10/30/11 Happy Halloween!

Mime Katie

10/30/11

So Happy Halloween!

It's been a busy week that has just flown by!  Tomorrow I will be taking a day off work and going to school to do the Halloween Party for Holly's class and making turnovers for Katie's class.  We are going to get dough and thaw it out and let the kids roll it out and fill it with pie filling and make little turnovers.  Should be messy and fun.  The kind of things kids really enjoy.

For Holly's class I only volunteered to do the turnover thing and then the lady who was helping with the rest of the party pulled her kid out of Washington Elementary and put her in George Washington Academy last week and bailed on me at the last minute.  So I get the whole party!   I made a pin the heart on the skeleton game and bingo.  I have a fishing game (with cool prizes) and a bean bag toss along with the turnovers.  Should be fun.  Hopefully we'll have enough grown ups to make it all work.  Dad is coming and there is supposed to be another 2 parents and the teacher there.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Mime Katie and cheerleader Holly

Friday night was the ward Halloween party.  It was a complete success.  There were 15 carnival stations and delicious chili and soups and rolls.  The Elder Quorum did a spook alley.  The YW had 5 stations.  The YM had 5 stations.  There was an Ammon's arm toss, a barge boat race, I don't even know.  Just tons of great fun activities.  And seriously an AMAZING turnout.  Like they had to set up at least 6 extra tables once things got started and people were sitting on the floor and stage too.  Really great.

Give me an "H"!

Went to the rec center last night for their spooktacular.  Note to self:  NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.  Also very well publicized.  Way too much so.  There was a line all the out the front door, around the structure in the middle and all the way up the side walk out to the end by the pool...just to get in the door.  Even once we got in (like 45 minutes later) there were lines for everything.  EVERYTHING.  The girls were very cunning and cut in line and got a cotton candy and after all the waiting we had done I didn't even stop them.  They didn't realize they just butt in front of 200 people.  Sometimes it is nice to be oblivious!  They had dancers doing thriller and bouncy houses and slides, fortune tellers, trick or treating (very limited), crafts and games.  It would have been really cool if only there were about 1800 less people!  (Ok, I don't know many people there really were but it was super crazy busy and felt like 2000 people!)  It would be interesting to see how much $ they collected.  They were charging a $1 each for all non members.  The lady I saw had a huge stack of bills.

Go Holly!

Katie was a mime this year.  She was pretty excited about it. She thought of the idea herself and then we went to D.I. and found her the outfit.  WAY CUTE.  Funny...you are supposed to be QUIET when you are a mime.  She COULDN'T do it.  She tried.  It lasted like 5 minutes.  Oh well.  It was peaceful for a few minutes!

Holly found a cute cheerleader outfit.  Turns out it was the same colors as the college her class is representing at school.  PERFECT.  Miranda Warby also had the same idea so they are kinda almost twinners.  Costumers aren't exactly alike but very similar.

I am going as a Hawaiian to fit in with Holly's class theme.  They are U of Hawaii.

I went to the dr. this week because I keep breaking out in hives randomly and am trying to figure out what is causing it so I can make it stop.  So the dr. ruled out all food allergies.  (On the bright side!)  I was not allergic to any of the 50 items they poked me with.  He said he thought I was allergic to my vitamins or my asthmas medicine.  So I quit both and am going to see if the hives go away with no meds.  On the down side I haven't had an asthma attack in over 1 year because that medicine really worked -- so I'm a little nervous with the weather changing and being off my meds what will happen to my breather.  Oh well.  I will keep you posted.

Getting ready to head out for trick-or-treating!

Oh, exciting news.  Fellicity Olsen set a baptism date of December 7.  It is a Wednesday night so I think we'll do that for our YW activity.  Her little sis is going to be baptized too.  I won't get too excited because it could still fall through...but it's looking REALLY promising!  So, yeah...took a little longer than I thought but I might have my first baptism!  Once we get her dunked I have 5 other non-member girls to work on!  3 of the 5 come to all my Wednesday activities but not to Sunday.  The other 2 don't come out...but I keep hoping they will and inviting them!  They are really sweet girls.  Then I have 3 member girls that haven't been out that I need to work with too.  Lots of work for me!

My cute girls!

Well we are getting ready to head up to our weekly visit with G-ma and pa.  I hope you are doing well and enjoying life!   Time goes so quickly when you are serving the Lord!

Quote of the day:  Joseph Smith: "Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness and keeping all the commandments of God."

It is true...we are truly happy when we do what we should be doing.  God blesses us and even when we go through hard times we have his comfort and love.

So keep up the good work and know that you are loved!

Love you lots.  Mom.

10/23/11 AJ's Hump Day for his mission & meeting an author

10/23/11

So this is your 1 year mark...later this week...can you believe it?  It seems really strange that it could already be a year and like you've been gone a lifetime...all at the same time!  You've learned and grown so much.  Remember wondering and worrying and the what if's...you know it all now!  I hope this next year goes as fast for us all and you are home soon!

So this week has been about like all the others.  Work is busy as ever but I am getting better and better at my new program and while I don't necessarily like everything about it I am learning my way around it pretty good.  I have found some cheater methods to do things quicker and things are moving along at work.

We had our 2 day conference Thursday and Friday this week and most of the talks centered around our new program so I think I learned a few new things and will have some things to try when I get back Monday.  It's the first conference in YEARS where I felt like I actually learned much.  So I guess that's a positive!  The IT department hooked me up with an apple so I was able to be online working and looking up email etc during the whole conference.  I took a pile of work with me and got about 5 hours worth of work done during the conference.  (Course it took me 8 hours to do the 5 hours worth of work due to slow connection...but hey...it entertained me and kept me awake!)

The girls got to meet Marilyn Arnold this week (a local author that's written a dozen or more books).  She was very interesting.  She talked to the girls about how to get ideas for writing and showed them news articles where she got different ideas for her books.  I think Katie ate it up.  Katie seems to really enjoying creating stories and making stuff up.  Katie is in the story telling festival at school and this year is telling a story she wrote herself.  (I think it needs a little help focusing and bringing in the idea...but it is a cute story!)

We watched the Condie's kids Friday night.  They seemed really comfortable here.  They seem to really just settle in and play and have a good time.  When the evening was getting late we cleaned them up (they'd been playing in the dirt in the back yard all evening) and put on a movie.  Little Cade came and sat in my lap and I tickled his feet for a few minutes and he feel right to sleep.  It was so cute!  We gave them the girls play house this weekend too.  The girls no longer play in it since they are too tall and it was just making piles of dirt and weed in the yard.  So this a.m. to thank us, Sister Condie brought by cinnamon rolls.  Ummmmm.....Yummy!  A whole pan full.  They were gone quick!

Friday night is the Halloween party at church (will they do anything like that in your neck of the woods?)  We are having chili/soups and rolls. The kids will all dress up and then they are having a "carnival".  There will be 15 stations that the kids will travel to like donut on a string, bean bag toss, pin the nose on Nephi, fishing...I don't know.  They are all tied in to bible themes or BOM themes somehow and will have prizes awarded.  Should be pretty cool.  The YW are in charge of 5 stations, the young men 5 and then the other 5 were divided among R.S., Elders and H.P.  I think they are doing a spook alley up on the stage too.  Lots of stuff.  Halloween is on Monday and I'm taking the day off work and will go to school with the girls and help with parties in both their classrooms.  So busy week ahead!  And I still don't know what I'm going to be?!?!!???  Any ideas?!

Well happy 1 year out and can't wait to hear about your exciting ventures this week!  

Love you lots and pray for you lots.  Mom.

10/16/11 Blown dishwasher, Van problems, moles in the sprinkler system...we got our 3!

10/16/11

Hey AJ -- another week. Luke Peck gave his farewell today and leaves for MTC this week.  Almost exactly 1 year behind you.  He is going to Buena Aires Argentina.  He is pretty excited.  They sang Called to Serve and invited any men in the congregation to join the mens choir.  They packed the front.  It was pretty cool and amazing.  Then they sang God be with you...for the closing prayer.  Lots of tears up there!

Holly Dolly

I had 3 days off this week and it was WONDERFUL!  and expensive!  So our dishwasher broke and we researched it and the part we needed was $159 plus shipping plus installation if we couldn't figure it out.  A new D/W with a 5 year warranty was $400.  We decided it wasn't worth all the hassle.  The warranty we have will supposedly fix or replace it no matter what for 5 years.  I should have got that originally.  Oh well.  They just don't make things like they used to.  From what I was reading one guy had replaced the part 3X and it kept not working.  Yikes.  Frustrating!

I took the van in and got it inspected.  Of course there was an alignment issue from our last blow out and they said our van was leaking fuel (something in the fuel line was busted) and so our $7.50 inspection cost about $250.

We also have a problem with our sprinkler system and the moles are totally happy everywhere in our yard.  So I lined up two more guys to come next week and fix those things.  On the bright side we traded out the mole guy.  He is going to bring some kind of gas and send an explosion through the mole holes and hopefully wipe them out.  Says he'll do 2 treatments.  Good times.  The boys totally want to be home for that!

Pippy Katie

So, yeah, Dad says I need to get back to work because I am bankrupting us!  (Not really!!!)

I had lots of fun on my days off though.  Took the girls to the park and the pool a couple times.  Did some shopping and running around.  It has just been nice to leave work at work and play a little.  I didn't even do too much cleaning or anything like I usually do.  Just relaxed.   I have several more days to kill 3-5...so looking forward to more down time!

This coming week is clerk conference so I'll be in St. George listening to classes.  With any luck they won't be too boring.  On the bright side they will have some classes on our new system so I will hopefully learn some tricks to make my job easier.  We'll see!

Dallas went in and talked to Pres Ells last week and he seems to be doing good this week.  Pres E has him text him every day about how his day was.  Bryce says his old g-friend has a new boy friend so hopefully that will help.  She wasted no time!  Yikes.  We are trying our hardest to keep him outta trouble!  Big job!

Well I hope you are doing great and enjoying your new area.  Be sure to tell us lots and send pix etc.  We LOVE hearing about you. You are amazing.  

Love you!!! Mom.

10/09/11 Chocolate cookies, bouncy houses, going through the W

10/9/11

Hey Aj!  How's it going?

It's fast Sunday for us so we are busy making delicious goodies for AFTER CHURCH!!!!

Sam and Nikki are blessing CiCi today and after church invited us to come over for potluck dinner.  We made pretzel jello and some coconut chocolate bar.  I also am making choco-chip pumpkin bread but it will be for later since it won't be done by the time they start the dinner. Ummmmm.....

It's been another pretty good week that flew by!  Yesterday they had a taste of Dixie -- event -- in the park.  I took the girls over and they got to do the bouncy house and make puppets and walk around and play bean bag toss and stuff.  Bryce drove us (only held on to the side of the car a couple of times!!!) .  He will go just about anywhere these days to get to drive.  He's coming along.  MUCH better than when he first started.  I wondered if he had ever watched anybody drive ever.  Haha.  Poor guy has gigantic feet and doesn't have good control over them.  So we sometimes take off a little quicker than he intends I think!!!  Shhh...don't tell him I said that...he's sensitive about teasing about how he drives.

I have been trying to work with Katie to "groom" herself better.  She is still a little girl and wants to not brush her hair or teeth or wear deodorant but she needs all that.  She tried to curl her hair today with rollers and was in tears because she was burning her fingers and couldn't get it to roll correctly.  Aahhh...see how much easier it was to be a boy?  I just shaved your head and you were adorable.

I have had a couple of days off work and it feels SO good.  We had a regional meeting Friday where we went to a class all morning with other clerks and Washington City hosted this year.  So I didn't work Friday.  Monday is Columbus day!  Yeah.  I still have 5 or 6 days to burn this month so I don't plan to work much this next week if I can help it.  We'll see!  Of course the court is really busy so I always pay for it when I take off but I'm enjoying the down time while I have it.

We played kickball Wednesday night for YW and it was really fun.  Way more than I expected.  I was thinking it was going to be lame (I'm not really into sports, ya know?!)  -- but we had a great time.  I took a face plant with the ball at the beginning.  Thank stung for awhile!  Then I tackled one of the girls on the next play (pay it forward!).  Then we settled in and just had fun.  We didn't even know the score but nobody cared (we are such girls!)  There was a handful of guys from the other ward that wanted to play too but we wouldn't let them.  They kept running through and begging but we said, no this is a girls game!

Gma said to tell you they are in Moab this week on an Elder hostel and she loves you but won't be writing this week.  They are doing well and traveling for a 10 day trip. They'll be home Wednesday night.  They of course sent you more $ and love you lots.  So XOXO from Gma and pa G!

Dad is nursing his leg back to health.  He isn't "better" yet but he seems to be on the road to recovery.  I can see improvements.

Bryce is really turning into a super nice kid.  He is constantly surprising me.  He seems to really be trying to be a gentleman and rushes to get my doors and carry my groceries.   He is getting all A's still except for the dreaded Algebra or Geometry or whatever math he is in with Dallas.  They both have B's.  Dallas outscored Bryce on his last test and Bryce was bummed.  Funny!

Dallas is almost done his acne treatment and he is looking so good.  I know he is very happy about it.  Bryce actually started on the stuff this week.  So in 8 months we should have zit free males in our family!  Yo!

Friday Holly called me at work.  I saw the caller ID come up that it was Wash Ele but I couldn't get the phone (on another line)...so I was a little worried.  Muddy butt?  Holy pants?  vomit? What could be wrong?  I tried to call right back but the line was busy so I made another call and helped another customer.  A little while later she called again and I grabbed the phone and she was like, Mom?  This is Holly.  I made the Dean's list!  I get to walk through the W today!  I guess they forgot to send home the usual note and so all the kids had to call their parents.  Most of the kids were in their Friday wear and not dressed up like they usually get for that. 

Actually she's probably happy she got to wear her jeans and not have to be uncomfy all day long!  Katie is on student council so she was up at the front helping out and smiling happy Holly got her award and then got to go stand up on the stage close to Katie.  They were cute.   Good girls. !!!!

Katie has a boy named Dallas in her class that is a recent transfer student.  She has been kind of "interested" in him since he has the same name as her brother.  She likes to tell us all about "Dallas did this" and "Dallas did that".  It's cute.  Anyway...Dallas had a meltdown this week at school.  He kicked some kid in the stomach on the soccer field.  I guess the kid went and told on him.  After recess the kids went into the classroom and not long later the V.P and another adult came into the class to get Dallas.  I guess he knew what was coming and wasn't interested in complying because he lifted up and threw a desk and a chair.  Mrs. Bundy moved Anni out of the way just in time.  The adults each grabbed one of his arms and carried him out of the classroom.  Katie says she could hear him yelling and carrying on all the way down the hall.  A little too much drama for a 4th grade classroom, eh?  He may have gotten suspended...we'll see.  Katie is kinda bummed. 

Katie is in book club and they are reading HOLES right now.  We read that out loud when you were younger, do you remember?  Katie is already finished.  She blew through that in a big hurry.  LOVED it.  Great book!  

Well everybody is doing well here and after a week of rain (not anything like your rain...but dismal for our area none the less) we are enjoying sunshine and 70 again.  Aaaaahhhh today is perfect!  

Everyone has been asking about you today (we saw lots of people at church and at Steven's house this afternoon.)  They can't believe you have been out almost a year already.  I hope it is flying by for you too!

From your mission pres blog it says Santiago was the worst hit area for the typhoon...were you there during the worst of it or did you come along AFTER it was all over?  Did you have power?  She said many of you were without power for some time...days???  

Anyway hope you are doing well.  Things are good here.  We are just trying to do the right thing day after day...kind a boring but good!  Love you lots!

Katie and Holly bore their testimony's today and Sister Buatte gave them each a CTR ring.  Trumps the old smarties, eh?!  Sister Buatte sure has been actively trying to encourage the girls to do good.  She is a super sweet lady.  She reads your blogs every week and always sends along words of encouragement and love.  

K, love you lots and can't wait to hear what exciting and wonderful experiences you've had this week!!! 

XOXO Mom, Katie and Holly

10/02/11 Conference, Marathon & a Holly funny

10/2/11

Well the typhoon reports out of the Phillipines this week are kinda scary.  I am sure you are fine (mission president said you were prepared and not to worry) but it still looks wet and yucky and miserable and scary!  So how did you weather the storms?  From what I can tell the pictures we are seeing are about 200 miles south of you...so does that mean your area was ok?  The latest report said 59 people died from the storm.

Did you get transferred?

We are watching conference right now so I am trying to pay attention and write to you.  It's been a busy but good week.  Court was once again very busy and long.  Worked until 9 p.m. again this Tuesday.  I gotta cut that out.  I really dislike being in the building after dark alone.  Gives me the willies.  Dad came over when I told him I was alone but I feel bad making him come over.  It's kinda boring.  We handled 61 cases from 3:30-8 p.m. Tuesday.  That is a lot.

I have 7 days to take off before my yearly anniversary date at work which is Nov 7 or 11 or something.  Can't remember exactly...but it's coming fast.  So I need to take off a couple of days each week until then.  (Ya, right?:!)  So I took off Thursday and Friday this past week.  Wow...that was nice!  Dad and I will be married 23 years on Tuesday (so I probably will hardly see him that day!) -- so we got a suite over at the Abby Inn and spent the night Thursday.  We went over and then had to come back to do some things for YW (Marathon this weekend) and then went back.  We went out to eat and walked around St. George.  We went for a late night swim.  Stayed up late.  Slept in.  Ate a yummy breakfast.  Ran some errands.  Went to the strip mall and then came home.  It was so nice to have some quiet time alone.

The kids did ok with out us.  Came home and the house was really nicely picked up.  I think we should leave town more often!  They do better without us.  Dallas and Bryce are better parents than we are!!!

I took the girls swimming and to the library Friday afternoon.

Saturday I got up at 3 a.m. and got hot water ready for the kids to have hot coco.  The boys got up a little after 3:30 a.m. and we got to church around 4 a.m.  We had to get out tables and boards and make sure we had all the "stuff" for the marathon.  We had a great turnout.  38 people all together.  We got up to Veyo around 5 a.m. and by 6:40 were all ready for the runners.  The kids had donuts and hot coco while we waited.  Everyone was very cheerful and helpful and happy.  I think the first runners came through a little after 7 and then it was a mad house until 8.  Shortly after 8 we started cleaning up and by 9 ish we were ready to head down the mountain.  (Much faster than I remember last year being).  I was very happy!!!  The boys had to play in the band until 12.  They were TIRED boys!!!

Sister Condie called and asked what I was up to last night.  Her hubby was going to conference and she was going stir crazy.  I told her I had some errands to run and asked if she wanted to join us.  She did.  She brought her car since she has 3 car seats and we took paper to recycle.  Then we went to the DI.  She helped me find costumes for Katie and Holly.  Katie wants to be a mime and Holly a University of Hawaii cheerleader.  We did really good.  Got Katie a jumper and t-shirt with matching hat and shoes and got Holly a skirt and shirt and shoes(not matching...just shoes) for $24.  The shoes will work for both girls for school too (which they needed) so I felt really good about that!  I'll have to get some pix and send them to you.  Today I made a big H for Holly's shirt and put glitter around it.  Came out cute.  Still need to find her pom poms and she has some green sneakers so she is going to be really cute.

I asked Holly if she wanted to be a mime like Katie and she was like..."NO WAY!  I couldn't be QUIET that long!!!!"  Ha, doesn't that sound like her?!  So instead she is going to be a loud in our face cheerleader!  Go Holly!

I will try to send a pix or two on a separate email.

I hope you are doing well and staying dry!  I love you lots.  I'm enjoying 4 days away from work now and would be happy to be away a little longer.  I finally feel relaxed and happy and I'm going to have to jump back into a busy week tomorrow.  Darn!

XOXO mom.