October 2016

I counted my many blessings this month.  One of my favorite conference talks said...."if you have to compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to yourself".  And I thought that was the best advice I've received in a long time.  I looked back to myself (or our family) last year at this exact time and I very nearly burst into tears at how much better this October was than last October.  We are leaps and bounds ahead of us last year.  We are improved in almost every area.  That is commendable.  I am so proud of us, the family as a whole.

I know I keep harping on this.....  but it is such a big deal.  I am LOVING our morning ritual and the perfection that we have made of it.  Day after day, we successfully get everyone ready and where they need to be and we are in our seats at work right on time and we look half way decent too.  Our kids are AMAZING.  They are happy, helpful, positive, fun, funny and cause us no trouble.  They are a complete joy.  We have the best time getting ready in our bathroom.  They say the funniest things.  And start our day off so nicely.

I think I will start off with our missionary #1.  He made it safely to Durban.  He LOVED the MTC, but was ready to get out into the field.  A kind lady from Ohio just happened to be in the Durban airport when they all arrived and she snapped this picture and texted it to Morgan.

 This is Parker with Caelan Williams who is in our ward.  He's been out for a year.  His mom brought a debit card over to Parker, the night before he left and said "if you happen to see my son over the next year, could you give this to him?"  Well he saw him on his first day in Durban.  And he was so happy.  It made him so happy to see another St. George kid.  He is doing really well.  His letters are cute.  It is amazing how advanced the communication is now.  His first email comes in about 12:30 am on Monday Morning.  And he and Morgan talk back and forth for several hours (like texting).  She doesn't get any sleep.  But she DOES NOT care.  I can count on her to be in the very best mood all day Monday.

The new All Abilities Park, otherwise known as Thunder Junction opened in October.  Kami's boss oversaw the entire creation.  It cost millions to construct and took FOREVER.  We supported Kami on opening day along with the entire city.  We had to ride the train.  We waited in line for over an hour.  Most of it was in the shade luckily because it was SO hot.

Look at that red face.  We can always count on Peyton's face to tell us when we are all hot.  She has her dad's complexion and his "sparkles" too.

This is pure joy....  when your daughters go to the temple to do baptisms together every week.  All on their own.  Setting and accomplishing personal goals.

We still continue to do Friday Night Restaurants as many Fridays as we can.  It's so fun.  We look forward to it all week.

 All Princess, this one.  Never met a camera she hasn't posed for.  Wears crowns to dinner.  And we let her because she's KK and that is what she does.  She has a boy in her class, who is a bully.....  well he is just a rule breaker in general and causes trouble wherever he goes.  And KK tells us that she has decided to help him learn to behave.  So when he does something naughty, she will whisper in his ear.  "you need to go apologize to Bailey.  Tell her you didn't mean to hurt her feelings"  And he does it.

She says "he just hasn't been taught how to behave.  We can help him learn."  Oh my gosh.  Who are you?

We celebrated Papa's birthday.  

My dad is simply the greatest dad on the planet.

I love him with all my heart. 

His birthday was on a Monday, so we combined Family FHE with it.  

We had Conference Recap and we went around and shared our favorite talk.

The spirit was so strong.  

I cried through the whole thing.

We also participated in our Neighborhood Garage Sale

We made $90

Papa made $100.

It felt so good to clean out our closets.

It felt even better to buy 2 new pairs of boots

Kami hooked us up with some pint size volunteer marathon shirts

We also tried our hand at home nose waxing

That is pretty awesome.

Red Ribbon Week allowed us to dress the kids funny

in kitty and ostrich socks

 I love her

 So, I have been dressing my kids up for pajama day for YEARS

and only TODAY did I learn that 

"Girls are supposed to wear nightgowns and slippers to pajama day NOT boy pants and tennis shoes."

You can't tell, but KK's face is stained with tears.

She was so disappointed with me and my lack of knowledge.

You better believe the next pajama day,  I will be ready with the proper attire.

For KK, that is.  Peyton told me she will barf if she has to wear a nightgown to school.

"How can I flip on the bars in a NIGHTGOWN?"

My thoughts exactly, sister. 

Ryker is getting smarter by the day.  

He really is so much more ready for school than ANY of my other kids were.

It helps to be the youngest of 7, I think.  

You can't help but pick stuff up when everyone is doing homework. 

 Sandra makes him work every day.  He LOVES doing schoolwork at her house. 

Allie is on the High Honor Roll again, so we took her to 

Buffalo Wild Wings to celebrate. 

 This guy was sitting behind us and he kept putting his sick, hairy hand over the edge and was almost touching Raleigh through our whole dinner.  It was so funny and gross.

Speaking of Allie....  here is her very own Kendama that she designed for Sol Kendamas.

She named it "Pink Lemonade"  and it is available to order on their website.  

They launched it at the Minnesota Kendama Open on October 29th and she sold 7 in the first 10 minutes.  This is a 'secret' hobby.  No one at her school knows she does this because she says kids will think she is a huge dork....  but in the Kendama World, she is VERY well known.  

Two Worlds

 The first purchasers.

She couldn't be there in person in Minnesota 

but, everyone showed their support of her

The Primary program was in October this year.

The kids were terrified to say their parts in the big microphone.

We had a practice the Saturday Night before.  

They did not want to go.

Peyton cried.  A lot.

Raleigh told her he would pay her $5 if she went to the practice.

She went.....  with tears in her eyes.

I sat in the back and I watched her countenance change from a terrified, red faced girl to a happy, spirit touched girl.  

I woke up at 6:30 on Sunday Morning and found her in her room with the light on....  memorizing her part for the program.  

The Church is True.

They all said their parts beautifully.

It was a great day

The School Halloween Parades were on Friday the 28th.

Pikachu and The Snow Princess woke up with croup.

Both were barking and feeling lousy. 

Neither wanted to put their costumes on.

I sent them to school only because they didn't have fevers and it was short day and ALL activities were outside.  

I'm pretty sure they didn't contaminate the other kids.

 KK wanted to be a princess.  Her first choice was Belle.  But the Belle costume and well all of the princess costumes were tank dresses and she would be freezing on Halloween Night (or she'd have to wear a coat over it, covering it up).  So when we saw this at Target, we bought it and hoped she would be okay with it.  We told her it was a Snow Princess.  She LOVES it.  She says "my dress is so beautiful, when I walk it wiggles like a bell"

 Pokemon Go is LIFE at our house.  

There was NO OTHER choice for a costume for this girl.

She thinks she is so awesome in it.

So do we.

Gone are the days of manipulating them into wearing the costume I want them to wear.

She is too smart for us.  She is gifted, like Morgan, at arguing a point.  Sometimes, we just have to throw up our hands because we don't have a valid counter argument.  And then we go into our room and discuss our plan of action for when she is 15 because she is going to destroy our souls if we don't learn some skills and QUICK.

What a good dad

 Our Nephew, Garrett's Farewell was October 30th.  He is leaving in two weeks for Lima, Peru.

 He is very loved....  there were so many people from both sides of his family supporting him

This is the Little side.  When the Hydes joined the picture the group tripled in number.

 The Little Women

Morgan and Garrett

 We were SO happy when Nana finally allowed us to eat.

We had to hang back and make sure there was enough food.  

I made Brent sneak me some pasta salad and he and I huddled in the corner

over by the oven and ate it.  I only felt a little guilty.

Halloween 2016
It came.....  it finally came!!
and the best part is....  as I type this it is merely a memory.
And we were successful once again
I kinda like Halloween on a Monday.

Since the kids Halloween day was on Friday, we just woke up and got ready like it was a normal day.  I worked like it was a normal day.  And then I raced home, we changed into costumes and went over to Papa and Nana's.  We ate the most delicious food.  And then our teenage niece took our kids Trick or Treating and Raleigh and I felt like normal adults.

Morgan heard from Parker this morning.  He told her to be a good girlfriend on Halloween Night so she dressed up like a hobo and went to her Grandparents house.

Allie was an Elephant that will double as her winter PJs

So happy my very least favorite holiday is a thing of the past.
So so happy October was such a good month to our family.