The last "five" of 2005

1. What did you learn in 2005?


I've learned lots of things. I've learned a little more patience. I've learned to put total trust in the Lord. I've learned how to ice skate. I've learned that I can do anything I put my mind to.


2. Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently throughout the year?

Hmmm. I don't know that I would have done anything differently.


3. What were your biggest challenges of the year and how did you overcome them?

By far the biggest challenge for me was having a miscarriage in the Spring. And the second most difficult thing was the week of the due date. They were overcome by faith and the love and support of the people around me.


4. What were your biggest accomplishments of the year?

I think my biggest accomplisment was running in the 10K on Thanksgiving - especially now that I know I was pregnant at the time! It wasn't really an accomplishment, but another big "moment" was going killer whale watching this summer.


5. What are your hopes for 2006?

A healthy pregnancy ending in a healthy baby. And then me losing all the baby weight, lol.

Ultrasound Pic and Cadi Cuteness

First of all...


So, there you go.  It was amazing to see that little thing and still be able to see a definite heart beat, it was huge when you think of the size of the baby.  Next ultrasound will be sometime in the second half of January.

Now for some Cadi Cuteness:

Acadia has decided to ask her friends who are big sisters to "train" her how to be a big sister.  In the mean time she asked me to teach her some things.  I joked with her about changing diapers.  She said, "Well, you need to teach me about taking care of boys and girls."  I told her that most of taking care of a baby is the same for boys and girls, especially at first.  To which she responded, "Yeah, but boys have... a pipe!"

It doesn't look half as cute or funny typed out on here as it was in person! 

I'm not complaining... Okay, maybe I am.

I am very happy to be pregnant and that it is going well this time. And if that means I have to be miserable, that's okay. But man is it getting old!

It isn't just being sick at all hours of the day and night, being tired, feeling dizzy most of the time, having cramps everyday, getting migraines about once a week, and having my boobs hurt so bad I wish I could just chop them off. Cause you know, that would be bad enough. No, what really makes it awful is the excessive amounts of saliva I have COMBINED with the horrible aftertaste I have in my mouth after every single thing I eat or drink. (Including brushing my teeth, using mints or gum.) It may not sound that bad to you, but trust me, it's awful! Especially since that makes me even more nauseaus. And it's been going on for a month now!

The exhaustion, cramps and migraines are not constant. Thankfully. And my doctor gave me an idea to help with the nauseausness, I'm hoping it will work. And I'm hoping that somehow if I don't feel so sick, the other things won't be so bad.
But there you have it, I've used my complimentary "Get to complain for Free" card. Now I'll go back to being glad that the pregnancy is healthy this time. Because if all this misery is what it takes to get the job done, then it will be worth it.

Nicknames

When we were expecting Acadia, Mom came up with a cute little name to call her until she was born. Since she was due in June, she became JuneBug. I have been trying to think of a nickname for this one, but I cannot think of anything.

So, I'm looking for any ideas you have. Does anyone want to submit a nickname for our Summer baby?

Christmas Gifts

What a Christmas! The most exciting parts were Acadia's gifts.

The first thing she got wasn't wrapped. It was a large cage with a super cute hamster inside. It is a Honey Bear Hamster and Cadi has named her Angel. She is a sweet little girl who has been very nice with Cadi and not frightened by the curious dog.

Her second gift was a t-shirt. Not too exciting? Well, this particular shirt had a message. It says, "I'm Gonna Be the Big Sister"! Once she put two and two together, Acadia went crazy! She started dancing and singing, "I'm not going to be the only child anymore! All my dreams are coming true!" lol It was fun to watch and yes, we did get it on video.

Later during the day we let Cadi tell her grandparents what she got for Christmas, including the shirt and what it meant. Of course, everyone is excited. We are all happy. Catch Cadi's brief thoughts on her blog.

I have been VERY sick. And I've been having some concerns as well. I have had some cramping from the very beginning which does cause us to worry. Given our history we have been very cautious again. We have the general rule of not making announcements until after we've heard a heartbeat. This time we were very concerned with all the cramping so my doctor had me go in early for an ultrasound at 7 weeks. We had a nice strong heartbeat and the baby looked real good. They also found a large cyst, the size of a baseball, on one of my ovaries. While cysts can be normal, this one is quite large and is probably contributing to the cramping as well as the strong sickness I feel round the clock. But it is also helping to hold onto this pregnancy so we can't really complain.

Today I went in to see the nurse. It is too early for their monitor to detect a heartbeat so I didn't get to hear it again. I had been hoping to, mostly because I am still cramping and once you've heard it, you just want to keep hearing it! But I have an appointment in two weeks with my doctor and they will be able to hear it then. The doctor also ordered another ultrasound for next month. They want to watch me closely to make sure everything is okay. I've been lucky to have a really good doctor who listens to me and makes me feel like I'm a priority. Whenever I've called with a concern, she responds immediately.

We debated on telling Acadia this soon. We aren't out of the first trimester yet and there is still significant risk. But I have been so sick that I could not hide it and it has been causing Cadi to worry. In fact, a few weeks ago she asked me if I was dying because I had been so sick for so long. I think I was able to convince her that I would be okay, but we really don't want her to worry more than she already has been. She is old enough to understand more than she could have before. So we have explained that sometimes a baby starts to grow and then sometimes it just stops and then the mom doesn't have a baby afterall. She understand that this is a possibilty. But she also knows why I've been so sick and she doesn't have to worry about me anymore. We felt like it would be more important to just tell her and I know we made the right decision.

Today the doctor's office gave me one of those little booklets that shows pictures of how a baby develops. We've already shown Cadi what the baby looks like right now and just how little it is, the size of a peanut. She is amazed at that. lol She admits that she really wants a little sister, but she will be happy with a brother too. Ryan is about 50/50 on it, he absolutely LOVES having a daughter and would love another one too. But then, he knows he will easily love a son just as much. I lean towards another girl. It would be slightly easier, though really no matter what we will be starting over completely! We have NOTHING left from when Cadi was born. About 2 years ago we finally realized that there was a good chance we may never have another child so we donated all our things to help families in need. We are praying that since we tried to be generous then that we will be blessed with all we will need now, lol. Besides, the styles have changed alot in the last 7 years - it will be fun to go shopping for the new toys and gadgets! lol

So, I'm due at the very end of July. I'm really hoping to have it in July and not in August. Partly because I don't want to be pregnant in the middle of Summer longer than I have to. And partly because I love July's birthstone! lol
Sometimes it still seems unreal. We are very happy and are praying for everything to work out this time. But it is going to be a big adjustment! It has been a long time since we've had a baby, lol. And after so many years of not getting our hopes up, it is weird to actually have something work out. But in a very good way. Like Ryan said two weeks ago when we heard the heartbeat, "That's all the Christmas present I need!"

Not how they planned their trip.

We had a little scare in our family last night. My brother (David), Teresa, and two of her brothers were in a car accident. The car rolled over several times and unfortunately the driver (one of Teresa's brothers) has been seriously injured. His neck has been broken and he's been flown to SLC for treatment. The rest of the group has minor injuries. Teresa has a fractured arm and they are all banged up and sore.

We are grateful that they all survived. We are praying for Teresa's brother to be able to have a full recovery. If you want to read more details, check out my mom's blog entry.

For anyone traveling this weekend - BE SAFE!!!

Ready or not, here it comes!

I am so happy that Acadia isn't just counting down til Christmas, she is counting down to Christmas Eve. She loves our family tradition on Christmas Eve as much as I do! And even though Santa and opening presents won't happen until Christmas Day, she is just as excited to celebrate the real meaning on Christmas on Christmas Eve night.

I am just about ready for Christmas here. I need to hit the grocery store on Friday. And we have Cadi's gift that can't be purchased too far ahead of time, so I'll probably get it Friday too.

Ten on Tuesday... The 10 Best Things About the Holidays:

•Christmas Candles
•Egg Nog
•Singing Christmas Songs
•Looking at Christmas Lights
•Giving Gifts
•Getting Gifts (lol)
•Nativity Scenes
•Christmas Eve Dinner
•Time with Family
•Feeling the Christmas Spirit Everywhere You Go

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful!

So we cancelled our planned trip to Idaho and are playing it safe staying home where it is warm and comfy!

Yesterday while we were having a wonderful time in Young Women's, having a very spiritual Christmas hour, we noticed it had begun to snow! We were excited because at that moment, we were hearing a story where the wind was howling and the snow was blowing... just like it was outside our classroom window. (Plus we really don't get snow much here, especially around Christmas time. IF we get snow, it is mostly likely to come in January or February when it's the dead of Winter.)

The weather got more and more frightful as the day/evening went on. We had some snow, freezing rain, sleet, and very icy conditions. The worst of it was in the Columbia River Gorge and it was forcasted to last through Tuesday. It would have been very foolish to attempt a trip into the Gorge and over the mountains to get to our friends in Idaho, no matter how much we want to see them.

Today it is kind of miserable outside. The temps are warmer in the city, so the snow and ice are melted or gone and we have cold rain instead. But the gorge is still frozen solid and there have been several accidents.

Since we can safely drive around town, we are hoping to make it to Hollywood Video and pick up some movies for us to watch while we're all here at home together. Ryan is also planning on getting his shopping done (he is always the last one to finish, lol). But mostly, we're doing some chores and spending time together at home.

Thinking back...

1. Name 1 toy you owned when you were younger, that meant a lot to you.


Amy Ann. She was my cabbage patch kid. Actually, my family couldn't afford the real ones, but my mom's friend knew how to make them and she really did look EXACTLY like a real cabbage patch kids! And she had blond hair, blue eyes just like me. The ONLY thing that gave her away is she didn't have the signature on her butt. lol

2. Name 2 games you enjoyed playing as a child.

I remember our family playing "Sorry" alot! We often played it for Family Home Evening. That was always fun. When I was a little older, we also really liked playing "The Farming Game".


3. Name 3 foods you didn't like as a child, but do now.

Onions, Peas, and Peppers


4. Name 4 foods you didn't like as a child, and still don't like.

Any Seafood, Broccoli, Spinach, and Tomatoes

The Holiday Letter

I mailed out our holiday letters awhile ago. I was going to just copy it and have it on here too, but it didn't turn out the same. :( Oh well. But here is the jist of it...

Dear Family and Friends,

We want to share some highlights from our year with you.

Acadia finished Kindergarten and started 1st Grade this year. This summer she discovered a love of horses when her Girl Scout troop went horseback riding for an activity. We signed her up for a month of lessons and she loved it! She has also started ice skating lessons. She doesn’t even mind that Mom’s taking the lessons with her!

Ryan and Sariah are both busy! Ryan works hard at his job and the classes he takes at PSU. He is also the Executive Secretary to the Bishop of our congregation which can be a demanding responsibility. Sariah spends most of her mornings at the gym and fills the rest of her days by helping in Acadia ’s classroom and taking a class at the church Institute. Her calling keeps her very busy – working with the youth as a counselor in the Young Women Presidency. One of the highlights from working with the youth this year was going with them on a trip to SLC, UT to attend General Conference in October.

As a family we went on a great vacation to Canada this summer. We started out in British Columbia and went Killer Whale watching. It was a life-long dream come true for Sariah and we all had a blast! After a couple of days in BC, we drove over to Alberta to meet up with our good friend, Landon. We had a ton of fun camping in Waterton National Park (the Canadian side of Glacier National Park ). It was beautiful!

We are so grateful for the many blessings which we enjoy and most especially for our Savior, Jesus Christ. We strive to focus on Him throughout our whole year in all the things we do, but we do love the Holiday Season where we find even more opportunities to think about Him and all He has given us. We love each of you and hope that you will enjoy the blessings that the Lord has given each of you this wonderful Holiday Season!

Merry Christmas!

This is what I want Ryan to get for his birthday next month...

The Patriots shut out the Bucaneers today and are AFC East Champions again. 28-0 Baby!

Can they do it? It has never been done before. But if they keep playing like they did today, they could very well be the first team in history to win 3 Super Bowls in a row. They have some tough games to play from now til then, but if anyone can do it, the Patriots can!
Go Pats!

Did I miss something?

It bothered me a little that this week I've heard and seen many news stories about the anniversary of the death of John Lennon but only ONE story about the anniversary of Pearl Harbor - and it was on the day after the anniversary!

I don't always get to the see the news so I surely hope I missed a few stories about the Pearl Harbor anniversary. But still, with what I did see, John Lennon sure seemed to get plenty of coverage.

I have nothing against Lennon's fans remembering him. I just am bothered that there has been so little talk about something that affected our country so dramatically. HELLO! It makes me wonder if in another 60 years people will pass over the 9/11 anniversary without any thought too. To me that is very sad.

Yay for Me! Yay for my friend! & Yay for clear skies!

Okay first, "Yay for me!"

I have finished all my Christmas shopping and mailing!!! Whew. Normally, I like to have everything ready by Thanksgiving, but this year I was just a couple of weeks behind. But I'm done! I feel FREE!!!!! Well, truth be told I do have to shop for Ryan and Cadi still but I know what I'm getting them and I'm waiting for a reason. *snicker*

Okay now, "Yay for my friend!"

Landon has been interested in becoming a police officer for awhile and recently he was able to turn in his application to the RCMP. He has since taken the tests and passed them all! Now all he needs is an interview, then training - he's hoping to be a police officer by June. *Go Landon!*

Finally, "Yay for clear skies!"

Today is gorgeous! It is bright, sunny, and CLEAR, leaving a wonderful view of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. It is always a happy day when you can see those two clearly! And this time of year is especially beautiful as they appear monsterous, covered in snow. I love them!

Sick-a-roo

I got Acadia on her school bus and had barely started on my day when I got a phone call from her school. Cadi had gotten off the bus, gotten to her classroom, and immediately threw up. fun.

So, today's schedule has been tossed out the window and instead, Cadi is on the couch watching TV with some toys. So, maybe I will try to get some things done here instead. But then, I haven't been feeling too hot lately either... maybe I'll lay around too and then we can play hookie together.

2005 in Review

Go to your Calendar and find the first entry for each month of 2005. Post the first line of it in your journal, and that's your "Year In Review".

(My current blog only goes back to March, but I had another blog prior to it and I saved all my entries in a journal, so that is where I got the first couple of answers...)

January:
We had a good time last night.

February
I don't know what it is revenge for, mind you.

March:
Acadia: "This tastes like chicken!"

April:
Today Simon went under the knife and came out with a stub of a tail.

May:
I got woken up at 12:30 (am) when Ryan got up to use the restroom (yeah, yeah - T.M.I., I know) - and I CAN'T GET BACK TO SLEEP!!!

June:
Acadia did such a good job sharing what we did on Memorial Day that I don't know what else to add.

July:
Okay, that took forever!

August:
Yesterday it was HOT here!

September:
Greetings From Canada

October:
Yes, I am back from my amazing weekend.

November:
I read quite a few blogs and occasionally I decide to add one to my side bar under "Blogs I like to Visit".

December:
Today my youngest sibling becomes a teenager!

When Joseph Went to Bethlehem

I think he took great care... unfortunately, someone else didn't.

Every year our local congregation hosts a wonderful display of Christmas nativities. It is free and open to the public. Hundreds of nativities are collected from church members and community members and set up at the church in a very nice (and rather elegant looking) display. This takes place the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of December. Today I hosted from 3-5, mostly just making sure no one touches the nativities.

At around 4:15 a LARGE group came in with many children. I was in the main display room where most of the nativities (including all of the foreign, unique, and most elegant ones) are. All of us hosting looked at each other and made sure that a few of us were close by this group the entire time. They were really well behaved and looked but never touched any of the displays. After about 30 minutes, they had finished looking and were heading out the door. Whew! We all survived and they really enjoyed it!

Then the mom, turned to call her kids to go and quickly swung back around to walk out the door. She didn't realize she was standing right next to the end corner of one of the tables and she turned right into it! Off toppled one of my lamps, someone's candle, and worse of all, a poor Joseph figurine! I didn't care about the lamp (all that broke was the bulb anyway), we weren't worried about the candle (it just had an extra ding, but barely noticable), but the poor woman felt so horrible about Joseph (he had lost his head). She was really, REALLY upset. She felt awful! Here she had just spent half an hour watching her kids and worrying they would break something!

We told her that everyone who contributes their nativities understands the risks involved and that it would be alright. Afterall, these are just things, pretty things, but still just things. We superglued Joseph's head back on and someone gave her a piece of chocolate (lol). She would not leave without leaving her info as well as getting the info from the person who's nativity it was so she could try to replace or pay for it. We tried to tell her it was okay, but she insisted. We let her, afterall if it were me, I would want to do the same thing.

The thing I feel most bad about is that I think this was her first time coming. I hate to think that she may never want to come again just because of an accident! We told her this wasn't the first time something has been broken (Which is true, though the other times it was when people were setting up, this was the first time a guest has broken something.). I just hope she can find a way to forgive herself and doesn't let it ruin the rest of the experience she had. Up until that point, they had really enjoyed it.

The Festival of Nativities is really a great holiday tradition here in Vancouver. We'll be visiting it as a family on Saturday so I'll try to share some photos of it then. Anyone in the area who happens to read this should definitely go.

Happy Birthday to You!

Today my youngest sibling becomes a teenager! (When did that happen?)

Ben was born when I was a Senior in High School. He was 4 when I married Ryan and we moved out of state. I never really got to be around while he was growing up. But we have been able to make lots of visits back home and that helps.

Ben is thoughtful of others and a really good uncle. He likes Lord of the Rings almost as much as me. (He might think he likes it more, but who could possibly like it more than me?) He also likes Harry Potter. Tonight for his Birthday Dinner, he chose Nacos (from Kim Possible). Yum. Maybe we should have some here too!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Blame Ryan

I was going to post a bunch of pics from our visit in Sacramento, but Ryan took the laptop (where most of the pictures are stored) to work. Tomorrow maybe?

We had a nice visit. And even though it was kind of late, we had a pretty easy ride coming home. Ooh - Shasta Lake with patches of snow around it is absolultely GORGEOUS at sunset! I WISH I had a picture of THAT!

So it is finally here! The official Christmas season! I love, love, LOVE Christmas time! I love it so much that I had our Christmas tree and most of our decorations up before we left for California - just so it would be Christmas in my home as soon as I got home - and it is! We brought home a bunch of gifts from family so our tree is nicely stocked already.

I told Ryan that now when he started singing Jingle Bells or Deck the Halls, it will actually be appropriate. He says that he will probably start singing some other holiday's songs, like Patriotic or Easter. lol

Still Here

We are still in Sacramento but will be leaving for home tomorrow. So, still no pictures or much posts. But you get another quick update.

We've been having a fun visit with everyone. We are also pleased to announce that we're getting a sister-in-law next year! My brother, David proposed to his girlfriend, Teresa and she said "yes"! We are happy, we really like her. So it looks like we will be coming back down to California next year for the wedding. *thumbs*

(Sorry for the lack of details, check out my mom's entry if you want to read more.)

T-Day Report

I'm sorry for the lack of posting lately. We came down to Sacramento for the week and have been busy! We've had a great trip. I'll post more about it later - with pics. For now I'll just give you the quick version of yesterday's events.

We started with the "Run to Feed the Hungry" 10K. I was worried that I would get blisters since I've been having a problem with that lately. But a little mole skin and some nice Dr. Scholl's Gel inserts and I was fine. Cadi went the 5K with her grandpa, aunt, and cousins. I ran the 10K pretty much by myself. I knew the only hope I would have of beating Ryan was if his knee just gave out or something awful like that. And I was right. He beat me by 15 minutes. But that's okay, I beat my own goal by 5 minutes so I was happy.

It was a fun little 10K. The best part was all the people that stood outside their homes and on street corners and such to cheer us on. People yelled, "Thank you!" (The 10K was to raise money for the food bank here in Sacto.), "Happy Thanksgiving!", "Don't give up!", etc. There were a couple places that had music playing, one house had a live band in their yard! Some houses had water and sports drinks to pass out. (The actual event had a couple water stations but not as many as I would have liked! lol) I've decided if I ever don't run in the race but I'm down here during Thanksgiving, I am definitely setting up a water table at mile 5!

I ran a little with Sponge Bob... yeah, he beat me! lol But it was great fun. Ryan ran with a turkey and a pilgrim. Everyone had a good time. And we helped raise lots of money. All of Ryan's mom and step-father's kids were there with all of their kids - we had 19 in our group! There were 17,000 runners total.

After getting showered and making a quick on-line visit with the family back East, we headed over to have dinner with my family. We had a huge gathering with the Robarts and my sister's husband's family. We had about 50 people total. But most everyone contributed and we ended up with lots of yummy food. We had a ton of leftovers. I kept thinking that because I had just ran the 10K (okay, I didn't run the whole thing... I ran more than half of it and walked the rest, lol) I would pig out and not feel guilty. But it turned out I got so full very easily. So I didn't have nearly as much pie as I planned on, lol.

Ooh, but guess what I'm having for breakfast! lol

Well, I need to get going, we're jam packed with visiting just about every moment this week. And I should get ready to go do some more now. Will update more later. Hope your T-day was wonderful! Have a great holiday weekend!

Cadi-ism

"I'm the queen of chocolate and peanut butter."

P-Day for T-Day

Today I'm supposed to be "preparing" for our trip down to Cal for Thanksgiving. I think I'll be up for awhile. :/ I still have a couple loads of laundry to do and some cleaning. And I'd like to get most of the packing done tonight. Tomorrow I am in charge of a fireside for the youth so I know I will be busy with that most of the day tomorrow.

Today Acadia and I went to ice skating lessons again. It is fun to see her get better and better each time. We've come so far in the past month! There is going to be a Holiday Show and Cadi will be in it! She is excited! Her group will mostly do some follow the leader stuff with the simple things they know - they can't do anything fancy, but it will be fun for her.

But now it's time to get back to work...

Strike One

Early this month I realized I had posted on my blog every day. So I decided I would try to keep it up. Yesterday I fell off the wagon. :(

It was just such a hectic day. I watched my neighbor's twin two year olds while she went to a doctor appointment. Then I had institute. I also had to go to the store and that night we had mutual. Anytime I was home, I was busy trying to compile home video for the not-so-secret-so-there's-no-problem-just-saying-it-here annual Christmas video.

And today is much the same. Volunteered in Cadi's classroom (helped the girl's make pilgrim bonnets, cute) and also went to the credit union and store. The last 3 hours have been dedicated to the video and I'm guessing the rest of the day will be the same. It is always fun to go back over the year and see some of the fun stuff we did.

But dang it, now I won't get a post everyday this month. :(

Fudge!

Ryan went over to J.'s house yesterday to learn how to make the peanut butter fudge so now we have another pan of it! We've given most of it away but what is left here is so very tempting! Grrr... Darn you PB Fudge!

Crispy Canine

The dog has taken to laying right in front of the heater lately. Let me tell you, after a few minutes it gets toasty! But Simon stays put. I would say it is because of his recent shave, but he was doing that when he still had a coat too. Maybe he's just getting old and cold, lol.

I Took a Time Out

Today I went to Time Out For Women.  It is a convention for LDS women.  There were several speakers and also music by Hilary Weeks (one of my favorite LDS artists!).   Each TOFW is different - each one has a different group of authors and artists.  I was so glad to have this group here today!

I took notes: 

As I said before, Hilary Weeks was there to perform several songs.  Virginia Hinckley Pearce kind of conducted the whole convention.  She is a hoot!  I love her!!! 

She shared with us a fun little tidbit about her father, President Gordon B. Hinckley:  He exercises every day!  (For those of you who are not familiar with our beloved prophet, President Hinckley is 95 years old!)  Because lots of people had already asked her about him, she took a moment to tell us that he is doing well.  In fact, she says he is in better physical shape than he was two years ago!  She says that he "works out" to exercise videos and on his exercise bike.  He knows that his days are numbered but since his wife died (18 months ago), he has dedicated all of his life to "the work" and considers it very important that he keep himself in the very best shape he can so that he can keep doing whatever the Lord asks him to.

Emily Watts was the first speaker, she gave a talk called, "Confessions of an unbalanced woman".  I think that this was my favorite talk - which is saying alot because they were all fabulous!  She referenced a scene from the movie "Ten Commandments" where they are using a scale.  Ramuses (sp?) is putting little pebbles on one end of the scale listing all the things Moses was doing wrong.  Moses picked up a brick to represented why he was doing what he was and put it on the other end.  Sister Watts says, "I don't want balance... I want the brick!"  The small stones are all the "stuff" and the brick is the love of God. 

She told about how after asking for silver earrings for Mother's Day, her husband gave her sterling silver earrings... shaped like dinosaurs.  Because he thought the kids would get a kick out of them.  lol  The small stone - getting dinosaur earrings for a gift.  The brick - having a loving husband who provides for her and their family, loves them, wanted to get a gift, and thought of the kids too.

She talked about "reverse buts".  I love you but you are driving me crazy.  Reversed = You are driving me crazy, but I love you.  See the difference?  What you choose to focus on changes your attitude.  Focus on the positive.  We sing a hymn that says, "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord".  We can add, "I'll see what you want me to see."

The next speaker was James Ferrell who spoke on "Nothing works but a broken heart".  He confessed that sometimes he just knows that he will never measure up.  Do we feel that way?  Can we relate?  Well, he told us a secret: No one measures up!  And the "quest" to measure up is the WRONG quest!  He told us we are all "broken".  No one is perfect and we all make mistakes.  Furthermore, there are times when our hearts (our thoughts, feelings, desires) don't work like they should.  But we don't usually realize just how broken we are.  We think we should be able to "measure up" without realizing that we never can.

It is impossible to keep all of the commandments.  Why would God give us these commandmenst, then command us to keep them, if He knew we couldn't possibly do it perfectly?  BECAUSE: If all the commandments could be kept perfectly, we would no longer need Christ and His atonement.  We are given commandments, we can't keep them all perfectly, we need to repent (we are broken) - WE NEED THE SAVIOR, we turn to Him.  Just as we all are broken and need the Savior, we need to allow others' their brokeness; mercy.

I bought his book, The Peacegiver and had him sign it for me.  I started to read it during the lunch - I am really enjoying it.  Everyone I know who has read it, loves it.  (Just a plug.)

One of the speakers I was most looking forward to was the next one: John Bytheway.  He kind of threw his speech out the window and did not talk at all about what he was planning on.  Instead he told "the rest of the story" to a talk he gave years ago about something that happpened 23 years ago called "What's in Your Backpack?"  If any of you are familiar with this talk/story, let me know and I'll tell you "the rest of the story" but otherwise, it will take too long to go into. 

He finished by talking about merits.  He admitted that he was not an Eagle Scout, he didn't have enough merits.  Got him to thinking, 'How many and what kind of merits do I need to "get to heaven"?'  So he looked it up.  There were 7 scriptures that mentioned "merits", he read every one.  Not a single one tells what merits you need.  They all say that after all we can do, it is because of the merits of the Savior that we are "saved". 

A quote he used:   “Please remember this one thing. If our lives and our faith are centered upon Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right” - Howard W. Hunter

Pamela H. Hansen spoke on "Running with angels".  She has had lots of trials!  She has lost two children and some of her surviving children have health problems.  Through her trials, she turned to eating.  She was very overweight.  One day she went for a walk - for 5 minutes.  She did it again the next day, then the next. 

Pretty soon she was walking over 1/2 hour a day.  That summer she lost 50 pounds.  She decided to take a dream and turn it into a goal - she wanted to run in a marathon.  But she still needed to lose another 50 pounds and start running.  She did.  And she has participated in a couple of marathons now.  She says that there were days she didn't want to train, didn't want to eat right, didn't want to run.  But she received strength and did it anyway.  As she ran in her first marathon, she felt like her two "angel" children were there physically supporting her when she was tired.

She shared 10 things she learned from her experiences:
1. Take time to rejuvenate yourself
2. Rearrange your priorities
3. Devise a plan and hold yourself accountable
4. Replace bad habits with good ones
5. Rejoice in even small improvments
6. Record measurments and feelings - so you can see how far you've come
7. Think more positive
8. Uplifting music can be incredibly motivational
9. Express gratitude for heavenly and earthly angels - be an earthly angel, help others
10. Learn from life's lessons - Instead of "Why me?" ask "What can I learn?"

Finally, Virginia H. Pearce spoke, "Personally Speaking".  She says that she thinks people learn what the ALMOST already know.  She just turned 60 (Which her father is perplexed as to why she is always announcing it.  She said something along the lines of, "Oh, you mean like throwing a party at the Conference Center and sending it via satellite all over the world?" lol).  She says now that she is old - she is wise :) 

Things she now knows:
1. The simple things we do are the important things.  Doing the simple things with a loving, happy heart is more important than doing big things with a grudging heart.  "It is not about the destination, it is about who you are and what you do on your journey."
2. There are lots of right ways to do things.  Specifically, there are alot of right ways to be a family.  Develop a testimony and relationship with Heavenly Father and then follow Him.  Use your talents, your personality, do what works for you - always acting on the guidance of the spirit.
3. "I don't want to do it 'my way'."  - Do it the Lord's way!  He has given us everything.  The only thing we can give Him that is truly ours, is our agency.  "I want to get home.  And when I get there, I will answer for myself."

So there you have it!  I bought a bunch of stuff (many as gifts so I'm not gonna say just what) and had got lots of that "stuff" signed by the authors.  Then I had the brilliant idea to get the tote we received at the door signed by everyone! 



I think it will replace my "got meetings?" bag that I use for church - that one is worn out.
Sorry for the long post - but it was such a wonderful day, I just wanted to share it all with you!

Red, White, and Blue Day

Yesterday at Acadia's school, it was Red, White, and Blue Day to honor Veterans Day. I was working in the classroom part of the day and was able to help them with their journaling assignment where they were writing how they were wearing red, white, and blue. Later in the day they went to an assembly where a choir sang Patriotic songs. All of the children had learned and sang along with "America the Beautiful".

During the kids' recess I talked with Cadi's teacher a bit. He and his wife are both in the Army Reserves. They have a 9 month old baby girl so it is getting hard. His wife has only 1 year left and they are glad for that. He has 3 years left. Last weekend he was gone on Friday (and missed the Harvest Carnival at school) because it was his weekend to serve.

I don't know why, but it makes me feel good to think that this is Acadia's teacher. I have alot of respect for anyone who is in the service. I already liked and respected Mr. Martin as Cadi's teacher. But I respect him even more now.

I can see clearly now...

the toys are gone!

Well, not ALL of them, but the playroom has been thoroughly de-junked and it is wonderful! Both her bedroom and the playroom are clean and that doesn't happen often! (Which I know won't last forever but it still makes me feel so good right now!)

Tonight Cadi is "buying" a sleepover. It will cost her $40, but she earned it! So K. is coming over, they will stay up watching a movie and get to sleep in tomorrow - no school! I'm thinking tomorrow will be a good day for Cadi to cash in some of her other prizes too.

You know, maybe this little game will work on me! I'll have to think of some reward for de-junking my craft room, bedroom, etc. lol

Real Life Game Show

Today when Acadia gets home she is going to find herself the next contestant on "Too Many Toys!" (Come on down!!!)

We really need to weed out some of the junk in her playroom. It is a disaster since she has so much stuff! And half of it never gets played with. So today we came up with the plan to use bribery - but in a fun way.

For every 10 toys she choose to get rid of, she will earn $10 in play money. At the end of the "purging" she can use that play money to "buy" extra fun treats (like playing at Chuck E. Cheese, Renting a movie, Having a friend sleep over, et.). So the more she is willing to get rid of, the more fun stuff she can do... I think it will work!

It is pretty bad when your child has two rooms (a bedroom and a playroom) and STILL has so many toys that she can't keep them clean! In her defense - they are teeny, tiny rooms. And also in her defense, the bedroom is never as bad as the playroom. Infact, in general, toys aren't really in the bedroom much. That is supposed to be her special, quiet space.

Smurfs attack at first frost!

I often like to check out the Mt. St. Helen's live webcam. It is fun to get an up close view of it from my home. Recently it has acquired a bit of snow - it's pretty. Even when I know there is a storm and all I'll see is a grey wall, I check it out - I don't know why, I just like to look.

For the last day or two, the webcam has been blue.  Just blue.  Today I read the updates.  And this what they had posted...

"Thank you for all of your emails and phone calls wondering what has happened to the VolcanoCam image. Unfortunately, we will not get access to the Johnston Ridge Observatory until sometime today after the road is plowed out by the Washington State DOT. Only then will we be able to assess the problem more accurately. Rest assured you are not viewing a Smurf attack. " (Bold type added)

I LOVE it when people have a good sense of humor!

This morning we had our first frost! 



It looked so cold!  Well, it was pretty cold.  But when we went out to the bus stop, I was surprised that it wasn't quite as cold as I expected.  It was actually enjoyable, the sun was shining, the frost was glimmering, and the air was nice and crisp.  Plus the bus was on time so it was a pretty short wait!  (Always nice.)

Beauty and the Beast

We took Simon to the groomer this weekend.  They already had holiday bandanas, lol.  He wasn't too excited to be in this picture though.  I think he was hoping for a treat since he had been so good and looked so cute.  He was right - so we gave him one.

Why does he have to be so smart?

Earlier this week, Ryan was discussing with a friend that he sometimes carpools to work with about the size of Oregon. They did not agree on how big it was, so they made a bet. Well, Ryan won. Great, huh? Kind of...

Because he won, the co-worker had to make him fudge. And yesterday he brought it over. A huge 9x13 pan of Peanut Butter Fudge. I don't normally care for peanut butter much, but this fudge is so delicious... mmmm.

And it's addicting. This whole next week, all my workouts are going to be for the sole purpose of working off that fudge!

Ice Princess

Acadia and I stayed for free skate after our ice skating lessons today.  I stopped after about 20 minutes (My feet were killing me!) but Acadia wanted to keep skating - she skated for another 40 minutes by herself!

When we started class, she was very nervous to be on the ice, but by the time we needed to leave, she didn't want to go!  She just wanted to keep on skating.  Most of the time she was skating along the wall, but there were several times that she cut across the rink and didn't fall down at all! 

When I finally got her off the ice and changed her into her shoes, I told her how well she was doing and how proud I was of how much she was practicing.  She said, "I felt the Holy Spirit!  When I was scared on the ice I really felt the Holy Spirit and I felt better!"

Here are some pics:








Before lessons, Cadi and I went out for brunch.  We had spent all morning at the church cheering on the Young Women Volleyball team and we were both hungry!  Acadia ordered chocolate chip pancakes, lol.  Which she sure enjoyed:





I guess this is where she got all that energy from!

There are just... Moments.

I think someone should write a book called, "What to Expect When You're No Longer Expecting" for women who have had miscarriages.

Mostly we try not to think much about it, but lately it's been thrown in our face everytime we turn around - or at least every time we get the mail. I get so many mailings about baby stuff - life insurance, diapers, coupons, baby stores, etc.

The worse one was the box of formula that came last week - one day before the due date. We're gonna take it down to Jared when we see him at Thanksgiving so I try to think of THAT when I see it sitting there next to all the clothes that we're taking Esther. It doesn't always work.

I should save more of the stuff for Jared (or for any one of the many babies born in our ward in the last month or two) but usually I just throw it away without opening it. Out of sight, out of mind.

How do you get yourself off these mailing lists? I don't exactly need the constant reminder right now...
Most of the time I am okay. I am happy with my life, my family, my faith, etc. I don't doubt that my family is the way it is supposed to be right now. I don't doubt that I was not supposed to have those babies. I don't doubt the love of my Heavenly Father or husband or any other of those close to me who show me support. But there are moments...

No matter how much faith you have, no matter how much you KNOW that things are the way they should be, no matter how much peace and love you feel most of the time, no matter how much support you get from family and friends - there are moments when you realize that you will never be completely "over it".

No matter how many years go by, you will always remember the due dates and as they pass you will think of what might have been. No matter how happy you are with the family you do have, you will always have thoughts about the family you thought you were going to have.

No matter how much you know it isn't your fault, there are still moments when you actually feel guilty for the things that you can enjoy since you don't have a new baby. (Free time, fewer money concerns, smaller dress size, an extra bedroom, etc.)
No matter how happy you are to see your friends or family members having babies, when you see them or their new little one you can't help but think "What if...?" - just for a moment.

And in those moments, I get upset at myself for feeling this way.

I trust my Heavenly Father. I know I have been so blessed by Him. I could not ask for more than I have right now.

But there are just moments...

"Keep him blind to all else that moves."

Beginning late Halloween night, pumpkins began disappearing off of neighbors porches and were found smashed in the streets. I don't really understand why this is such a popular prank amongst kids in our neighborhood. We were fortunate that our jack-o-lanterns escaped injury.

Last night however, as I was leaving for mutual, I noticed that one of our pumpkins was no longer in it's proper place. This did not surprise me, it had been two days and I was glad they had lasted that long! What did surprise me (somewhat) was that both pumpkins had not been taken and the pumpkin left - was the "One Ring"! lol I smiled to myself knowing that the "One Ring" "ruled them all" and even the neighborhood punks recognized this!
Unfortunately, when I returned home from mutual, I found that while I was away the "One Ring" had been cast into "Mt. Doom" afterall. Tricksy hobbits! I knew I should have kept my "eye" on it!

Butterfly Princess

Have you ever wondered just what a Butterfly Princess looked like?  Well apparently, they look like this:

 

And this is what a Butterfly Princess looks like when she is Trick-or-Treating:



I have to admit, Butterfly Princesses are alot cuter than I thought they would be.  In fact, when this one came to my house and said, "Trick or treat?"  I went with "trick" and kept her!

This year I'm going as an invalid.

Yesterday I was sitting in church watching the kids do their presentation. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, once a year the children in our congregation do a presentation during our service. They share songs and priciples of doctrine that they have learned during the year. Acadia did AWESOME! Her part was "Jesus Christ atoned for my sins. I can repent and live with him and Heavenly Father again." She had it memorized and spoke clearly. She also sang her heart out during all of the songs!

Anyhow, back to my story... I was sitting, watching the presentation and all of a sudden I got this nasty sharp pain in my back. No matter how I tried to shift, I couldn't get it to feel any better. And it's been bothering me since. :(
I had hoped that it would feel better today but no such luck. So I skipped my workout and had to back out on helping a friend clean the house they are moving out of today. And instead, I am sitting here with the heat pad. I've paid bills and scanned some pics for one of my young women (pictures from our SLC trip that we took a month ago), but other than that I haven't been able to do anything productive.

Tonight Ryan is going to take Cadi out trick-or-treating. Lucky him - it's been raining all day! I'm betting they won't be out long. I'm going to stay home and give out candy to the little monsters and princesses that come here. Acadia is dressing as a Butterfly Princess - I'll post a picture of her in costume later.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is Ryan's father's birthday. We were able to hook up the webcams and actually got to visit with him face to face (or monitor to monitor) for awhile. It was really neat to see the East Coast Rosers! (Why don't we use that webcam more often?)

Bill is a great guy. He's a terrific "people person". He's the kind of guy that can talk to anyone - and anyone can feel comfortable talking with him. He always finds something that interests that person and is able to have an enjoyable conversation with them. It's a great skill to have.

So, Happy Birthday, Dad! We love you!!!

One Ring to Rule Them All

Check out the most awesome carved pumpkin ever! 

I love, love, LOVE how it turned out!  It took me about two hours and no, I did not use a stencil!  I copied the lettering out of the book, practiced once on paper, then wrote it out on the pumpkin and carved it.  Am I good or what?



So, it goes around the whole pumpkin and is the actual lettering on the One Ring.  Because I am so in love with the end result, I'm gonna post pictures that show the entire thing.
 








*Content Sigh*  I love Lord of the Rings.

Anything for you, Babe!

Ryan just came up to me after fiddling on the computer for awhile and admitted that he was having a problem and needed my help. He was going through LOTR withdrawals.

Oh Baby, you have come to the right place!

I knew exactly what he needed. I ran to the DVDs and pulled out Return of the King. With the DVD player properly loaded and the ice cream freshly scooped, I'm ready to help my man out in his moment of need!

Hey, what are wives for?

Dr. Dad

Yesterday Acadia and I started to feel sick. We both napped, missed our ice skating lesson, and felt pretty awful for the rest of the day. Ryan came home, rented some movies for us and hooked us up with some Ginger Ale. Today he stayed home from work to take care of us. We're both feeling much better. Now Ryan's napping. lol

We were supposed to attend the first of 3 Halloween parties tonight. But then today the family that is throwing the party called to cancel because their daughter got sick too! Something must be going around. But thankfully, Cadi and I will be back on track for the two parties we have tomorrow. *thumbs*

Elders

I just heard that our Sister missionaries are both leaving! One has completed her mission and is going home, the other is being transferred. And it looks like we're gonna have Elders.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Elders. They are great guys. My brother was one, Landon was one, most missionaries are Elders. But I love having Sisters!!! I love that I can go on splits and they can come over to eat whenever they/I want because Ryan doesn't need to be home. And I can give the Sisters hugs. But now it's back to hand shakes.

The last time we lived in a ward with Elders was in Massachusetts. I remember having to make them wait on the front porch in the heat/cold when Ryan was running a few minutes late. I felt so bad! A few times I felt so bad that I waited on the porch and let them sit in the house!

I am also partial to Sisters because it was Sister missionaries that stopped Ryan on his way home from school to see if he would like to learn more about the church. So ya, I like the Sisters and I'm kind of bummed.

But I should look on the bright side... Ryan used to LOVE going on splits with the Elders and now he will get to do that again. Plus, there is always a reason for everything. I'm sure that the Lord needs Elders here right now, otherwise we'd still have our Sisters. And if it's what the Lord wants, it can't be that bad.

In Training

Our family is going to be participting in the Run to feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving morning in Sacramento, CA again this year. Last year we did the 5K. And it was mostly a walk, not a run. lol

But this year, Ryan and I have decided to do the 10K. And we're gonna run! I've been going to the gym regularly now for awhile and I usually run for 3 out of 4.5 miles in my workout. And I know that with some renewed motivation and more intense workouts, I can do better than that. So this week I started my "training". lol I laugh because no one is training me, I'm just pushing myself harder and farther than I have before.

Yesterday was weights and I had a meeting immediately after so I only walked for half a mile - BUT today was all cardio. I did a full 10K and ran for 5K of that!!! (That's more than I've ever run before in one workout.) I could have run for more of it but I started to feel blisters forming. I am definitely getting new running shoes next week - Roe, take me shopping!

For alot of people, this is nothing. But for me, this is awesome! I am stronger and have a higher level of endurance than I have ever had before. I am calmer and happier too. Now, instead of beating Ryan, I pound out my frustrations on the tread mill! lol I kid, but seriously, I stress so much less now than I used to and I can relax easier as well.
And I know I can keep improving, I have a long way to go. But when I see myself achieve new personal bests over and over again, it keeps me motivated to do more.

Talk about irony

Yesterday I had to speak in church. I'm not the best public speaker. I get nervous. Yesterday's topic? Courage. Some cruel joke, I'm sure. lol

It was actually kind of a Young Women presentation. The Young Women presidency all spoke and we had our young women sing a musical number. We also had our youngest and oldest young women talk for a moment - just sharing their thoughts on YW and their testimonies. The whole program went really well. My talk even went well. I've already been asked for a copy of one of the quotes I used. (From Princess Diaries, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.")

Then when it came time to have our Young Women lesson, no one could find the Mia Maid teacher. She is normally so on-the-ball that I never even think twice about anything she is responsible for doing. Well, we found out later that her husband failed to inform us she had an emergency come up and couldn't make it. In the meantime, I quickly grabbed a manual to see what the lesson was on... Dependability! No kidding!

I used it as an object lesson though. I told the girls that normally Sister T. is so dependable that in times like this I have to give her the benefit of the doubt. Something must have come up that was beyond her control. I told them to live their lives in a way that if ever they have to miss something they were committed to do, that others would give them the benefit of the doubt because of the dependability they had shown before.

Portland Children's Museum

On Saturday we skipped ice skating lessons (We'll be making them up on Thursday evening.) so we could attend Acadia's friend's birthday party.  I ended up playing "taxi" and took two other kids with us.  It was at the Portland Children's Museum.  We had never been before and since the birthday guest and their parents got in the museum for free the whole day - we took advantage of it!

Ryan met us there since work was slow.  We had a pretty fun time.  Here are some pictures...

Before the party started, we let the kids play in the water area.







After the party, we all went though the museum together. Here we were in the sounds area.







They had an area where the kids could paint their own faces...



There was even a place where they could make a clay scultpure. It only cost $1 to take your creation home as is.



Prepare to be impressed, people. Acadia made... Mt. St. Helens. lol



She had been playing with the clay for awhile.  She flattened it out, rolled it up, poked holes in it, and finally when I told her we would be leaving soon, she decided to make Mt. St. Helens.  She really likes that mountain.  Awhile ago I found her making Mt. St. Helens with her playdoh.  She made boulders and rocks that shot out from the crater, then she even made a lava dome!  Funny girl, who knows?  Maybe she's gonna be a volcanologist when she grows up!

Making Hazel

Acadia had fun carving her pumpkin, Hazel.  She had a little help.  They worked well together and the boys let Cadi do most of it since it was her pumpkin.

Don't Fall For It

1. What do you like or dislike about autumn?


I love the fall colors and crisp cool air. And of course I love celebrating my marriage every fall, thinking back to the beautiful fall we spent in Acadia National Park on our Honeymoon (and a few since then too).

I dislike once all the leaves have fallen off the trees and there is no color left. (Though here we have so much green left that it isn't bad at all.)


2. Have you raked leaves into a pile just to jump in them?

Not lately. I remember doing this a few times growing up, before we had the chain link fence put up around our house. After the fence went up we didn't get anymore leaves blown into our yard. :(


3. Have you ever carved a pumpkin and how did it turn out?

I've carved a pumpkin just about every year. It's messy but fun and usually I am happy with the results. On Wednesday the YW carved pumpkins, Cadi was with me so she carved hers then. I helped a little, but she did plenty of the work herself. She named it "Hazel", lol.

I will be working on my masterpiece in the next few days. I want it fresh for the Halloween party we are going to next weekend. And no, I'm not telling you what I'm doing, it is a surprise and all I have to say is... it's gonna be awesome!


4. Have you ever eaten anything made from pumpkins other than pie?

Heck ya! Pumpkin bread, donuts, ice cream, milkshakes, and cake. Plus, I remember Mom baking a meal inside a hollowed out pumpkin every year. I liked it and I think I attempted to do it one of the first years I was married. I can't remember too well, but it must not have turned out because I haven't really considered trying again, lol.


5. Where is a good spot to see the leaves change color where you live?

I don't know if there is any one good spot. I bet if you went into the gorge it would be GORGEous (lol, I crack myself up...). But I don't recall going there to see the colors. Maybe I should.

There is a stretch of our street, up the hill that is really pretty when the colors turn. There is also a couple of gorgeous tress on a main street in town that I LOVE to see in the fall, but unfortunately I don't go down that street much - at least not that part of it.

I was a little worried when we moved here that I would miss the New England foliage alot. But I was pleasantly surprised with the colors we get here. It isn't nearly as much as New England, but it is very pretty. And when the colors all fade and fall, there is still enough green to be pretty throughout winter.

We watch a movie? Not this time, Pal.

Last night we went to the Kiggins Theater here in downtown Vancouver. They have a terrific deal for school kids: admission to 10 movies for $8.00 - and that includes admission for two parents as well! The 10 movies are announced ahead of time so you can see whether or not you're interested. Usually we plan to see at least half of them - this time it will be most of them.

We like to support this theater. It is an old theater, kind of worn down. They show the same two feature movies each night for a week at a time. Admission is only $4.00 for both movies! They have a small concession stand; they only serve popcorn, sodas, and candy - which are high priced, but no higher (actually a little less) than the prices at a regular movie theather.

And it was at this concession stand that my husband ordered an ex-large popcorn for us to share (plus a big box of Junior mints and two medium sodas - but this is about the popcorn). I told Ryan I wasn't really in the mood to eat much popcorn that night (Not common for me - normally I'm a popcorn pig!) and suggested getting a smaller size. The woman behind the counter told him that it was a pretty short movie (1 hr. 15 min.) but that she would sell him the extra large if he wanted it.

He did. And almost the whole bag was gone before the movie even started. Yep, this is my husband. Ya gotta love him!

This week was "Madagascar", which we've seen before (Cadi and I twice, Ryan once). It is a good thing we've seen it before because the projector broke about 2 seconds into the film. Bummer.

Alot of the people there got some sort of credit back on their pass - we didn't bother. We'd seen it already, we can't come back any other nights that it is showing this week, and we'll still get far more than our money's worth just by going to one of the other 9 movies. Next week... Pooh's Huffelump Movie.

McTeacher

Tonight Acadia's school had a fundraiser at McDonald's.  From 5-8, 20% of all sales went to the school.  And to make it more fun, the teachers and principal were there "working".  We arrived in time to order our food and eat right before Acadia's teacher, Mr. Martin came in to work behind the counter.  Acadia had fun seeing the teachers she knew doing chores like scooping ice cream, sweeping floors, handing orders through the drive-thru, etc.

They had us write on our receipts which class our child was in and turn that in so the class could get credit.  The class with the most visits will win (don't know what they win, but it's...something, lol).  Knowing this, we ordered dinner, turned in the receipt, then ordered ice cream for another receipt! lol  And no, it is not cheating.  You can't order your ice cream with your meal or else it will melt...or your food will get cold while you're eating your ice cream first.  So, we HAD to have two orders!

The whole thing was a really great idea, it was packed the whole time we were there and the McDonald's crew was very friendly through it all.  Occasionally one of the teachers would come out with a huge bunch of balloons to pass out.  Here we got a picture of Acadia's principal handing out balloons.

She had gotten distracted by Ryan's RedSox shirt (I cheer for the Red Sox and anyone who beats the Yankees.") and started talking to him about how much she liked it.  (We like her even more now!)



From what I've seen of Mrs. Varkados (sp?), I really like her.  She is always happy and very hands on with the kids.  The kids all love her!

The FUNdraiser really was...Fun!  And yummy too!

N'ice

Today Acadia and I went to our first ice skating lesson.  Wow.  Okay, thankfully the first thing they taught was how to fall, and then how to get up safely.  This was good, lol.  I managed not to fall at all, but Acadia fell a couple of times.  No biggie, she got right up and did really well.

It was kind of cold on the ice (part of the time we were sitting on the ice while we practiced falling and getting up), next time we're wearing gloves or mittens.

We learned how to keep our balance by keeping our hands in front and when we felt like we might fall, putting our hands on our knees.  It really was pretty fun, though my feet were SO SORE by the end of the lesson!

Acadia didn't want to stop when lessons were over.  When we left she told me she wanted to come back again.  Well that's good since we are signed up for another 7 weeks!

This is a super good deal.  Since it is a parent/child class, we are both getting lessons for the same price as if she got lessons by herself!  PLUS, we can (if we choose) have free skate rentals and admission to practice on the days of our lessons.  So, we pretty much have free skating on Saturdays for the next 8 weeks.  Woohoo!

If I were rich...

I saw a story on the news tonight about a woman who found a bag with $1000 in it. (I think it belonged to an armored vehicle, but I'm not sure - I missed that part of the story.) It was all coin and heavy. She started dragging it down the street to the police station. A man saw her and decided to help her. Together they took this big bag of money to the police to turn in.

The reporters of course asked if they had considered keeping the money. They said no. But they did admit that there is alot they could do with $1000.

If I were rich, I would look for stories like this and then send people like that a reward. As long as it wasn't some insane amount, I would send them the dollar amount of what they found. But then I was thinking, I bet that those people are going to be recieving a greater reward than money because of their integrity.

So, it's all good.

Cadi Cuteness

Acadia: "Wanna see the baby this horse had?"
Me: "Sure."
Acadia: "She's new, she just got out."  (In super cute voice...)  "She's so little."
Me: "Wow, she IS tiny, she fits in my hand!  So, are you sure its a girl?"
Acadia: "Yep, we're sure.  If its pink and a unicorn - a sparkly unicorn, then its a girl."

Later she discovered another baby unicorn (another girl, but this time white) and then brought me the mother unicorn.  I said, "I thought you said it was this horse's baby."

Acadia answered, "I was mistaken."

Bump, Set, Spike!

Someone PLEASE tell me to wear knee pads the next time the Young Women play volleyball - even if I don't think I'm going to be playing!

It was a combined activity with the young men. I was wearing jeans and 2 1/2 inch boots, but still agreed to play. We had great fun! But I just can't play volleyball half-heartedly... And as a result, my knees are SO SORE and BRUISED from diving again and again. I kept telling myself, "Self, Don't dive anymore!" But then I kept ignoring myself and doing it anyway. But hey - my team won! *thumbs* And I think the youth (and even the young men leaders) have a new-found respect for me, lol.

7 x 7

7 things you plan to do before you die:

•Take a hot air balloon ride
•Visit Washington DC
•Learn how to ice skate
•Go Skiing
•See the Grand Canyon
•Go on a cruise
•Own a black lacquered, baby grand, Yamaha Disclavier

7 things you can do:

•Curl my tongue
•Run 1.5 miles without slowing down to rest
•Fit at least a half dozen more dishes in the dishwasher after Ryan has "fully" loaded it.
•Say the Young Women Theme in Sign Language
•Finish in the top 2% solving Sudoku
•Keep a secret
•Say "no" to chocolate

7 things you cannot do:

•Dance, lol
•Sew a straight line
•Sing Soprano
•Eat seafood
•Run 2 miles without resting - YET
•Make Brownie Pudding the way Landon's mom makes it, lol
•Sleep well when Ryan's not with me

7 things you never thought you'd do:

•Read LOTR or The Hobbit (LOL - There's a lesson for you!)
•Go on a boat without getting sick
•Live on the East coast
•Own a Minivan
•Get teary at seeing Cinderella and Belle on stage at Disney World
•Let a 6 year old put make-up on me
•Like working out at a gym

7 things that attract you to other people:

•Kindness
•Spirituality
•Strength - whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual
•Honesty
•Great Sense of Humor - laughs and can make me laugh
•Gorgeous Eyes
•Good Smile

7 things that you say most often:

•"Flip!"
•"Fudge!"
•"like"
•"I need to blog that"
•"Move, you dumb dog"
•(In text messages to Ryan) "xxoo"
•"Come on People!"

7 things you can see right now:

•The little yellow puppy that Ben gave Ryan for Christmas
•A paper heart Acadia made at church
•Ryan's football bank
•Killer Whale tealight lamp I bought on my honeymoon in Maine
•Landon's hat that I STILL haven't mailed back to him!
•My SLC journal
•Portrait of the Davis family

Smack!

I heard a loud thump at my front door this morning so I looked to see what it was... This is what I found!


I hate it when that happens, don't you?

BOO-tiful!

This week we started decorating for Halloween.  Ryan suggested taking a couple of pictures and posting them here... Okay!  You know me, I don't exactly need much encouragement to blog, so the mere suggestion was enough to set me in actioin...





Acadia taped more than a dozen of these little ghosts up around the house. She made sure to point out that these were friendly ghosts!



Acadia is excited about Halloween! She is going to be Cinderella this year. Today she put on her Cinderella costume, along with some boas, fairy wings, a sleeping beauty tiara, and a Belle wand! lol She set out a tea set for a "water party". She was too cute not to take a few pictures of...

Is it too much to ask?

I really enjoy working out at the gym. And I think that anyone who wants to, should be able to do the same... as long as they abide by a few simple rules!

If you want to work out at my gym, please do NOT:

•Wear exessive amounts of perfume. While I'm huffing and puffing on the treadmill next to you, the last thing I need is your overpowering fragrance to suffocate me! I am having a hard enough time breathing as it is! There is NO reason why someone working out early in the morning needs to have put on THAT much perfume on before getting all sweaty especially since (I sure hope) you are just going to take a shower and wash it all off when you're done. If you must be so inconsiderate of others to wear THAT much perfume in the first place, wait until after your workout!

•Sing along to your ipod. First of all - we are not listening to the same song. Secondly - you are singing so loud that even with my headphones on, several machines away, I can still hear you! And last but definitely not least - you CANNOT SING!!! Either listen to your music quietly or don't listen at all.

•Clap randomly to yourself. It is distracting and very annoying! I don't know why you would be clapping - you are not cheering yourself or anyone else on - but you are making me lose count - SO STOP!!!

•Flirt shamelessly with your trainer. Lady - he is only spending one on one time with you because you are paying him to and it is his job! And then to complain about the exercises he's asking you to do - that is not attractive. If you really want to impress him, apply yourself and focus on your workout!

•Ask someone to move when they were there first. Newsflash: You are no more important or special than anyone else. The mirrors are at least 40 feet long, there is plenty of room. Yet you ask someone who is already working out to move down so you can stand where he is? Are you telling me that you lack the ability to walk past the guy who was at that spot first? If so, maybe you should be using less weights.

•Work out without a sweat towel. I have just one word to say to you... EWWW!

•Wear a torn tank top revealing your flabby abs. You are not young, you are not ripped, you should not wear that thing in public! In fact, even if you were young and you were ripped, you still should not wear it because NO ONE should be wearing it! It looks tacky and just plain stupid!

If you do not think you are capable of following these rules, please do not show up at my gym on weekday mornings - or any other time that I may choose to be there. Thank you.

My thoughts...

This comes from the journal I used while in Salt Lake City this past weekend...


Re: the drive to Utah

It was a LONG drive. But our youth were wonderful! They were cheerful, cooperative, and excited to go. It was a great feeling to watch them. The young men were gentlemanly and the young women were kind and friendly.

I have always wanted to go to SLC for Conference. I have been looking forward to this trip ALL SUMMER! I can't wait to enter the conference center and see the prophet!

My only regret is that Ryan and Acadia can't come this time. When Acadia is old enough to go to the conference center, I want to come as a family. I know Acadia wanted to come and see the prophet, I am glad she has the desire. I pray she keeps it.

Re: Saturday

We are in the conference center and it is an amazing feeling. It is beautiful. It is HUGE. It is awesome to see the Mormon Taber - ... The prophet just entered the room. We all stood as he walked to his seat. The spirit is so strong. I feel so blessed to be here. Before he entered, people were talking and visiting, now it is quiet and reverent. I wish Ryan and Acaida were here to experience this!

After the Saturday sessions were over, we had time to walk around Temple Square. I spent most of my time with two other leaders and 3 young women at the Church History Museum. It was awesome. My favorite part was seeing the death masks of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. It was moving for me. There were many things that I loved there and I felt so many emotions, but that was my favorite. Upstairs they had a replica of Joseph's death mask. It was there to touch. It was a very reverent feeling to quietly touch the face of the prophet.

One of the things that this trip has done is to strengthen my testimony of the Gospel. And as I visited the Church History museum, especially the Joseph Smith exhibits, I felt even more grateful for the sacrifices that the prophet made. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and I know that all the things he claims to have seen and done are true. I just know it - because the feeling in my heart is so strong that it is simply undeniable for me. I cannot pretend that I don't know.

Re: Sunday

We are sitting on Temple Square, in line - hoping to get into the Conference Center for conference today. As we wait, many of us are reading. I grabbed two of my Mia Maids (they didn't have their scriptures with them) to read with me. I finished the Book of Mormon, sitting with "my girls" on the southwest side of the Salt Lake City Temple. Wow.

I am so grateful for this challenge. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful for President Hinckley. I am so glad I was able to show my support and sustain him - in his presence yesterday! I have felt the spirit so strongly this weekend! I am so grateful for this experience!

We didn't make it in the Conference Center. We stood in the stand-by line for about 3 hours before being led to the conference center theater to watch in there. We can't complain - we were all able to get in for both Saturday sessions.

I've already posted a bit about the stuff we did after the Sunday sessions, so I won't repeat myself. It was a wonderful day.

This whole trip was wonderful. I am so glad that I was one of the lucky ones that got to come. Before we left, when we told people what we were doing - taking 22 youth on a 13 hour car ride to SLC to sit through 8 hours of conference in 2 days - everyone told us we were crazy. And we pretty much agreed. We had no idea how it would go. We had no idea how well the youth would get along, how helpful they would be, how much they would complain, etc. But there was NEVER a moment on this trip that I didn't feel so LUCKY to be there - with those kids! They were perfect! Little did we know we had no reason to fear.

During the car rides, we received challenges and had games to keep us busy. One of the challenges was to make up a song about our experiece using a tune from any of the hymns or children's hymns. Here is my car's song...

To the tune of "Book of Mormon Stories"

Book of Mormon Challenge my ward leaders gave to me
I read it all in 99 days and went to Salt Lake City
In the streets the protestors were shouting fallacies
We were strong, we walked on, Righteously

The Prophet and Apostles taught us sermons from the stand
Testified and counseled us to "get to higher land"
Through heat and cold, we stood in line - forever seemingly
We were strong, we stood on, Righteously

The Gospel was restored to earth in modern history
Prophet Joseph's testimony helps the blind to see
Our prophet asked we read again the Word by New Year's Eve
We'll be strong, we'll read on, Righteously

Leaving Salt Lake City now our minds are filled with thoughts
We must choose if we will use the lessons we've been taught
Bishop said to ask youself: "Where will it lead?"
We'll be strong, we'll live on, Righteously!

Notes from Conference

Some notes from the Saturday Sessions:

Elder L. Tom Perry tells us-

To ask ourslves, "Why did the writer choose this story to share? What value does it have for me today?" as we read the scriptures.

We should show our commitment to studying the scriptures by approaching that study with a plan.


Keith B. McMullin -

The Gospel brings answers and solutions to the world's problems - including our personal ones.

"Were it not for adversity, we would not know to choose the better part."

If we do our best in preparing, what we have stored will not fail - there will be enough.

Sin - not doing as well as we know how.


Susan W. Tanner -

If we truly thought of our bodies as temples for our spirit, we would treat it differently. We would rethink what we put into it, how we maintain and strengthen it, how we protect it, etc.

Be made in Heavenly Father's image - NOT the image of the world!

Do not offend your spirit by physical indulgences. Seek beauty of body, mind, and spirit.


Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin -

Depart from iniquity and journey to higher ground.

The temple represents higher ground.


President James E. Faust -

The gift of the Holy Ghost gives joy to the heart and light to the eyes.

Hearing the words of the Lord lifts us out of spiritual blindness and into the light.

Gifts of the spirit add to the light in our eyes.

It is easier to be righteous in the dark when we see th glow of the light of Christ in other's eyes.


Elder Dallin H. Oaks -

When we speak of marital partnerships, let it be a FULL partnership!

The theology of the church centers on the family. The highest aspiration is to achieve eternal family relationships.


Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - (This was one of my favorite talks, as well as the favorite of many of my young women.)

Speaking to the Young Women - "I want you to be proud that you are a woman." Your Father in Heaven knows your name, hopes, dreams, fears, frustrations.

We are empowered through obedience

Everything that Christ taught was to women as well as men.

Modesty in appearance is ALWAYS in fashion!

Youth need - first LOVE and then LIMITS

Good friends will never embarress, demean or exploit you - and neither should your clothing.

The key to feeling confident is always listening to your inner-self.

"The Great and Spacious Make-Up Kit" lol

Be not faithless, but be belieiving.


Benjamin De Hoyos -

Happiness is the purpose of the Gospel.

Happiness comes from obedience - even in the most difficult circumstances.


Paul K. Sybrowski -

It is in the Shepard's loving arms and on His shoulders that we are carried home.


Elder Henry B. Eying - (Another one of my favorite talks this conference.)

The greatest test of life is to see if we will hearken and obey Heavenly Father's commands amid the stoms of life.

Heavenly Father desired to give us all that He had. To qualify for that gift, we need to be tried and tested.

It will take unshakable faith in Jesus Christ to pass our test.

However much faith in Christ we have right now - we need to strengthen - constantly!

Start obeying at the moment a command of God comes - then remain steady in obedience.

Great faith has a short shelf life! We must not let up! We must always pray, study, and obey!

The best time to resist temptation is EARLY, the best time to repent is NOW.


Elder M. Russell Ballard - (Yet another of my favorite talks from this weekend!)

Everyone is a precious member of God's family.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World is not unlike the "Title of Liberty" in Captain Moroni's day.

There is no happiness without service. There is no service greater than that in our homes and families.

We should not need a hurricane or other crisis to remind us what matters most.

What matters most will matter longest.


Notes from Sunday Session :


President Thomas S. Monson -

Joseph Smith taught by example - courage, faith, honesty, patience, diligence, missionary work, love.

Learn from what he taught - by example.


President Boyd K. Packer -

It is important to have a knowledge of the scriptures.

"We believe all that He has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God."

The church is housed in chapels, but lives in the hearts and souls of the Latter-Day Saints.


Elder Richard G. Scott -

All are encouraged, but not forced to obey.

To be obedient to the commandments requires to us to understand them. To understand them, we need to read them, read the scriptures, test and prove it in our lives.


President Gordon B. Hinckley -

Forgiveness may be the greatest virtue on earth - and is certainly the most needed.

We should all read and ponder the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) occasionally.

The Savior taught

*Love your enemies

*He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone

*Leave the 99 to seek the 1 lost

*"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

*Forgive one another. He that forgiveth not - remaineth in him the greater sin.

*But of you it is required to forgive all men.

It is through the Savior that we gain forgiveness.


Elder Russell M. Nelson -

Jesus Christ is the Master Healer. Come unto Him and be healed.

Access healing power through prayer.

Remember that Heavenly healing takes place in His own way - and in His time.

Faith, repentance, baptism, testimony, enduring conversion - lead to healing of the Lord.

Conversion means "to turn with". Turn from the ways of the world and to the Lord. It brings a mighty change of heart. When truly converted, we are motivated to do what He wants us to do and be what He wants us to be.

Jesus suffered deeply because He loves us deeply. He wants to heal us.

Thanks to Him, no one is hopeless, no situation is hopeless.


Elder Robert D. Hales -

Those who sacrificed so much to make it possible for us to have the scriptures (The Bible, The Book of Mormon, etc) today were called to give their lives for the Gospel - We are called to LIVE our lives for the same purpose.

The events of our time are preparing us for the Second Coming.


Won Yong Ko -

Do not be afraid of sacrifice.

We may not be asked to give up our lives, but we are asked to make sacrifices to keep our testimony.

"Sacrifice itself may be a blessing."


Ulisses Soares -

The Gospel is about people, not programs. Everyone needs to feel loved.

"Love one another as I have loved you"


Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf - (One of my very favorite talks from this weekend!!!)

What are the "basics"? What carries us at times of greatest need to eternal destinations?

The Gospel principles will never change.

We are spirit children of God and should act accordingly.

Follow Christ - "To follow Christ is to become more like Him."

Learn His gospel by living His teachings. Practice what we proclaim.

Having faith in the Atonement means relying totally on Christ.

Faith leads to action. We follow even when we don't completely understand.

Accept direction and correction from the Lord.

Faith and Hope are the basics - they will carry us.

This is the place.

This weekend was the completion of the 99 day challenge that we gave to the youth in our ward. And as promised, we took them to SLC to finish reading on Temple Square. We had an amazing weekend!
Are you ready for some pictures? Cause I've got a bunch!

On the way down, we gave all the kids T-shirts. We all wore them, we were a sea of brown. "What can 'brown' do for you?"



The first thing we did when we got to SLC, was head to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to watch "Testaments". Afterwards, we visited for a few minutes in the lobby. The youth (and us leaders) were so affected by the movie, many of us were teary and everyone appreciated having a few moments to reverently ponder what they had just watched.





We headed over to the North Visitor Center to take a picture of all the youth at the Christis. On the way over we passed the temple. I was touched as I watched small groups of our kids walk up and touched the temple. Many of them were on Temple Square for their first time and were in awe at this wonderful building.







We took the kids to get dinner then headed over to our host homes. There were three families who graciously welcomed us, strangers, into their homes to stay for the weekend. We had two YW homes and one YM home. We are so grateful for these three families!

Saturday morning we all had tickets into Conference, which means No WAITING IN LINES!!! Yeah! But that would be the ONLY time we would get off so easily!









Here is a photo taken just after the 1st session was over. It is blurry - sorry! I have a non-blurry one from before session, but I'm showing this one because one of those blurry black suits, is the prophet.



We ate lunch at the cars while a couple of the leaders held a place in line for us. When that line started moving, he called over to us and we hussled ourselves there just in time! We made it across the street into the line outside the Conference Center and waited there in the HOT sun for a little over an hour.





We were split up during this session, but we did all make it in. I was fortunate to have a seat in the center of the room. This picture was taken after the session was over as the prophet was leaving.



After Conference, we took some treats and drinks to the YM who had to stand in line for Priesthood Session. Then we split up. Most of the girls went with some leaders to the mall. I took 3 girls with two other leaders and went to the Church History Museum. My favorite part was seeing the death masks of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.



I really enjoyed seeing the girls look at the things in the museum. Here S. and K. are looking at Wilford Woodruff's journal entry from his wedding day.



Just for Mom...



This was my second favorite part. It is kind of the same as my first favorite. There was a replica of Joseph's death mask. This one was for us to touch. It was an awesome feeling to touch the face of the prophet. Again, I was touched to see how much the girls were appreciating this experience. This is S. touching the prophet's face.



After we finished at the Church History Museum, we stopped by the Family History Center to see if (by chance) the Pellets were there. We found out that they were now working at the Joseph Smith Memorial building, but not that day. :( Because of the crazy schedule that we had with the youth, there really wasn't any way to try to arrange seeing them. So, we went on to the mall.

We were able to see Cherie Call and Julie De Azevedo (sp?). I bought a book and had it signed by Sharon Larson (the author) to give to my neighbor who watched Acadia for a couple of days for me while I was there. I also got the new Paul Cardall CD and then found out that by buying it, I got a live CD of his for free! Score! I love him!!!

That night we had pizza at one of the host families homes. Then we played out in the dark for awhile before hitting the sack.

Sunday morning began VERY EARLY for half of us. We wanted to go for it and got to Temple Square early to stand in line, trying to get into the morning session. While waiting many of us read our Book of Mormon. I finished, right on schedule completing the 99 day challenge sitting right next to the temple. It was such a wonderful moment! Some of the other kids finished then as well.









Things were looking really good for us! We weren't very far from the front of the line and we made it across the street and into the line at doors of the Conference Center. And here we waited for another couple of hours.













Unfortunately, only about 20 people from the stand by line made it into the Conference Center. It was just too full. So, instead we were taken to the Conference Center Theater. It was cool to watch conference on a movie screen. But we still would have rather been inside! So, at the moment the closing prayer was over, our fearless YM president made a mad dash to get us a place in the stand by line for the next session!

As the rest of us quickly tried to follow him, I snapped this picture. It made me laugh! There were alot of protesters, but this kid holding the small sign that said, "People with signs are stuped!" was awesome! On the other side of this sign, he had written "If you can't be right, be LOUD!" lol



It was rather cold on Sunday. So as we waited to get into the next session, some of my girls got... creative. They put their jeans on under their dresses to keep warm. In taking this picture, I uttered words that these girls will most likely NEVER hear me say to them again! "Lift up those skirts and show me more leg!"



We ate lunch while in line this time. You would think that spending hours in line would get tiring - well, yeah it did. But we didn't mind. We were so happy to be there! The kids were wonderful! They didn't complain, they made the most of it! They had fun, they sang hymns, they read scriptures, they visited, they made it a great experience!





Once again, we didn't make it into the Conference Center. This time we weren't even close! We split up, finding places to watch it seperately. My group ended up in the theater in the North Visitor Center. After the final session of this General Conference, we met up for a group photo. On our way to take the picture, we ran into a couple who used to be in our ward! We couldn't have planned it better if we had tried! And only minutes after seeing the Mosers, we saw Tanya and Miranda Nisse, from another family who had moved away last year! It was awesome to see them and it was a miracle that amongst tens of thousands of people at Temple Square we ran into these former ward members that we love and miss so much! They didn't know we were there and we didn't know they were there, but we found each other! And then they helped to take this picture...





We had a couple of hours to look around, so we split up again. I took a couple of girls who had gone to the Church History Museum with me the night before and we went to the Joseph Smith Memorial building. I am so disappointed that this picture is blurry! But it was kind of the woman to offer to take it for us, so I really shouldn't complain!



We went up to the observation deck where a worker there pointed out President Hinckley's apartment to us. It is in the upper left, with all the green windows.





Then they showed us this chapel, where President Hinckley and President Faust's ward meets. It is beautiful! When the building used to be a hotel, this was a ballroom. Because it is a chapel, we didn't take pictures inside, but the doors were open, so I took this picture instead.



We then went to the Conference Center to go up on the roof. I can only imagine how much more beautiful it is in the spring when the flowers are all blooming. As it is, this was very pretty and the view was cool. It was also quite windy and rather cold. We didn't stay up too long! lol







We wanted to walk down the steps instead of taking the elevator down. Here are S. and K. ouside the waterfall that flows down the side of the Conference Center.



Our host families insisted on providing dinner for us on Sunday. They hosted us to a WONDERFUL dinner and we were surprised when yet another family who had recently moved there from our ward showed up to visit with us! (This was obviously planned!) It was great to see them!



The Blackham's, the main host family - they are AWESOME!!!



Acadia's friend, Brinlee. She misses her and still asks about her every now and then!



After dinner we went to the church building (across the street, lol) for a fireside. The Bishop talked to the youth about the theme of our trip, "Where will it lead?" He encouraged them to always ask themselves this question when faced with a choice. And then he gave them each their own pocket hymnal. I played "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet" on the piano as they sang from their new hymnals for the first time. It was a great end to our time in Salt Lake.

I had about 8 young with me and another leader at our host house. We stayed in their basement. They had a pool table that four of the girls decided to sleep under - squished together! It was fun to watch.





At one point, 7 of the girls squeezed in there for a photo!



My girls were so good! And we had alot of fun!



On Monday we had a smooth, yet long drive home. We got back at about 8 pm and our trip was over! I will post notes and feelings that I recorded in my journal in a seperate post - soon. This post is long enough, I think! lol

Here's a link to see all the pictures I took. Soon, I will be adding pictures other leaders took as well. But for now, I've got 161 pictures up there! Enjoy!