October Update

Wow, is October over already? It sure has been a busy month with everything from snow, thunderstorms, 75 degree weather, to me getting a job, Kortlan getting pneumonia, and Jim turning a year older. Not to mention pumpkin patch field trips with 5 Kindergarten classes and a Halloween party. Here's a look at some of our happenings:

First, the field trip. Kortlan's first one. He was so excited for over a week. The day finally came and he spent almost 10 minutes walking up and down the rows of pumpkins looking for that perfect one.

The 3 trailers full of Kindergartners startled the thousands of birds in the corn and we were treated to a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds movie:
Corn mazes, pipe slides and lots of other farm adventures filled the next hour and a half until it was time to return to the school. I think Kortlan was more excited to be on the bus. It was his first time. A day full of firsts and fun.

Then Jim turned a year older. Kourtney baked him a German chocolate cake and we put on as many candles as we could find, 32. Just a few short. Happy Birthday, Jim!
Pebbles and Bamm Bamm go to party! I really don't have anything to say about this one. Enjoy!
Kendrie and her friend Oliva tryin' on the wigs. Ain't Halloween FUN?!
What are you dressing up as?

Now and Then

My life has been so crazy lately that I haven't had time to post anything. But I woke up this morning at 3:30 and couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up and have been trying to catch up on emails and housework. While seeing what everyone has been up to on their blogs, I noticed that I have been tagged by my good friend and niece in-law, Kristen, to inform you of my "now and then" interests. So here you go:


Clothes: Then: When I was younger I didn't have much choice about my clothes. I usually wore hand me downs from my sister Kelli. I wanted to dress "trendy" but never seemed to get up to speed with all of that, spending $30 on a pair of jeans back then was just outrageous. Now: Now I have mostly jeans and t-shirts. I love Hollister tees and Buckle jeans for everyday. I love skirts and shirts and knee high boots for Sundays. But nothing beats a great pair of comfy sweats!


T.V.: Then: When I was younger, my favorite t.v. shows were Kids Incorporated, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Full House (until it got serious) and we can't forget about the Smurfs (yikes!) Now I enjoy ER, Friends (even though it is just reruns now, tear!) Dancing with the Stars, Go Sabrina!, Numb3rs, and Biggest Loser. I even have to admit that I don't mind watching Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and That's So Raven. (my inner child is happy that I admitted that!)


Music: Then: When I was younger, my favorite music was pretty much was what ever was on the radio at the time. I grew up on Barbra Mandrell and C.C.R., Bread, Oak Ridge Boys, Oliva Newton John... the list goes on and on. Now I listen to Radio Disney when I am with the kids, again, Hannah Montana, Cheetah Girls, High School Musical Soundtrack. But I really like Colby Calleigh, Corrine Bailey Rae, Micheal Buble, Finger 11 (just their one song, Paralyzed), Josh Groban, every now and then I will listen to the 80's channel on XM.


Food: Then: I can only remember loving spaghetti and any kind of potatoes when I was a kid. We used to always have Oyster stew for New Year's Eve and I remember really liking it, now the thought of it doesn't really settle with me. For those of you that knew me way back when, one might remember my obsession with gummy candy. This included, gummy bears, worms, and my mom's favorite, the gummy rats and snakes. (I know, I'm shaking my head too!) Now I love Jim's grilled steaks! I still really love pastas and potatoes of any kind. I also enjoy eating out. P F Changs, Mimi's Cafe, Melting Pot. . .


Fears: Then: I have always been afraid of Spiders. I really really really don't handle seeing one very well. When I was little I was afraid of people not liking me. I always went out of my way to make sure I didn't make anyone mad at me, and if I did make them made at me, then I would over compensate and wind up making them not like me anyway because I was annoying.
Now not much has changed really. I am still terrified of spiders. Did I mention that I really really really don't handle seeing one very well? I am also still struggling with being afraid of making people mad at me. But the one thing that scares me the most, is having something happen to my family, my kids and my husband. They are my life!

An Early Winter Storm

While visiting my parents in Idaho this weekend, we were surprised to find a layer of wet sticky snow on the grass Saturday morning. The kids were excited to go play in it. Thank goodness Grandma had some extra gloves, I didn't think to pack any (who would have thought I needed to?)

The snow melted and the sun came out and we enjoyed the fall colors on our way back home.

On the road less traveled...

"We carry around in our heads these pictures of what our lives are supposed to look like, painted by the brush of our intentions. It's the great, deep secret of humanity that in the end none of our lives look the way we thought they would. As much as we wish to believe otherwise, most of life is a reaction to circumstances."

- Paul Cook's Diary (from The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans)

I took these pictures while in the Ogden Canyon a few weeks ago. I thought the above quote went well with them. "...a reaction to circumstances."... like a windy mountain road, life throws you a curve, do you curve with it?

Welcome back, Kourtney!

Last Saturday I started off the week by deciding to slip on a melted ice cube that was dropped and forgotten on the floor and broke my toe nail from the cuticle up and possibly damaging some ligaments in my big toe. I was unable to put pressure on my whole foot for almost 2 days and was on crutches until my arms hurt so bad it took my mind off my foot. I wasn't going to let it get me down though, I had a lot going on and I wasn't going to sit on the couch and cry about it. Sunday I went to church and taught my Sunbeams and then went to Temple Square with my family and my parents to see Sister Hale sing in the Assembly Hall with the Temple Square Sister Missionary Choir. All of the leaving sisters got to sing a solo and/or a duet with their companions. It was beautiful music. As you can see, I started off the evening on crutches. See my mom in the background? She is asking the Senior Elder for a wheelchair (I think she knew how bad my arms were hurting). So I was wheeled into the Assembly Hall by my want-to-be-race-car-driver children, who where very excited to be taking turns pushing me around. It's a good thing there weren't very many people in our line of fire...crazy drivers!

I had never been in the Assembly Hall, for some unknown reason. It is as beautiful as the Tabernacle, not as big, but still as beautiful. The organ pipes are beautiful, as are the stained glass windows. All of these pictures, by the way, are courtesy of my dad's photo skills. I had a hard time carrying my camera, so I let the urge pass and gave up the photo taking to my dad.

After the concert we had the opportunity to visit with Sister Hale and some of her dear friends and companion Sisters. She introduced us to everyone she could as she relished in the moment. She even took Kendrie and Kortlan on a private tour of roped off areas in the balconies. It was cute to see them sneaking up the stairs all hunched over like they were trying to hide.

She would be leaving in 3 days from this place she called home for almost 18 months. Happy, excited, eager to get on with the rest of her life, and yet sad and heartbreaking. Friends and memories that will stay with her forever.

Mom and I turned my car into a RM Transportation Vehicle the night before we picked up Sister Hale from her apartment in Salt Lake. Where were these window paint pens when I was in High School? It would have been a whole lot easier to decorate for games!

Anyway, we painted the windows and made bows for the doors and mirrors that would be put on after the drive to Salt Lake. It was more fun then trashing cars at a wedding reception (good practice though, hee, hee! Hey, I'm just sayin'...).

Once we got to Salt Lake, we pulled over just down the street from her apartment and "bowed" up the car, we then put the sun roof back and blasted "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" from the RM soundtrack all the way up the street until we saw her...

Standing outside the building with the custodian who was keeping her company while she was waiting for us. He liked the music and even did a little dance to it.

After the greetings of hugs and kisses were exchanged came they fun part...the unloading of the apartment and the loading of the car. With a little limp and shuffle on my part, we made it up to her room and (thank goodness!) made it down the elevator without incident. Bring on the baggage!

Kortlan was happy to be in the back with all the balloons and had himself a little party kicking them around and screamin' yahoo every now and then. We all were though, we would just look over at Kourtney and Yahoo! every now and then. Welcome back, Kourtney! Temple Square just won't be the same without you there. So you better move here so we can go visit it together :)

A Sunday Drive...

up the Ogden canyon led us to the Pineview reservoir. What a gorgeous fall day! The air was cool and at 63 degrees a little chilly, but we welcomed the change and enjoyed every goose bump we received as the wind picked up a little. And to top it off, the photo opportunities were in abundance. The following photographs are a sample of today's journey up the "hill"...

And because Jim thought I needed to have my picture taken as well:

Facial Expressions

This kid has the funniest facial expressions! No matter what he is doing, something is always going on in his face; tongue moving or sticking out, eyes scrunched or wide open, mouth always on the move... Here's a few funny ones from tonight's mud pie festival in my front yard:

This should also serve as proof that I do let my kids get dirty! I sort of have the reputation of being a clean freak and that I don't allow my children to get messy or dirty, may this accusation be stricken from the record, I plead not guilty!

A Fair amount of Fun

Everything I need to know I learned at the fair:

"Sheepishly" engaging in fun is unacceptable,

One must take his "licks"

and not get too down in the dumps

One must reach for what he wants,

live larger than life

and reach for the sky

But most of all:

live, laugh and love

Round 2: Fruits and Veggies

Thanks to Dana and her daughter's birthday fruit kabobs and her wonderful vegtable garden, I have new subjects to practice on. My favorite is "Little Black Bug" (a shot within a shot):