Emily's Baptism

 This was Emily's special day.  She was baptized Oct 11, 2014.  She was so beautiful in her cute white dress, but most of all, with her happy glow.  She was so very excited to be baptized.

 Nathan baptized Emily.  He did a thorough job.  There was no need for re-do. 

 We had a nice bunch of family show to support Emily.  We appreciate them so much.  There is a feeling of love and happiness that comes from spending time with family that we can't get any where else. 

After the baptism everyone came by our house for lunch.  We ate chicken salad sanwiches with lots of yummy sides provided by the rest of the family.  It was  perfect day.  I laid down totally exhausted at the end...but so thankful that Heavenly Father is leading Emily on the right path. 

It's Great to Be Eight! Emily Parties

 Emily's birthday day was a little dull.  We had to plan her party for a week after her birthday, so we kept things low key.  We had a cheese cake and went shopping with an MP3 player that Emily could rock out when she cleans or needs a few minutes alone. 

 On Oct 10th we had the real party.  We painted pumpkins, ate pizza and cake, and played party games.  Oh, and who would forget presents.  It was a blast.

 I will tell you what, this was the cutest bunch of little girls ever.  The were all from nearby and all got a long swimmingly.  They were kind and inclusive to everyone.  The made the party a success. 

It was truly an excellent party.  Excellent fun.  I was crazy for doing the party the same weekend as the baptism...but it all worked out.  A whirlwind of fun.  I loved it.  More importantly, Emily loved it. 

October Conference Weekend

 We invested in the ROKU this conference.  We decided we just had to have a way to watch conference live, and since we are a streaming family, and since you can get live streaming of BYU  TV on the Roku, we decided it was worth the investment. 

So, we managed to get all the kids to sit down for one session of conference.  I took the pictures to prove it.  :)

Sarah's Firehouse Adventure.

Sarah had her first field trip this week. They were able to visit the firehouse that is close to Sarah's preschool.  Since my work schedule doesn't allow for things like fieldtrips, I enlisted the help of my mom to go with Sarah on her field trip.  The night before Sarah was excited, but she woke up the next morning not wanting to go.  She was afraid of the firemen.  :)

Lucky for me, my mom arrived and her fears were drowned out by the chance to hang out with grandma.  Off they went and Sarah loved it.

 Aren't those little preschoolers cute with there fire hats. 

 Sarah learned all about fire safetly from the firemen.  She came home and told us all about it.

She learned how to crawl below the smoke to get out of the house.  And of course, you can't end without playing at the playground next to the fire station.  Sarah had a great day.  Thanks Grandma!

The Tween Years

 These girls were just so cute.  Rachel's birthday was a blast.  We had an outdoor movie party with plenty of loud Kids Bop Music, Dancing and Food.  It was super fun

 I laughed when the giant bowl of candy we put out was gone in the blink of an eye.  HAHA.  I guess we should have divided it up into little bags so we made sure everyone got some. 

The girls watched half the movie and then they were gone screaming and jumping on the trampoline.  Such a fun time.  Glad we did it.  I'm not really a party planner...but I am into seeing my kids be happy.  :) 

What just happened?

Sarah was taking a bath the other night.  We walked away for a few minutes to the kitchen.  What did we find upon our return.  I guess Dave wanted to take a bath too and he took care of the detail himself.  Fully clothed and with a poopie diaper (which we sadly discovered after getting him out and removing the diaper right over the bathtub).  HAHA.   These two are just trouble.  Sarah is the master of trouble.  She was probably saying "Come on Davie...get in." 

Things that Happen in Our Backyard

 Swing with friends and family.  Strong bonds of love and friendship have been formed on this swing set.

 A man and his tools.  Nate is always cutting things down.  Trimming branches and bushes....and then there are the days he cuts down an entire tree.  I try to keep him reasonable though.  I tried to save the tree but I lost this time.  And in the end, I had to admit it looked better without the tree. 

Riding with Dad on the lawn mower is a must each week.  Both David and Sarah love it...but David is crazy.  As soon as he hears the roar of the lawn mower he is standing by the door screaming, wanting his turn on the lawn machine.  I think it's one of those precious moments that have to be enjoyed now.  Nate knows one day he won't have little ones clamoring for his lap on the lawn mower. 

We love our big backyard.  Even with all the work that needs to be done to make it our dream.  It is awesome to have so much space to dream about.