halloweeeeeen twenty-sixteeeeen

i'm not really a halloween person... to be perfectly honest, i have always thought it is a stupid american tradition that doesn't really belong in australia... but after last years exposure to the joy of halloween in our new house where there are lots of new houses and lots of young children i realized that it's kind of fun.

this year we went out trick or treating with maddie's friend isabella and her little brother and hit up about 20 or so houses just by wandering around our neighbourhood looking for decorations. the kids were loving it, until we got to one house that had a guy dressed in a scary costume that jumped out and scared the kids, then it was tears all the way home... i couldn't help but laugh, but they were seriously scared!

queen elsa and her witchy friend

doug stayed home and wore his chimp mask whilst handing out lollipops to the neighbourhood kids... i think he had just as good a time as we did! as we walked around, i told the kids to knock on our door, much to their amusement.,, but that's our house! oh daddy! he's a monkey!

having the best time ♥

and our little joseph... doug's parents bought him a little skeleton suit, but he wasn't having a bar of it, so in the end we showed him his all blacks shirt, which he was more than happy to wear. done. let's go!

you never know, halloween might just be growing on me...

halloween visiting teaching

i do love it when i find something cute and appropriate to add to the visiting teaching message... i've never been a huge fan of halloween, but stumbled across this gorgeous handout on pinterest and was thrilled to see it because finally... someone gets it!

i loved it, and hopefully the ladies i visit teach will enjoy it and the cupcakes i made to go along with them ♥

a big boy haircut

we finally managed to get this little man in the chair at the barbers today and i cannot believe the difference a cut made. i think it aged him about 12 years and i can't even deal with it. i mean seriously, he's gone from being a baby to a little boy!

all his hair, gone! it's been so long since he let anyone touch his hair that we had started to call him samson... whenever you would ask him if he was going to have a haircut, he would cry no no! and then run away. even at the barber he sobbed and sobbed when we put him in the chair and eventually we had to let him watch a little video with the disney cars in it, whilst sitting on dougs lap in the chair. but we got it done! big big thanks to the awesome barber eli at babaz in ellenbrook... we are thrilled with little j's new cut. ♥

and last of all, here's a before shot of our little man before we got him in the chair... i still can't get over the difference!

movie day ❤️

there is nothing better than a catch up with friends you haven't seen for a while... mel and her kids went to new zealand for over a month and we were so happy to have them back and for the kids to hang out again while we caught up. joseph and analeah are always so funny today, i love this picture of them together and i seriously can't stop laughing at it.

these girls had a good time too... we cranked a movie in the theatre room and gave them a bowl of popcorn each, while we gasbagged away. 

a double baptism

today our two of our friends daughters got baptised at our chapel and it was such a good day. these little princesses twirled and danced and laughed together while we snapped some pictures.

how could you not love the two of them? so funny!

i made some cookies for the afternoon tea... temples, "holy ghosts" and snowflakes... (for that scripture, though your skins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow (through repentance and baptism) in isaiah 1:18) 

cookie recipe can be found here :)

choc chip cookies!

earlier this week i had a must bake chocolate chip cookies day, i needed them after the morning i had... which i'll explain in a minute!

i have hunted for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for quite some time, i have tried a few and just not been into them, but somehow stumbled across this one (here) from rebecca judds website. gave them a try and they were amazing! so so so yum that i probably could have eaten the whole lot myself... thankfully i have a husband and two kids. seriously try them, you won't regret it! (and yes, you definitely should double the choc chips, or at least add another half a cup! :)

so... this was the reason i needed chocolate. madeline and i were chilling in bed that morning and i hear a noise that sounds like pen on paper. maddie looks behind and squeals, "mama! joseph is drawing on the bed!!" and so he was. i yelled, he threw the pen at top speed, then plonked himself on his little bottom and started crying over and over "sowweeeee mama! sowweeeee!!" oh my gosh. it was so funny, i couldn't help cracking up at him and even more so when i managed to get a snap and he was making this face... priceless! seriously. cutest little man there ever was!

oli's birthday ❤️

it was my mother in laws birthday today... and since i was feeling the birthday spirit, i made her a pretty cute cake! i love love love doing these birthday sponges, as they take minimum effort for maximum effect!

it's as easy as this... go to coles and buy an unfilled double sponge from the bakery section, and cut each of them in to two through the middle, place the bottom on your plate and spread a thin layer of strawberry jam, then cover with a layer thinly sliced strawberries and then a layer of whipped cream. place your next cake piece on top and repeat two more times before placing your top cake on. sprinkle with icing sugar and fresh roses, or if you don't have a generous friend with beautiful roses (or it's the wrong season) simply pop a few more strawberries on the top!

see! so easy and super cheap!

and as you can see, she was thrilled with the results... this woman is a sucker for cake with fresh cream

blowing out the candles with the grandkids help ♥

and it tasted just as good as it looked!

happy birthday oli! we love you!