Halloween 2011

Toa with his pumpkin!!
Instead of carving the pumpkin, we decided to get this kit to push into the pumpkin since Toa was too small to carve a pumpkin. He LOVED it and kept showing daddy where to drill the hole so that we could push the pieces into the pumpkin. It was really alot of fun! Toa would make sure the pieces were in good by pushing them in after Alofa and I had already put them in place. He was so cute and funny about it!

Toa with his pumpkin!!

I think he likes it!!

This year we had a TON of festivities that we participated in based around the Halloween season. The Thursday before Halloween was my work trunk or treat so we dressed Toa up in his froggy costume and let him go to town. He wasn't really interested in the candy but LOVED running around and seeing everyone. We had a great time!!

Alofa, Toa and I at my work trunk or treat! So much fun!! :)

Toa got this lion costume for his birthday from some friends and since we already had his froggy costume we decided that he would be a lion for some of our festivities and a froggy for the others. On Friday night Tina invited us to her work trunk or treat. It was so much fun! Once again, Toa wasn't too excited about the candy but loved running around seeing every one!!

Toa with the pumpkins at papa's house

Toa with Cam (who was a spider) and papa with the pumpkins right before we left for our ward trunk or treat on Saturday night.

Great Grandma Howerton has some spiders hanging from her lamp that Toa just LOVED!! He kept trying to show Great Grandpa Howerton the spiders!!

Grandma Howerton with her Toa lion cub!

Sunday we stayed home and enjoyed family time and on Monday we took Toa trunk or treating at Celeste's work. 4 times trick or treating?!?! Yep!! He was wore out and slept like a champ the following night! He had a great Halloween and it was so fun to dress him up and watch him run around!!

10-1-11 Toa's first birthday!!

October 1st, 2011 we celebrated Toa's first birthday!! What a wonderful day with LOTS of food, family, friends and FUN!! The weather was PERFECT and the party went just how we hoped that it would. We had so much food and fun! It was the prefect way to celebrate the first birthday of our sweet Toa Thomas Laulu

Alofa and his friends manned the BBQ, cooking up a FEAST of meat and food!! We are so thankful for all of the work that our friends and family offered in order to make his birthday a success.
The birthday cake
Toa got his own birthday cake

At first he had NO idea what he was supposed to do with it. He kept looking to me, seeking permission to dive in. It took him a little while and some help from ALOT of the other kids at the party but he finally dove in and had so much fun destroying his very own cake. I honestly don't think he ate very much of it... Bless his heart!

And this is what the cake looked like when he was finished playing with it :)

Looks like a very happy birthday boy!!

Our little family at the end of a wonderful first birthday party!

I can not believe it has been a whole year since Alofa and My life was changed forever, for the better! We have loved every minute of watching him learn and grow over the past year. He never ceases to amaze us as we see him master new skills and learn new things. I never knew that have a child and raising him would bring so much joy and strength to our little family. Toa is the sweetest, funniest, smartest little man. He started walking in the middle of September and has been on the run ever since. He has 8 teeth, 4 on top and 4 on bottom. There are times where he will just sit down and start laughing at nothing, he's a very happy baby. He thinks it is sooo funny when I get scared by a bug and just laughs as I scramble, trying to figure out how to get rid of the bug. He LOVES his daddy and is super laid back just like him. Toa gives the best kisses and knows that if he really wants something all he has to do is give his momma or daddy a kiss and they melt. Every morning when I go to get Toa out of his crib he greets me with a big smile and a kiss when I pick him up. He loves to play with daddy's ties & belts and ALWAYS takes the spoons away from momma when she is trying to eat. He loves to be chased and will run away giggling when you pretend like you are gonna get him. He gets super excited and tries jumping all of the time, but his feet never leave the floor. He dances when music comes on and it is soo cute!! He is starting to learn new dance moves and his latest one looks like he is doing squats... It's pretty funny. He is such a good sleeper and goes to bed with no fuss most of the time. He loves to play with toy cars and trucks... He will drive them ALL OVER the front room. He also loves to play with balls. He will kick them and throw them just to chase them and do it again. He has completely won over his momma and daddy's hearts. We cherish him and adore him more than words can express. He has the biggest, sweetest, dark eyes that just sparkle when he smiles, and he is ALWAYS smiling. We love him so much and thank Heavenly Father for 10-1-10, the day that our sweet Toa came into our family forever!

Happy first birthday Toa!! We hope you had a WONDERFUL day!!