Carving Pumpkins

My poor kids got humbugs for parents.  Travis and I neither one like the process of carving pumpkins....but our kids do, we let them pick pumpkins early in the month to carve later. and then the week of Halloween we carved them....Travis and I debated cancelling the whole ordeal but I think we would have had a mutiny on our hands....the kids had a blast....I hated the mess and the smell, but they loved it and got along so it was a smashing success and I got over my freakiness....:)

Gwendalin's 9th!

Gwendalin turned 9 on October 24!  She is so beautiful!  I made and took cupcakes into her class - chocolate with chocolate frosting with mini reeses peanut butter cups on top.  I think it was an all around wonderful day for her!  We went out to dinner as a family to celebrate.  She got an iPod touch of her own and on I started painting her room and finished a few days later....it turned out gorgeous!  She loves having a girl room now...I don't know if I have any before pictures...it was just brown with some colored vinyl circles on the wall....this is much cuter.

Here are some highlights of Gwendalin:
*She loves to help
*She can hold her own with any of her brothers
*She loves school
*She is working hard at piano
*She is becoming quite the ballerina- it is fun to watch
*She is very maternal and loves to comfort and help her brothers whenever she can
*She loves to play school
*She hardly ever complains
*She loves to keep her room clean
*She is a friend to everyone

House Flipping....

We started flipping homes in May.  This is our second and it was a doozy.  Travis started on it after he was finished hunting in September.  We repainted in side and out, redid carpets, vinyl, trim, sod, fence, etc.  It was  a huge undertaking and a disgusting task.  The interior had gum plastered on the walls and fireplace stone, marker and nail polish on the walls, and the nastiest bathtubs and showers you can imagine.  I did some major overhaul cleaning - it was ridiculous.  I've never been so sore from cleaning and painting.   Travis even had the opportunity to fall off of the ladder while painting outside...he's lucky he didn't break both knee caps! I wish we had good before pictures but we didn't take any.  So I have a few afters and one exterior before.  What an undertaking.  (this property sold in December for $1k less than our asking price) woot woot!