Belly blog

Ok, it's been FOREVER, it seems, since I've posted a picture of my ever-growing belly. I've had several people ask, so please forgive me for neglecting this, but, here it is. This is 18 weeks (I'm now 20 weeks so I'm behind again). I'll post an updated one in the next few days, hopefully. ;]

Forgiveness is like...a piece of glass??

Ammon was in a car accident about 15 years ago when he was first learning to drive. He rolled the car and wrapped it around a telephone pole. He really shouldn't have walked away but, he did. He did need to have hand surgery to reattach some severed tendons though. He has had no problems with it since and it healed with only a couple scars from the incisions.

Well, just a few days ago, he dug out a piece of glass from his hand!! He said for years he could feel something there under his skin and it would irritate him. In the last few months the spot would ooze puss and then scab over. He kept picking at it and then one night he squeezed out some glass!! The picture shows the red spot and the glass there on the piece of tape laid across his hand.

He immediately made an analogy to repentance.. where you need to forgive to completely heal and that pushing things down only make them fester. Pretty good, I thought. He even used that at one of his weekly groups he holds at the jail. The guys were pretty impressed.

Kids in a hamper

You find kids in the silliest of places! These two thought the hamper was so fun, we couldn't get them out!

Halloween

I'm so sad I didn't get any pictures of the kids together in their Halloween costumes. They were so cute! Connor was a skeleton and Olivia was an octopus. Here you can a bit of their costumes in these first 2 pics. I loved that my parents were able to be here. What a treat for them to see both of their grand kids for such a fun kids' holiday. They had a great time going out trick-or-treating. I stayed home and handed out the candy.

The boys carving jack-o-lanterns.

Olivia enjoying a Halloween mix- yum!

Making Halloween cookies.

Kindergarten field trip

Connor's kindergarten went to the pumpkin patch for a field trip. Ammon went as a chaperon. I was supposed to go too but, I was still on bed rest. They had a great time and brought home a few more pumpkins.

Glam girl

Olivia- whew, whew!!

Released

I was recently released as the Young Women's President in my ward. I was in for 2 years. I so loved working with those girls and the great leaders. The few weeks before I was released, I was on bed rest and had to rely on my counselors to make everything happen. That just wasn't fair to the girls and they were all worried about my well-being. I will truly miss being with them. I definitely feel a void. I mean, I've been in YW just about my whole married life- 8 years!!! I've been just about every advisor, the secretary, assistant camp director and then president. I wonder what I'll be doing next. Bishop did promise a few months off, especially since this pregnancy has been very difficult on me, so we'll see.

My young women made me this adorable candy-gram when I was released. They're just too cute. I'm gonna miss those girls!!

Fall Festival

Connor's school had a Fall Festival that was so fun. The kids had a great time going to each booth and winning prizes.

Connor's favorite part was getting a fire-breathing dragon balloon hat made for him. He also loved the train and jumping castles. Way fun event!

Cupcakes

We had a great time making and decorating cupcakes for Halloween. Actually, Connor lost interest until it came time to bring out the candy to decorate them- typical. Both Connor and Olivia loved eating the frosting- and getting it all over their faces. Way cute.

The swing

Our baby swing has always been a popular backyard attraction for kids of all ages. Connor is mostly too big for it now so he just hangs on the bottom and swings. But Olivia is just the perfect size. She would ask for the swing just about all day.

Here she even shared some of her precious swing time with her new buddy, Elmo.



Did you say something?

She even fell asleep to the rhythmic swaying of the swing. Aw, sleeping beauty.

Disney on Ice

My Aunt Brenda found us tickets to go to Disney on Ice with them and the cousins. I, unfortunately, was still on bed rest but thankfully, my sister had just arrived and was able to go in my place taking Connor and Olivia with her. They had a great time being with their cousins!

Check out Olivia's face. Laura said she looked that way the whole time- just mesmerized by what was going on. I wish I could have gone!! Thanks Aunt Brenda!

Pumpkin patch!

Laura took the kids to the pumpkin patch for playgroup. The kids had a great time (see Olivia's obvious joy ;)-) on the hayride. Connor seemed to enjoy himself and appears to have done all the choosing of the 3 pumpkins they brought home. Laura had a hilarious story about getting those pumpkins from the patch to the car. She said they had no carts so she had to try to carry 3 pumpkins (one very large) and 2 tired, cranky kids to the car! She said she would pick up the kids, put them down a few feet away then go back and get the pumpkins putting them down a few feet past the kids, go back for the kids and repeat the process. Finally a worker noticed her trouble and came to help. Oh, I can only imagine. Poor Laura- what a trooper! I just wish I could have come to help out (I was on bed rest)- and to have witnessed this eventful day.