Halloween

So this year Halloween was low key around here.  Something I actually perfer.  I am not a person to throw a party.  Anyways,  this year I made a costume for Lynlee which is something out of character for me.  I am becoming more and more domestic everyday.  Here is what it was........ a money bag.  You may ask the question "Why?", because one night while Matt and I were scrolling through ideas of themed costumes we ran across robbers with a bag of money.  It was fun to dress her up and I am pretty proud of how the money bag turned out.  Matt and I only dressed up for our ward Halloween/Trunk or treat party as robbers (didn't get a picture of us all together).  We put Lynlee in her costume for all Hallows eve though.  She didn't get to show it off to many trick-or-treater's because she got tired and grumpy.  I snapped a couple pictures though before we sent her off to bed.

Our loot :) I love her costume :)

LOVED playing with the candy bowl.

Many might wonder if we took her out door to door and the answer is no.  We would only be showing off her costume and her overwhelming cuteness to get candy that we would have to eat.  So we decided to save ourselves some calories we would just show her off at our door :) I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween.  

Uncle Mitch!!!!

So a couple days after Matt and I got married on July 30th 2009 my brother Mitch moved to Louisville, Kentucky for medical school.  We saw him five months later for Christmas.  So the last time I saw him was December 2009.  Matt and I have since moved to Mexico and back and then to Arizona.  In Arizona we moved four times.  Within those moves we had a beautiful baby girl Lynlee Nicole Shelton.  So when my brother called telling me he had an interview for a residency here in Phoenix I was so EXCITED!!!  We hadn't seen each other for almost three years.  He got to meet miss Lynlee for the first time at one year old :)

He came into town on Oct. 25th (couple days after my mom left).  He was gone that night and a big chunk of the next day for the residency interview stuff, but he decided to stay an extra day to spend with us.  Friday night we went to dinner and on Saturday we took him around the grounds at the Mesa Temple and then we drove out towards a lake.  He wanted to see a Saguaro (the iconic cactus) in the wild.  That is something that is native to this area.  It was so much fun so hang out and talk.  It didn't feel like we hadn't seen each for that long.  Her are the few pictures I remembered to take while he was here.

Mitch, Me and Lynlee

Yes the wind was blowing and my hair looks a little scary :/

Another family picture.

It was so much fun getting to see Mitch.  It was fun because Matt and Mitch have never really had the opportunity to hang out and talk and they got to.  I am a little bummed because Mitch wanted a picture next to a Saguaro and so we hiked out to do so and I forgot the camera and my phone.  It was a cool cactus too. Lesson learned.  Such a fun weekend :) Yes the following day Matt and I came down with the flu :( Glad it waited to hit until after Mitch left really early Sunday morning.  

Grandma Mendenhall Visits

In October my mom (Grandma Mendenhall to miss Lynners) came to visit.  We love having visitors and these past few weeks have been full of them.  On October 17th my Mom flew into Phoenix.  It was Lynlee's birthday on the 1st of October and she wanted to be here for that, but didn't have time off of work until October 17th.   We were excited that she was able to come.  I was slightly depressed we didn't have any family around to celebrate her birthday with us.  So I kinda made this a birthday weekend for Lynlee.

We went shopping, walked around downtown Scottsdale and hung out for the first couple days and then on Saturday we went to the zoo.  I LOVE the zoo.  Anyone who knows me knows that it is an obsession I have.  I am trying to pass on the love I have for the zoo to Lynlee.  I forgot my camara so I didn't get very many pictures.  I got a couple off of my mom's camara so here are some pictures.

Getting used to having Grandma around. She used to cry everytime I left her, but she was being so good for Grandma and would even let Grandma hold her :)

Being shy.

Last time we went to the zoo this same monkey posed for pictures.

She Loved the petting zoo area.

I wish I got her face she had a really cheesy smile.

We got another picture, but it was blurry.  Lynlee was getting tired and grumpy.

We got two great family pictures when she came.  I like this one because it shows we live in the desert. The zebra in the background is just an added bonus.

So this was taken the morning before my mom left.  I had just rolled out of bed.  I put on a shirt and got Lynlee dressed. Matt was all ready because he was leaving for work. I would put the picture on that shows all our bodies, but then you would see the shorts I sleep in haha something I will spare you all.

My mom flew out on October 22nd.  It was really nice to have her here.  Made me a little sad that we don't live close.  I want to live close someday so that Lynlee will grow up knowing her grandparents.  Right now we are experiencing life just as our little family :)  We will end up back close to family :)