Punching cards at Cornbelly's and the Ward Halloween Party

Today was the last real day of Cornbelly's.  It was FREEZING but we had several punch cards to be used.  So we bundled up and went to spend our punches.  We first started with french fries, cotton candy for Tag, and kettle corn for me. After eating round one we went over to the clown maze.  After the clown maze we finished the snack fest with hot chocolate and cookies.  I love being with my kids.  They are honestly some of my favorite people.  Loved the freezing fun with them.  After we got home we went to the ward Halloween party.  Joey and I awkwardly stood in the back and watched our kids socialize.  Tag even joined the Young Women for a dance to Thriller.  We were dying!  Such a fun night!

Primary Program

Today was the annual Primary Program.  If you have read the primary program blog post in years past you would know that this day brings a bit of anxiety.  Tag has never been able to do the program.  Well this year was so different!  Tag did the whole program!  We were so proud of him.  He even said his part!  Harlee, Nash, and Gray also participated and did an amazing job.  It is Harlee's last year since in January she will move to Young Women's.  It was so fun to watch them all perform together.  I love the spirit I feel as I listen to them sing and may have teared up several times.  So grateful for this special sacrament meeting.  *I neglected to take a picture when they were in their church clothes.

Mimi's Halloween Party

Tonight we had Mimi's annual Halloween party.  Jenna was out of town so it was held at our house.  It is always so fun to get the cousins together.  We had pizza and visited before playing a game.  The kids were put into two teams and they had to use a straw to move a candy corn from one bowl to another.  They all had so much fun.  Afterwards they decorated Halloween cookies.  I love that my kids have so many cousins.  I did not have any cousins that lived close by so I did not get to experience that blessing.  It is always so loud and I love it!  They have a lot of fun together and I would not trade those memories for anything.

Gray gets his bobcat

Gray has officially earned his bobcat!  I left the Daddy/Daughter activity and went to pack meeting.  Both Gray and Nash receieved several awards and then they did a little ceremony for the passing off of ranks.  It must be a new tradition but I got to paint Gray's face and in turn he got to paint mine.  He was a little more excited about this than I was.  So proud of how hard Gray has worked in scouts.

Daddy Daughter Activity

Tonight was the Daddy Daughter Halloween activity for Activity Days.  I love this special time that Harlee gets to spend with Joey and I get to observe the fun since my calling is over the older activity day girls.  Harlee dressed up as a witch and they enjoyed pulled pork sandwiches for dinner.  Then they carved a pumpkin together.  They did a pumpkin with crazy teeth and then the used the pumpkin insides to look like the pumpkin was throwing up!  After the pumpkin carving they got to have root beer floats.  Such a fun night and such great memories they get to make together.  Harlee will always be Joey's favorite daughter. 

Fall Break in our favorite place

Life has been beyond crazy lately and I was so excited to go and relax in St. George.  I love our time in St. George and the memories we get to make as a family.  I always joke that I lose ten pounds of stress as we get off on our exit.  We left around 6pm and stopped at Crabby's in Santequin for dinner on our way down.  I was not a fan but the kids loved the burgers.  We arrived in St. George around 10pm and quickly unpacked before going to bed.  We woke up ready to relax and that is what we did on Thursday.  We got the new internet set up which was such a blessing.  The kids swam and played all day.  Mimi, GP, and Brennan stopped by on their way to California.  We got take out for dinner and then went to play pickle ball.  So fun to just enjoy a day of no plans.  Friday we woke up with the plan to rent a boat in Sand Hollow.  We were so excited until we checked the water temperature- it was 69 degrees.  We decided it would be best to wait until it was warmer for our day on the boat.  Instead we went to Fiesta Fun. We started with bowling which was so fun.  Then we all played arcade games and the kids got to split the tickets to get special prizes.  We went home to swim before heading to Bout Time for dinner.  The food was not so great and a little pricey but we did get to dine with a celebrity.  It is a sports pub so they had different games and sport shows on the many tvs.  They had a life story of Jose Conseco and after a few minutes he walked in with his brother Ozzy.  It was so weird to watch him watch himself on tv.  We then went home and I had to work.  So Joey took the kids to play a little more pickle ball.  Saturday morning we woke up to do a little garage saling.  There were quite a few and we got a couple of nice pictures for the house.  Joey and I then went to Cafe Sabor for lunch and then to Home Depot to get some paint.  Joey was so nice to paint the bathroom on the main floor.  We chose a blue gray and it is so pretty.  Harlee and I went to do a little shopping at TJ - our favorite place!  We got take out for dinner and then watched the movie The Founder together.  After the movie we went to get Crumbl for dessert.  Definitely another amazing day!  Sunday we spent the morning relaxing and then went to Chili's for lunch.  We spent the rest of the day laying around and watching a craft show as a family.  I love that we all just relax together.  We then started to get the house cleaned and ready to leave in the morning.  This is always my least favorite part.  I seriously wish we could live there.  Until next time St. George!  We left you better than we found you!

Friday Fun

We went to Cornbelly's again today.  The purpose of today's visit was to do the zip line and the bungee jump.  Harlee and Nash chose to do the zipline.  The line was really quick and they had so much fun.  I was so proud of Nash because this is the first year he would do it.  They had so much fun.  We waited for over an hour for Gray and Tag to have their turn on the bungee.  Tag was struggling a little bit to find patience but they both felt it was worth it.  It is so fun to watch my kids try new things.  They are all so brave and their joy makes my heart so full.  Love these days!

General Conference Sunday

I love General Conference.  I love sitting with my family in our pajamas, listening to inspiring messages from our leaders.  This conference the new 2 hour church block was announced.  The prophet emphasized how more teaching needs to take place in the home.   Twelve new temples were announced with one of them being in Washington Utah!  We are so excited to have a temple built in our favorite place.  The kids played Conference Bingo and listened for key words in each of the talks.  In between sessions Joey made us steak and potato skins.  So yummy!  It was such a relaxing day and I could never deny the truth of the words.  I feel so blessed to have a living prophet.  President Nelson is making a lot of new changes and I just know that he is so meant to be the prophet at this time.  I love the Gospel!

Women's Conference Tradition

Last conference a change was made that each conference we would alternate between Priesthood Session and Women's Conference.  This session of conference it was mine and Harlee's turn to enjoy an extra two hours.  We went to Cafe Rio for take out, changed into our comfy clothes, and settled in to enjoy the conference up in my room.  The speakers were so good and we were definitely spiritually fed.  The final speaker was our prophet, President Nelson.  He gave us four goals to work on:
1. To do a ten day social media fast
2. To read the whole Book of Mormon by the end of the year
3. To get to the temple
4. To attend Relief Society.
He promised that as we do the above we will find happiness and we will see the hand of the Lord in our life.  I am so grateful for a living prophet who can guide us through these crazy times.  I plan on taking on each of his challenges and welcome an increased presence of Heavenly Father and the Savior in my life.  I am so thankful for these times that Harlee and I get to feel the spirit together.  She is truly a gift to me.

A Day to Celebrate our favorite guy

 

Happy 47 Joel!  Kind of getting a little old?  I am grateful for any chance that we have to celebrate my best friend. We knew the day would be busy with work and the kid's crazy schedules so we went to lunch a few days prior to Goodwood, Joey's choice.  On his actual birthday we celebrated in pure Joey fashion making everything low key!  I had put a cd and some candy in his car for him to find in the morning.  When he got home we feasted on chicken chow mein, a meal he had been wanting to try for some time.  Then he opened a few presents before having cake.  I made two cakes, his favorite German chocolate cake and then a white cake for the kids that do not love chocolate cake.  After the cake, Joey rushed out to the store to get medicine for Harlee who was not feeling well.  That is so true to Joey's character.  He is so quick to serve and to think of others.  I love him so much.  We are all so blessed to have him leading our family.  Happy Birthday to the greatest man I know.