Halloween: it's FINALLY here!!!

The day of Halloween finally arrived!  All morning we eagerly counted down the minutes until it was costume time!  Mom let us choose what we wanted to be this year.  She was a little dissapointed when our choices didn't allow her to make a flamboyant, avant garde costume, but she was grateful that Macie gave her some creative freedom when designing her costume of choice.

Macie chose to be a vampire, and Mom strategically talked her into being a vampire bride.

I chose to be Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter.

 

Presley chose to Minnie Mouse.  Mom made her a fancy Minnie Mouse dress, but Presley saw this costume at Costco and her heart was set.  It's hard to say no to that face...

Nixon was NOT thrilled at the idea of putting on a costume, so Mom waited until the last minute to put him in his obligatory "Frankwick family first Halloween costume."

Getting everyone ready and out the door was exhausting for poor Mom, but she knew that we would pay her back for her efforts in candy, so it was all worth it!

Mom was grateful that our friend Helaina was at our house to help keep the little ones occupied!

We made it out the door, but before we could join our friends, got stopped by the paparazzi for pictures.

Macie got right into character.  We were all impressed with the finished product; perfect costume choice!

The chicken costume wasn't met with much enthusiasm, but Nixon didn't cry, so Mom called it a win.

We took some pictures with our neighborhood friends while we waited for our whole group to arrive.

Once everyone arrived we took off right away!

Some of us moved quicker than others...

Presley got the hang of things really quickly, and told Mom she didn't need her assistance anymore.

Our night of Trick or Treating was a success.  There were some great decorations, and even a few haunted houses.  Presley got scared a couple times, but once the "scary guy" gave her candy she decided he was nice!

Nixon had a fantastic time and quickly developed a new love for chocolate!

After walking the entire neighborhood, we were all ready to go back home.

 

The little ones were exhausted, and strung out on candy, and the rest of us were eager to compare our buckets full of treats.

The walk home was full of laughter and entertainment, and Presley kept telling us how much fun she had!

Back at the house, Mom put the little ones to bed and then invited everyone over for some food and Halloween movies.

By 9:30 pm all of us were "bent over full", and ready for bed.  We had such a fun month of October, and all wish this time of year would never end!

November is going to be a busy month. Macie and Dad are traveling to AZ for the Nascar race, and the family is going to San Diego for some Turkey and time at Disney, so check back soon to hear about the good times had by all.

Happy First Birthday Nixon!

Can you believe that Nixon is 1?

Dad is thrilled; his days of playing catch are rapidly approaching!

Check out our little athlete in the making...

So far Nixon LOVES playing ball, and we are crossing our fingers that this love continues!

Time sure flew by this past year.  Life was SUPER busy with 4 kids, but full of fun adventures leaving us with memories we will remember forever.  Nixon has grown up so much; he is no longer a baby.  We have a walking, talking toddler on our hands, and he goes 100 mph!  At his 1 year doctor's appointment Nixon weighed a whopping 22lbs 14oz and measured 31 in long; he is a BEAST!  As much as Dad is hoping for a quarter back, Mom thinks he will be better equipped to be a line backer.

Nixon LOVES to eat.  He really wants to feed himself, but he needs some work:

He also loves music, and enjoys playing guitar with Dad.

When Dad's office door is left open Nixon finds his way to the guitars and starts playing.

The day before Nixon's birthday Mom took him on a trip to Walmart to ride some rides.  He didn't seem all that thrilled...

He was more interested in climbing around then sitting and riding.

The night before his big day, Mom let Nixon open a birthday present from Aunt Connie and the Umbarger Family.  He was SO excited to get his very own car garage with lights and sounds.  Presley was a little jealous and kept trying to push him out of the way (she is having a tough time with jealousy right now).

The morning of his birthday was full of laughs.  While Mom cooked him some pancakes the girls and I sang him songs and kept him occupied.

His favorite part of the morning was that Mom let him use a fork at the breakfast table.  He seemed SO proud of himself!

Dad took the day off work to spend time with Nixon, so after dropping Macie and I at school, Mom, Dad, Presley, and Nixon ran some errands around town together.  Before going back home they stopped at a hot dog place for lunch- Nixon loves hot dogs!

He just ate, and ate, and ate!

For his birthday the waitress brought over some sherbet and he couldn't get enough...

Macie and I got home from school that afternoon and the family took Nixon down the street to the park.  He had a blast sliding down the slides!

Most of all, I think he enjoyed being around his family!

Macie, Presley, and I tried to teach him how to roll down the big grass hill.  He didn't quite catch on...

That night Nixon enjoyed a special birthday dinner consisting of a filet with mash potatoes and roasted vegetables.

After dinner Nixon was tired, but we sang him a quick Happy Birthday before the tears started to come.

The next morning he woke with a smile.  At the table he was occupied by his birthday cards and balloons.

This kid is amazing and adds an incredible dynamic to our family.  We are so blessed to have him in our lives and can't wait to watch him grow.

Mom has a feeling that she is going to have to keep her eye on this one...