Halloween Family Dinner

This year instead of me making everything for our Halloween Dinner each of the kids brought something.  It was nice having help since dinner is so soon after church.  I made intestines (big noodles in sauce) that could be topped with maggots. (shredded cheese)  Natalie brought bones. (breadsticks) Trichelle and Julie brought weeds. (salads)  Kelsi and Braxton brought Sadie all dressed up in a cute Halloween dress and monsters. (doughnuts) Jaydan made brew. (lime sherbet drink)  Trichelle also brought a tray of colorful brownies.  It was yummy and fun having everyone here.

When everyone is here the house is noisy and messy and lots happening.  I love it!  I love visiting with my kids and watching the grands enjoy each other.  The little girls are interacting more and more and are so cute.

I sure do love my cute family and every single tradition we have that gets us all together.  Booyah!

Hooper Halloween Haunt

Talk about a fun night!  Hooper went all out of the Halloween Haunt.  The people in charge have a talent and know how to get things done.  The people that had booths did a great job.  I haven't been for years and was pleasantly surprised.

Carla and Roger had our family over for dinner before the Haunt and then we all went together.  We really enjoy how easy going and fun Roger and Carla are....they are pretty great!

The park was packed and everything was free.  They had lots of fun things to look at, luminaries lighting the path, music, a movie, a spook alley, a wagon ride, face painting, pumpkin decorating, hot chocolate and cookies, and photo booths.  It was pretty amazing!

A few of us took advantage of a few photo booths. (Roger, Carla and Me)

I knew Natalie and the kids were going to be there but I really didn't think we would find them because of all the people.  When we came to the face painting though we found them.  It was their turn to get their cute faces painted.  They sat so still and the gals did a great job.  They were fast and good.  Pretty fun for the kids.  The sister missionaries were there and one of them was helping paint faces.  My grands didn't get to decorate pumpkins because they were gone by the time they got there.

I remember going to one of the first Hooper Haunts and there might have been 6-8 displays to look at along with the hot chocolate, punch and cookies.  It has certainly improved over the years.  This was such a fun Halloween Event.  I loved it!

 

I asked Macie if she would smile for a picture....she said she would....this is what I got? haha

Witches Night Out at Gardner Village

Carla and I went to Witches Night Out and had a great time! We were hoping more of the "sista's" would have joined us but it just didn't work out.  Gardner Village is a great place any day of the year but in October it's simple "Spooktacular".  It's decorated so cute and there are funky witches everywhere.  Two weekends during the month they have nights set aside for Witches to all hang out together.

I enjoy seeing all the different costumes.  There are many ways to dress like a witch.  This year I was a little disappointed because I didn't see some of the really cool people that I have in years past.  (I kind of think they might being showing up tomorrow night which is the last night)  I've seem some really awesome costumes and people over the years.

One of my favorite parts of witches night out is being "Glinda".  I just wish I was better at playing the character of Glinda and staying in character all night.  I love that people like getting their picture taken with me and my witchie friends.  Carla wasn't really Elephaba but being green and all I think people thought so.  I kept reassuring Carla that Elephaba was a kind witch that just wasn't really treated well...she wasn't really wicked at all.  We were a great combo. I personally thought Carla looked so cute!

We walked around and around and enjoyed watching people dance and have a good time.  We stayed until it started to get cold which was about the time my back was telling me it had had enough.

We stopped at Market Street Grill to surprise Jessica (Carla's Daughter) but she surprised us instead and wasn't there.

It was a fun night.

Book Club

I love my book club.  We always have so much fun together.  Today instead of going out to lunch we brought lunch to Susan's new house.  It was fun sitting around and visiting while we ate.  We always discuss so many things.  I love listening to everyone's insight.  These ladies are smartie pants.

We all gave our book reports on the books we have read.  Sometimes I have a hard remembering what I read.  So my reports are funny and I usually need to read the back of the book to jar my memory.  I ended up borrowing a few books and I hope that I will have time to read them.

I enjoy reading and discussing different books.  I feel like my eyes and mind have been opened up over the years from all the reading I have done.  I'm so thankful for these ladies....I learn so much from each of them.

Things Work Out

This morning I got up and tried uploading my book again.  It was almost complete and the internet went out again.  Of course it went out....it would have surprised me if it hadn't...a pleasant surprise though.  I decided I could wait a few more hours and had plenty of other things that I needed to do to keep my mind occupied.  I was planning on going visiting teaching and I needed to make a cape for my "Glinda" costume.  Before getting off the computer though I tried going to my blog and when I tried I was shocked to see that my blog had been deleted!  That's what the page said...no more blog!

I started to panic and kept trying to tell myself that it would be okay...I had most of my blog in a file already and was only missing the posts from last week.  I could write them again...things would be okay.  I also thought....it can't be gone because nothing that we post on the internet is ever really gone.  You just have to know the right people who know about computer stuff.  I decided to call Natalie and see if she could back my computer up and put everything back to the way it was yesterday morning before playing around on it.  The back up for this computer hasn't been set up yet and so we couldn't...plus, this was an internet problem not a computer problem.

I kept saying silent prayers pleading to Heavenly Father.  I really didn't want to lose everything....this was important to me.  Natalie had also been saying a few prayers.  It didn't look good though and Natalie was ready to leave but then she sat back down to show me what to try in an hour.  When she sat back down she pushed a few more links and Miracle of Miracles.....there was my account and blog.  Everything was back to the way it was and to be honest neither of us knew how except to say that our Prayers were answered.  Natalie told me that last night at a Youth Fireside someone had said that if you think something is important enough to pray about it then Heavenly Father thinks it is important because He loves us and we are important to Him!  I was thrilled and relieved and very thankful to Natalie for being God's instrument in answering my prayers.

The guys came and changed our disk so that it faces another tower and everything is working great.  I was able to upload my book!  YES!!! The internet stayed on the whole time.  Oh, and after thinking about the problem I was pretty sure it wasn't my computer because it was uploading and if it had been the computer it wouldn't have done what it did.  I am so glad about that because I would not want to worry every time I make a book.  The best part is that when ordering my book I tried the code that said it ended yesterday and it was accepted!  I received the 40% discount!  HOORAY!  I immediately said a prayer to Thank Heavenly Father and then I reached in the air and gave Him a High Five!

My visiting teachers came just a little late but exactly when I had prayed they would.  I wanted to have my book done before leaving the computer.  I finished my cape before going to Trichelle's to watch her kids.  I feel good.  I love knowing that Heavenly Father answers are silly prayers and that we are important enough for Him to do so!  Yeah For Today!

More Family Names

Today was a bit testy!  My internet kept shutting down while I was trying to upload my blog into a book.  It would get so close and then the internet would quit and I would have to start all over.  I was getting very anxious and I kept trying not to let it bug me but it was getting to me.  When Larry came home from work I was still trying and very frustrated.  We had planned on going to the Temple and doing baptisms for the dead so we would have family names to take to the temple.

I'm pretty sure Larry thought I was out on the Temple idea but when he asked me what we were going to do I said we should go to the Temple.  My book could wait.  The reason I was trying to get it done today was because there was a 40 % discount code that expired today and I really wanted to use it since my book is big and will cost a lot.

I was glad we went to the Temple and I felt peace while we were there.  The spirit is always so strong in the Temple and I love feeling it.  I just watched as Larry baptized Kimleighel and a kid that went to School with Kimi. (Jared had Young Mens)  It was a great experience and I knew that things would work out at home.  Plus, now we each had another 10 family names to take to the temple.  (WooHoo)

The internet techs are coming tomorrow and I know that I will be able to make my book when they get things fixed.  I will just have it ready for when another coupon comes up.  When we got home I called Kevin to see if he could come over and see if it was my new computer...which I was thinking it might be.  Kevin came and while he was here my book loaded..slowly but surely but when he left the internet quit again and so everything was lost and I would need to start over.

I decided to go to bed instead of worrying anymore.  Worrying doesn't help anything anyways and I was really trying to focus on the bright side of things.

Jordyn Jo and Sadie Lou

These two little cutie pies have been staying at our house since Wednesday.  They love each other and they love us.  They have been so easy and so fun to have.  I love their cuteness that spills right out of them.  They are each so perfect and good!  Both slept through the night every night and woke up happy with huge smiles.  They nap good and were pretty easy to put down.  They made us all smile over and over again.  It was so fun having them.  Sadie's parents picked her way earlier than I thought they would but we still get Jordy for another day.  What a delight the grands are....each and everyone of them!