*Benefit Concert for Nie

~Last weekend I met up with my sister n laws at the Benefit concert for Nie Nie. 

Her friend Mindy Gledhill sang a number of songs with her beautiful voice and then capped off the night with "Golden Slumber" sung by Jane & Claire Nielson-the daughters of Stephanie & Christian Nielson.  Click here to see *The Girls Song.*  So precious.

*Tagged!

**Part 1:

Ok so this is how it goes! You find the 6th Folder in your PHOTOS, grab the 6th picture in that folder and Wa La. This was mine..The UN-EDITED version of the photo of my nephew Ethan- RED eyeballs and all. Why couldn't it have been the edited precious version. Anyhow I guess it's fitting for Halloween! BOO!

Now for my 6 victims .. I mean people..TAG YOU'RE IT!

Heidi

Alison

Miken

Kristal

Becky T.

Stephanie

**Part 2 of the Tag:

*Find the oldest picture you can of you or family on Halloween. Digital or not! Mine are mostly in storage so this was the best I could come up with.

Halloween~2000

(talk about scary!!)

And my poor spencer is choking on his costume!

*Candy only once a Year?

Kaylea:  "Spence I bet the people that made up Halloween must know that kids don't EVER get to hardly eat ANY candy!"

Spencer: "Yea probably."

Oh my poor deprived children that think they only get candy on Halloween! Oh brother!

*Spencer Gets His Bobcat Award*

*This month was Spencer's 2nd Official Pack Meeting and he was awarded his Bobcat award in Scouts. Being that it was close to Halloween & all the kids dressed up, I should say "Pirate Spencer" received the award. 

Here he is pinning his Dad and had to do a good "turn" before he could turn the pin right side up and put it on his uniform.

*Our ward does something kinda funny for the boys when they receive their "Bobcat." See that box that says Bob's Cat? Well that's supposed to be a litter box and inside are little surprises left from the cat.....Tootsie Rolls. The boys eat them and the crowd says "Ew..." Or shall I say us parents say "Ew.."; the boys just think it's great.

*Spencer is really enjoying being a Wolf in Cub Scouts and has some wonderful scout leaders!*

*Missing our Friends!

As far as I'm concerned, Autumn time is the best time of the year in the valley. It's when all the neighborhood friends come out of summer hibernation and everyone plays in the street till dark. Well that's what we're missing this year! I thought I'd post pictures of some FRIENDS we are missing :( back in Gilbert.

Halloween (2007)

~So as I uploaded picture after picture of our friends we

left behind this summer , I could not help but let the tears come. As our chances grow dimmer for us to move back to our old neighborhood, it makes it even harder to look at these. It makes me think of the song "The Dance." -'I could've missed the pain, but I'dve had to miss the Dance.' Cheesy I know...but it's so bitter sweet for me...ok more tears. Ugh! Bitter because we're gone, sweet because of the friendships we made. My rule of thumb though is once a friend, always a friend!

*Welcome to our classroom...

*It's ART Time!*

Not much structure is put into art class. Here the kids were free to use their creativity to paint whatever. But with our Homeschooling schedule I'm actually pretty proud of myself that I've come up with a schedule and we are sticking to it. I've created a template for a typical work day and printed it out so each day I just have to fill in the activities, workbook pages etc. A typical day includes Math, Phonics, Language Arts, P.E., Piano Practice, (Learning Odyssey) Computer Time, Scripture Study And then every other day we do different activites. For example every  Tuesday Tim did a History Lesson prepping us for our back east trip,  Wednesday is Music, Friday is Art & Library and Tuesday/Thursdays are Public Speaking. Saturday is our break day with Piano Lessons, Chores, the typical.  Practically every night we went swimming before it got chilly.  

We don't have to walk the Plains...

But WE DO have to stand up for what we believe...even if it is not accepted in common society!

Here is how my Father in Law spent his 56th Birthday...with his wife (Tim's Mom) holding signs on Prop 8 in California!

Ashlyn too!

 A lot of you might recognize this picture below of Samuel the Lamanite on the wall telling the people to repent. We know he was hated and scared, but he did it anyways...why? Because he was commanded to do so and because he knew it was right. Now someone obviously has inserted this "YES on Prop 8" sign, but I thought it was appropriate. Why are so many of us involved with these propositions as an LDS people? Because we were commanded to do so and because we know that it is right. No matter who opposes us.  

   "And now when ye talk, ye say if our days had been in the days of our Fathers of old, we would NOT have slain the prophets, we would not have stoned them, and cast them out.    But behold ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him..." ~Helaman 13:25

We have so much to learn from History-especially scripture stories. They are here for OUR learning. I also think of the Book of Mormon story in 1st Nephi when Lehi had the vision about the Tree of Life & the Iron Rod. How realistic that is in today's world as there are so many in that "great & spacious building" pointing and laughing at those holding on to the rod and then how there were also those who let go of the rod because they didn't want to be made fun of. It's crazy times these that we need to grasp onto these stories & utilize their strength. We know they are FOR US in THIS DAY and I think it's important to make these connections. We HAVE to care MORE about offending GOD and less about offending MAN!

• "We should not allow our personal values to erode, even if others think we are peculiar. We have always been regarded as a peculiar people. However, being spiritually correct is much better than being politically correct. Of course, as individuals and as a people we want to be liked and respected. But we cannot be in the mainstream of society if it means abandoning those righteous principles which thundered down from Sinai, later to be refined by the Savior, and subsequently taught by modern prophets. We should only fear offending God and His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the head of this Church." ~President James E. Faust

“Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart,” Ensign, May 1998

So Perfectly Said!

(Don't forget AZ's Prop 102!)

Phylip's Eagle Project

My little Bro Phylip...what a good little chap! Saturday was his Eagle Project and they painted fences for the goats @ The Boys Ranch. He had a lot of support and was able to clock 200 hours all together from this whole project.

Phyl keeping 'em all in line!

Aunt Sara showin Spence

Aunt Brit & Spence cheesin it up

Phylip, Bishop Larson, George Peterson & a goat.

Tim & Spence painted along side my parents, other siblings, phyl's friends, neighbors and ward members. 

(Spence learning to work hard like his Daddy.)

I was proud of my Spence for gettin up early without complaint and being willing to help out!

"A SISTER held even closer"

Get ready to cry...No I mean really, really cry. *Read Here!*

It's the tragic but beautiful story so many of us are familiar with. A story of tragedy, a story of love, a story of romance, a story of sadness, sorrow, faith and healing. A story of eternal family bonds and the miracles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wait get your tissue first.... Ok now you click on it.

*Happy Birthday Lonnie*

Happy Birthday Grandpa Lonnie!

Here are a few reasons why we love him:

He's always up for going out for Dinner & Ice Cream

He makes time for the little guys and makes them feel special.

He takes the family on trips around the world and makes them meaningful and memorable.

He's Generous & Genuine

Has a love for game playing

He makes time for those tender moments to talk to you about something special or important.

He stops what he's doing and makes you feel like you are his number 1 priority right then. He truly wants to hear what you have to say and then let's you know it's important & worthwhile. 

Happy Birthday Lonnie. We appreciate all you do for us and so many others! 

*Hope you have a GREAT BIRTHDAY & 

know that we love you!*

So there was this Park...

Ok I put a little too many pictures of the park, but I had to since that's what every extra moment of our trip consisted of. They LIVED at this park!