More Fall Fun

I thought it would be fun to get the family group for Shawn's deployed unit together for a fun night out. Gardner Village does a Wee Witches Night Out every year and I knew it would be the perfect place to get out and spend time together as a group. As I was doing the girls make-up to go with their costumes, I quickly realized that Shawn and I will not be letting them date until they are in their 20's at least.

The kids had a great time and we ladies were able to chat and bond. Our conversations were filled with alot of "I hear ya"'s and I felt many times throughout the night much gratitude for being able to know these women.



Below are two out of a few kids in the FRG group that the girls loved spending time with.

Some friends and I took the kids to Hee Haw Farm today. After some hayriding, animal tractor training, big sliding, pumpkin picking, Boo housing, and animal petting, we were all pretty tired! I love fall and all the fall fun there is to be had.

Artwork

I have kind of given up on keeping my mirrors and windows clean. At least the ones that are readily accessible to a small red-headed boy. I have a large framed mirror in my bedroom that runs low enough for him to touch. Each time I clean the glass, he walks right up and starts licking, smearing, and face-pulling. So I let it go longer than usual because, let's face it, it means more work in the end. It got to the point where every time I would look at those fingerprints I would feel annoyed that no matter how hard I clean, this little two year old is right behind me ready to undo. So as I watched Conference through the heavily fingerprinted T.V. screen, President Monson's words touched me as he encouraged us to enjoy each stage of life and even went on to say that the fingerprints that cover every surface of our homes would one day be missed. I think we all know it is truth but it is easy to forget while in the "trenches" of the daily grind. Though our family laughs together often, I must admit that I lost focus and let those sweet little fingerprints represent frustration rather than joy. My heart is sorry for that. Thank goodness for renewal.

264 days have passed since this whole assignment started. That is alot of time. With about 42 days left until leave, it actually seems to be getting more difficult to not focus on how much I miss Shawn. But the excitement we all feel is growing as the days pass. Over the years as Shawn has had to leave us to fulfill military assignments, I have thought alot about single parents and those who gracefully live with lonliness daily. I am grateful to the many bright examples there are of people who 'forget themselves and get to work'. I am so completely grateful as well for the vein of peace that connects each day to the next. Just grateful-that's all.

Bag Lady

Yesterday at Wal-Mart I had a lovely encounter with a cute old lady. As I was grabbing a bag of celery, she stopped me and said, "Now do you know how to pick good celery?" I thought for a mintue. I know how to pick out good produce in just about every category-but not celery! And though celery is not usually the determining ingredient in many receipes, I thought it might be a good time to learn. So she told me that good celery is found purely by weight. After watching her give me SEVERAL examples (and a pop quiz) of right and wrong celeries, she marched me over to the freezers. She said, "This world is getting crazier and crazier! The price of peppers is 10 cents higher than it was last year!" I did realize the price of peppers had gone up but not enough to avoid them completely. So she showed me a frozen bag of cut, mixed peppers for a dollar 37. She had me smell the bag (which smelled really good), and guarunteed that what the picture diplayed on the bag was exactly what I would get inside. None of this marketing hanky panky that runs wildly out of control on some packaging. I was actually grateful because I am picky over what I buy frozen vs. fresh. Anyway, the peppers are great and it eliminates any waste. As we walked out of the aisle, she yelled over to the freezer re-stocking lady, "Just converted another one." I wondered how many women she had shared this tid-bit with. I thanked her and as I went on my way, with a wink she said, " We women have to stick together." What a darling woman she is! One day I hope to be that little old lady in Wal-Mart. And I think my focus will be something like eggplant...

Pictures that make me happy...

I love this picture of Nessa and Tilly
And this one of Abi at the Roof Top.
I love my girls!

Inside Victory over America Palace

This is just one of the two football size ballrooms that this palace had. It was huge...such a waste.