Pumpkin Carving my most artisitic moment of the year...

Before...

And After!

Carving pumpkins has certainly become more complicated from when we were growing up . Admittedly this is our own fault. Both Mark and I carved pumpkins with our families when we were little, the standard triangle eyes and nose and depending on the year a crooked smile or a mouth that was supposed to be scary that turned into a smile. The last four Halloweens, even in Egypt (thanks to branch members who have the American Commissary grocery store, (aka a little piece of American goodness in Egypt) and can buy any American product) we have used the little patterns that you poke out with the fancy saw and poker and scraper. We look through the patterns and it always ends up that I choose the master level carving and spend 3 hours poking and sawing at my pumpkin and Mark chooses the beginner level yet, great picture done in 45 minutes to an hour pumpkin. While my hands are orange and tingly, Mark lights the candle and enjoys his pumpkin. BUT.. it is all worth it when we finish and see our awesome pumpkins. I tell myself next year choose a simple one and be done with it but why give up my most artistic moment of the year. Here are our Pumpkins from this year. (They are starting to fall apart a bit so we might do another one... we will see which picture I pick)

I am so proud of my pumpkin! I worked so hard!

Trick-or-Treat!

Halloween comes to our house!

It was fun to decorate our house for Halloween. I love doing it for all holidays. Its just nice to have a change from your normal surroundings. The pictures are a little blurry but oh well. Happy Halloween!

Here is our front door.



This is a picture of our front room that didn't turn out very well. I was trying to take a picture of the cute Ghosts I made and hung from the ceiling. Mark likes these more because he doesn't have to duck when he walks in like at the front door. He will probably be glad when the Halloween decorations come down.



Kitchen table complete with awesome Halloween scarf I found in Egypt.(and beautiful flowers Mark got me!)

Last night's dream, Literacy nightmare rather

Last night I had the strangest dream, nightmare rather! I was at school getting ready to teach the literacy class (which if you do not know from my complaints is the longest most boring class) and instead of my students coming in I had 4 classes of 4th graders. Not only did I have triple the amount of students I was supposed to have they were not all from the school I am working out now, I wasn't even in my classroom here, I don't know what school I was at. My students were made up of the people that I graduated from high school with and students from AIS, my school in Egypt. The teachers brought in their students and they were the 4th grade teachers from AIS from last year Miss Amanda and Miss Arni plus the teacher I work with now and some man who was quite unhelpful. For some reason it did not register with me that there were too many students and I keep getting mad at them for sitting on the floor instead of at the desks. I spend all this time trying to explain why I want them in the seats and not on the floor and then it occurs to me that I don't have enough desks. Meanwhile, while I am yelling (which I really try not do) at the students the teachers are totally criticizing me. After I get the kids all seated and explain the lesson 2 teachers decide they want to do literacy by themselves and take their students away. So I finally start teaching and the bell (my alarm) rings and everybody vanishes. WEIRD!! It is one of the few times I can remember my alarm stopping a dream. I felt like I looked like someone in a movie who just woke up, you know how so many movies start with a bedroom and someone jerking awake from a dream. Anywho, needless to say I got out of bed really quick today.
Any guesses on what this dream meant?? Wondering in Colorado...

The fall!

I have had so much fun being here in Colorado for the fall. I love autumn so much. I really missed having seasons in Egypt. When we were trying to figure out where to move to after we got home a good fall was right near the top of my list. It is the beginning of my favorite holidays and there is just a feeling in the air. Here are some of our favorite pictures from our drives up in the mountains. Mark was so nice and we went camping twice in three weeks and on a mountain drive once a week for those three weeks. We went up to Poudre Canyon which is about an hour away from where we live. Unfortunately I think the "fall" is about over. All of a sudden it went from being 70 degrees and sunny to cloudy and in the upper 40's! Not that I mind the clouds and rain it just was quick. I am so glad that we went for the drives when we did or we may have totally missed it. I made this cool video of pretty fall pictures so enjoy!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Free Wireless Internet

Well, when Mark and I moved into our apartment the manager informed us that since our apartment is in the main building, its right above the office we got free wireless internet through the office. Sweet! Well it worked really well for August and September but it has been worse than our Internet in Egypt for October so I have been unable to post any pictures which is really too bad because we took some really pretty fall pictures the last 3 weeks. This also explains why I have not had any postings at all lately. Maybe it will decide to work one day, which would be great. I guess I should look on the bright side that yes its not working but at least we are not paying for not working Internet which was often the case in Egypt. So, until the Internet works either look for posts without pictures or just get ready to have a lot of posts all a sudden!