BLOG FAIRY

I've been waiting for the blog fairy to: update my blog, make it all cute, fun, creative, add darling photos, and hillarious text. I'm guessing that is NOT going to happen. Either life has been a little crazy or we haven't done much since November - I'm thinking it is the first. I'm giving myself a deadline, the end of the week. Being a procrastinator, you can expected an update the VERY end of the week :) To all those that have been emailing and texting telling me I'm a slacker blogger, have mercy!

WICKED Ticket

Wicked Tickets go on sale in SLC * 7am * Friday

The distance I was from the doors when 200 tickets were left

Standing in line around the corner, down the street, and around the corner, at my #810 spot in line
*************
Yes, I was one of the thousands that stood in line, last Friday, for hours to purchase my Wicked Ticket. I set my alarm for 6am. I rushed downtown to claim my place in line down the street, around the corner, down the street, around the corner, and down the street.
To summarize my day:
1- I spent 5 hours standing outside in 25 degree weather
2- Darren was forced to take 1/2 day off work
3- I met some very nice & fun people in line
4- All my dreaming and hoping kept me warm (NOT)
5- I learned that I am OCD (ok, I knew that one)
6- Although I waited in line, crossed my fingers, laughed with new friends, I made it 2 feet from the doors before the tickets SOLD OUT!


The only WICKED Ticket I was able to "purchase" was this beautiful pink PARKING TICKET

9 YEARS?!#@!

Darren & I celebrated our 9 year Wedding Anniversary on the 13th of November. WOW! I am amazed at all that has happened in a short/long nine years. We've purchased two homes, had three adorable girls, finished a MBA, been to too many funerals, and a few other wild adventures. Darren always says, "we deserve each other". I think that means that we are able to love each other and be annoyed with each other and still make things work. I love Darren with all my heart. He is the rock that keeps me focused. He makes me crazy sometimes (a lot of the times), but we're always able to make it work. Yes, we banter (way too much), we argue in public, we torment, and we love. It may be a crazy way, but it works for us :) Our relationship summed up: Somedays we love each other, somedays we like each other, and somedays....

SUPER Family

I did it! I managed to get Darren to wear a costume on Halloween. Well, not a whole costume, but close enough to make me happy. We took the girls trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Darren LOVED getting all the "Oh I get it you're the Super Family" comments from the neighbors :) We had fun times going door to door: MacKenna would say, "trick-or-treat, smell my feet", Isabelle tried to smuggle a puppy home in her trick-or-treat bag, and Bethany RAN from house to house loading up her bag with goodies. Very good times.

PICTURE DAY

The Hunsaker SuperHeros

Every year I take the girls to Kiddie Kandids for pictures in their Halloween Costumes. It's a LONG day! It starts with me convincing the girls to wear their costumes. Isabelle is a little picky about how her clothes "feel". She has never liked costumes, so it takes a lot of convincing from me. Next, we do girl hair- washing, drying, styling, curling, and spraying. LOTS of work to get LOTS of curls. Then comes the loading into the car, buckling carseats, and me yelling hurry, hurry, hurry. At the mall, I unload the stroller, three little girls, snacks, sippy cups, and costumes and rush inside to make our appointment time- only to discover they are running behind, so we WAIT. The girls start complaining, the hair starts flattening, and I start sweating. Then I get to dance, jump, & make a fool of myself to try to get the girls to smile and sit STILL. I break all the parenting rules by BRIBING my girls with a ride on the carrousel & a hotdog on a stick.

All for a picture in a Halloween Costume!

WonderWoman - Bethany

BatGirl - Isabelle

SuperGirl - MacKenna

One Year

One year ago on 10-19-07 I received a message from Darren, his dad Quinten, had died unexpectedly. Darren's dad was a FABULOUS man. He was generous man, a gentleman, and the ultimate caregiver. The past year has been a long one for Darren's mom and a learning one for Darren & his siblings.

We miss Grandpa Hunsaker and LOVE him tons.

We will cherish all our memories.

WHEW!

The last few days, weeks, months have slipped away. I cannot believe we are 20 days away from Halloween and the end of October. The weather is letting us know Fall is upon us and Winter is just around the corner. I honestly don't know where August, September, and October went. Here are some of the highlights of a few of our adventures.

COVE FORT DAYS
We spent some time in Cove Fort visiting Grandma Darla on her Mission. The girls were in Heaven: horses, wagon rides, chickens, oxen, and hugs from Grandma Darla. I think the most memorable portion of our trip was MacKenna screaming during the whole tour of the Fort. The second favorite was being sprayed by the firehose on our wagon ride.

SCHOOL STARTS
Bethany started all day 1st Grade, Isabelle is in Preschool 5 days a week, and I'm back to teaching high school. It has taken us a few weeks to adjust to the busy life of school, spelling words/tests, show & tell, and homework, but we're getting there.

CASSIE GETS A CAR?!
I think NOT! Cassie will turn sixteen in December (stay off the roads!). Grandpa Jones decided she needed to practice driving before she takes/finishes Drivers Ed. and gets her license. He also decided that Aunt Tara should be the designated "adult" sitting in the passanger seat while Cassie practices driving (oh help me). He purchased a Beautiful Big Blue Buick, otherwise lovingly known as the BBBB or Old Blue.

4-WHEELING WITH GRANDPA
For Christmas one year my dad gave Bethany & Isabelle each their own 4-wheeler. These little 90s ride very smooth & fast. The girls are wild on those things. My dad thinks we should be a 4-wheeling Family so he is trying to teach me to 1) ride a 4-wheeler, 2) enjoy 4-wheeling and 3) to safely enjoy the 4-wheeling adventure. I'm getting good with the enjoying and working on the safety portion. He has taken us on several adventures. Our last one was to Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse near St. George. My favorite part of the trip was watching Darren try to teach my Dad to use the GPS and my Dad showing Darren the old fashioned reliable MAP reading system :)

FALL LEAVES WITH GRANDMA SHIRLEY
Grandma Shirley spent the HOT summer in Phoenix and has now returned to Utah for the cool Fall (hmm doesn't she have that backwards?). We took her on a drive up the beautiful canyon to see the fall leaves. The girls loudly entertained her in the car for the drive up the canyon and the long drive down the canyon. She said she loved it all, but I'm not so sure :)
PARTYING WITH GRANDMA DARLA
Grandma Darla has extended her 6 month mission to an 18 month mission. As a result, she got to have a week off to move her trailer home and move into one of the Cove Fort cottages. We had a dinner party with her so she could hangout with her grandkids and enjoy all the noise :)
NICE "EASY" HIKE UP THE CANYON
Darren decided for family night we should drive up the canyon and take a little hike. I thought that sounded nice- a drive up the canyon, a WALK around Silver Lake, a photo opportunity. This is what we ended up HIKING...

ISABELLE'S PRESCHOOL FIELDTRIP
I was able to take MacKenna & join Isabelle on her fieldtrip to the Engh Gardens. We had a great time. Pirate Ron told us stories, we went on a treasure hunt, climbed on a pirate ship, and got to pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. Very fun times.

FALL MEANS FOOTBALL
Anyone that knows our family knows we know nothing about sports. My cousin Morgan has given me grief for years that we don't even know what a "ball" is. HA--- we fooled him this year. We surprised Morgan & Sommer by going over to Juan Diego and watching their son Zach play football. We even joined their family & Aunt Marilee for lunch. It was really fun. My girls thought it was great times to see Zach make a basket, I mean hit a homerun, or is it kick a goal... oh come on, I know it's a touchdown!

We've been on a few other adventures. I'll save those for another post :)