Happy Halloween!

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!  I LOVE TO DRESSUP!  I LOVE "MOST" OF THE DECORATIONS...I prefer the cuter side....I LOVE THE PARTIES!  OFCOURSE I LOVE THE CANDY!  I LOVE HANDING OUT CANDY TO TRICK-OR-TREATERS!

We had our trunk-or-treat a few weeks ago....yes, most of the candy is gone from it.  With Halloween being on Sunday, our girls won't be trick-or-treating.  I have been quite surprised with how they have accepted it and not complained.  So, instead, they are watching "Casper the Friendly Ghost" and we will play games later and eat treats.

Here are pictures from the trunk-or-treat.

Lexie as Snow White

 Jim sprayed her hair black!  It took a few washings to get it out and I am still finding black around the house from it.

Karissa as the MUMMY!

(Glad we had an old motel sheet that had been used to wrap a deer in...it added a great effect to her costume.)

 Brindley as Nancy Drew!

 Samantha as my cute little Lady Bug!

 And of course,  The Witch!  I found a black dress at Wal-mart for $5 on clearance!  So much better than paying $20-$40 for a cheap Halloween witch dress costume.  I almost didn't let Jim take scissors to it at the bottom to make the jagged edge....thinking I could wear it to church too!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL OF YOU!

Happy Birthday to my Lexie Lou!

So thankful that you have been with us for these 5 years.  I (We) Love you so much.  You have taught me so much in the time I have had with you.  Not a day goes by that you don't make me laugh or smile.  You have been blessed with special abilities already that just amaze me.  You are such a passionate girl and you love life so much.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEX!

A funny from Lexie.....

A few weeks ago I wiped a hair of Lexie's face.  She wanted to make a wish on it like you do with eyelashes.  She made the wish then blew the hair.  I asked her what she wished for.  She said, "That my birthday was tomorrow!"  I told her that if her birthday was tomorrow, then it would already be here and be gone the next day and she wouldn't have her birthday to look forward to.  She got a sad, worried look on her face so I jokingly said, "Let me pull out one of your eyelashes and you can make another wish."  She turned to me to do it and even after not getting one on the first tug, she let me pull again.  I got an eyelash and she made her wish.  I asked her what she wished for this time and she said, "That my birthday wasn't tomorrow!"

How can I not Smile?!

Not much new has happened with us.  I am trying to keep caught up with my kids which I think is impossible.  Jim is busy with work.  He is so willing to help with what ever I need help with around the house.  Brindley finally got her new glasses that she has been patiently waiting for.  She looks alot more grown up.  Karissa finally lost a tooth without the dentist having to pull it.  She won't put her tooth under her pillow because she doesn't want the tooth fairy to take it.  Lexie is loving Pre-K.  At snack time they are supposed to pour their own juice or milk so, of course she wants to do it at home too.  O Man!  Sometimes I have to close my eyes and just let it happen!  I think the pictures below explain Samantha a little.  She is a HAM!  She loves to take someones spot/seat if they get up for just a minute.  She goes constantly until you force her to lay down and then she is out like a light.

One evening I hear a scream from the kitchen, "MOMMY!"  I came running to find Samantha playing on the cookie sheet.  The chicken that is in the pie tin was on the cookie sheet.  Samantha moved it and then played in the crumbs! 

 She keeps me busy!

 Partners in Crime!



LDS TEMPLE PICTURE GIVEAWAY!

I have a VERY TALENTED and CREATIVE FRIEND that does photography.  She has some AMAZING and very BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE PICTURES.  She is doing a GIVEAWAY on her blog.  Go check it out!

LDS TEMPLE PICTURES by CHELSIE BROWN

Goin' on a BEAR HUNT!

Kokanee Salmon run in Taylor Creek....Lake Tahoe

Alot of people go to Taylor Creek to see the Salmon.....which are quite neat to see, but when we go, we are hoping to see more than just the salmon.

Do you really think we can see what we came for when there are 8 kids in tow?

Yes, we were able to see what we REALLY came to see!  Actually I was the only one who saw this bear.  It was across the highway and we didn't want to take all the kids across with all the cars.

This is the first time I have seen a bear in the wild!

We were just heading back to the cars when we saw a guy pointing to something up high in the trees.  I went over and asked what he was pointing at and he showed me another bear.  This one was just hanging out in the tree.  We apparently had walked by it and didn't even know.  Now we know to look up too!  The kids did see this bear.  They were pretty excited.

It was getting dark so it is hard to make out the bear in the pictures.

We had been told by other people that there were a few other bears wondering around too.  We had just missed them while we were checking out the fish.  We definately will be going back for some more BEAR WATCHING!!

My cup is filling.....already.

I am really looking forward to this weekend.  We are so lucky to get the opportunity to listen to the leaders of our church.  As I think about this weekend and how wonderful I feel after listening to the messages, I am already getting excited to have that spiritual "HIGH" again.
Today I am also feeling especially blessed.  Today marks 5 years since I started one of the hardest trials I have ever dealt with.  One of the hardest, but one that I was blessed the most with.  Yes, I am scentimental and like to remember certain dates and events that happen in the past, but I look at how far we have come in those 5 years, and how that ONE event has helped me get through other trials.  Because of what I have learned I would never change what I went through back then.  I have a healthy, beautiful, strong-headed, funny, gifted, happy, almost five year old.  I have a closeness with Jim that I wouldn't have had if we hadn't gone through this.  I have two daughters who understand how fragile life is and how important it is to pray to our Heavenly Father, and how important families are to help hold each other together.  I have a 19 month old who reminds me everyday what the most important thing is....FAMILY!  She also reminds me that though things may not go as planned one time, they will or can be different the next time.

Time Out For Women

First of all I have to say THANKS, MICHELLE!  I mentioned to Michelle that I wanted to go.  She was the one that made it all possible.  It was a great getaway!

This was the first time I had been to TOFW.  I had heard from others, (yes, Jess T.  you were the one that made me want to go in the first place.) how great these events were.  I just thought the bags they handed out were cute and wanted one.  I got so much more than a cute bag, and I can't say it was just what I got from the speakers, but from the person I was with and from being away from my little family for one night.  This was the first time I had left Samantha over night and I did get a little anxiety when it dawned on me that I wouldn't get to kiss her goodnight.  But....I needed to have that anxiety so I can get over it and GO AGAIN!

So I definately was GIDDEY about being here!

The Motel we were in was really Fancy.  Valet parking only...Good thing there was a city lot close by.  I felt like I needed to be dressed alot different when I entered the lobby.

The view from our 13th floor window.  State Capitol Building in Sacramento, California.

 Some of the features in our room were interesting....the lamp stand....the handles to the armoire....

 I definately was excited to hear JOHN BYTHEWAY in person.  We always listen to his talks on CD while we are traveling.  The girls enjoy listening to him quite a bit.  I knew I had to get a picture of him just for my girls.  So, I did even better!  I got one with his arm around me!
Before I left home I told Lexie that I was going to see John Bytheway.  She said to me, "You are going to go see the HUMAN John Bytheway?"

 I had to get a picture of all of the women.  It was an even better view from the top of the stairs because you could see everyones red bags really good, but I wasn't going to go all the way back up to get the picture.

 Thanks again, Michelle, for getting the tickets and motel and for driving!  You are Awesome!
Also, Thanks Jim for making it so I could go.  He changed flights so he could be home so I could go.  He ran out of Bisquick while I was gone and made pancakes from scratch!  He took the kids to the Children's Museum!  Love you, Babe!

I have to share another one from Lexie.  I picked her up from school on Friday and told her that I was going to have a playdate with Michelle...referring to TOFW.  She said to me, "You don't even have to drive, you can just walk to her house."  I smiled and then told her I was going overnight.  She then said, "No Fair!  You get to have a sleep over at Michelle's!"  She was quite excited that I got to have a "playdate" though!