familyfotos...

I'm so behind in posts. I've got a bajillion crazy stories building up but just can't take the time to get them down! Here's some fam pics and I'll be back Arnold style asap

Playing Dress-up, I mean Catch-Up

Sadie the painted lady!

Not sure why Gabey looks like a balding-on-top, old man groom, his hair is thick and lustrous!

The happy couple! Congrats you two!

Next day, Mullett Bogan rather than Black Roots Blonde Hair and Sunglasses Bogan. Getting the goods from Clara

Rasta Ben {kinda...} taking the kids out

Happy Halloween! ...Two weeks ago! I'm a little behind -which is also something I'd like to have but anyway, I digress.

We went to a fun ward party a few days before Halloween and then trick-or-treated to about 5-6 houses on the actual night. Halloween hasn't exactly caught on here. We got about 10 trick-or-treaters in all. Which was not good because the kids and I, mostly I, then had to eat all of the 'lollies' -as they say here, that I had purchased. Damn, again, also as they say here.

Ben and I were what we always are since we must get our money's worth out of the wigs we invested in 6 years ago and paid $10 for -it was a lot of money at the time you see. So yes, once again we were Bogans, Bevans, aka White Trash -whatever you want to call us. We now have an aditionaly wig that is a hat with nasty black braids that we got courtesy of a white elephant party. Our costumes were complete with bbq stains and mustard in the arm-pits for that yellow-pits effect. I wore a nice shade of blue eye shadow and nice pink shade of rouge to complete the look. I didn't have any lip-liner, which would have accentuated to look, unfortunately. I'll have to remember that for next year.

Laine and Gabe were the cutest Bride and Groom you've ever seen. You can't tell the beautiful detail on Laine's dress, it was so pretty! I'm not sure it was what they would have chosen to be, but I thought it was cute and I realized this may be one of the last years that I can choose what their costumes will be. Even this year was borderline -Laine was quite insistent that she be a chicken again. She didn't get the memo that we need to enjoy and relish these years of Halloween in the summertime and that we need not bundle up in the heat and humidity!

Later that week it was my birthday, which was one of the best adult birthdays of my life. Ray and Christine, our neighbors, took us on a date to the city to celebrate. Ben even got to be designated driver and drive Ray's brand new AU$270,000 BMW convertible {yes, you read that right} home. It was a little chilly with the top down, but was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE to drive through the city with the top down -over the Harbour Bridge, by the Opera House... It was breathtaking. It was SUCH a great night. Thanks again R & C!

The next day was my actual birthday, Sunday, and Ben has meetings all morning and I do everything and get the kids all ready for him to drive home and pick us up. That day he actually got someone to cover for him and snuck home to make me breakfast in bed with Laine and decorate the house. It was so festive! I was so surprised and it really made the day so fun.

We had dinner over at Clara and Francis's house -our Korean neighbors, and it was so, SO good I could have died! I realized that it actually was the first time I'd been invited over to a Korean's home to eat -I had only had Korean food in restaurants until that point. Actually, while we were living in Korea, one family from Ben's mission DID invite us over, but they took us out to eat at Pizza Hut... Normally I would have been totally P.O'd and felt ripped off, but I was pregnant and wanted to kiss the ground at Pizza Hut -I was not about to handle Asian food at that point.

Anyway, Ben had snuck away to the bakery to get me one of my FAVORITE things for a birthday cake. I LOVE those cute little tarts that have the strawberries, blueberries and kiwi's and that shiny glaze on them. Seriously, I'm obsessed. Any time we go to a classy buffet that has them or any kind of function, wedding, what have you -I bring back a plate so full that I tell people it is to share for the whole table. And then I get to the table and I start to growl if people start inching toward them, thinking I was sharing. True story. I really, REALLY loves my tarts.

Since I didn't want to share my tart with the Koreans, I DID make my own cake. But it turned out so ugly that I made Ben tell them that he made it.

Anyway, it was a great day and a huge thanks to my family for making it so special for me!