Ladies Night

Erin hosted the girls in my family at her house last night to decorate pumpkins like she saw in a magazine this month. We ate, chatted and crafted until late, blinging out the pumpkins as much as we could.  I love these ladies so much, and am very lucky to have them.  I think we all had a good time, and just might have to do it again.

Sam

Look who we finally got to come with us to a game!! Sam was very hesitant and wanted to back out, but I talked him into it.  Promises of his pick of all the yummy stadium food seemed to help convince him.  And like his brother, Sam sat and ate and ate for most of the game.  I bought pizza, cotton candy, and a cougar tail (a huge maple bar) and he was still asking for more at the end of the game.  Sam was rather quiet during the game and didn't look as joyful as he does in his picture, but I don't think he hated it.  I do know that he does not want to come to another game this year, but he just might come again the next.  I sure hope so.  It is fun for me and Chad as parents to have the 2 on 1 and be able to dote on each of them a little.  This is not the only reason that I will be sad to see the football season come to an end, (I just love those Cougars:), but one of them.

Tonight I got to spend a little bit of quality time with Sam as we worked on a project for school.  He brought this pumpkin home for school last week with the instructions to turn it into a character from a book, just no carving.  Sam was very excited about this, and was asking me all weekend to start it.  Of course I procrastinated until Sunday, but what else is new?  After looking over my very scantly supply of crafting supplies, I got the idea of turning into Splat from the "Splat the Cat" books.  I am not very crafty, but I think we did pretty well.  Sam's face says it all, and I know he is excited to take it to school tomorrow.  I just am hoping that "Splat" survives the bus ride. :) 

Temple Ready

My plan for the temple groundbreaking, was to have all of us go to the nice warm stake center and watch it from there.  It was bitterly cold that week, and looked like it would be just as bad during the early morning ceremony.  However, I was honestly very disappointed that such a neat experience would be happening just 2 blocks from my house and I was not going to see it in person.  Well, the night before Chad was able somehow to get 2 tickets from a guy at work that was not going to use them.  I was excited, but knew that both Chad and I couldn't both go because who would watch the kids?  Chad's parents had tickets too, and all of my babysitters in the ward should be going with their families as well.  Chad, bless his heart, knew that I wanted to go badly and sweetly offered to stay back with the kids while I found someone to take with me.  

I called my good friend Sheila, who was more than happy to brave the cold with me.  I was impressed to find out that she wanted to be there so much that she would have gone down to stand whether or not she had a ticket.  So early the next morning, (8 a.m.), and one hour before the groundbreaking started, Sheila and I walked down the street towards the temple grounds.  Yes, it was cold and raining and by the end of the ceremony I was very much aware that I did not dress warm enough, but I didn't care.  I was the presence of Elder and Sister Dallin H. Oaks, and heard him bless and dedicate that piece of land for what I am certain will be the most beautiful temple I have ever seen.  The excitement was palpable, and the spirit was strong.  

Like Sheila said, "When will something like this ever happen so close to where we live again?"  I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be apart of the many who froze that morning.  To hear the first shovels turn the dirt.  It will be an experience that I will always cherish.

A couple of hours later, after Chad and I took the kids out to lunch, we decided to drive by the temple site.  We were so happy to see the row of golden shovels still there, and people still coming to take a turn.  We quickly got the kids out of the car, as messy as we were, not wanting to miss the opportunity.  What a neat thing for the kids to say that they got to dig in the dirt on that special day, for the temple that in later years they will be doing baptisms for the dead in, and maybe even receiving their endowments and getting married in.  From the news reports, it looks like construction on the temple will not continue until the spring, but that's okay.  We are still very much excited and ready.

Tea Party with Ida Mae

On Friday, we were invited to a little tea party with Ida Mae, the kids' favorite "grandma" in the ward.  The Binks' and the Wolfe's were invited too.  This party was Carolyn's idea, and she had set out a table with cheese sandwiches, cookies, muffins and punch, and then then all the kids played games like "Mother May I" and "Run Sheepy Run" afterwards, how cute is she?  Even though it was a beautiful afternoon, Ida Mae was happily content sitting under a blanket and watching all the kids play, and getting hugs from each as they left the party.  We sure love these two ladies and are so lucky to know them.  

Picture Proof

Last night we headed over to the Hunsaker's for dinner, and so Chad could go to the Priesthood session with his Dad, Grandpa and brothers.  (We missed you Russ.:)  Normally, Chad does NOT want his picture taken, but this time he was looking forward to it.  

You HAVE to have noticed in my last few pics how skinny my Chad has gotten.  He is in the last week of his second round of the "healthy challenge"  and is still losing weight week by week. I am so proud of him.

If you haven't, check out this picture below.  This was taken before Priesthood session just this last May.  He said this is the picture that when he saw, he knew he needed to do something. Since this picture (well, actually since June), Chad has lost 55 pounds! How cool is that?  And now, the proof is in the picture. 

Are you ready for some FoOtBaLL?

I have been in heaven the last few weeks.  As I have mentioned before, last year I only got to attend the home opener for the Cougars, but stayed home the rest of the season with Jack while Chad took my boys.  It felt like it had been forever since I had been to a game, and rightfully so.  We bought 3 seats this year, so we could treat one of the kids each time.  

The home opener was against Utah, and had a late start, so we opted to sell our third seat for this game, since our kids are usually in bed by 8:30.  It turned out to be for the best because it was a horrible...ahem... game and wasn't fun anyway.

The only real bright spot of the game was this clever baby announcement by Chad's little brother Russ and his wife Misty!  This is their first, so we are pretty excited for them.

The next week was Central Florida, and we took Keaton.  He did great until the food ran out, and then he seemed pretty bored after that until he started playing games on my phone.  He downed a hot dog, nachos, and a snow cone.  The cutest parts of the game was seeing him read the fight song on the monitor and singing and clapping along with us, boy he is growing up!               

This last game against Utah State, we were thinking of bringing Sam, but he opted out, saying it is too long. Emmi on the other hand, really wanted to go, and so we brought her. She was so cute chanting "BIU..BIU!" I swear we spent more money on her than we did Keaton. She wanted nachos, licorice, cotton candy and a snow cone, and then spent the rest of the game wanting to go up the "twisty stairs" or sprawling across Chad and I.  Like a typical girl she liked watching the cheerleaders, and loved singing the fight song as well.  The night was capped off with a huge win in a dramatic fashion, which is always nice.  We will see if we can persuade Sam to come to the next one.

Messy, messy!

My little shadow is a whirlwind these days.  Cute as he is, this boy can make a mess!!  Last night, while I was playing a game with Sam, Jack made this mess at my feet.  It only took him 10 minutes, maybe less.  This is a usual occurrence at our house, and I find myself picking up after him all day long. 

His new favorite thing is the dishwasher.  Somehow Jack figured out how to reach up and unlatch it, and so he loves to open the door and climb on top if we don't stop him first.  Since there is not a lock on it, we basically have to put dirty dishes in once he has gone to bed, and unload it first thing in the morning so he will not play with any of the clean or dirty dishes.  Leave it to him to figure that one out.  None of my other 3 figured that out, and no, I know they did not teach him.  He figured it out by himself.    

In other news... look who lost his first 2 teeth!