Love this time of year

I LOVE this time of year!!  I don't know if it just has to do with my birthday being right before Halloween, but this time of the year is my fave!  I love my birthday, I love Halloween, I love fall, I love October!!  I am a little sad that this is the last full week of the best month ever, but it is going to be a great week!

Last night we carved pumpkins at my mom's.  It was so much fun.  I think that is one of my most fave activities for the month of October.  This Friday, my actual birthday, we are hosting a kid-friendly Halloween Costume party at our house.  I cannot wait!  I have so many fun activities, games, treats, etc. planned.  I am also a room mom for Gabe's classroom this year, and I am getting some treat bags made and some fun snickety-snacks prepped for the big day.  Also, I have a couple of girlfriends coming over on Wednesday to do a Halloween craft!  Fun time!  Lots of prep work this week, but so fun! 

What do you have going on this week?  Are you a lover of all things Halloween?  I would love to hear about them!  I am going to leave you with a pic of our jack-o-lanterns!

Happy Halloween Week!

Could use some extra prayers, please?

I can't sleep.  I am to be up in 5 hours to take my mom in for an ablation surgery in the morning.  It's not a risky procedure, and I know my trust in Him is strong to take care of my mom, but it's my mom!!  My mom is my security, and it is scary to imagine a life without her in it.  I would appreciate it so greatly, if you would offer up a prayer for her tomorrow morning at 8am. 

Thanks!!

Polar Express

My mom just booked us tickets for a ride on the Polar Express, and I am so very excited!

Jammies, hot chocolate, Santa, and a magical train ride...what's not to love?!?!?

We're going to keep it a surprise from the boys, but now I am actually looking forward to winter...just a tad. 

Sketch Class!!-You can take it for FREE!

There is a new class being offered over at Inspired to Scrap, and it is a sketch class!  15 days of sketch inspiration to get your scrappy mojo flowing!  The best part-they are giving away a FREE Sketch Class!  Hope you can take advantage and join in on the fun!

Want to take the sketch class for free? Go check it out!

http://www.inspiredtoscrap.net/2010/10/10/sketch-class-giveaway
Inspired to Scrap has a new class beginning on Friday- “Inspired by Sketches.” Complete 15 layouts using brand new sketches! The design team will present a new sketch for you each day during this 15 day class. We’ll have inspiration, techniques and challenges for you to be motivated to complete more pages.

Features of the class- ~Access to a private area of the message board
~Daily inspiration will include a new sketch and samples
~Video tutorials(special surprise techniques!)
~All new samples and layouts to spark your creativity
~Encouragement and support to complete 15+ layouts
~Inspiration from fellow classmates

**Visit the Inspired to Scrap store to purchase the class.
www.inspiredtoscrap.net/store

Here's how to win the class for FREE! 


1. Leave a comment on the blog at http://www.inspiredtoscrap.net/
2. Post about the contest and/or class on your blog (or facebook!)
3. Visit our Facebook page and give us a thumbs up (I think it’s called “Like us” but that sounds so silly to me! LOL)
4. Join the message board and post at least 15 times (if you are already registered, great! Just start chatting!)
5. Upload a new layout or two to the gallery (leave some love while you’re there as well!

**Be sure to leave a comment for each item you complete.

Deadline is Monday night. Stacey will draw a winner on Tuesday!
Good luck everyone!!

Family Movie Night

So, we have started a tradition with the boys to host a family movie night at least once a week (depending on our schedules).

One of the things that Chad and I love to do is pick an old movie from our childhoods that we enjoyed watching and introduce it to our boys.

We've watched some good ones so far:  Goonies, The Adventures in Babysitting, Short Circut, Homeward Bound...those are just a few that have been hits.

Tonight, we are going to watch Harry and the Hendersons!

I know the boys have a great time, but I think Chad and I love it more.

Spending some fun family time together, and then sleeping downstairs together.

We call that "camping out."

If you have any good movies that you think we should watch with our boys, please add suggestions in the comments section! 

A busy October

Wow, October 1st already!! 
That is crazy!
I was sitting and looking at my calendar, and it is already jammed packed, and the first full day of October hasn't even happened! 
Bare with me as I jot it all down...

• Friday, October 1st-Gabe's school Fall Festival set up 3-5pm, and attend for fun.
• Saturday, October 2nd-Future sister-in-law's dinner and night out.
• Sunday, October 3rd-Church in the park, Bridal Shower at 4pm
• Wednesday, October 6th-My 9 year wedding anniversary (heart)
• Friday, October 8th-Annual Covered Bridge Festival starts (runs for 2 weeks)
• Saturday, October 9th-Celebration night for our anniversary
• Tuesday, October 12th-My dad's 49th birthday, Gabe's first field trip of the year, going to Covered Bridge Festival with my mom
• Friday, October 15th-Rehearsal Dinner for Brother-in-Law's wedding
• Saturday, October 16th-Mark and Peggy's wedding (Gabe and Chad are in the wedding)
• Sunday, October 17th-return tuxedos.
• Friday, October 22nd-Mom's is having an ablation surgery
• Saturday, October 23rd-Kids' Halloween Party
• Friday, October 29th-My 31st Birthday
• Saturday, October 30th-Cousins Wedding and Trick-or-Treat night.

Just looking at that list all written out makes me so tired!  I don't know how we are going to survive!

Crockpot Love

Welcome Fall!

(I know, I am about a week late.)

With the onset of Fall, the crockpot will become one of my kitchen best friends, and I am using it for tonight's dinner!

Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, courtesy of my mother-in-law's recipe.

My house smells so delish!

Meat Sauce Recipe:

*2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz each)-You can use Italian flavor if you have it.

*1 can tomato paste (12 oz total)

*1 can water (15 oz)

*1 can mushrooms (4 oz)

*1 pkg Lawry's Dry Spaghetti Sauce Mix

*1 Tbsp sugar

*1 1/2-2lbs of hamburger (I like to use ground round)

*1/4 cup chopped onions

*garlic powder or you can use fresh to use when browning meat

Brown hamburger, onion and garlic-drain grease.  Add all other ingredients with the meat in a crockpot or sauce pan.  Simmer for 1-2 hours on stovetop, or on cook on low in crockpot for at least 2 hours.  The longer the sauce cooks/simmers, the better the flavor.  Serve over pasta of choice or whatever you desire! 



Upcoming Fall Crop-Don't miss it!!

Inspired to Scrap is hosting it's first online crop, and you are invited!

Join us at www.inspiredtoscrap.net/forum to join in on the free class, some great challenges, prizes and most of all, inspiration to get some scrapping done!

The Fall Crop runs September 30th-October 5th!

Hope to see you there!

Gabe Turns 7

I am a little late in posting about the boys' birthday celebrations, but I am here to remedy that with photos!

Gabe obviously had a Toy Story themed party here at our home.

We had a great turnout, and I am just humbled at how many friends and family showed up to help celebrate Gabe!

Hope you enjoy some of the photos from the party!

We had one of those blow up water slides for the kiddos to enjoy since his birthday falls during the dog days of summer heat!  That will explain the shirtlessness.  :-)

I made the banner, and I had so much fun doing it.  I think Graedon was more impressed with it than Gabe.

Also, it was my first time making cake pops, and they were a huge hit!

I'm back...(home and to blogging)

I am sure you noticed that I have not been blogging much, eventhough I promised to do so.  Well, there are a few reasons for that. 
1.  Birthday coma-Yes, it does exist, and I suffered from it.  4 birthdays in less than 3 weeks, and it was crazy!  I am happy to say that birthday season is officially over for the Killion family this year.
2.  Prep-Because of all of the birthdays, there was a lot of running around in a crazy state for a few days, with lists in hand and tons to do.  There was a lot of prep work for the birthdays as well as for the surprise present we had in store for our boys!
3.  The Present-So, it was up in the air for most of the weeks leading up to the boys' birthdays as to if their present was going to become reality.  The reason for that was because of a lot of weather watching.  You may be wondering what the weather had to do with their present.  Well, up until the week of Sept. 6th, we had not made a definite decision, and then after watching the hurricanes finally slow down, we booked our flights to head to the Happiest Place on Earth for 9 days and surprise the boys the day we were to leave, Sept. 10th!  We picked Gabe up from school at 1:30pm, all packed and ready to go, and told the boys in the car on the way to the airport!

It was an AMAZING trip, one that I will never forget!  There is nothing like Disney magic, and we were surrounded by it for 9 days!  I cannot express how blessed I feel to have a husband the loves me and his family so much to work so hard to allow us to take family vacations like we do!!  We had a blast, and Chad and I have decided that we work pretty well together as a family of 4 on vacation.  It was a great bonding time for us and the boys, and we are already trying to plan our next trip! 

Please be patient with me while I work throught the 1000+ photos that I have taken, and I will get posts about the birthday parties and the trip up as soon as I can!