Trick or Trunk

Wednesday was the wards trick or trunk. The kids really enjoyed themselves and got a lot of compliments on their costumes. I am the Cat in the Hat and the kids are my Thing 1 and Thing 2. We have read the Cat in the Hat to Kenzi and she enjoyed the fact that the Things were always making a mess. The first thing she said when she got her costume on was "now I have to go make a mess!" Boy does she know how to get into character!

Temptation

Temptation comes in many forms but for me my weakness has always been sugar. It doesn't help that we have a holiday where kids go door to door trying to get as much candy as possible. It was fine when I didn't have kids but now that they are trick or treating age I now have a huge bowl of chocolate goodness staring at me. On that note I have been doing pretty good about exercising now I just need to watch out for those candy bars.

Family Night

Every Holiday I try to do crafts and activities that pertain to that Holiday. Sunday, for our activity we painted and carved Pumpkins. The kids enjoyed themselves and made quite a mess doing it. Kenzi painted a puppy pumpkin complete with ears, and mine is the funny faced pumpkin. We carved a scary faced pumpkin and cleaned the pumpkin seeds an toasted them. We experimented with different flavors which included ranch, garlic, and cayenne pepper. My favorite was the ranch flavored pumpkin seeds. I have never toasted pumpkin seeds and we enjoyed them so much I think we will make it a Family tradition for Halloween. If you haven't done it before you should try it at least once. More pics at our website.

Partied Out

The annual USAA Fall carnival and rodeo was Saturday October 25th at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas. We came early and stayed late and are already looking forward to next years party. Seth and Mckenzie made themselves sick on ice cream from the Schwann Mans Truck while I tried very hard to win some money at the bingo tables. We actually did win $150 but someone else called Bingo and we lost the drawl. The rodeo was great and we were entertained by bull riding, barrel racing, and a trick roper. Mckenzie really enjoyed the carnival rides and Kade enjoyed riding the ponies. There was face painting, free caricature drawings, a petting zoo, all you can eat buffet, rides, and a live country band with dancing. They really go all out for this party and we had a blast! Thanks USAA!








(More pictures at www.sethington.com)

The places kids fall asleep

Don't ask me what Mckenzie was thinking when she crawled into her Build a Bear box and fell asleep. Seth and I got a good laugh out of it though!

Another Tag

Ok this is absolutely the last time I do this and Im only doing it because its different than the last one. So no more tagging me! :)

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Finishing my Senior year of High School

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?

Voting, Laundry, Jogging 3 miles

Cleaning the house, and making dinner

3. Snacks I enjoy:

Pomegranants, Chips and Salsa, yogurt, chocolate,

string cheese, beef jerky

4. Places I've lived:

Washington, Idaho, Texas

5. Five things I would do if I was a billionaire:

Pay off all our debt, buy a house and decorate it, pay off all extended families debt/help strangers,

buy 2 new cars, Travel

A list of 7

7 TV shows I love to watch

Bones, Monk,Ugly Betty, Kitchen Nightmares, Dancing with the Stars, Biggest Loser

7 favorite places I love to eat

Mi Teirras, Fatburger, Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Changs, Jasons Deli, Souper Salad, Texas Steakhouse

7 things that happened yesterday

watched a movie, took Kenzi to Basketball,

Went Jogging, took Kade outside to play,

Played Volleyball,

Had Lunch with Seth,

Kenzi went on her first fieldtrip

7 things I look forward to

Kade being potty trained, the holidays, losing weight,

going to visit family, Going to the beach, Buying a house, Having more children

7 things on my wish list

House, Kade being potty trained, our student loans paid off,

new car, going to Hawaii, My family would come and visit us

Goals

Ive been kind of slacking off in the exercise department the last week so I decided to set a goal and have you guys hold me accountable for it. My goal for the rest of the month of October and the month of November is to jog 3 miles a day at least 5 times a week. Each month after I will add a mile or two and work on making my times better. In addition to getting into shape I hope to lose a lot of the weight Ive packed on. I will have a new goal each month and I ask that you guys check up on me. I would love for everyone's support and encouragement and I will update you on my progress. Thanks guys!

The Giant Rat!

At first I thought it was a cat slinking around on my porch trying to find a free handout but then I saw the tail long, skinny, and hairless; that's when I about had a heart attack. It didn't help that I was up all by myself in my darkened apartment way past my bed time. As I cowered on my couch the creature kept pacing around past my blinds its shadow reflecting from the lights outside. Finally I pulled up my blinds and to my surprise discovered not a rat but a possum. Boy was I relieved to find a possum and not a giant rat! One things for sure, Im not in Idaho anymore.

A world of fun

Living in San Antonio there are lots of fun things
to do, so Saturday we finally made a trip to Sea World with our friends the Checketts and had ourselves a blast. We got there at 10 a.m. and didn't leave until 7:00 p.m. We started out watching an acrobatics show that involved people and dolphins and then after that made our way to the Shamu Theatre where we fell in love with the grace and beauty of killer whales. We sat about six rows from the front and figured we wouldn't get too wet, boy were we wrong we were drenched. I think that was probably the kids least favorite experience of the whole day. After our drenching we played for a while, enjoyed some rides and then found our way to the sea lion show. (Which by the way was hilarious)
After the show we made our way over to dolphin cove where we hung over the side of the tank trying to pet the dolphins. There was so much to do at the Park that we didn't have nearly enough time. We bought a season pass and next time we plan on feeding the dolphins, penguins, and alligators. If anyone ever comes to visit us we will take you to SeaWorld. Fun Times! (For more pictures please visit our family website at www.sethington.com)


McKenzie and I after the Shamu Show. We were ringing water out of our clothes.










Jack is Back! The official mascot of Sea World HalloScream. Kade was afraid of him.

Kades T.V. debut

I love my stay at home mom attire. It consists of sweat pants, t-shirt, ponytail and no makeup. Normally when I leave the house I put on makeup and wear something nice but today was an exception. My friend Natalie called me this morning at 9:00 and invited me to the Park at 9:30. So I had 30 minutes to take a shower and get Kade dressed. Well needless to say my hair was still wet and thanks to San Antonio's humidity it became a mass of frizz when I stepped out the door, not to mention no makeup and workout attire. I figured it would be ok because we were just going to the park and there wouldn't be anyone there. Boy was I totally off base. News 5 was there filming some kind of story and they wanted to get video of the kids playing. I tried to stay out of the picture while I was pushing Kade on the swing but the guy had the Camera trained right on him. I'm crossing my fingers that I will not appear on the News looking like I did. On the other hand it will be fun to see Kade on T.V. So the moral of this story is to always be camera ready when leaving the house you never know when you'll make a T.V. appearance. :)

The Escape Artist

Today I have felt almost every emotion there is towards Kade but mainly anger and frustration. Kade escaped again from our apartment and someone found him in the middle of the road, which is really scary because people drive like bats out of heck with no regard to the fact that children are around. Ive been so blessed that someone has not stolen him or run him over. I swear Im not a bad parent, I play with him, read, do crafts , but If I so much as take time to use the bathroom a catastrophe happens. Seth and I suspect he might have something like ADHD because the kid can not for a second sit still. Anyways, this is not the first time its happened in fact he has done it at least 3 other times. I keep all the doors locked dead bolt included but Mr. Sneaky pulls up a chair unlocks the door monkies his way over the very high railing on our porch and catipolts himself over. Im so mad at him right now I just had to vent my frustration somewhere so the blog seemed an appropriate place. Anyways tonight Seth and I will be making a trip to Walmart and investing in a latch that goes across the top of the door.

Mi Teirras

After Kenzis Basketball game Saturday we took a drive in downtown San Antonio and ended up at Market Square. It is a huge market with hundreds of tiny shops and a farmers market. We ended up having lunch at a Mexican restaurant and bakery called Mi Teirras. The food was the closest to authentic Mexican food I have had since coming to San Antonio and it was very good. We were even entertained by musicians that went around to tables and played songs for a small fee. Because the trip was so impromptu we didn't get to stay very long but we plan on making another trip the next time McKenzie has a game.

Kenzis First Basketball Game

Kenzi had her first Basketball game of the season and it went pretty well. Since the kids are only 5 the games are focused on learning the game of Basketball and having good sportsmanship. It was kind of funny to watch because half the time the kids would run down the court carrying the basketball instead of dribbling. One child after making a basket ran up to the sidelines to his mother and exclaimed "I made a basket mom!" It was a great learning experience for Kenzi, but I suspect she liked dressing up in the uniform and getting treats more than the actual game.

A fun month of October Halloween Activity

Halloween Phantom...

Im sure most of you guys that live in Idaho and Utah have done this activity, but its still fun and a great way to spend time as a family. Today, as a family night activity we made doughnuts, attached the following poem and then went and left them on a couple of peoples doorsteps. Kade slept through it but Kenzi had a blast.


The Phantom has been here with a treat just for you,
He crept to your door in a fog misty blue.
This isn't a trick, this treat isn't for free,
Now it's your turn and the Phantom you'll be!
The Phantom loves treats and also loves rhymes.
Visit WWW.HALLOWEENPHANTOM.COM
To reprint this TWO times.
So he won't strike again, hang this on your window or door.
Take this and a treat and deliver TWO more
To a neighbor or friend in the black of the night.
Pound on their door, and give 'em a fright
Then by Halloween night, there surely should be
Phantoms on all of the doors that we see.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Tag your it

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die

1. Buy a house
2. Learn a Foreign Language
3. Go to Hawaii
4. Get skinny again
5. Have another kid or two
6. Visit all 50 states
7. Help another person in a big way

7 Things I Do Now

1. Read a book every couple days
2. Miss my friends and family
3. Go to the Gym a couple times a week
4. Get on Ebay at least once a week
5. Run kids to sports practices
6. Check my pants for cockroaches
7. Always make sure my doors are locked

7 Things I Can't Do

1. Change a tire
2. Sky Dive (I'm afraid of heights)
3. Not get sick at an amusement park
4. See my family whenever I want to
5. Understand half the people in my ward (Lots of Spanish speaking members)
6. The splits (never could)
7. Run a marathon

7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex

1. Athletic Build/Good looking
2. Height (Must be at least 6 foot)
3. Masculine
4. Smart
5. Sense of Humor
6. Kindness
7. Willingness to help and do things without being asked

7 Celebrities That I Like

1. David Boreanaz (Does anyone else want him to hook up with Dr. Brenan?)
2. Keiffer Sutherland (Just like his husky voice)
3. Milo Ventimiglia
4. America Ferrera
5. Reese Witherspoon
6. Sandra Bullock
7. Rachel McAdams/Ryan Gosling (The Notebook!)

7 Favorite Foods

1. Lemon Pie with fresh whip cream
2. Fresh salsa (I can eat it without the chips)
3. A good cheeseburger
4. Pomegranates
5. Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, pretty much any kind of berry
6. Craigos Pizza
7. Dickeys BBQ mmm pulled pork sandwich

NoBama ....

There are a number of LDS people who have said they are supporting Obama. How can you vote for someone who opposes some of the strongest foundations of the church? Haven't you heard/read the signs of the last days. Our Constitution and what we stand for will hang by a thread. Obama supports gay marriage and abortion. What about the sanctity of marriage and the divinity of family?

I have been watching McCain since he lost to Bush back in 2004. He has always been a straight talker. He isn't perfect by any means but he normally takes a stand. Did you know that Obama has voted "present" 129 times in the 8 years that he has been in the Senate? A true President can't just show up he needs to make hard decisions.

It also bothers me that Obama says things like, "I'm going to lower Capital Gains taxes for small business." Most small business don't pay Capital Gains taxes! Please look up the definition of Capital Gains! Mark my works if Obama doesn't raise taxes his spending will send our deficit so high that we will start to crumble under its weight. ( Seth Ethington)