Just Call Me Clutz!

yes, just call me clutz. last month it was my foot, and now i've broken my arm!!! we were supposed to feed the missionaries thurs. night, and i was busy hurrying (like always) and kaden had left his video game on upstairs (he was gone to football practice)...the stupid song playing over and over was driving me crazy and so i ran upstairs to turn it off...while running back downstairs to put the rolls in the oven, i slipped on the stairs and came crashing down onto the slate tile with my arm trying very unsuccessfully to brace my fall...instead i broke both bones in my arm! i even heard them crack! it was awful and the most pain i have ever been in!!! worse than having five babies!!!! tomorrow morning i have to have surgery to put a plate and screws in my shattered arm bones. yuck. at least it is my left arm. and on the bright side, i don't have to do dishes for a while! i think this is my lesson to quit rushing so much and just slow down...

here are happier pictures of some of the cute kiddos this halloween night...


last weekend my sister lisa came in town to celebrate jena and justin's wedding at a reception here. we had a great time...

here is a big shout out to my sunday school kids, connor and ashley (and russell too) for coming to visit and bring me the cutest homemade card ever and these beautiful flowers...you guys made my day. i am the luckiest to get to be your teacher. and thank you to my sweet neighbors and friends for all of your love and concern, dinner, visits and goodies! you're the greatest...

Pumpkin Patch!!

We actually went to the Pumpkin Patch for Family Night last Monday...but since I am a little behind in posting, I am finally getting the pictures up tonight.
We had so much fun with the kiddos. They LOVE going to the Pumpkin Patch...and we talked Allyson into staying for an extra day last week so that she could come too!
It was great to be together and see the kids big huge smiles!

Next year Caleb will get to do anything he wants to since he had to miss going this year. He recently got a new smaller cast on his foot and is doing lots better...

WOOHOOO!!!

Christmas came early for Kaden... he was so happy...I don't know when I have seen him any happier than he was at about 4pm today...with his new CONTACTS!!!!!!!!!!
It is going to be very hard to keep the all the cute girls away now!

Special Sunday

Stake Conference was wonderful today. I am so grateful for the messages that were given. I felt like they were given especially for me and exactly what I needed to hear. It was such a privilege to have Elder Spencer V. Jones stay with us. He is an amazing man who loves serving the Lord. I have to admit that I was very nervous and wanted everything to be perfect for his stay with us. I about drove everyone crazy trying to get ready...but now that everything is over and Elder Jones slept well, and there were no cooking disasters, and he is off to catch his plane back to Salt Lake, I am relieved and happy. My favorite part of the day was when we knelt in family prayer with Elder Gibson and Elder Jones. The tears flowed as Elder Jones offered a beautiful prayer and blessing for our family.

Elder Jones really enjoyed talking to
Amy and Allyson and all of the kids...

Here is Allyn telling Elder Jones and Elder Gibson that I take way too many pictures!

Tagged

8 TV Shows I like to watch:

So You Think You Can Dance

Amazing Race

NBA Basketball

College Volleyball, Basketball and Football

American Idol (starting at about the top twenty)

ER (one of my old high school friends is nurse Lily)

Extreme Home Makeover (I cry every time)

The Today Show

8 Restaurants I like to eat at:

Bajio

Nordstrom Cafe

Great Harvest Bread (the sandwiches are good... but the friends are the best part!)

PF Changs

Fleming's (We have only been once, but it was great!)

Cheesecake Factory

Carrabas

Sweet Tomatoes

8 Things that happened today: (Actually they happened yesterday...it's too early today)

Made Banana Bread

Took Levi to visit my mom and dad (he is so cute and it was so fun to watch him put on a show for Great Grami and Papa Jack!)

Levi and I went to Sams Club (we picked up a poster sized picture of Kaden's first touchdown)

Took Kaden to Cub Scouts (he LOVES Scouts!)

Met Jennie at Borders with the kids (I got to have Levi from 9:30am till 4pm...it was wonderful!)

Picked up Kaden from Scouts (played a little football with him, even though he reminds me constantly how terrible I am!)

Made yummy soup for dinner and helped Kaden with homework

Went to a bridal shower for Rachel D

8 Things I am looking forward to:

This election being OVER!

Allyson coming home this week end and giving her a massive hug! (Can't wait to talk to her about her upcoming Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain!)

Hearing Amy's stories every day about being a teacher in LV and her excitement about going to Taiwan to teach!

Kaden's football games and Jackson's soccer games every Saturday

Caleb's foot being all better and watching him run and play again

Hearing Taylor sing, watching Levi laugh, "Fun Day Wednesday" with Kate and Olivia and basically anything any of the grandkids do!

Friday Night Dates with my Hunk

President S happy because Stake Conference went well and the General Authority staying at our house felt welcome and well fed

8 Things on my wish list:

Amber and Leah happy, healthy and an active part of our family again ... I miss them so much

Our whole family at the Temple together

All the grandkids happy and healthy

More grandkids

This recession over

My mom's hips were all better and she felt great

Twinkle my nose and the house would be clean

No worries

8 people to tag:

Jennie

Amy

Allyson

Keri

Kathy P

Jena

Britt

And whoever else reads this blog!

Beautiful Wedding...Beautiful Couple

My nephew Justin and his beautiful bride Jena were married yesterday in Butler, Pennsylvania. Ric, Mary, Allyn and I were able to go... we felt so lucky to be there to share this special day with them. The weather was perfect, the trees & leaves were beautiful, the scenery was spectacular, the people were wonderful, & the family togetherness and love was priceless. Jena and Justin are such a sweet, darling couple and we are so happy for them. They will live in Carson City where they are both hydrologists...they met at UNR while getting their masters in hydrology (the study of water). I don't think I have ever seen my brother Ron and his wife Sharon so happy! They were beaming!...Almost as much as Jena and Justin. They had their reception in a beautiful big barn...it was so cool!~ We ate delicious food, danced, laughed, celebrated and had a great time. Jena's family is wonderful...Thank You, Thank You for everything!
Congratulations Jena and Justin!

While we were in Pennsylvania we stayed at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast ... Armstrong Farms
It was amazing... We had so much fun!!

When I called Amy, Ally and Jennie to tell them all about it, they all said "I hope you can get Dad to want to come home! We know he is loving it!!" And yes, he really did love it in beautiful, peaceful, quiet Pennsylvania...

We both did.

Look how cute Jena and Justin can dance!

Touchdown!

We went to Kaden's first football game of the season on Saturday. We had so much fun...I don't think I have laughed or cheered that hard in a long time. Last year Kaden was only on defense as a linebacker...(when he was five he called himself a "back-liner"!) This year he is the quarterback and a linebacker on defense. He got his very first touchdown!!! He kept the ball and spun around and ran for twenty yards for the touchdown. The funny part was when he was almost ready to cross into the end zone he put his hand up by the side of his helmet and started strutting like Dion Sanders... Check out this crazy picture! I love the fans expressions... Kaden got an "unsportsman like conduct" penalty... But the ref was laughing so hard he almost couldn't even say it.(Kaden didn't know that he wasn't allowed to celebrate like the pros do!)

This is a picture of his run for a second touchdown...
He is such a stud! Go Green Machine!!! (After this touchdown he politely handed the ball to the ref...)

This video is of one of his runs...He is #44...the one with the football!

The Mission Call

Our nephew Coulson received his mission call yesterday! Ric and Mary invited us to their house to be there when Coulson opened it. It was so awesome to be there. This was the very first time I have actually been in the room when a young man opned his call. I've been on the phone a few times, but never in person. So Allyn, Amy and I went to their home with great anticipation. When we pulled up we saw this guy jumping off of the roof...It was Coulson! He said he couldn't stay still any longer and so he climbed up on the roof from the back of the house and jumped off in the front! It was pretty cute to see how excited he was, literally jumping with excitement and ready to go wherever the Lord wanted him to go. Soon after we arrived we all went into the living room to see him open it up and find out he is being called to serve in the...
(watch the video at the end of this post!)
We are all so thrilled for you Coulson!!! You will be an awesome missionary!!

We will soon have two missionaries from our family out in the mission field. My sister's son Brad is serving in Boston, MA. He is doing such a great job and is an amazing missioinary.

We love you Elders! We are so grateful for the example of love and service that you set for all of us.