Daybook 10-11-15

Outside My Window...

The leaves are changing colors and they are beautiful.  I especially love having a Maple tree in our backyard.

I am Thankful...
for good jobs and a nice house.  I realize that not everyone has the things we take for granted everyday.

I am Thinking About...
the week ahead, wanting to make sure I don't forget anything.

Notes About School...
The boys love school, 3rd, 1st and joyschool.  They are always happy to go.  Ryan is really impressing me at reading.

From the Kitchen...
The kids were ecstatic to have tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.  Ha! Easy!

I am Creating...
lists...always...lists of things to do and things to remember.  We juggle a lot, Tony and I.

I am Working On...
consistency.

I am Reading...
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

I am Praying...
for primary callings.

I am Struggling...
with consistency.  Always.  There is always something changing in my schedule and I need to learn how to stick to things and adapt to changes and keep my self-care consistent.

I am Hearing...
primary music because it's playing in the boys' room as they drift to sleep.  Love it.  It's the primary program practice CD which means it's almost the primary program!  Yay!

Around the House...
Jet is snuggling with Tony who isn't feeling well. The toddlers are sleeping and the boys are close to sleeping.

One of my Favorite Things...
Evelyn is "Aye" for yes.  We don't know why except for maybe she's tapping into her Scottish roots.

A Few Plans for the Next Week...
I have a few families I want to make meals for so I want to make sure I think of something good to take them.  I also want to put away all of the food storage I got this week.

Winco was having a case lots sale so I stalked up on beans, corn, chili, and mandarin oranges.  Woo hoo!

October Conference Weekend--Part 5

For the second part of our trip Grandma Kate, Grandpa J and our little family stayed with cousins.  It was so fun to get to know Annie, Ellie, Jake and Sophie even more.  They are darling.

Annie and Evelyn are coloring during this session.  Annie drew some awesome portraits of the prophet and his counselors.

Then we hiked to Battlecreek Falls.

After the second session, the kids played outside.

Then we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and coughing Tony watched the youngest two while I took the older two to visit my dear childhood friend and her family.  We didn't want Tony around their new baby boy.  But Tony kept the kids enterained.  I love this video of Jase because he says, "Yay-hoo!".  That is probably my favorite thing he says right now. 

And Max, Ryan and I got to hang with this awesome family!  Josh, Kim, Laney, Sadie and we got to met baby Colton!!!  Love them!

The next day we traveled home.  It takes all day to travel to or from Utah.  It's almost 13 hours without stops.  But even though it's long and I wish it was closer, it was so worth the drive.  Hopefully we can swing doing this at least once a year!

October Conference Weekend--Part 4

The whole reason we came to Utah this weekend was for these moments.  What a blessing it was to be in the same room as the prophet and his apostles.  

We were excited as we walked to the conference center.  I had to get a pic of Grandpa and Max holding hands.

Words cannot describe how amazing it is to be in there.

We even got to sit with a former missionary who served in our ward and his brother. :)

We got to stand as the prophet walked in and hear as the 3 new apostles were announced.  Everything was good but I did have a favorite.  Elder Holland's Talk, "Behold Thy Mother".  It was wonderful to be there listening to these inspired words and to put my arm around my oldest.  Being 8, he was a little silly and teased me by wiggling away (note: he is still normally a snuggler thank goodness) and in his perfect 8 year-old-ness and trying to be funny, when Elder Holland quoted the rhetorical, "Can a woman forget her sucking child?" Max said (not-too-quietly), "YEP".  There were a few snickers coming from Balcony 4. ; )  

Ah sweet boy!

We explored the outside of the conference center and temple square.

What a wonderful day!

Then we had dinner at Grandpa's favorite restaurant in Lehi, "Porter's Place".  It was very old-timey and fun.

October Conference Weekend---Part 3

I love BYU and Provo.  I feel so lucky to have gone to school at BYU and to get to go to a BYU football game was amazing!

First we drove by the new Provo temple.  It's beautiful!

Tony and I in front of the Y on the mountain.

This was the flag that was unrolled during the Star Spangled banner.  Awesome!

The marching band

Fireworks before the players ran out onto the field.

And the shameless selfies.

It was a fun game and we won!

Half-Time---"Shake it Off"

Half-Time---A Tribute to Law Enforcement

Time Out--Dance Cam--and they play Max's song.  I think this is the only song I didn't dance to because I wanted to record it for Max.

Field goal!

And my favorite!  The fight song!  Every time we scored the flag runners ran around the whole field, we sang the fight song and the ROTC did push ups (number of push-ups equaled our score)!  I wanted to show the kids that it really is sung at games and not just when I wake them up.  Again, didn't sing because I was recording but it was soooo hard not to!

It sprinkled on us a few times but we were prepared for more.

ROTC's cannon.

On the way back to our car we saw Cosmo!!!!