It's almost Halloween...

So next week is Halloween, wow! Life really doesn't stand still does it? Monday Gwen went to my mom's while I helped at the school. Zane ended up coming home with me because his tummy hurt. He was fine the rest of the day but you never know! We picked up Gwen and she and Granny had made Halloween sugar cookies. That was really nice of my mom since I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love eating them but the waiting while they chill and cutting them all out seems to take FOREVER! So I don't make them as often as my kids would like. She also supplied us with extra dough and the decorations. I didn't get around to that until Wednesday! I took my scouts up the canyon to check out the native plants and it was beautiful. I included a couple of pictures from that of the leaves and their beautiful colors! I wish I could have taken my kids back to explore and soak it all in! Emily had flag football practice. For FHE we celebrated Gwen and Emily with videos of their birth and their favorites.

Tuesday Gwen and I got our weekly shopping in early so that was nice. Micah had scouts and they went to a fire station, he is close to finishing his Wolf. Taran and Timo had their last flag football game so I went. Micah had his last soccer game and Tim wanted to see it. They lost and it was the only team they have lost to this whole season. We just don't understand why they are the only team we played twice! Owell. Emily also had play practice but it was over before the games that night, tender mercy! Wednesday Gwen had preschool and Taran and Emily had a dermatology appointment for their acne. My friend Steph covered picking up Gwen in case I didn't get back but I did get back in time but I fed Emily and Taran lunch and took Emily back to the junior high. So Stephanie dropped Gwen off and she played with Sophie. I ran some errands while I was out that way. That night was meet the candidates so Tim went since I got to attend other things over the summer. Timo went to the temple and Taran had YM and Emily had YW. I missed a scout committee meeting I had because I do not trust Izak and the 2 other boys for very long. I am glad I stayed since they were wild!

Thursday Stephanie watched Gwen so I could go to the temple. I enjoyed going but was a little uncertain because I had tummy issue. So I just did initiatories. She kept Gwen longer and I was able to finish getting all the meds for Emily--she has 3 and there is a problem with the insurance approving Taran's so hopefully that will work out soon! I also got a bunch dumb little things done around the house that had stacked up. That was a relief. Stephanie is a great friend---and not just to me! Emily had her last flag football game. I had planned to go but my tummy was not feeling great again so I stayed home with the little kids. Timo was studying with friends and Taran had work and choir practice. He actually practiced every night and lunch for this Disney Concert fundraiser---they are hoping to get to NYC. Tim took Emily and they found out they had another game for a tournament Saturday morning at 8 AM. Later Thursday night Tim was gone visiting with the EQ President to some families.

Friday Gwen and I went to the school to help Stephanie with the last of Red Ribbon Week. She was having the kids draw themselves on the playground saying NO to drugs. They got a silly band if they did it. She the cougar mascot there and music playing, balloons...it was super fun. Poor Gwen was nervous around the cougar. My kids love it when I help at school, I think it's so cute. Sophie's mom Jen came too so the three little friends were all there together! That afternoon the Primary kids went to the church to practice the Primary Sacrament Meeting Program. Emily was at play practice and Taran was at his practice. So it was me and Timo so I read the Ensign! Tim was going to pick up Emily for me but he got stuck in a traffic jam due to a car accident so she got a ride with another kid from the play--our neighbor would have taken her but Emily got stuck at her locker and they were gone when she came out so they probably thought she already had a ride home. Izak went to his friend Bryson's for a late night and had a lot of fun. Emily had a friend over to work on a school project. Zane went to McDonald's and to his friend Spencer's and watched How to Train Your Dragon, which he loves. Micah was with friends to for awhile. Timo went to a friend's to watch the Jazz basketball game. Emily and her friend watched Gwen while Tim and I did a Costco date. Then we went to Maggie Moos after, yummy ice cream! Later Tim and I finished up AVATAR that we had started Thursday night. Okay, I will admit that the movie is visually stunning but the story is so lame and predictable. I can't believe that movie made so much money and cost so much that could have built a few hundred schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan! Sorry if you loved it but seriously ...

Saturday the weather was cold and rainy. So I chickened out of going to Emily's game so Tim went--I actually had gone to more of her games than him anyway and he wanted to go. I stayed and did morning Saturday chores with the kids. Taran went to work since he missed the day before. Emily's team won so they played again the next game. That game they lost and she got back just in time to go to referee with Izak. The 2nd game they were suppose to ref got rained out. Timo went to the BYU vs Wyoming game with some friends and their dad. They had gotten 2 tickets for special booster seating which gave them access to a free food buffet. They loved it!
Tim was going to go with Taran but Taran had to be at Disney Concert practice at 4 PM and he didn't know if he'd make it back in time. Zane had his last fall soccer game at noon and Tim is the coach and didn't want to miss it. He tried to reschedule for earlier in the week but it didn't work out. So that's why Timo took them with his friend. Zane's game ended up a bust since it was raining the other team didn't show--only their coach. So Tim took Gwen, Zane and Ammon (a nephew) to his parents' to watch the rest of the game since kick off was at noon. In between all this morning stuff I had the little boys go through their drawers and pick out their favorite stuff and I limited what they could save. We got rid of 3 bags of clothes. Some clothes were hand-me-downs that they never wore. We are so blessed that people think of us and I feel guilty not using the stuff. I am realizing that keeping one or two items is wiser than all of it because they couldn't see their clothes with so much in there anyway. Tim asked when I was going to do our closet. I ran errands while Emily watched Micah and Izak. When I got back I made sandwiches for the kids. We were going to a Halloween Carnival at my sister's condo clubhouse. It was so fun. The kids dressed up as you see! Micah was King of the Cows--yeah whatever! They had the food catered by Kneaders (a local deli/bakery) ghost and pumpkin sugar cookies, eclairs, giant chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin bread and cream cheese brownies--delicious! Apple cider with dry ice in it. They had games like the fishing booth, bowling pumpkins, witch hat ring toss...and more but they gave out toys not candy. They had story telling and a hay ride. Each kids could choose a pumpkin and paint it if they want to which Zane did if you look at the collage. The rest we put in our car. As we left they gave each kid a small bag of flavored popcorn! It was really well done and the kids had a blast! Thanks Teresa for including us!!! We got home early enough that they showered and started a movie. Harry Potter 1 but it was a bad DVD copy of the VHS we used to have so they ended up not finishing it. Tim went to Taran's Disney Concert to manage the doors and hand out programs. He didn't want to go to the carnival so I volunteered him for that! He ran home after to watch the Giants beat Philly and then he and the little boys watch the Missouri vs. Oklahoma game and Mizzou upset number 1! Timo went and played basketball with his friends after doing his chores and some homework. I watched The Blind Side with Timo and Emily while I ironed. Tim went to bed. I love that movie! Taran got home late because they had to clean up the auditorium after the concert etc. Then he hung out with some choir friends.

Today was the Primary Program. Gwen was nervous so we said a prayer and she felt better. It's always great but I can rarely see my kids because there are so many people in front of them. I was able to see Micah and Izak most of the time. But Gwen was just too little and Zane was directly behind the chorister in my view. Owell, the spirit was there and I liked how they organized it. I especially loved the music chosen for this year's theme. I got to sub in nursery today and that was fun. Today Tim and the boys did their hometeaching, our hometeachers came and they had choir practice. Emily and Tim also had meetings with their presidencies they are in. So a normal busy sabbath day! Tim taught a nice devotional tonight. Time for bed! Have a great week and enjoy all the Halloween festivities!