We have a party at my mom's tonight so my friends came over to help make Halloween treats.
All month we have been planning on making bite size caramel apples for a long time. We got the idea from Family Fun Magazine. They were a lot more tricky than I would have thought. I think I know why they used chocolate instead of caramel. The caramel falls off the apples since there isn't skin to cling to.
This is my favorite treat we made. I think these mummies turned out so cute. I'm not sure if I want to eat it though. Twinkies covered in frosting! Talk about taking something fattening and then making it even worse.
I was happy with how the white chocolate ghost suckers turned out as well.
Thanks Michelle and Candi for all your help and a fun morning.
With Joe being at school and work all the time we hadn't had a chance to carve/decorate our pumpkins. Finally, we were all home together and were able to get it done. Every time Hayden sees the pumpkins he says pumpkin over and over and tries to carry them around. As you can see in the picture he was very excited to paint his pumpkin. I was going to get out the finger paints but then I saw I had a package of Elmer's paint in a tube with a brush. It was great! there was no mess from them. I think Hayden did a super job painting his pumpkin (he has never painted before and isn't in to coloring).
We tried to get Hayden to touch the pumpkin guts and he pulled a face and shook his head no. He did however enjoy holding the spoon and scraping the pumpkin.
Like I said before, Halloween is so much more fun with little kids to celebrate it with. But isn't that the case with life in general?
Halloween is so much more enjoyable with children. We had fun taking Hayden to the pumpkin patch. He picked a big pumpkin. The highlight of the evening for him was definitely the tractor drawn hayride. He wanted to go on it again but the lines were too long. The farm we went to also shows the movie "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" outside. We (Joe and I) enjoyed eating doughnuts and drinking hot cider/chocolate while watching the movie. Hayden at least enjoyed his sugar doughnut but would probably have rather been home asleep in his bed.
My parents' computer store used to be in SLC. Occasionally we would take a picnic to Duck Park. For some reason I was thinking about that park and decided that instead of going to a park five minutes from home we should go there.
Hayden really enjoyed feeding all the ducks. I'm not sure who got more bread though, Hayden or the ducks. They also had four different playgrounds that were all a little bit different. I enjoy going to new parks instead of the same one every time.
My friend Sharla is so creative and talented. I love to see what things she does and sometimes I copy her. she made the cutest AUTUMN blocks. I had my friend Rachelle cut me some blocks and vinyl lettering so I could make my own. I didn't do my blocks as well as Sharla did her blocks but I still like them.
We bought a membership to the zoo. I am looking forward to taking Hayden to the zoo regularly. If you ever need someone to go to the zoo with give us a call.
Hayden had a great time. It has been a year since we went to the zoo. He was so little last year he just sat in his stroller and didn't seem too interested. It was fun watching him get so excited with different animals. His favorite parts, however, were not the animals. I think he liked the merry-go-round and the train the best. He cried when we got off the rides.
This is a picture of Joe and his siblings
at the zoo when they were little.
I couldn't get Hayden to keep his hands out big.
Hayden enjoyed chasing this peacock around the grass.
I wish Hayden liked the swing when he was a baby as much as he does now. Really he only sits in it for about two minutes. Mostly he likes to but his stuffed animals in the swing and push them.
Wow! How time flies. Hayden is getting so big. He will be having his second birthday in less than three months. I took him to get his picture taken a few weeks ago. He was not happy about having them taken and I was afraid we wouldn't get any good pictures. I started singing the Monkey and the Alligator and he started smiling for the photographer. I was pleased with the way they turned out.
Yesterday, I was sitting in the mall parking lot talking on the phone to a friend. I saw a group of people looking at something. There were girls taking pictures with their cell phones and a guy on a motorcycle and another guy. I finally realized what was going on. There was a big snake! The guy on the motorcycle had gloves on and was finally able to catch it. He began to carry it across the lot to some bushes, that happened to be next to my car. I immediately opened my door and yelled "Don't you dare bring that over here." The people all started laughing and he quickly walked to bushes away from my car and let the snake go. What was the idiot thinking? Why didn't he run over it with his motorcycle? Everyone left at that point. A minute or two later two of the people who had been watching went to the bushes where the snake had been put and picked him up with a rag and then wrapped him in a jacket and left. I would really like to know what happened after that.
I love my baby boy so much and miss having him with me each day. I think about him daily and wish I could give him a kiss. I think what he would be like as he grows each day. I think of watching Hayden interact with him. I am grateful for the knowledge of eternal families and that I know we will be together again.
This is the poem that was on the program for Scott's funeral.
I'm going to tell you something I hope you'll never have to know. I'll tell you how a heart can break And tears can constant flow. I lost my baby boy you see, An angel in my eyes God chose to take his hand one day And led him to the skies. But please do not forget my child He was a person too And forever he will live Inside of me and you. So, please don't ever tell me That time will heal my pain Because not even time Can bring him back again. Just tell me he is happy In that land way up above He's snuggled in an angels wings All wrapped in Mommy's love.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, October is Pregnancy and Infancy Loss Awareness Month. Today was the 13th annual Walk to Remember at Larkin Sunset Lawn. I feel very blessed that we were able to attend today. We were able to order shirts and other items with our baby's name on them.
There was a short program and then a short walk and balloon release. One of the women on the Share board read a sweet poem and introduced the speakers. I wish I had a copy of the poem because it rings so true. I talks about when we talk about our baby it might bring a tear to our eye but how much joy it brings to our hearts to hear other call our baby by name. It is so true. I love to hear others talk about my precious little Scott.
The speakers had a baby die 41 years ago when he was 18 hours old. Richard Pual Evans, author of The Christmas Box, contacted them 14 years ago to help with an angel statue that is now placed in Salt Lake City Cemetary to represent the child of the woman in the book ho visited her baby's grave. It is beautiful statue. It was so sweet to listen to the mother talk about her baby and tell us that life goes on but you never forget and even 41 years later shed a tear for your sweet baby.
A girl then sang a song called Calling All Angels, that I believe her brother had written when his baby girl died. After this short program we went outside and took a balloon and wrote our child's name on it. They then read all the babies names and we released our balloon when our baby's name was read.
It is so difficult to have a baby die but I was overwhelmed by the feelings I felt as some families had multiple childrens' names read. I cannot even imagine the pain those mothers must feel to go through such a difficult trial multiple times. I hope and pray that Heavenly Father does not see fit for me to experience this ever again. But with my current pregnancy I can't help but wonder if holding this baby in my womb is going to be the only chance I have to be with him too.
At the end of the balloon release they had refreshments and a rose for each of the mothers. It was a tearful event for me but such a wonderful experience as well to think about my precious Scott.
Last night we went to the Olive Garden with my parents. The food was good, the service was lousy, and Hayden was as sweet as can be. He was tired of his high chair so he sat by Grandma and Papa. He gave them loves and kisses. When they brought him his ice cream he was more than happy to sit in his high chair and eat it. We ordered him one scoop of ice cream and when they brought it there were three scoops covered in chocolate syrup. He thoroughly enjoyed it.
Hayden LOVES dogs. Our neighbors all have dogs and he watches them all the time. He loves to play with Maggie at Joe's parent's (though Maggie won't give him the time of day). My mom bought him a stuffed puppy a few months ago and he sleeps with it every night.
Well, today I gave in and bought Hayden a puppy. He has named him Doggy. His stuffed animal is named Puppy. It is really cute to watch Hayden walk around holding the puppy's leash.
The little girls down the street have puppies like this. they were taking them for a walk the other day and Hayden was very intrigued by them. I decided that I could handle a pet like this.
Scott's headstone was finally set today. As I drove into the cemetery, hoping it would be there but not knowing for sure, I was a little nervous. I quickly could tell that it was there and could do nothing but smile. I am so happy to finally have it in place. It feels wonderful to see my baby's name in print and know that it will be seen by many others as well. I don't even have the words to accurately portray my feelings.
As we left the cemetery, Hayden kept waving and saying, "Bye Scott." I love that Hayden is learning about his little brother.
Hayden has a new way to play with his cars. He loves to line them up end to end. Once he gets them all lined up he begins moving them one by one into a new line.
Last night as I was trying to sleep (which is difficult in my pregant state) I was having a dream about something. In my dream there was an extremelyannoying beep that kept occuring every 30 seconds or so. Then I realized Joe had gotten out of bed. At that point I woke up enough to realize what the stupid beep was. It was the smoke detector in our bedroom. Why is it that the battery only dies at night? A few years ago it happened and we tried to just remove the battery. That did not take care of the beep, you must have a battery in it. Joe had to go to the store at 3:00 am and buy 9 volt batteries. At least last night we had batteries and Joe was able to quickly change it and the beeping stopped.
Yesterday I was ready to sell Hayden by 9:00 in the morning. Today he has been quite the opposite. He was outside playing and came in three different times bringing me the sprinkler. I would tel him to put it away and he did. He would come back a few minutes later with another one. The fourth time he came in I thought he would do the same. But instead he flashed a sweet smile and gave me a dandelion. Joe has helped him pick flowers (weeds) before but not for a few months. He has never done it on his own. I thought it was really sweet. He brought me a second one a little bit later. What a sweet boy!
Hayden is usually very good about taking naps or at least playing quietly in his room for a few hours but I always have to tell him it is time to go down for a nap. Today, however, he went upstairs and came back with his blanket and Binky and told me nigh-night. So I took him up and he went right to sleep.
Thank goodness for days like this to counter act days like yesterday.
Have you ever wanted to sell your children? By 8:10 this morning I was ready to sell Hayden. He wanted oatmeal for breakfast but then saw cookies so he wouldn't eat the oatmeal. He began throwing a tantrum. I walked out of the kitchen and was watching the Today's Show. I heard Hayden pull something down off the counter. I thought it was the bag of rolls. I turned around a minute later to see why he had become so quiet (never a good sign). He had pulled a paper towel that had his bowl of oatmeal sitting on it. There was oatmeal all over the floor and cupboards and of course all over Hayden. I quickly fed him what was in the bowl and tried cleaning the rest up. He thought it was fun to smear like finger paint.
Everythime I think in my head that I want to sell Hayden I remember back when Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were cute. They had a song called "Brother for Sale."
If you aren't familiar with the song check it out here. Just like in the song, if I list all the reasons you would want to buy Hayden I decide he is really pretty great and I should just keep him. So I guess he's not for sale after all.
Hayden was born January 9, 2007. He is such a sweet little boy. He currently loves anything to do with trains. He can never get enough football and basketball. He knows all of his letters and likes to count. You can get him to do most anything if you tell him he can have a treat.
Angel Baby
Scott Leland Young
Scott was stillborn December 28, 2007. My water broke the day before. I enjoyed feeling him wiggle and move up until the moment he was born. He was just too tiny to live outside the womb. Scott is my sweet angel baby and I look forward to raising him in the hereafter.
Scott's Blog
Parker
Parker Theron Young
Parker was born December 19, 2008. He was named after his great great Grandmother (maiden name) and Papa Anderson. He is a very good baby who lets Mommy sleep at least 8 hours a night. I look forward to watching him grow each day.
This is my favorite treat we made. I think these mummies turned out so cute. I'm not sure if I want to eat it though. Twinkies covered in frosting! Talk about taking something fattening and then making it even worse.
I was happy with how the white chocolate ghost suckers turned out as well.
Thanks Michelle and Candi for all your help and a fun morning.
