A Mothers Love

I came home from work one day to find my wife and children dressed in garbage bags, stickers on foreheads, plastic stethoscopes, Halloween princess crowns, and flowing blue capes.

They were chasing each other around.

Mai could hardly hold up the gun she had - it was as big as her. To compensate, she would lean way back and heft the gun up at me with her little feet spread out beyond her shoulder's width.

Ethan came rustling around the corner in his brown paper bag, "Bang-banging" away. He made his get-up in preschool that day. Very good looking, and well done.

Then there was my lovely wife. She was doing her best to keep up. It looked as if Mai had dressed her, as she had the signature sticker on the forehead and plastic stethoscope around her neck.

Glad to be a father to these kids. Glad to be a husband to this woman.

We are officially old. Above is a picture of many of Aaron's high school friends and their spouses and . . children. It is a bit surreal to have these gatherings with friends because in a way it's like we are still in someone's basement messing around on a friday night like in high school days, and yet we have wives and children as well. Yet somehow our conversations are not totally unilke those wallflower days (one friend of mine confessed to eating a can and a half of chilie, followed by a bowl of cold cereal . . and the aftermath that ensued). But we have matured, changed, and usually for the better, with the exception of a little less hair and a little more spare tire around our waists. But life is good. Thanks for the good times.

Happy Halloween

Well, the long awaited day of candy, candy, and more candy finally arrived for the Baxter kids. After months of asking, "Mom, when is it going to be Halloween?" It finally arrived and the kids loved every second of it. The Saturday before was filled with treasure hunts and yummy Navajo Taco at the Grandma and Grandpa Baxter's home. Then Ethan and Maille got ready for the big Halloween night and took to the streets and doors of the local neighborhood. We had to be out early to get what yummy treats we could and say hi to all of our friends around town, then we were off to Eagle Mountain to Aaron's friends house to party some more. It was a little rainy over on the west side, but that never deters a true tricker treater. It was a great day and night...now the trick is to manage the amount of sugar entering into your little cuties tummies. I'll just have to help them eat their Snicker and Twix Bars while I'm monitoring!!!