Happy Halloween

The boys have been looking forward to Halloween for so long and they were so excited it was finally here. While Koa went to school in his costume, I took the other kids to UVU to visit Daddy and some of his co-workers.  I really just wanted to show-off how darn cute Ka'imi was.  She was the most adorable ladybug ever.

I am happy to say that I made her cute polka dot shirt and shoes.  I pulled the rest together from here and there.

And here the three of them are - as we left to UVU.  Sepa is such a cheese-ball : )

For the real trick-or-treating, we took the kiddos out before the sunset and it was beautiful weather - hooray a year without freezing!  We just did a couple streets and decided they had enough candy.  Here are pics of the darlings :)

And to get ready for the holiday - some of the other projects we did included carving our pumpkin and creating a haunted gingerbread house.

Thanks to Aunty Celeste who did the terribly tedious task of putting the house together so we could decorate it.

I love Ka'imi's expression here.  Even with her wild hair, she looks darling.
It was a great Halloween - we are so excited for the rest of the upcoming holidays  :)

Pigtails : )

I need to do better at posting just a bit more of the everyday before I forget it all . . .

So here are some pics of Ka'imi sporting her hair style of late, pigtails.  I love how cute it makes her.  Her hair looks so long when it is tied back.  And her short hair in the front style into perfect side-swept bangs.  I have put her hair in pigtails myself a couple times (How?  By saying, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, until I get it somehow), but it is not the easiest thing for me.  So, who is her master stylist? None other than her uncle, Uwe : )  He often fixes her hair right before leaving for work in the morning.  He is very gentle and meticulous in getting it done just right.  Ka'imi has gotten use to the routine and this morning even handed him the water-spray as she sat down.  This little girl, at 19 1/2 months continues to charm us all : )

Koa's Birthday Bash

This year, we kept things simple for Kekoa's birthday.  He got to invite three friends (sadly only one came - Fall break was to blame) and we went to Pizza Pie Cafe and to a dollar movie to watch Cars 2.  We used some coupons that Kekoa earned from school to get the kids fed (Kyle joked that Kekoa earned his own party). I think Kekoa enjoyed himself and the presents he got : )

He was so excited to get this Ninjego book that he had been eying at the book fair.  I told him we could only get one book and he choose a Cars 2 book.  But after I sent him to class I went back and got him the Ninjego book as well.  It reminded me of something my mother would have done for us as kids.

I love my oldest baby boy.  I can't believe he is already seven!

We sang to him again at night with Grandma and Grandpa Reyes who were visiting for the week.  Not the most impressive cake, but at least it was low stress for me :) 

Happy Birthday Kekoa! Your family loves you so, so much : )

Comin' Up

Kekoa has been so excited for his birthday.  Though today he came home brokenhearted that his best friend in his class is going out of town for 10 days.  The disadvantage of having Fall Break right around your birthday.  I promised him it would still be fun and we'd take him and his friend, Kyle another time.  Can't believe my oldest is turning seven!

Fall Foto

I have not gotten a picture of these four kiddos all together like this since February.  Long over due.  I was doing some pictures for a friend of mine and decided to just snap one of them together.  Well, by this time Ka'imi had decided on her newest best friend (my friend, Katie) and was devestaed to leave her side.  So, this was the best picture we could get of them.  I love the realness of it all with her crying and Sepa in his snowboots.  Yes, he has worn them from time to time all summer long - sometimes you're just happy a kid has shoes.  Ikaika is also very real with his attire.  He's the third hand-me-down for those worn out shoes, but he loves them. Regardless of our lack of style, I love this picture because it is of my four darlings I love so much.

General Conference

I always love Conference weekend.  I have to confess a lot of it has to do with just being able to be home with Kyle and the kids.  But I especially love the inspiration and spiritual rejuvenation that comes with the various talks.  And this conference did not disappoint.  There were thoughts and even whole talks that felt relative and so meaningful to the questions and concerns of my life.
The most memorable moment was undoubtedly the moment of the announcement of the Provo Tabernacle to rebuilt and turned into a temple.  I don't think I ever blogged about it (maybe??), but the both Kyle and I were devastated at the fire that destroyed the tabernacle.  It was where we attended stake conference from the time we were first married.  Kyle even gave a talk in Stake Conference a couple weeks after Kekoa was born.
When I heard President Monson announce that it would be Provo's second temple I couldn't help but get emotional.  I always knew the church would rebuild it - how could they not restore such a historic place.  But I never imagined a temple.  To me it was a perfect example of how Heavenly Father can take a tragedy, trial or weakness and make something more - something beautiful and amazing.
We were also excited to hear that Kyle's mission, Barranquilla, Colombia will also be getting a temple.
What a happy, happy day : )

18 Month Beauty

I have been neglected taking pictures this summer so much that when I look at these Ka'imi looks all grown up.  She turned 18 months this past Sunday - though I didn't take her into nursery since I was teaching Sunday School.  This next week we'll introduce her :)  This pink and gray dress is one I made for her after seeing one for sale at Farmer's Market in Provo.  I decided I could make it and I loved the way it turned out.  The pictures don't really show it well - I chose these by looking at her cute face  :)
Ka'imi is growing up well.  She loves to explore and climb, sing and dance, and do anything her brothers do.  She loves to talk her her cute little gibber-gabber.  I love driving in the car and hearing her talk and giggle to herself.  Not quite hitting the terrible two's she is my angel child :)

Three Musketeers

One Saturday we were at Farmer's Market in Provo and saw a booth set up to advertize for the upcoming play, The Three Musketeers.  The boys were so excited we had to make them outfits (they had outgrown the ones I made two years ago).  It was good motivation and the best part was being ready for Halloween by September : )
It was fun to get them dressed up for the play - they got plenty of oohs and ahhs from the other people attending the play.  They were actually the only little kids there, because unbeknown to me, they do not allow children 8 and younger to play's in the Covey Art Center.  It wasn't written anywhere in the advertizement when I purchased the tickets.  I even talked to employee to choose our seats (front and center) and I told her it was for young kids.
Anyway, they finally let us in, though I had to sit in the back near the exit with Ka'imi.  The boys had fun and were sword fighting and calling each other Athos, Porthos and Arimus for days after.  They also decided that our new baby brother should be D'Artagnan, since he becomes the 4th musketeer in the play.

Number 5 - and it's a . . . .

We went in this week to do a gender check  : ) I am too much of a planner to even wait until my regular ultrasound.  I have no idea how people can wait until the baby is born to find out.  Not in my willpower and ability to do so  - either way it's a surprise right? Anyway, so here is baby reyes #5 : )

Yes, we are having future missionary number 4!!!!!  I told Kyle that night that we better get saving.  A $40,000 missionary fund is going to take some time building up! 
So, I have to confess that I was completely surprised and stunned at the news.  I really expected it to be a girl - partly because of deep hope that Ka'imi would have a sister to grow up with, but mainly because the pregnancy has felt just like Ka'imi's with the degree of morning sickness and similar aversions (I could not do sweet at all with the last two).  But lo and behold we have another boy and now I am trying to refigure all of our life's plans in my head (why I do that, I don't know - it never goes as I think it will).
So, after a day of just being stunned we are getting use to the idea of another little boy joining our family.  We had to have a talk with Kekoa who was probably the most confused at why the twin girls he thought were in mommy's tummy is now another brother.  But he seemed to take it ok. I just wanted to make sure he didn't lose faith in the effectiveness of prayer.  We had a good laugh at imagining together just how crazy it would be for us to be trying to take care of two babies at once.  We talked about how heavenly Father knows what is best for us.
So, there we have it - another baby boy for the Reyes family  :  )

PS. I loved the reactions of my mother and sister - my mom said there must be a reason Heavenly Father wants so many righteous young men and my sister mentioned the blessing of being able to influence 4 young men that would be future missionaries.  No pressure though : )