You win some...you lose some.

Found this note on my bed...

Translation: Dear Mom. I love you but sometimes you are mean. But no matter where we go you always I love you always (she said she got kind of confused there). Friends Again. Hallee.

Thanks Hals. Glad we could work that out.

Wild Weekend Fun!

We had a wild and crazy weekend full of fun Halloween festivities. Friday night we went to Hallee's school carnival and had a blast. The kids played tons of games, Hope and Hallee learned a Monster Mash dance, and Caymbree stole the show with her cute little witch costume and squeaky shoes.

Saturday morning I was up at the crack of dawn and over at the church for Super Saturday. Everything went great but I am SO glad it's over. Another check off my to-do list. Saturday afternoon I took Hope and Hallee to see HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3. We LOVED it. I LOVED it. Don't judge me. Just go see it!!!

Sunday morning Hope and Hallee had their Primary program at church. They both did awesome with their parts but next time I might need to re-think telling Hope to sing really loud. During "I am a Child of God" it was pretty hard NOT to hear Hope yelling I mean, singing the song. Hallee had volunteered to be part of a small group of kids to sing a verse of "Called to Serve" in Spanish. She attended practices each Sunday to learn the song. Troy and I were beaming with pride to see her come out of her shell and perform.

Right after the Primary Program we jumped in the car and headed for Logan. We made it just in time for the luncheon following my cousins baby blessing on the Larsen side. We then spent a couple of hours at my parents house and then off to Jim and Amanies (cousin) house for an amazing Halloween party.

Hope and Jake showing off their mean pirate faces

All the cute little cousins showing off their costumes

The pirate and the poodle girl

And the highlight of the party was when Grandma and Grandpa surprised everyone by showing up in costume. Aren't they the greatest!!!

It was so good to be back in Logan with all the family. I think I was getting a little homesick. It's amazing how ridiculously hard it is too pull off a trip home. By about 7pm we loaded back up in the car and headed for home. Thanks for such a fun party Jim and Am!!!

By the time we got home all I could think about was having a day at home to re-group. That's when I remembered the Halloween party for playgroup. One of my committee members had worked so hard at preparing for the occasion so I really wanted to support her. And then there is always that nagging thought "what if no one shows up?" Silly me. 17 adults and 33+ kids made for a rip-roaring playgroup! We came home got Hope out of her costume for a few hours until it was time for dancing. Then back in the costumes, bag full of treats, and off to their Halloween dance party. I couldn't help but think of my friends comment regarding spending money on Halloween costumes that they only get to wear one night. Oh just you wait.... I think this season my kids will have worn their costumes on five different occasions before the holiday is over. I definitely get my money's worth!!! (Especially when Hope's is a hand-me-down from Hallee, Hallee's is borrowed from a friend, and I bought Caymbree's last year after Halloween for SIX dollars!!!!) And Troy says I can't budget!

pUNkIN fEsT

Our friends, the Galke's kicked off Halloween with a rock'n party complete with a carving contest, face painting, pizza and prizes. It is one of many Halloween parties we will be attending this year but this one will be hard to beat. Thanks for a great time guys!!

Gardner Village

Next item on the fall agenda....Gardner Village. I'm not sure if we made the mistake or if we lucked out by unknowingly showing up during the Wee Witches Weekend. It was crazy busy with people everywhere but it also meant lots of crafts, food and activities for the kids to choose from. My only real gripe came when I had to wait 25 minutes in a line of cars just to get out of the parking lot. We were SO excited when Grandma Smith and great Grandma Larsen decided to join us for the day. Their company makes everything more exciting.

What's a little mess....

It's sugar cookie time again. This time I got a little braver and decided to let the kids and their friends cut out their own shapes. I think they had more fun doing that that actually decorating them. I'm pretty sure I am going to find flour in the nooks and crannies of my hardwood floor for the next month or so but it was all worth it. Another memory in the making.

Picture Perfect Night at the Pumpkin Patch

Taking the kids to the PumPkin PaTCh has become one of our favorite family traditions. Rows and rows of pumpkins to pick from -- however will one choose?? Hallee goes straight for the biggest one she can find. Hope goes for something cute and small and Caymbree just wanders around tripping over the vines. After a three day COLD spell it felt like the perfect evening to be at the pumpkin patch. 15 pumpkins and $30.00 later we called it a success. Stayed tuned for more fall fun....

Alter Ego

Recently while delegating assignments I had a woman tell me "no, I'm too busy. I just can't do it." And while I nodded sympathetically to her list of reasons, I couldn't help but have a Lizzie McGuire moment. You know. The one where the cartoon version alter ego of yourself pops out and says everything you wish you could say but are too polite to actually do so. Anyway... the conversation went something like this...

"Oh ya, let's compare schedules. Currently in my duties as second councilor in the Relief Society I am attending meetings, doing weekly visits, finalizing and collecting money for Super Saturday, in the process of planning the Christmas enrichment, and meeting and overseeing the committee. On top of that, I am also serving as the VP of the Utah Judges Association and receive and transmit weekly e-mails, gather paperwork, make name badges, and sign-up sheets in preparation for our next big workshop the first in November. If that is not enough I am also preparing for my own drill team competition the first of December. Add to that volunteering in Hallee's school, helping out with the school carnival and classroom Halloween party. Then you can add the craft project I decided to make and sale at my competition. Hope's birthday is just around the corner and as it will be her first friend birthday party it will require some thought and preparation. Christmas and Hallee's birthday are looming out there as well. With two birthday's and Christmas in the wings I better substitute teach once a week to earn a little cash. Oh, ya. I also am in the middle of publishing my blog in hope to have it in time for Christmas." All the while I am hand on hip, head bobb'n, finger waving, just to make my point.

Then I take a deep breath, the alter poofs into thin air, I smile and say I understand, tell her I will find someone else (me, of course), and tell her not to worry about it. However, as the days have passed I have managed to find little admiration. At least she had the ability to say NO. Maybe I should try it sometime.

Just in time

One word. ECONOMY. Give anyone else a serious stomachache? It's been on my mind a lot lately. How could it not. It's everywhere!!! And while I feel somewhat secure in my own little life I can't help but feel a little sense of urgency. Urgency to update my food storage. Urgency to pinch my pennies and save for a rainy day. Urgency to take a break from finishing the basement (bummer), and to make sure all my ducks are in a row. And I hate to admit it but along with that urgency comes the fear. Fear of the unknown. What lies ahead? I'm watching it effect people all around me. Carmax just laid off 600 employees nationwide last week. Houses keep popping up for sale in my neighborhood. One of Hallee's cute little friends just moved in effort to downsize. I guess it only makes sense to be a little scared.



With it constantly on my mind Elder Jeffrey R. Hollands talk in General Conference yesterday felt like it was directed straight at me. I loved it. My favorite quote was towards the end when he said...

"The latter days are not a time to fear and tremble. They are a time to be believing and live our covenants. The Lord will fight our battles, our children's battles and their children's battles.... and what does he ask of us in return? We are asked to SEARCH DILIGENTLY, PRAY ALWAYS and BE BELIEVING.

It was just in time...and just for me.

How full is your bucket?

A few months ago I read a great book called "How Full is Your Bucket?" by Tom Rath and Don Clifton. The theory is that each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending on what others say or do to us. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it's empty, we feel awful.

Each of us also has a "dipper". When we use that dipper to fill other people's buckets - by saying or doing things to increase their positive emotions- we also fill our own bucket. But when we use that dipper to dip from others' buckets - by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions - we diminish ourselves.

Like the cup that runneth over, a full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. Every drop in that bucket makes us stronger and more optimistic.
But an empty bucket poisons our outlook, saps our energy, and undermines our will. That's why every time someone dips from our bucket, it hurts us.

So it was this idea that inspired our theme for our visiting teaching workshop. We used the theory to evaluate what type of visiting teacher each of us are. Do you leave a drop in your sisters bucket leaving her spiritually uplifted and edified? Or do you overstay your welcome, dumping all of your problems and gossip onto her?

It was a fabulous evening full of food, fun and games. And the decorations turned out quite nicely if I can say so myself. :)

These are the "posters" I displayed around the church the past month.
We then made 45 individual "buckets" (thanks to a mom of triplets who goes through ONE can of formula A DAY!).
The table centerpiece had a grouping of buckets and the poem "I'm just a visiting teacher." Each sister got to choose one of the buckets to take home.
After a get-to-know you game we had the sisters come and "fill their buckets" with lots of goodies (chocolate, cute magnets, "drops" to fill someone's bucket, a laminated, magnetized handout called "the Ten Commandments for Visiting Teachers," and the story of the bucket theory.

It was our first big event as a presidency and it got me really excited to work with them. Now on to Super Saturday.

Oh and by the way.... the book is great for families. It makes you stop and look at the daily interactions you have with your children. I think all too often I am dipping from my kids buckets when I am the one person in their life who should make sure it is overflowing. Just food for thought.