Team Peeta party

 Savannah has totally embraced the Hunger Games.  She adores Peeta, and is even being Katniss for Halloween.  So, this year, it followed that she would choose a Hunger Games theme for her birthday party, and thank heavens, I had a party already pre-planned!  Since we didn't get to the games the night of the movie premiere, I still had everything saved and ready to go.  Here's the line-up of Tributes, with Savannah being District 12.  That's Britt's awesome fire cape she's got on, thanks to Britt's generosity in loaning it.

 We played all the arena games; slingshot challenge, bow and arrow accuracy, Poisonous plant identification, and a test of wits, ending with the Cornucopia Challenge.  Prizes were awarded for the events; the Peeta necklace went first.  Savannah was dying to get that one, but she tanked and didn't get one.  Maybe Santa?

 After the Arena games, we stopped for the Feast of Tributes.  We had pizza, "peeta" bread with hummus, carrots and dip, root beer, and cupcakes.  I got the cute printables from Hostess with the Mostess, I believe.

 The Cornucopia Challenge; Savannah ended up with the ill-chosen blue tarp that also sank Sallie in March

 After the games, the girls headed downstairs for presents, and to watch the movie.  We had to include treats, of course!

 This was the only shot I was able to get of Savannah opening gifts, as she was surrounded by a gaggle of giggling girls.

We are now the proud owners of a full-fledged teenager!  May Heaven help us all!

Pirates, ahoy!

 I've had a goal to get my office organized before the baby comes, because I knew it wouldn't get done after, and I can't function in chaos!  So, one day, I was in there organizing, throwing out boxes as I emptied them into the family room.  The twins capitalized on the surplus of boxes and they morphed into pirate boats.  The wrapping paper tubes became spyglasses, and a game of pirates was born.  Adventure on the high seas!

 Arr, matey!  Land ho!

 I spy a landlubber!

Pirate or not, a girl's gotta be fashionable.

And don't forget the first mates!

The Great Pumpkin Harvest

 Every year when we plant a garden, we've planted pumpkins, in hopes that we'd actually get some to maturity to harvest.  One year, the voles at them.  Another, one of the kids stepped on the baby vine and snapped it, killing it.  Another year, Brighton has dug them up as part of his play.  You see the pattern.  So this spring, when we planted them, we were hopeful, but not expectant, to have pumpkins to pick in the fall.  We were pleasantly surprised when they reached maturity, and we counted 13 pumpkins growing!  Not big, carving pumpkins, but baby decorative pumpkins.  Brighton, especially, was excited when the ok came to pick them.  He carefully got a pair of scissors and gathered them all up. 

Here's the proud farmer!

A Decade

 Irelynd is officially a decade old!  We had a family dinner on her actual birthday, and a friends party a few days later.

 For her birthday dinner, we had broccoli cheese soup and pizza braid, with brownies and ice cream for dessert.

 This is one of our family's favorite traditions, that of heavy heavy hangover, where you bonk the birthday person on the head with the present, in return they wish you something.  I remember doing this in Scott's family when we first got married, and getting the strangest reaction from them.  Apparently, this is a mainly UT/ID tradition; not sure where it got its start, but it did not stretch over to include Oklahoma.  Nevertheless, Scott's adopted it, and we continue it in our family.  This is the one time when it's not only OK, but encouraged to hit.  Brighton has fully embraced this rite, as you can see by his smile.

 He bought Irelynd her own package of ring pops, after much deliberation in the Dollar Store; as you can see, it was the right thing to give her.  I love to see these two, specifically, show love to each other, as they probably fight the most in the family.

 My own hot chocolate!  We all speak Irelynd's language.

 Keaton also loves the bonking tradition, as you can see from his grin.

 Soda pop is a rare delicacy in our house, so to be given her own 2-liter was a treat.

 Even if she did have to endure the bonking.

 For Irelynd's friends birthday party, I took her, 2 cousins, and 2 friends to Lowe's Airsports in Provo.  I've become a big fan of that place; close by and not the usual party destination.  Irelynd got whacked in the side of the head within the first 5 minutes in the door, and spent the next 30 with an icepack pressed to her head, crying.  I felt bad for her, but she eventually perked up and went back to playing, although she had to avoid the trampolines the rest of the time.

 For her birthday this year, she wanted to get her ears pierced, so several friends gave her earrings.

 You can't tell by her face in this photo, but she was really excited about these headbands from cousin Maddie, especially the zipper one.

Happy Birthday, Irelynd!