Creepers & Skeletons Make Us Want to Run!

X-man always stretches my creativity when it comes to his Halloween costume. This year he wanted to be a Creeper from the computer game Minecraft.  I guess it creeps around at night and explodes. I do know it has an awful lot of pixelated greenish squares, because I painted those green squares until I wanted to explode! But my X-man was happy, so it was worth it.

 Creeper!

A Creeper AND a skeleton!  Ahhhhhhh!

Thankfully, we had the felt skeleton from a past year!

We had two Halloween parties to go to, one at T's work and our ward's dance/trunk or treat. We have bucket loads of candy and it isn't even Halloween yet!

L sockin' the Creeper.

 I'm guessing lots of kids want to sock the Creeper,

 because this happened all night--lots of kids coming up to touch, tap, pretend punch (thankfully) and hug the Creeper.

The boys skeleton and Creeper wandering through the grave yard!

SPOOKY!

T's work always does such a nice job on their Halloween party with games, food, and prizes.  

  

 Witches' fingers!

 Ummmm....tasty!

X-man won "The Most Creative Costume" award at the work party. He was so happy (and so was I!) He also won a tin of candy by guessing the nearest to the amount in the tin. More candy!

At the ward party and trunk or treat, Creeper found some more Minecraft friends: Stevie, and Enderman. I didn't know the character's names, but I was quickly informed.

Saturday morning nice and early we went and supported the local fun run. The money earned helps the school district with college scholarships. Many, many students participate.  T, X-man, L, and A all ran the fun mile. B and I were great cheerleaders!

 Before the run!

 Where's T??  

T had a great time photo bombing all the groups taking pictures with their phones.  I bet there will be a bunch of people wondering, "Who IS that guy in blue?" when they look closely at their pictures. I think he's a great candidate for teaching Photo Bombing 101. 

After the race! 

Girls' Weekend

A few months ago, I emailed T's sister, D, to catch up. I mentioned a fun weekend the girls and I had planned and wished she could be with us. She emailed me back that she could!! So that fun Girls' Weekend has happened. It was so nice to have our Aunt D with us. When the girls and X-man were little, we lived just down the road from her, so we got to play with her often. Now...we live a lot more than down the road from her!

I got to take D to have lunch with the boys at their school when she arrived. Then she, the girls, and I went to a Time Out for Women/Girls event and heard some really amazing people talk, and sing, and play violin. There were friends I hadn't gotten to see in a while there, so it was a treat to see them.

Being silly together!

Nice 'stache

The kiddos didn't have school on Monday, so D had a day with all of them. We wanted to go on a picnic and mini-golfing, but the rain changed that plan. We stayed in, played games, laughed, and visited.

Then Aunt D had to go home. There were tears all around and wishes that she lived closer and questions of why she had to go back home. So what if she needed to get home to her hubby, animals, job, and life the kiddos wanted her to stay FOREVER!

Thanks for coming Aunt D!  We miss you! 

Copy Cat and Conference!

My friend, R, found this great idea and shared it with me. It was so good I copied it. It worked so well for her family, she blogged about it.  It worked so well with our family that I'm blogging about it too. So I'm a copy cat, and there couldn't be a better person to copy than my friend, R!

General Conference was this past weekend. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we believe that God still speaks to His children through his authorized servants, his prophets and apostles, just as He did anciently. God spoke through prophets since the very beginning with Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Elijah. When Jesus Christ came to earth, He established His church with a prophet and 12 apostles. Sadly, but as foretold by ancient prophets and Jesus Christ himself, the apostles were all killed and the priesthood authority was taken from the earth.  In 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was fully restored with prophets and apostles as the foundation and Jesus Christ as the cornerstone and Head of His Church.

So in short, we get to listen to these men and their wise council right in our homes. We can even watch the conference again at www.lds.org.  This year, I put all the First Presidency with President Thomas S. Monson, our current prophet, and the 12 Apostles on our doors in our kitchen. Then after listening to them talk, we wrote down what we liked or what stood out to us on a sticky note and stuck it by their pictures. I love reading what my kiddos wrote. Some are very brief. Others had many quotes they loved.  Now we can remember what was said and work to become more kind, merciful, meek, and loving. More like Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

 I know. The pictures are the size of a postage stamp!  

When I enlarged them they came out grainy. We just get real close to see each person.

Here are a few of our notes: 

President Thomas S. Monson, 

President and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

 I know we will be reunited and never be separated again.

[Speaking of his wife who passed away in May]

"Behold my witness in heaven" when sharing his testimony.

Family

"The heavenly virtue of patience is required." 

"Endure to the end."

The story of Job.

"Shall I falter or shall I finish?" 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

2nd Counselor in 1st Presidency

A's favorite quote:

"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."

Robert D. Hales

Quorum of the 12 Apostles

Church

(To the point!)

Richard G. Scott

Quorum of the 12 Apostles

Scriptures

Repentance

We can receive personal blessings from the Atonement

People of Ammon

As we lose our life in Heavenly Father's service, Satan's temptations lose their power.

Neil L. Anderson

Quorum of the 12 Apostles

The priesthood is the power of God.

Preistood

Condescension of God (Jesus born in stable)

There are special blessings from God for all who partake in Priesthood ordinances.

And on that note, God loves us. This I know. He's the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He loves us as much as He did the people of Moses and Abraham, so He speaks to us today through modern day prophets.  I can know what they say is true. Their words invite me "to do good continually" and "every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God (Moroni 7:13)."