~Halloween Class Party~

Perfect Fall day to have an outside Halloween school parade. The kids looked great. The kids looked great all dressed up, they were all so excited. Their energy is contagious! They had so much food and fun in their own classes. Now to start the second half of Halloween, or Fall dinner, homemade apple pie and trick or treating as a family. It is a great day.

~Trick or Treat~

Off we go trick or treating! The girls looked great! They had to much fun! They enjoy this night so much. This year we headed out with friends, walked the neighborhood, laughed, talked and visited with other friends who were also out in the neighborhood. It was great being out as a family, Ward was even able to go with, he had his surgery just over a week ago. He is doing amazing.

~Our daughters~

"One great thing the Lord requires of each of us is to provide a home where a happy, positive influence for good exists. In future years the costliness of home furnishings or the number of bathrooms will not matter much, but what will matter significantly is whether our children felt love and acceptance in the home. It will greatly matter whether there was happiness and laughter, or bickering and contention."

"There has never been and there never will be a satisfactory substitute for the home established by the God of Heaven. If this nation is to endure, the home must be safeguarded, strengthened, and restored to it's rightful importance." -President Benson

This is what we have tried to do.  We have tried to raise happy, positive, good, loving, kind children. I think we are doing pretty good.   Some days can feel pretty overwhelming, I feel as if I am drowning in our lives and the many great things we are all doing.  I want our girls to have many friends from all walks of life, I want them to be examples of good, to set the right example for others to follow.  They want to share their testimonies all the time, they both worry that they wont know what to say or how to say it, we told them they also share their testimonies by how they live.  We are raising our daughters through the Lords  help, He knows them better them I do, he knows their spirits and the way they need to be raised and loved.  I pray I will be the mother these girls deserve.  I pray I will raise them to be great young woman of integrity.  I take my job as mother seriously. I have been accused of being too over protective and I have been accused of being not protective enough, giving them to much freedom.  I love our girls more them anyone could ever imagine.  Being told we may never have children of our own and them being blessed with these beautiful, smart, healthy girls makes me count my blessings many times over because of what we went through to have them.
We will raise our daughters our way, and you will raise yours, your way.  Your way is not my way, and my way is not your way, so please don't judge me on my way of raising my daughters. 

~Pumpkins~

Pumpkin time!! This is Jolene's favorite part of Halloween carving the pumpkins! She loves to get her hands in, digging out the inside, making the face and carving! This year Ward decided to get out the power tools to make the process go faster. The girls loved it! They needed some help, but the end results were perfect.

~Trunk or Treat~

The annual trunk or treat was tonight. The girls look great all dressed up in there costumes. I love how every year they pick their costume and get so excited as it all comes together. Jolene wanted a red tutu for her little devil costume, which is hard to find. I mentioned it to a friend that we were looking for a tutu and the next day her mom and had made us one! She loves it! It is perfect for her costume! They both looked great and had a wonderful time at the church party.

~Fall~

I love this tree! It is just an Aspen tree, but this Fall it as been magic. This Fall it has turned a color it has never been before! RED, it is amazing! When the sun hits it the color is so beautiful. Each day the color changes ever so slightly. It is headed to the pink side of red. I can't wait to see what color it end up turning.

~Middle School Dance~

Raychel was so excited! Her first middle school dance! She couldn't wait! She picked out her costume with care, we sewed it together and added the details to fit her, pink!! The best part I thought was she went with several really great friends! When she got home she talked nonstop about the fun, she said it was even better then she thought it was going to be. I am so glad her first experience was a good one.

~Town Tour~

The third graders have been studying our town. They have made maps, learn the history even how the town got its name. Now that the studying part of the lesson is done it is time to see for themselves what the town looks like off the maps. The one street they walked down with the most history was the street only the wealth could afford to live on. Our tour took us to the park with more added history. We learned more after we had lunch and still had time to play. It was a perfect Fall day to take a walk with my little favorite third grader!

~Surgery Update~

It has been a week since Ward had his surgery and he is doing so well. The day of the surgery he was suppose to check in at 11 with the surgery at 1, but the night before the hospital called and moved him to check in at 1 and surgery at 3:15pm. He was given the instruction to fast starting at midnight the night before. After we checked in we hung out in his room visiting, laughing and watching some TV. The anesthesiologist came and talked with him about 3, shortly after she left the Dr. came to check on Ward as well and wrote his initials on the leg of the surgery. About 4 off he went to surgery. It was a strange feeling having him taken away from us. I am the one to take care of him it is hard to turn that responsibility to someone else. The girls and I waited for the surgery to be over to talk with the Doctor before we went and got his prescriptions filled. The surgery took about 45 minutes. The Doctor said it went well, but it was a mess in there. He will be able to walk as soon as he is out of recovery. After he got back into his room he ate a few crackers, drank some juice and wanted to walk. They had a walker near by just in case he lost his balance but he did amazing!!! He stood right up and off he went. He walked all the way around the surgery floor and wanted to get dressed and head home. He has continued to do great. He stayed home from work on Friday and was able to come with me to take the girls to school, he attend Raychel's school awards assembly, took me to lunch and enjoyed his time off. It was nice having him around for the weekend and plus the two days. He was back to work on Monday, just like I knew he would.

as well and wrote his initial on the leg of the surgery.

~Just a thought~

This past week so much happened in a very short amount of time with very little time to think, only react. I hope I have reacted right. I sit hear looking back and thinking about all that has happened and get over come with emotions.
Last Sunday (Oct. 16) Ward hurt his knee bad enough he needed surgery. He injured it on Sunday and was in surgery on Thursday. Just the thought of surgery makes me nervous let alone someone I love going in for it. The last time he went in for knee surgery it was 2001. We had just moved into our home, I didn't know anybody well in our new area. I prayed hard, looked for a familiar name on the ward list then left my baby with her, a stranger, I only knew her name and were she lived. I sat in an old hospital alone and cried. I had never felt so alone before. I was in a new state, a new ward, no one to help. I cried and prayed like I had never done before. I wanted a friend, someone to walk in the hospital, hold my hand and sit with me. Just sit, don't talk, just sit and be there. No one came. I headed home alone leaving Ward at the hospital. I picked up our little girl and had her sleep in our bed with me. Morning couldn't come fast enough for me to go back to the hospital and pick up Ward. This time I took our baby with me, I didn't want to leave her again.

I thought about those feelings again as we planned on Ward's surgery. I didn't want to feel alone again, I didn't want our girls to feel alone or left behind while I waited at the hospital. So I had the girls go with us to the hospital. I was so glad I did. I know it was probably selfish on my part, in the long run it was perfect. We all sat and laughed, talked, and the girls had lots of questions they were able to get answered by seeing everything first hand. The nurses were great not only with Ward, but with the girls as well. They talked to them about what they were doing, they gave them hats and masks and helped them feel a part of the process. One of our girls would stand by Ward or hold his hand, she would look at me and smile and nod her head, as if to tell me he would be fine. These two little girls were my strength that day. I know they don't understand that, but they were my little friends to hold my hand and sit with me! I love them so much. I am so grateful Ward's surgery was a success. He looked great when we saw him. He looked pain free. I know that may sound funny, he just came from surgery but the pain he had been carrying in his eyes was gone. I was so happy for him, he had relief.
While we were at the hospital a wonderful friend called just to check in since she had just gotten home from her trip. She had no idea where we were. When I told her she said she was on her way, not only to be there for me but to help me with the girls. She was going to go pick them up if they were in town, she was ready to come to the hospital and get them to stay with her family until I got home. She was concerned about me and my family, she showed love for us just by her genuine desire to be there for me. She was willing to serve me even though she was tired from her own duties of the day. Over the weekend her and her husband came over to blow out our sprinklers because the weather was scheduled to make a change for the worse and they knew Ward wouldn't be able to do it. Several other neighbors came over to see how we were doing, they were concerned with Ward's car being home during the day, they took time out of their busy life's to make sure we were doing well. I am so grateful for them and the love they show to my family.
We also learned a dear neighbor lost her husband in an accident. I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. I am grateful for the testimony I have of of eternal families. Life can be so short, it is hard when a loved one leaves this earth. I want to take more time to cherish the ones I love, to make sure they know they are loved in ways they can't begin to understand. I want to be a better person because they deserve that from me.  I want to be the person I was intended to be, not the person I think I am.  I want to be the person our girls think I am.
I read this blog and found this amazing entry.  It really made me stop and think with all that has gone on in my little world and my neighbors.  As we take a look around yourself do you ever wonder what others are going through?  We all go through our own secret sorrows, we all wear a mask of what we want others to see. Do you ever take the time to look at others, really look at them and see their signs?  I am going to try to be more kind, not so judgemental, I may never know what their sign says but I can give them the benefit of the doubt, just like I hope they do me.   

~Fall~

We have three Aspen trees in our front yard. They are growing so tall and are so beautiful all year round. Usually in the Fall our trees turn yellow, but this Fall one of our trees were very red with a touch of pink. It is so beautiful!

~Pointe Shoes~

She has been on pointe for almost a year, she is in her second pair of pointe shoes, she is learning so much, she is growing in grace and self confidence. She may not be the next prima ballerina but she is my prima ballerina!

~Principal Honor Roll~

She did it again!! She made the principals honor roll for the first quarter of her 7th grade year!! She was so excited. She has worked hard and it has paid off. She was so excited when she came into the gym and saw Ward sitting by me. Ward wasn't sure how he was going to go since he had knee surgery the day before. It was great to have him there. There are so many things he doesn't get to do because he works so far out of town. He was pretty proud of his little girl!