Murder at the Circus

So, chances are if you read our blog then you're also a friend on facebook and you may have already seen all the pictures from our awesome Halloween party. But in case you missed it on FB and you want to to hear all about it, here's the scoop:

Four the past 4 years, we have had the pleasure of hosting a Halloween party for all of our dental school friends. Our group has grown from 6 children when we got here to 20 with 4 more on the way and that makes for an out of control party! This year we decided no kids, and let's make it something extra special while we're at it. We did a circus themed Murder Mystery Party.

 Every year our friends have blown us away with their creative costumes, so I know this year would be amazing. Here is the cast of characters

 Circus bossman and wife with expensive tastes

fiscally minded ticket taker and FBI agent

 Knife thrower and spotlight grabbing acrobat

 Lion tamer and Elephant performer

 Sword swallower and sabotaged tightrope walker

 clown and snake charmer

 Team of trapeze fliers

 Tattooed lady and muscle man

 sketchy midway director and swindling fortune teller

 I do have to brag just a tiny bit and say that I sewed Bryce's coat and my whole costume

 All of the ladies

 All the guys, in character

 the poor victim and her treacherous murderer

Daphne woke up to join the party.

We had a wonderful time. Everybody got so into it, and participated way more than I expected. The food was great, prizes were awarded, and I am devastated to think this was out last big fling with these fun people.

Thanks everyone for being such good sports and for playing along.

She's a big girl now!

 Sweet little Daphne turned the big 1 a week ago. She is officially a big girl now, walking and eating all grown up food. She is very proud of her four teeth. At 20 lbs. 4 oz., and somewhere around 30 inches tall she would look like quite the child if she only had some hair. As it is, she's still pretty bald and kind of looks like an infant when she's being held.

 

We had a little party with some ward friends on the 17th, her actual birthday. She was one spoiled (but adorable birthday girl.

She didn't quite get what to do with the cake. Luckily she had a friend to help her out.

 Then this past weekend we had a BUG themed party with her two buddies Luke and Max. You can read  Kim's cute post about it here. We made bug antennas for all the kids, did a pinata, a bug hunt and playdough. We had cute themed food. And I have to say, I am a big fan of splitting up the party prep three ways. I think I will spend the rest of Daphne's life looking for other kids with close birthdays to be her friends.

some of the party guests wearing their antenna and ready for the bug hunt.

All the birthday babies, with their matching bald heads. So cute!

 

 

 We love our little birthday girl so much. Happy birthday Daf!

Nauvoo

When I was 14 my family went to Nauvoo. They decided to go during the week of Girl's Camp... my 4th year of Girl's Camp, which as everyone knows is the very best year. So I never went to Nauvoo until this weekend.

We started our adventures with a horse-drawn carriage ride.

We visited Carthage Jail. This was definietly the most moving part of the trip.

We planned the trip with our friends the Farnsworths. We got to have lots of fun with them, but due to overlapping nap times we didn't see them as much as we would have liked.
We saw the "Rendevous" Program

We enjoyed talking to all the cute senior and sweet sister missionaries.

We went to the Print Shop, the Tin Smith, The Black Smith, The Wainwright, the Brick Yard and all the fun places where they show you how things were done back in the Pioneer days.

Daphne liked to get really hands on.
We walked down the "Trail of Hope" It was especially neat to see the journal entries (as well as the homes) of a couple of my ancestors.
We crossed the great Mississippi several times
Bryce kept Daphne entertained while I did a temple session

We loved just getting to be with Bryce for 3 whole days!
We did the Community Of Christ tour of sites. It was really interesting to get a glimpse of their beliefs. There was a distinctly different feel between the LDS sites and theirs. This is at the grave site of Joseph, Hyrum and Emma.


The whole weekend was wonderful. We had great whether, good company and our testimonies were sure fed. Learning more about the sacrifice all the Saints made back then makes me grateful for their examples in perfect faith, and inspires me to be more willing to sacrifice for truth.

(I'm also reallygrateful we decided to stay in a hotel instead of camping.)

Birthday

It was our birthday this last week. But since Bryce doesn't really care and I care A LOT, we're just going to focus on my birthday.

It was a fabulous day/week. Some of my sweet girlfriends took me to breakfast at Cafe Patachou. We made quite a spectacle of ourselves with all of our babies. After we ate we braved the record rainfall to go to the Flying Cupcake. Thanks ladies, it was so fun!
After Bryce got home we went out for our 3rd baby free date in 7 months thanks to the Jones for babysitting. We went to Saffron Cafe, which I've been dying to try. Mmmm. Moroccan food=fabulous.


We saw a movie and headed home. I scored some fabulous birthday loot. A Shabby Apple Dress, some perfume, lots of good books and some $, and lots of snuggles from my favorite girl.Then the next night my amazing bestie *Courtney* and I had a movie night. She even made me my favorite cake (lemon). I don't know how she even has time to think about people with how crazy busy she and her 4 kids are.

This weekend we were supposed to go on a ward campout. However, it was raining, pouring, flooding and otherwise wet. SO we got a hotel room downtown,went swimming and slept in! The next morning we went shopping and played tourist in our city.

It was such a great birthday. I'm so excited to be 23, (once again) it's going to be the best year ever!

Hope you're having a day filled with love and happiness.

Saturday night we went to the annual V-day ball that the dental school puts on. It's so fun to get dressed up fancy and go dancing with our friends.

We've made our heart shaped sugar cookies and we have some pink flowers on the table. Tonight the three of us are going to have a lovely dinner, with diner's choice of baby oatmeal or manicotti.

Lots of love to you!