{Halloween 2011}

 I have to say as much as I love fall, I have been really lame this year about decorating.  I still have no Fall or Halloween decorations up at my house.  Really I think it is because I am bored with my old decorations, but it is kinda sad nonetheless.  We had trunk or treat on Friday at our church and the kids were so excited to get dressed up. 

Ayden found his Bumble Bee costume at the thrift store on half off day so it was only three dollars.  It was a little on the small side which we didn't find out until that night.  He was a trooper to wear it anyway. 

Meysa was a Renaissance Princess.  Funny side note, when she was telling someone what she was going to be, she couldn't remember the renaissance part and asked me, "mom, am I a retarded Princess?"  After I stopped laughing hysterically, I corrected her and then educated her on what "Renaissance" means. 

Lauryn is Daphne from Scooby Doo.  Really she just wanted the orange hair.  She has slept in the dress for the last few nights. 

Wyatt had to be "Lightning McQueen"  The costume was a little big for him but we managed just fine.  He finally got it this year and was super stoked about trunk or treating. 

We had a great time and the kids made off with a significant amount of candy.  Only to have today be Halloween, we are trying to figure out a way to get away with not trick or treating tonight.  

{Colors}

The leaves have been a changing around our parts.  With so many trees some of the views here are truly breathtaking.  One of my favorites is driving up on I-95 and there is a point where you cross a bridge and if you look on either side all you can see is trees.  Trees as thick as ever, you can't even see to the bottom of the little valley.  There are so many varying shades of fall that it is amazing.  I have wanted to get a shot of that but sadly stopping on the bridge on a busy interstate just for a picture, didn't seem to be the smartest thing to do.  So I had to settle for a picture of the tree in our front yard.  Imagine a million other leaves and you can imagine what that valley looks like.  It is getting colder around here as well.  I am not sure if I am prepared for all the white that is coming my way this winter, but that has beauty to it as well.  I will just keep reminding myself of that :).

{Family Time}

We feel that family time is precious.  So we try to make everyday things like watching tv together a family affair.  Our kids are hooked on a great show called Top Shot from the History Channel.  The premise of the show is that they take some of the top marksmen from around the country and put them through some pretty intense and pretty far out competitions and see who is the "Top Shot".  Ryan and I find it pretty hilarious how much our kids are into this show.  Even the girls...I should say especially the girls.  So every Tuesday night the DVR would faithfully record the episode and Wednesday nights became a coveted night.  The kids would hurry through dishes and pajamas and teeth brushing so that they could watch the episode before bedtime.  This last episode was the season finale.  The guy who we were rooting for won and so everyone went to bed happy that night.  We are looking forward to season 4.

It kinda reminds me of when I was a kid and my siblings and I would look forward to watching nature shows, like the Mutual of Omaha or Wild America with Marty Stouffer.  We looked forward to those shows all week and loved watching them as a family.  There is less and less on TV that I will allow my kids to watch but shows that we can enjoy as a family can still be found, thankfully!!

{I am a Mormon}

Many people know that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but some may not.  I hope that for those that did not know of my religious affiliation, when learning that I am in fact a Mormon that would lead them to think of the church in a good context.  The church, in an effort to dispel myths and misunderstandings that surround what we as a church believe have encouraged us individual members to create profiles on mormon.org.  In creating these profiles, members share their simple beliefs and what the gospel of Jesus Christ means to them in their lives.  People who want to know more about what Mormons believe can go and see thousands of profiles of members of the church from around the world and learn from them what it is they believe. 

I have always found it interesting that those people who claim to know what we believe, really don't know.  I once had a young man whom I worked with point blank tell me that I didn't believe in Jesus Christ and that I belonged to a cult.  Well that was news to me!!  I find that it is best to not tell others what we know they believe in but to instead ask them to share their beliefs with us.  More understanding comes from that kind of dialog and hopefully more mutual respect.  That being said, I have created a profile in hopes that people that know me and didn't know that I was a member of the church can now know what it is I believe in.  For those that knew I was a member of the church but assumed they knew what my beliefs were can hopefully gain a greater understanding of my beliefs as a Christian.  Here is the link to my profile mormon.org and if you would like to see any of the other many profiles go here,  mormon.org.

{Sick Day}

We had a sick day yesterday.  We don't have them often but it seems more and more that when we do they are humdingers.  Starting a few nights ago, Lauryn woke up in the middle of the night with a fever of a 101.2.  I gave her Tylenol and she went right back to sleep.  She woke up fine, with no fever and didn't act like she wasn't feeling well.  So I sent her off to school.  She came home fine and played like nothing was wrong.  I thought it was just a fluke, until that night she ran a fever again in the middle of the night.  This time it was up to 103.8.  I again gave her Tylenol and she went back to sleep and woke up ready for the day feeling fine.  She wanted to go to school so I let her, she didn't have a fever and at this point I just thought it was weird.  She had no other symptoms so just a fluke right.  Well not long after I sent the kids to school yesterday I got a call from Ayden's school telling me that he had a temp of 101.8 and that I needed to come and get him.  Not an hour and half after that I got a call from the girls' school.  I fully expected them to tell me Lauryn had a fever and to come pick her up.  I was wrong.  It was Meysa who had a temp of 103.2.  While I was picking her up I figured I would grab Lauryn as well so I wouldn't have to come all the way back.  Wyatt hasn't had a fever and I have felt fine.  Yesterday afternoon was a lazy day with naps and cartoons in abundance.  Evening came and they were starting to feel yucky again.  After they all received another round of Tylenol I put them to bed.  Lauryn woke up about 4:30 with a low grad temp and Ayden and Meysa are still under the weather with low grade temps.  There are really no other symptoms, thankfully.  So even though the sun is shining today, we are still in jammies and snuggled under blankets, trying to rid our house of the germs.