callie all took turns narrating.

They were adorable.

We look forward to these each month. We all take turns hosting each month and coming up with the lesson, activity, and treat.

THANKSGIVING TIME

Rob, the girls, and I got to go to Gage's class for a Thanksgiving play and party. The previous week I had come in to volunteer and Miss Smith asked me to make Indian vests out of paper grocery sacks. She acted like this was an easy task. And it probably was for someone besides me. I am so inept at anything crafty or artsy. I immediately began sweating and somehow fumbled my way through it. I hoped that my feeble attempts wouldn't be noticeable from afar. When the kids marched out on stage, Rob immediately commented on how the Indian vests looked odd. Ha!!

You can't really tell from this blurry picture how bad the vests are. But it didn't matter. The kids were so cute.

Gage loves Miss Smith.

And so does Paisley.

I am reminded of another embarassing day volunteering in his class. Miss Smith asked me to use a yardstick and permanent marker to make even lines on several sheets of posterboard. I started perspiring because I wanted it to be perfectly measured and even. Throughout the time, I was wiping the perspiration off my face with my hands. Unbeknownst to me, the marker from the yardstick had rubbed off on my hands and as I was wiping my face, I was inadvertantly spreading black marker all over my face. None of the kids said anything and neither did Miss Smith, but at the end of class I went to the sink to wash my hands and saw my reflection in the mirror. I was sooooo embarassed!!!

We had the Powers over to our new house for Thanksgiving. It was a great time and always fun to get everyone together. They are all so fun and have such personalities. It's no surprise where Rob gets his humor. For some reason, I only got these pictures with Uncle Larry. My camera battery must have died.

We went on a date night with Melody and Gavin Baugh (a fun couple) and had their daughter, Kyra, babysit. When we returned, this is how we found the kids. She had worn them out! Kyra is pretty much the best babysitter ever. The kids adore her. She always gets them in bed and then cleans the whole house after. We love her and all of the Baughs!!

HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES 2010

All of the LaDuke cousins got together at Mother Nature's Farm in Gilbert to play. Our kids LOVE their cousins and have such a good time with them.

They have animals, hayrides, maze, bouncy-bounce, and pumpkin-decorating.

Paisley and Eden trying to find their way.

At Gage's school, they asked the kids to dress up as a character in a book. So we chose "Thing 2" from Dr. Suess. It was so cute. And I'm impressed that Gage is not too shy to wear it.

We went to a pumpkin lot near our house to pick out our pumpkins to carve and they had these cute ponies to ride.

Thing 2 was such a success for Gage, we thought it would be fun to dress the girls up for the ward party as Thing 1 & 2. They got so many compliments and were definitely the most original. The party also included a haunted house put on by the youth, and let me tell you, it was SCARY!!! Gage is still talking about how I got chased out of the tent by some scary guy with a chainsaw (aka Andrew Johansson).

Gage was Ironman - his favorite superhero at the moment.

HALLOWEEN

Sadly, we didn't do our normal Halloween traditions because I had the swine flu. It was such a bummer. I missed out on everything, even trick-or-treating. These pictures were taken by Alyssa. The kids were so excited as usual. Gage was a Jedi, Bella was Tinkerbell, and Paisley was a zebra. So cute!!

Thanks to Rob, Aunt Alyssa and Uncle Trevor for filling in for me.