How I think they dressed for Halloween!

I thought that I would show you the pics that I took of my grandkids when they were at my home a couple of weeks before Halloween.

Aidan the ferocious Giraffe. 

Adam, one cool Alligator!

Hannah, Pocahantas is very becoming on you.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Sometimes you just have to laugh WITH them.

I work with teenagers, enough said. 

 Well, anyway my student aid 4th period found the perfect costume (according to her) for me for Halloween.  And we all (4th period is lunchtime) had a great laugh.  Funny teenagers.  Thanks Courtney!

Here is picture that she choose to help me get my costume together.

Isn't life funny.

Painting with the Geezer

While Nicole was here, she got to spend some great time with her dad, they spent it creating (throwing paint) and creating art.  You start by soaking the canvas with water and then adding/flinging acrylic paint in different manners on the canvas.  Our driveway is covered with a huge tarp to help contain the mess, the process is messy but the pictures turn out great.  You can keep them the way that they are, or you can then add more paint in a different manner on top on the finished product.  This is the process that Mark used on his LA Temple picture for the background.  Every one sure does turn out different.Here is Nicole's first painting project.  

I sure do love my painting/artsy family.

Shelby October Visit

I send a quick post tonight and add to it another day when there is more time.

The Shelby's arrived wed. in preparation for the boys (Tj, Robby and Scott) pack backing trip the next couple of days.  Nicole took TJ up the hill Thurs. and Robby and Scott joined him on Fri. and Sat. for male bonding and crazy hiking.

These are pictures that Nicole took when they dropped him off.  

I survived my food callings

My life has been sooo busy lately with my church calling which has revolved around food.  On Sept. 27 there was a General Women's broadcast from salt lake.  The Prophet has asked that we as women gather together to watch this broadcast so I elected to serve dinner before the meeting to bribe them to come together to watch.  My Presidency planned decoration, dinner and dessert for 150 (the first year I was in charge we planned for 100 and ran out of food, those of you that know me know that this is unacceptable) (for the previous 3 years they only had 50 sisters show up, I guess the advertising worked).  The room was full and the food never ran out, and the broadcast was wonderful and so uplifting so I consider it a success.

Then on October 11, I was asked to decorate, provide appetizers and dessert for 80 High Priests and their wives for a high priest meeting/fireside, the Trasks who have just returned home from serving 3 years as Mission President in the Philippines were to speak to us.  The tricky part of this was that the Shelby's were visiting since Thurs. because they are going to bless Caleb here tomorrow on Sunday, and I couldn't spend time with them on Sat because of the crazy schedule that I keep.  So with a fall theme and one councilor and my secretary out with issues (silly things like a new baby/Utah trip and new replacement surgery) I spent Sat. cooking and preparing the appetizer food for the evening myself then Amanda (Scott's better half) came over to help, my other co.  and sue with the bad knee baked two cakes each for me .  For appetizers I served mini sausages wrapped in biscuits, meatballs in sauce (another funny story, recipe said to mix grape jelly and chili sauce and pour over meatballs, when I started mixing the sauces I realized that I had bought cocktail sauce instead but I used it anyway, they were yummy and spicy, new recipe), I also whirled in the food processor sun dried tomatoes with cream cheese another keeper, also I made seven layer bean dip and served with spicy chips and regular chips, fruit, spinach dip with crackers, mixed nuts, and candy.  Then for dessert we made the cakes called better than everything, truly a mans dessert (bake a choc. cake, when cool poke holes with the back of a wooden spoon and then pour in 1 jar of carmel ice cream sauce, and 1 can sweetened condensed milk, and refrigerate for a couple of hours to soak in, then top with cool whip and sprinkle with heath bar pieces, cut and serve more than yummy.  Needless to say there was lots of food only about 50 showed up, lots of food to send home with the interested.

Then finally Thursday night we had our Leadership meeting where we meet with the Primary/Young women and Relief Society leaders for opening exercises and then separate into departments.  We (the RS) were in charge of refreshments for 100 for the evening, plus to provide a meaningful meeting to help the very busy RS pres. with their calling.   So it was another busy cooking filled event.  I baked 200 cookies and Heidi Broberg purchased 100 cookies which we served with milk or ice water.  We didn't run out (always a plus) and the night went very smoothly.  I think that i'm done with serving and preparing food for the church, at least for this year.  

This calling (just in case Stake Relief Society President) has been very different than any that I have held before, lots of conducting, lots of being in front (not my favorite), lots of meetings, lots of hostessing (is that a word), lots of food prep and serving and lots and lots of speaking (I have given more talks in the past two years than all the other years put together).  The amazing thing is that it's just me and I find that weird that people treat me different, so I won't tell them it's still just me.

All in all it's been a very growing calling, both spiritually and emotionally, and I am so thankful to the Lord for his trust and constant guidance.  Thank you.