Ben Likes Cereal but He Doesn't Like Peas

Fall Pictures

Yesterday was such a gorgeous fall day. The weather was warm, the sky was deep blue, and the leaves were piled up in the front yard. I think that my kids borrowed neighbors' leaves to get a pile like that. We usually are leaf-deprived. We played outside with our friend Andy and had a great time.

Sophie's Baptism

We have waited so long for Sophie to be baptized! She wanted to be baptized as SOON as she was eight, but the schedule didn't allow it. So finally this Saturday, Nov. 3, at 11:00, she was baptized.

Nana, Bapa, and Chelsea drove up from California on Friday to be with her, and she was surrounded by family and friends of many faiths who love her and wanted to support her in her decision to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. David baptized her and she asked my dad to confirm her. (David's dad confirmed Josh.) We are so proud of our Sophie girl. Being baptized was her own choice, and she has a sweet feeling about Christ and his teachings. She has a tender heart and cares about those who need help. Sophie and her friend-from-birth Tess. I hope that Sophie (and all of the rest of us) will always be surrounded by such supportive people in her path in life. We can make it through almost anything when we have such love given to us freely, without judgment or expectations. This is the kind of love I hope she can always feel from me, from the rest of her family, and from Heavenly Father.

Halloween, Take Two

The Greenhouse had a fun Halloween. It just kept going and going and going (as you will see.) The thing I like about Halloween is that once you've got the costume thing under control, it's a pretty low-maintenance holiday.

The photo shoot I posted about last was the first Halloween activity we did after getting our costumes together (my costume choice: a tired mother of four).

Next was Kate's preschool Halloween program: old school and hysterical (until you've seen 25 4-year-olds do the Monster Mash, you haven't lived.)

Then came trunk-or-treating at Rachelle and Bill's church in Park City. Alysha was Little Red Riding Hood. She was darling.

Next was pumpkin carving. Sophie did one of those cool stencils of a cat. She was very ambitious and her cat turned out great.

Tuesday night was the Utah Symphony Halloween concert. David took all the children that can behave at a concert and I got a much needed rest with little Ben. (The kids were out of school on Monday and Tuesday, and I was a little...a lot...worn out by the end.)

Finally Halloween was here! I went to the school to take pictures of the Halloween parade, and then went home to set up my makeshift backdrop stand. I went to Inkley's to buy one, but the one they recommended was $180 (WHAT?), so instead I went to Home Depot and bought PVC pipe, connectors, and a pipe cutter, then I made my own. Yes, indeed, I did. For $25, including the pipe cutters, I have my own semi-adjustable backdrop stand. Woohoo.

Here are the Halloween day results with some of the neighbor kids. Abby, Will & Ezra came over, too:

Finally, the kids from the circle all gathered and we went trick or treating, after which we went to our friend Laurel's house and had our traditional Halloween party.

The sugar rush is over (mostly, although I have to admit to eating more than my share of candy yesterday), the costumes are put away, and the jack-o-lanterns are rotting on the front porch. Must be time for Thanksgiving!