You are a wizard

William turned 7 on Tuesday. SEVEN! I can not believe how time has flown by. He wanted a Harry Potter party and was pretty specific about what he wanted. He got it! It was such a fun day. The kids started Ollivander's Wand Shop (Connie made all the signs for me)

And she was mister Ollivander herself.

The kids all got paper wands that I made using this tutorial. So fast, easy, and cheap!

Then they got their bags that my mom and I whipped out a hour or so before the party (I did the printing and the cutting, she did the sewing).

Inside the bags were their tickets for...

My parents and Connie helped out with Joseph a lot.

Here they all are with their wands on the Hogwarts Express. I am not sure who enjoyed this more, Russ or the kids.

Once they got to Hogwarts they got sorted. I asked on facebook if anyone had a sorting hat cause I didn't want to make one and like the next day this lady shows up at my house with one. I was so grateful! It was a friend of hers she has sewn and black hat to look like the sorting hat and we spray painted it brown. 

We also put a monitor inside (the sorting hat was on top of a play cowboy hat and the monitor was in between) and Russ was in the other room talking into it. It was kinda fuzzy, but also very cool and I think the kids really liked it.

He was totally whispering Gryffindor. 

They were all really good sports. Especially those put into Slytherin.

Then it was outside to play Quidditch

The goal was to keep the balloon in the air and get it through the rings. We didn't play that long, cause I was afraid someone was going to get hurt, but it was fun.

Look at that cute huddle. We were trying to distract them while the snitch was hidden. Both team got a chance to find a snitch and then everyone got a chance cause it was time for a snitch hunt.

Connie made these AWESOME maps. She used the template found here and then made it to match our yard. Everyone had a snitch to find and their map told them where it was.

Oh good, he found it!

So did she, actually they all did.

Then it was inside for potions class.

They got to put all kinds of fun things in their potions, but the key ingredients were vinegar (stink water from lake stink) and baking soda (exploding powder).

Then they had a charms class that I didn't take any pictures of, but it was color changing drinks. Then it was time for dinner in the great hall.

They had pumpkin juice which some liked , some didn't. I thought it was pretty good.

1 cup canned pumpkin pie

1 cup apple juice

1/2 cup pineapple juice

My favorite part was when William said, "let the feast begin!"

Then it was time for cake and butter beer (forgot to get a picture of that). This cake was meant to look like the one Hagrid brought to Harry in the 1st movie except William wanted it to say his name and all the words be spelled right:)

(it is supposed to look smashed)

Then on to presents. I ask that friends don't bring gifts. He gets enough from the family and I don't want too many toys.

He got an art set from Grandma and Grandpa Huston that I know will get a lot of use.

Gracie gave him a dollar store dart gun.

Connie made him a potions set that ALL the kids love!

And Russ and I gave him Harry Potter legos. He opened it and said, "I knew I was getting this." Smarty pants.

Joseph knows what to do with a wand.

The last one was a surprise. My sister in law Ashley asked her mom if we could have the Elder wand that she got when she went to see the Last Harry Potter movie. Apparently they got a goody bag a long with their tickets and in it was a wooden Elder wand.

He was pretty speechless. It was funny. He randomly told me thank you for it about 20 times in the next couple if days.

Gracie wanted to do nothing but play potions for the next couple of days. This is the mess she made the next morning.

It was a lot of work but sooo worth it. William had such a good time and I am happy to do this for him. 

But tired:)

Halloween X2

Saturday night we went to our ward trunk or treat.

Here is our Tinkerbell and Peter Pan and little Smee.

He didn't like to keep his hat on, but when he did it was so cute!

I went early to help the youth set up their haunted house.

Jessica get everyone all gory. She did an awesome job.

Our bishop was part of it.

This an idea I saw on pinterest and it is so creepy looking...

That last one I got the makeup idea from this ladies instagrams...but hers was wayyy better.

These are the kind of posters you get when you have Angela on your team.

There are NO pictures of me but I was Wendy just wearing a long blue dress. Russ was John. You better believe I was excited (and a bit confused) when I found a Nordstrom's mens night gown at the thrift store. He carried an umbrella and it was perfect.

Jonah was a cute little skeleton with a baby. Both she and Gracie really wanted to go in the haunted house and the both got really scared.

William was shoving that candy bar in his mouth so fast.

The next day Joseph found some suckers and he just crawled around with them in his hands.

On Monday we took the kids trick or treating down our street. And it was so fun.

The excitement off all the kids running around in costumes was too much for me. It made me love Halloween, a lot. I love anything that gets people out of their homes and doing things together. It was nice to get to meet some people in the neighborhood. 

Joseph figured out how to get the wrapper off his sucker and man there was no taking it away from him. 

Happy Halloween! I already can not wait until the next one.

Mercado

At Williams school they do a halloween mercado (market) where they all have to work at booths and everyone has "money" to spend. It is a great way of teaching work and market skills. Me and the kids stopped by to hang out with William.Or should I say Harry.

Gracie got her nails painted so she was happy. 

Some other things happened that day that I do not have pictures of, but I want to remember. Gracie's joy school friends took her to a small farm and pumpkin patch and Russ dad came and sat at my house while Joseph napped so I could go to the funeral of a dear friends baby. The day before she was scheduled to be delivered they could not find a heart beat. It was very sad, but also a sweet experience to see their strength as a family and the peace are able to feel at such a hard time. It such a testimony to me of how awesome the spirit is and how it can comfort us the times that we need it most. 

Grateful for hooky

Today I let William stay home from school because he has a nasty sounding cough. Also because the last two days (actually more) being filled with holiday and birthday fun, we just needed a day to rest ( and clean up). William got to set up his legos and work on his homework. I got to clean up my house and the camera roll on my phone (it is really ridiculous and my phone said I couldn't take anymore pictures). I stayed in my pjs all day until it was time for an activity with my young women. I needed this day and I am grateful I got it.


- Posted by deb on the go.

Feeling grateful

Seven years ago this boy came into the world and changed EVERYTHING. I am so proud of the boy he has become. Tonight he got out of bed and came into my room to tell me one of his ears wasn't working (anything to get out of bed when you can't sleep because you can't stop thinking about your presents) and he asked me if he grew taller today. I told him that he does a little bit everyday.

I have so much to blog. I just got done with my busiest week of the year, although it is not cleaned up yet. Birthday stuff (W's party was awesome) and Halloween (I loved it this year), but right now I just was to say that I am so glad that William was born and that I get to be part of his life.

And now that it is November maybe I will be posting the things I am grateful for more often.