Push back the darkness

Nathan took this one on the last scout camping trip . . . with our little camera. . . amazing detail

Today I heard one of the best high council messages in recent memory. The topic was daily scripture study. Two powerful ideas:

1) Would you think it was a good idea to run a marathon each week and not train any other days? Would it be good to get 30 inches of rain in 24 hours to last a season? Assume each person needs 2000 calories per week, should they get all 14,000 on Sunday and none the rest of the days?

2)We live in a world full of darkness. The scriptures bring light. Push back the darkness! Teach your children to love the light.

This week:
Swimming
Band concert
Gymnastics
YW in Excellence
Went to storytime with a friend
Practiced riding a bike
Walked our favorite dog twice
Fed the sister missionaries salmon (Went out on a limb with fish. When I asked them if there was anything they didn't want, they said "Pasta" so I obliged. I think they were OK with it).
Found a paint color
And a dearth of cute & appropriate 12 year old girl clothes at JCPenney
Talked to our 95 year old grandma (& great-grandma) on her b-day to wish her a special day
Taught deacon's quorum lesson (Andrew)
Had choir
Bought 12 cans of Rotel tomatoes b/c I was out and they were $. 49 per can 
Introduced Bryn to my Barre class (I went 2 times this week)
Bought two books (I know, I said no more cookbooks . . . but then this was written and I changed my mind):The Romney Family Table
and the second one is this: Sunday Morning Quilts
Found a new recipe website, I am sorry: Remedialeating.com
(Wanting to try a couple of her Rhubarb idea & two Indian dishes, as well)
Got home from work early on Friday
Worked on the mudroom wall in the garage . . . .pics to come
Hosted my parents for dinner
Picked out the mistake in my latest sewing project so I can proceed
Took Caitlin to the orthodontist
Went to the temple with all the youth from our stake
Started reading the Secret Garden to Diana (best book ever)
Got the brown bananas off the counter
Raked one bag of leaves

Have a great week!

Band Concert

Pretty cool you can "go" to this concert from miles away. Hard to see Andrew in this video, but he's in the back row of trombones.

Scoutmaster

Think Nathan's enjoying his new calling?

(He told me how much the boys liked driving through that particular mud puddle).

The end of October

Halloween is growing on me. I really used to dislike it and now it's more fun--a chance to be someone else for the night.

I told Andrew I would spend $5 on his costume, and this is what he came up with . . . not bad for free:

The uniform wasn't free this summer when he played baseball . . . but at least it didn't cost more now.

Bryn got the same $5, but only spent about $3.

Waitress

Her first year trick or treating with friends . . . and she loved it.

Caitlin also went with friends for the first time. Sad for me, but a necessary step.

Diana wanted to wear the family tradition . . . . but only for school.

For church she was a witch again like last year

And here's Ed . . . in the $5 costume I bought the day after Halloween at Target (a million years ago in Chicago when it fit Andrew). This was for the ward party . . . for Halloween he wore the one below:

October was a great month weather-wise. We enjoyed many busy days. Nathan worked two Saturday mornings helping with flood cleanup, our family did the 5K, we went to Cheyenne to watch the BYU Ballroom dancers with my family (and left Nathan and the boys to watch some football on cable TV . . . a novelty because we don't have it). That's on top of the daily things: morning piano lessons & choir, afternoon football, cross country, swimming, and walking the neighbor's dog. Add in tutoring twice a week and I am surprised how many things that are not written down get accomplished anyway.

Days of coming & going, and breakfast, lunch and dinner in shifts. Two leave for middle school together and then an hour and a half later, two more leave for elementary. Someone needs a ride or I have to get more groceries. It's busy and crazy and great & stressful all at once. No better job. 

Without fail, annually sometime close to Oct 20th I want to go sugar free . . . . but it never lasts. 
We are buried under a small mountain of Halloween candy. This year we had dentist appointments on Nov. 1st. So ironic.

The best part of all that Halloween candy? TRADING!!!!