The boys are back!

Nash & Travis left Friday night but it seems like they've been gone much longer.  Maybe because I only talked to Travis twice while they were gone?  I don't know.  We had a good time here while they were gone.  The weekend was spent cleaning & getting ready for the appraiser (who came at 10 am today).  Monday was a short day at school & after school was out I got my carpets cleaned (they look so much better but they were so, so, so gross).  Today there was no school (thank you furlough days) and we just stayed at home.

I spent the day working on B's Halloween costume seeing as how there's only 22 days until Halloween and I still have to do Nash's & mine!  While I was sewing I realized it was too quiet.  Then I realized B was missing.  I went looking for her and found her like this:

 Reminds me of Sam!  She's sitting on Sam's bed and the book she's reading is a children's almanac from 1999!  Must like that non fiction!  It was really cute.  When she realized I was there she grinned at me and said, "Cheese!"  I think I've got her trained!

A little later I was trying to get her to finish her last chicken nugget so that I could put her down for a nap.  She was being so stinking cute we busted out the camera again.  This look of hers has mischievous written all over it!

If you look really, really close in this picture you can see a little bit of while on the top left of her mouth.  When I noticed it earlier today I thought it was her molar peeking through.  Turns out it's not.  It's just the white skin of her gums from her ruptured molar!  Poor kid.  She's got both the top molars completely ruptured now.  I think that's why she's been up at least four times during the night for the last five nights!

Sister's really good at ignoring me when she doesn't want to do something.  In fact, if you get out her bottle and she doesn't want to go down for a nap or to bed she starts shaking her head no quite rapidly & then she'll start saying "No, no!"  I think she's a bit opinionated!

I've been thinking that caramel apples sounded good.  Since I've had about four bags of apples at my house & I'm starting to get sick of putting them in the dehydrator, I thought I'd finally make some caramel apples.  Yes, they are as good tasting as they look!

My boys finally walked through the door at 7 pm (only 24 hours after they were suppose to be home!).  Last night Grandpa Scott, cousin Preston & cousin Boston shot the same elk.  Yes, I said that correctly.  Therefore, they didn't get back to their campsite until 10 pm.  Travis told me they'd get up at 6 am and head out.  I got a call at 10 am telling me they were just getting off the mountain.  Why does this not surprise me?  He still had to go to the farm & help skin the elk and visit with Grandma.  He called me at 2 pm to tell me he was finally on his way home.

They have had quite an adventure filled several days.  Not only did Nash get to go, but two of his younger cousins got to go this time as well.  This is Nash's third year to go on the hunt so he was excited to have some cousins along for the fun.  Apparently, Grandpa Scott was driving the four wheeler with Nash & one of his other cousins on it & didn't see a tree stump (thanks to Nash's head being in the way).  Well, the four wheeler flipped and threw all three of them off (this is why I make them take their bike helmets when we go four wheeling - next year it will go on the hunt as well).  Fortunately, no one was hurt too badly.  Nash took the brunt of the fall.  I guess Grandpa & Clayton landed on top of him.  He scrapped up under his chin pretty good too.  The day after the four wheeler incident there was a pocket knife mishap.  I guess in trying to close his pocket knife Nash's thumb got in the way.  Travis said as he was cleaning it up and about to band aid it Nash said, "I feel funny." and started to drop.  Lucky for Nash Travis caught him!  If that wasn't bad enough, earlier the same day he cut his thumb he fell out of bed too!  I told Travis if he's going to beat up my babies I just might not let them go anymore!  Guess I have a year to remind myself that they'll be fine (and to prepare for both Caleb & Nash to go along).

Nash was so excited to be home.  I told him how much his little brother and little sister missed him (B just goes around looking for him and calling his name).  He was excited to show us the elk horns they brought home.  These horns (a spike he informs me) are the ones from the elk that the three of them shot on Monday afternoon.  I love this picture because his eyes are about to pop out of his head, his hair needs a haircut, he's had a shower and his hair dried funny & his little brother and sister won't let him out of their sight!  I think the two little ones are going to just follow him around for a few days to make up for lost time!

A few days ago I finally finished Caleb's Halloween costume.  This is just the head piece.  The body has yellow spikes on it too.  I don't like the velcro on it so I think I'm going to end up redoing it.  He's pretty stoked about the costume and wants to wear it all day every day already!  Every time my mom comes over lately all he has on is his underwear.  Nash has been reading Captain Underpants and has told my mom about what he's read.  Now mom's calling Caleb Captain Underpants!  I think we may have next year's costume already picked out!

In between all the excitement today I was able to finish the top half and the pants for B's costume.  She's going to be a strawberry this year.  All I have left on hers is the hat & booties.  It's going to be adorable on her!  I can't wait to put it on her!

All we have left to make for Halloween costumes once B's is finished are some bright orange scrubs for Nash's prisoner outfit (he's going as a zombie prisoner) and my Queen of Hearts dress.  I'll be cutting it close and I don't know if my dress will get done or not.  I saved mine for last on purpose because it will not break my heart if I have to wait a year to have it done.  Although then it won't be as awesome next year because Sam's Alice in Wonderland dress will be too small for her.  Oh well, motivation to finish quickly!