The Haunted House

The Family
(Troy, Gretch, Matt, Me, Izzy, Lysa, Jill, Zach, Dasa, Scott, Sen & Cam)

It's over!!! The Haunted House is done for another year!! Hooray! It's not that I don't enjoy other Halloween festivities, I just don't like getting scared. The anticipation is what does it to me. I am going into this place, knowing full well that something is going to jump out of somewhere to scare me. Why do people think that's fun? I have to admit, in the eight years that I have faithfully been going, I am getting desensitized. It's not quite as scary as it once was.
We went to Nightmare on 13th. It was good, I guess. Very scary.

Scott, Lysa, Izzy & Sen

My nieces, the oldest two, Senekah and Izabele came with us this year for their first time. They both were very brave even though most of the haunters would follow them around. (Lucky for me!) They both said they definitely want to go back next year, which makes me feel really wimpy.
As usual, Cam was going around, telling all the haunters our names and picking up people to get them closer to Freddie, Jason, Vampires or whoever. There was one room which when you walked in it looked like you were on the very edge of a skyscraper. Immediately, I clung to the wall and started shimming through the room. Cam got close to the edge and realized it was just mirrors. Poor Jill almost had a heart attack when Cam picked her up and pretended to throw her over the edge. I've never heard her so scared. Of course, the whole family was just standing there, laughing, watching Jill freak out. Oh, the abuse.....

Here are some pictures from that night...

Dasa and Zach ;)

Gretchen (pregnant with baby Madden) & Troy
Me & Cam

Drink Drives

Those of you who know Cam well usually see him with a 32 oz. Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper. When I first met him, he was always carrying around a drink and stopping for refills. He would always want to go on drives in the morning and we would have to stop for a drink. I thought it was a funny habit, but really didn't think much of it. Apparently ever since Cam can remember the first thing he would do in the morning is get up and go on 'drink drives' with his mom. Jill would go through the drive-thru at McDonalds and get her Diet Coke with extra, extra ice (back then it was a Tab) and then drive around for a little while before getting on with her day. I always thought this was a White Family tradition. Little did I know that most people around here go on 'drink drives' throughout the day. Our family definitely participates in the 'drink drives'. It used to be a Saturday morning tradition until Cam's parents moved in. Now little Anders searches for Jill in the morning to go one her drink drive with her. Today, we went on a little drive to check out the mountains. When I asked Anders if he wanted to go he perked right up and said, "Drink Drive!! Yeah!!!" I am a fan of the drink drives but only in small doses. It can be relaxing, just driving up the canyon or nosing around neighborhoods. But it is short-lived with my kids. They tend to get restless after about 15 minutes.
It's such a quircky phenomenon that I thought I should pass it on.

Move-In-Laws

That's right people...the in-laws have moved in. Cam's parents are are building a home in Draper that will be done in November. Since Matt and Jill had to be out of their house at the end of September they decided it would be great quality family bonding time to live with us for a month. Woo. Woo.

It's been pretty nice surprisingly. Matt and Jill are easy to live with, for the most part. Ady and Anders are loving all the extra attention. They get Swedish pancakes on occasion and all the candy that Jill stashes up on. Jill isn't referred to as Grandma in our family. Dasa, my sister-in-law gave her the loving term Coo-Coo. My kids have now adapted the term of endearment to 'Coocbirdie' or 'Coocbird'. All throughout the day you can hear Anders or Ady yelling 'Coocbird'. We get some questionable glances when we are out and about.
Anders is totally enthralled with Grandpa Matt's Harley. We've found him in the garage sitting on the motorcycle saying, 'Grandpa's motorcycle? Ride? Yeah? Ride Grandpa's motorcycle? Yeah? (Anders thinks if he asks his questions with a 'yes' at the end then that automatically means he will get what he wants. He's not manipulative at all...nooooo.)
We are getting pretty spoiled with the in-laws living here. We have live-in babysitters!!! That is the biggest perk. It's especially nice when you have to run random errands and don't have to cart the kids around too. They also treat us to dinner occasionally which is a bonus.
Jill is pretty easy going. She is only bossy about...everything (Mostly TV programs: We must watch Dancing with the Stars and other prime time hits.) She's very much like Cameron or vice versa. Neither likes to be alone...ever. She likes to have somewhere to go and someone to go with at all times. And she's very opinionated. So we pretty much do whatever she wants to do. :) (Just kidding Coo-Coo...kind of)
Grandpa Matt loves to tease Coo-Coo, so they are always disagreeing about something, mostly when Jill isn't explaining her story clearly enough. He is also known for his very detailed story-telling. There are many great stories of Grandpa Matt telling stories, but those will be saved for another blog. For now, picture Grandpa Matt on his veranda with a glass full of ice and Diet Coke, enjoying the sunset. ;)

I feel lucky to know Matt and Jill so well. It has been easy to live with them. They are both fun to tease and joke around with. I hate to say it, but I will be kind of sad when they move out....for a minute.