family party

Those of you that know me know I LOVE halloween! My house is all decorated and I love all the witches and everything about it! I decided this year to have the Banks halloween party! It was kinda last minute and I know I forgot to call some so sorry! It was so crazy getting everyone called. We had so much fun! I was pretty impressed with everyones outfits! They really did good this year. We ended up eating soup with homemade rootbeer and lots of other good stuff. I just set up tables in the garage and it turned out good. We were packed in the house like sardines but it was still tons of fun! I seriously love being with all my family! They are my friends that I call when I want to go out so the party was even funner! Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Banks they have kept us all close and we are so lucky for that! We missed them too this party! They never miss parties so there was kinda a empty spot!



We sat and played this game for hours! It's called signs and it is actually pretty funny. We had so much fun playing it and confusing the heck out of each other. I think Mindee takes the cake at not being the best! :)

gavin

Layne and I as douwg the bounty hunter and his wife beth. Yes those aren't all mine on top!

Our family picture

Mindee and Jason and their family!

Heidi and Brandon. Always taking it to the next level but that's why we love them!

Mindee and Jason

Karlee and Donny as the incredibles. Like you couldn't figure that out!

Scott and Lori as Mylee Cyrus and Billy Ray! I think they pulled it off pretty good!

Their little family!

Sarah and her family!

The Christopherson girls!

Aunt Nancy

Anna and Danner

Jenny and Bert. Bert was a chick magnet and I think it worked! I was drawn to him all night along with all the other chicks!

Josee and Ryan as a farmer and pig! Pretty impressed Josee got Ryan in those sweet pink pants!

Todd and Deanne as grandma and grandpa! We all about died when they walked in! We were busting up. My mom couldn't even look at them without bawling. We sure missed them this year! Grandpa just got diagnosed with Leukemia so he can't be around big crowds incase he were to catch something. We sure missed them but it was kinda fun looking and seeing them there! Deanne really pulled it off. She looked just like grandma from behind!

carving pumpkins

Ok so every year Layne and I get in a pumpkin carving contest! I have to admit I don't think I've won yet! We had SO much fun carving pumpkins though. Mylee loved it and was being such a whimp about getting her arm in the guts of it! She hated that part but loved the rest! Derek was so entertained too. We had to trap him or he would have been everywhere!

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween! This is Derek in Mylee's first costume! I tried to pull up Mylee on her when she was in it for comparisons but it isn't working. They look identical! I love having them in the same one to see how much they really do look alike! So much fun. Happy Halloween!

Happy 9yrs to us!

I spent all day, not really but we can let Layne think that, at cooking fondue and salmon! It was one of the best meals I have cooked. We ate like it was our last meal, ok maybe just me. Mylee had dinner with us and loved it. Derek was sound asleep in his bed. It was such a fun meal to make for Layne!

Ok ok. I know I should have gotten cleaned up for Layne on our anniversary but I totally forgot and he was home before I realized. That's ok. He still loves me. My little chef is always right next to me when I cook anything! She pulls the kitchen chair over and loves to help.

Layne and I decided to go to Cali for our anniversary. Ok....really for Pearl Jam but we can call it our anniversary too. It was a blast. Thanks to really good family, we went childless. It was time to be alone! We were able to fall in love again! We really had such a good time. We went to Pearl Jam thursday and walked the streets of LA. We realized how out of fashion we were and I realized my husband loved to search down celebrities. We sat across the street from the restaurant, The Ivy and saw some man we didn't know but all the paparazzi was around him. Also the lady judge on So you think you can dance. I love that show so it was kinda fun seeing her.

Layne was trying to wave to her cause we were right next to her at a stop light and I got so embarrassed! He was cracking me up! We about got killed flipping around to see who she was but his mad driving got us right next to her! That day was alot of fun. After that we went and ate sushi and went and watched people trying to buy tickets for Pearl Jam. We met some really cute couples and some crazy's! One man kept trying to get us to sell him ours. We told him for 300.00 and he almost did it. My husband is a major Pearl Jam fan. Yes he went to the one in Salt Lake too. I am glad the boys bailed cause I got to go. Loved every minute of it too. I think we were the only ones not getting drunk or high, not the best atmosphere, but it made me realize how good of a man I have! I love Eddies slow songs and I got plenty of them that night.

Us at the concert!

The next day we just hung out at the pool and ate Wahoo's fish taco's for lunch! It was so good. We went to all the little shops in Huntington beach and then headed back to the hotel to lay by the pool again! When we were ready for dinner we went to a nice fish house called Blue water grill. It was the best halibut ever! We decided to go back the next day for lunch. After dinner my hubby let me go to Disneyland. Ok, not really. We tried. We got there at 9pm after trying to park for 1.5hrs! Everyone in Cali decided they wanted to join us that night. It was trick or treat with Mickey so it was packed! I tried to talk the guy at the window to let us in for cheaper but it was still full price so we decided to go shop downtown Disney instead. I was kinda bumbed but it was still fun. Layne called them the next day to try and surprise me but the people he needed to talk to were gone for the day. Bumber!

Anyone that knows Layne knows he is amazed at buildings! We had to go find this building in LA. It was pretty amazing! He was in aw! It was way cool. We had such a fun trip! I realized what a lucky wife I am. Layne is such an amazing man and I'm so glad he's mine! We have been through some of the hardest times in life and some of the most amazing times and I'm so glad it has been with him. I know, alittle cheesy but get over it! Layne probably will beat me for that but oh well.

Our walking days

We have been enjoying this fall weather. Don't look too close. Monday thru Thursday me, Shel, Channy, my mom and all the kids meet either at the walking trail or in Salem to walk. It has been so dang nice! We walk for an hour then go to the park and let the kids play. Sometimes Josee will come too. The more the merrier. Korbin find prayinmantisis every time! Not just one but atleast two! It's sad it's getting colder and our mornings are going to change.

fishing at the cabin

We decided to go up to the cabin with Kory and Channy. I'm lucky cause my parents and his parents have a cabin just down from each other. We had such a fun weekend. Mylee wasn't too into the fishing. She has always wanted to go with her dad but then is scared to death of the fish. Her and Brinley were on a search for something.

Derek, chubs, is always good for anything as long as his big belly is full!

This picture totally shows her personality in it! She is such a show off and goofy when she is comfortable. I love it cause this is totally her!

Kynz out playing with Mylee.

Just hanging out. He loved sitting outside and watching the kids!

Number one mom right here! Squirt for breakfast! Gotta love the camping food. My pounding her fruitloops and squirt. It was mine for the first 3 drinks!

Eating her breakfast out on the porch. I love the cabins! My picked so many wild flowers and loved having them in her hair! Such a ham!

West Yellowstone

We were invited to go up to West yellowstone with my cousin Heidi and her husband Brandon. Brandons parents have a cabin up in Island park and it was so much fun! Their cabin was so nice and in such a pretty spot. We were supposed to come home Sunday but decided to stay until Monday because we wanted to see all of Yellowstone. We went up in Aug but just alittle slow on posting!


We went on a rhino ride around the cabin. Mylee didn't love her helmet but we reminded her that her cousin Korbin wears his so she was ok after that.

This was the scenery that we had floating the river. It was so dang pretty. We go clear up there and I forgot my nice camera!

Layne fly fished off the back while Brandon and Bert rowed our boat! He shared alittle I guess.

The crew on our raft. Jenny and Bert took their trailer up and camped. We would meet up with them. It was such a fun trip! I could go there every year!

I can't even tell you how dang cute Heidi and Brandon are to our kids! Mylee and Derek LOVE them! It's going to be a sad day when they get kids cause mine will be bumped to number 2! No, purely selfish I know but I'm ok with that!

This was definitely the highlight of our trip! We were in the middle of a herd of buffalo! They were all around us. The park rangers were getting so mad at us for not moving but they were seriously right in front of the truck and we could go anywhere or we would have ran it over. Bert and Jenny were a couple cars in front of us and it kicked his tire and almost got the truck. We were laughing so hard watching and listening to these buffalo. We could have reached out and slapped it on its butt at one point. We didn't see much else so I'm glad we got that!

We had such a fun trip with them! Thanks for the invite! Ate lots and had lots of good laughs!

What I usually see

So this picture is how Mylee usually is talking to me lately! She is always chewing me out and telling me that I'm not her best friend anymore. Her dad usually is! Well I had to come in here and hurry and post what she just said to me. It melted my heart. I was just doing some Monday cleaning and finished cleaning the half bath toilets. She is potty training right now too. She said she had to pee so I told her to run to the toilet. We passed in the kitchen and when she got in the bathroom she yelled, "Thanks for cleaning the toilet for me mom!" I said "what?!" and she said it again. I was so happy. As a stay at home mom you don't get tons of recognition like when I used to work. It made my day that my 2yr old recognized I had just cleaned a toilet. It was so sweet. It didn't last too long though cause she was getting mad at me because she didn't want to take the toilet paper holder back in the bathroom.

I decided I needed to go downstairs and take some pictures of the kids! Moreso Derek. I have been meaning to get some of him forever. I only got him in this outfit cause he wasn't having it. I swear he is the best baby and he knew how bad I wanted pictures! Oh well. I will be heading down there on Monday. Here are my sweet kids! I finally am learning to get Mylee somewhat ready cause she always likes to pose when I go down there. I love doing this! I love trying to get their personalities on camera!