Halloween

We went to a fun Halloween party this year at a member's home from our Stake.  They went all out flying airplanes over and dropping out Captian America, and Spiderman with parachutes, and then flying over again multiple times to drop candy for all the kids that were there.  It was a fun little treat!  Hunter stayed a bit later than we did and was able to do the "haunted hay ride" and a few other fun things...we got cold and took the other 3 kids home.

 We carved pumpkins (in the midst of my favortie news anchor: Bill O'Rielly - on the TV in the background) on Tuesday night.  The kids did an amazing job cleaning out their pumpkins and carving them too!

 We did a quick trunk or treat with some neighbors at the park and then hit a few of our friend's homes.  Hunter went with his friends this year and came home with 12 pounds of candy!  his costume was hilarous.  But I will admit that they all 4 look pretty darn CuTE!



Grrrrreat to be 8!!!

Gwendalin turned 8 years old on October 24!  We did a small family party with cake and presents for her on her birthday and then on Friday she had a "late night" party with friends in pajamas, doing make up, nails, and watching a movie.  It was a smashing success if I do say so myself.  She and her friends had a blast.  Jocilyn and Mckenna got to stay over night and go with us to soccer the next morning.  Good times were had by all.  She got lots of fun presents from her friends, she got a CTR ring from GM and GP Slade, her scriptures, and lots of other fun "turning 8" presents!  Her baptism is on November 3rd and GM GP Chesley are coming and so is Marie!! WAHOO!!

Gwendalin and 8 years:

*loves to sing

*loves Taylor Swift ( a singer)

*loves to fight with her older brother

*loves loves to play "mom" or preschool with her friend Caitlyn

*she is excited to get the Holy Ghost and be baptized

*she is a great helper when she wants to help

*she loves to take care of her little brothers

*she is turning into a beautiful little dancer

*she is getting really good at playing the piano and recognizing the notes

*she loves school

*her favorite TV show is probably "Good Luck Charlie" on the Disney Channel

*her favorite food is pizza

*she loves to wear makeup

*she loves her pink blanket that Marie made her as a baby.

She is an amazing addition to our family and we are lucky that we had skilled doctors and nurses that helped keep she and I alive so that she could be part of our family!  We love you sis!

The Berry Farm Field Trip

Dallin and I went to the Berry Farm this morning.  It was foggy and freezing!  But he loved picking his own pumpkin, making his way through the hay maze and running with his buddies!  It was a fun little stop.  We came home turned the heat up a bit and had some yummy hot chocolate!    Some of these pumpkins were gargantuant!

Oh, boys...

Hunter doesn't keep the cleanest room.  I was in there changing sheets this week and noticed a shelf on his headboard full of colored pencil shavings...why?  why are we saving those?  I don't understand....his headboard / room makes me crazy, but he does try - he has labeled his dresser drawers so that he can stay organized.  He just hates to clean....as do my other kids....I hope I can get it out of their system before they leave home - it's important to have some order / cleanliness in your homes....**Sigh**

Sweet Sisters!

This is my mom and her sisters (Mom, Beth, Kathy, and Debbie).  Bethie is losing a battle with breast cancer and the sisters have rallied together to be at her side to assist and help her in any way that they can.  This picture was taken at the hospital while they were all together over a period of a few days when Beth had to go in to have fluid drained from her lungs.  I can't express how much the examples of these women means to me.  The closeness that they share and thier individual strengths that have made me a better person because I have learned from them.  I am so grateful for the sealing power on Earth and the  knowledge I have of eternal families! 

A downhill spiral...

I have been in a very strange funk for the past few weeks.  I am in an ongoing battle with my mind over my body image....(this is nothing new) but for some reason it's really getting to me this go round and it's intense.  I'll survive it, I always do, but it's a pain in the rear and logically speaking there should be absolutely no issue here.  I think part of it stems from being so tired.  I have started working out at 6am daily (which I love) but you add regular mom life and / office life to that and I am dead tired.  End of quarter businesss stuff (taxes/payroll reports, etc.) took me several days to finish and then I tried to do laundry, volunteer in classrooms,  and I am tired.  Being tired creates it's own set of problems.

I think in addition to the fatigue, I am emotionally worn out.  My sweetest Aunt Beth who has had breast cancer for the last few years has hit a pretty hefty bump in the road and recovery is looking dismal at this point.  I cry when I think of her sweet self having to go through what she is going through and her kids - having babies, getting married, raising families, etc. that may not have their mother is almost more than I can handle.  It's not a sad though to think of her passing - I know this is necessary and wonderful, part of the plan, but because I am mortal the sadness is in knowing how much I will miss her.  I am hoping she can be healthy enough to get another grandbaby here with her youngest daughter this month and possibly make it to her oldest daughter's wedding...but only time will tell.  Then in the back of my mind I think: what if she goes right at the same time as Gwendalin's baptism on November 3rd? I can't miss either thing....so I am so torn and mull it over in my mind all the time......I have just been asking Heavenly Father to please let me be able to do both if there is any way.  It's in His hands....as is everything else....sometimes I need to remind myself of that.

So organized!

While mom has been gone helping Aunt Beth, dad has been busy keeping me organized.  He spent the better part of 2 days putting shelves along two walls in my garage.  I didn't realize what a HUGE difference it would make to have that much extra storage.  He is AMAZING!!

So much Applesauce!

Dad went to the church orchard and got like 400 boxes of apples - maybe not that many but a lot and Trish and he and I (and a friend from the ward, Stephanie) canned applesauce over two afternoons.  It was good times and now I have been using it when I bake in place of oil!  Good times!

Fake it...

In spite of how I feel today....I choose to put on my happy face and move forward seeing where I can help someone else.

2nd Grade Fieldtrip

I was able to go with Gwendalin on her field trip last week to the FFA/AG Expo at Meridian High school.  We were able to eat string cheese, drink milk, learn about Idaho landscape, see cows, pigs, corn, chicks, quail, etc.  It was a fun afternoon I was able to spend with her.  :)  Sweet girl!

Preschool Field Trip to the Apple Orchard

I went with Dallin a few weeks back to an apple orchard in Emmett.  It was his first Preschool Field trip which he LOVED!  He got to pick apples with an apple picker, watch them press the apples into cider, and take a few pictures in the pumpkin frames.  It was a fun day and I was glad Icould spend it with him.

Doorway fun!

Tyler and Dallin have a love/hate relationship but the other night they were having a blast climbing the doorway to their room and playing together.  I snapped a shot cause I thought it was so cute!