Just the FACTS baby!

I got my camera to work for a few pictures of the snow before it died!

My camera is broken so I don't have any pictures to post with. It makes it a little more difficult to post, because it seems a bit boring. I will "steal" a few pictures from Berta that might help a little. This past week was nothing short of CRAZY.

Aspen's birthday was on the 28th. She wanted a birthday party at the club with the bounce house. I made her a Dora cake, because right now that is one of her favorite people. When we got to the club, she kept running around saying, "this is going to be the best birthday ever." It wasn't even that spectacular, but she loved it. She loved all of her presents and was so excited when she opened each one. If only they stayed that easy to please. I can't believe my baby is 3. It just seems like yesterday that I finally quit fighting the spirit and started to convince Shawn we needed another person in our family. That didn't take much convincing, the spirit works in amazing ways.

Aspen you can have your cake, and eat it too.She was so excited with ALL of her gifts.

Since people can't decide what day to celebrate Halloween we had the school carnival Friday, and Trick or Treating Saturday. Fortunately it wasn't an issue whether we would trick or treat on Sunday. The carnival was pretty fun, Aspen had a blast. She dressed up like a ghost, and went to all of the booths. She loved the fish pond, got a ring around the pop (which Carter didn't) and waited in line for the bounce house. You would think she got enough of that at her birthday party, but no she had to have a turn. It is so sad when the time comes that your kids say "I don't want to do this one", or "This is for little kids". That would be Carter. I am afraid this is his last year for the kiddie carnival. Morgan helped in the spook alley and Shade went to a spook place with his buddies. Saturday, we went up to Boices for dinner. Everyone was there; Cameron & Leah; Whitney, Schuyler, Bodin & Toren; & Heather, Brian, Carson, Kelton & Cooper. After dinner the kids split up in two trucks and made the trick or treating rounds. Aspen & Nora were soooo cute. Every house they would say "Trick or Treat" then "Thank-you". They were so excited every little peice of candy they got. Then they would get a little spooked everytime someone in a "SCARY" costume would go by. Morgan dressed up like a gangter, Carter was a girl, & Shade went skate boarding with his buddies. It is so much more fun to go door to door than the ever popular trunk or treat. I think that is a cop out for parents. Plus, it is sad to see the older people that love to have those little goblins come knock'n on their door, miss out on all of the fun.

Aspen the little ghost. Someone asked her if she was a scary ghost at the carnival and she said "No I'm a NICE ghost"!

Monday the 1st was my birthday. 37 years old, where does the time go. I can so remember wanting to be 16, then 20. After that 25 years seemed soooo old, a quarter of a century. Still it wasn't so bad. 30 Now that one hurt, fortunately Shawn & I were on a cruise for our 10th anniversary so that took a little of the sting away. To tell you the truth 37 hardly even phased me. Does that mean I'm a getting more mature in my thinking? Or maybe being old as dirt has made me not care. Actually I think I have come to grips with the fact that I am only as old as I feel. Most days I feel pretty darn good for a 37 year old. My body always doesn't agree, but what does it know anyway! Shawn took me out to dinner and Carter made me a chocolate turtle cake (with my assistance). Bob, Berta & Alice; and Jenaee & Neal & family came over for cake and icecream. It was sooo yummy. Bob & Berta gave me a gift certificate to Amazon, which I can't wait to spend; I have my eye on a few things. However, Berta says she might have something even cooler, so I'm waiting to see what that might be. Alice left hers at her house, so I need to run up and get it. I think she did it just I would bring her some cantaloupe out of the greenhouse up! Shawn gave me some spending money. I put it in my going on a vacation stash. Speaking of which; Shawn & I haven't been on vacation for awhile and we really would like to go. With finances like they are we had kind of written that off. SURPRISE! The other day as I was cancelling my American Express credit card, the guy informed me I had 222,000 frequent flyer miles. I had no idea I had enough for 1 free ticket, let alone 8? So we are thinking with that plus our free condo's, if we don't do to much for each other for Christmas we can save enough moola for some spending money on a vacation. HALALOOYA!

Friday the 5th was our 17th anniversary. Again, how time does fly. It is amazing how you think when you marry someone, you think you could never love them more than at that time. Then as you live, love & grow together; so that love also doubles & triples and continues to grow, till you wonder how your heart can hold all of that love for one person & still have room for everyone else in your life, but yet it does; in fact the love for your children is at least that big. What an amazing thing you HEART is. The kids stayed over night at Jenaee's and we went out to dinner and had a leisurely night at home.

Sunday was my turn to teach the combined young women lesson. It was on gratitude. As I studied my lesson this past week my heart was so full. I started to think something was wrong with me. I had a stake leadership meeting on Thursday that I actually looked forward to and was excited to go to. That doesn't happen very often in my crazy life, when come night time I just want to chill. The meeting touched me. It was on the relationships we form with our young women & how that affects them through their whole life. How to use our activities to form those binding relationships with them and between the young women themselves. I don't even remember alot of it, but I do remember having the spirit with me so strong that night.
Then the next day I was driving to town and passed the church house; as I looked at it then at the amazing Fall fouliage, I teared up. Yeah, you heard me right, I teared up over a church building. That's when I thought seriously thought something must be wrong with me! Anyway the lesson went amazing. I said a prayer before asking for a bit of help & wa-la I only got thru 2 paragraphs of my lesson, even though the Bishop came in to sit and made me even more stressed out. It just seemed to flow and I think all of the things that needed to be said were said.

Last week the weather was beautiful. Mid 60's and sunny. In fact for the 1st time in 17 years Shawn & I went golfing in Rexburg on our anniversary. Aspen & Carter rode the horse several days last week. Aspen is riding all by herself now. She absolutely loves that horse. I have to drag her away when I need to go in the house. For some reason the horse will do anything for her. The last time, she was devastated when I brought her in the house. For at least 30 minutes after she just sat on the floor crying over & over "Skywalker, Skywalker". That is the horses name. I finally got her to go to sleep and in the middle of her nap she woke up saying "Skywalker, Skywalker" it was so funny.

Today it is snowing. Yes, snowing it changed from rain to snow about 7 this morning as snowed constantly since. We have about 3-4" of really wet snow on the ground. Carter spent from the time he got home till dark out rolling snowballs. It was so wet and heavy, he couldn't get them stacked on each other so he resorted to making a sort of fort. It sure is beautiful though. Shade wants to skip school tomorrow and head up to Grand Targhee with some of his buddies. I'm not so sure about that. We will see.

My patio furniture is not looking so inviting today!

Carter making his snowballs. Notice all the Fall leaves still on the ground (& in the snow)