Happy Halloween!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa D. for the super fun happy Halloween package!!! As you can see, it was a hit!(btw-we did read the note before we started video)

Dallin's School Update

Over the last month as many of you may already know we have made some major changes with Dallin's education plan. I wanted to write down what has happened for my journaling:

A couple of months ago I began to go into Dallin's autism Kindergarten regularly to observe and help out. I quickly realized that this was not a good situation. When I agreed to put Dallin in the program I was led to believe that he would be going to a different school site that had been around for about 5 years and very successful. As I was signing the IEP they quickly mentioned that that site was full and he would actually be at a new site with the same design. I was very frustrated with this omission because I had made the decision based on the program that I had visited at the other site. I was so pressured to put him in the program that I reluctantly agreed to it and withdrew his registration at the regular neighborhood school. I had prayed and felt like it was the right thing to do so I went with it. So as when I began visiting this new program after about a month I saw that it was a complete disaster. There were 12 autistic children with one teacher and 2 aids. The teacher was a first year teacher and the aids had no training at all. There was so much inappropriate behaviors going on that there was not educational benefit at all and no structure. It was not set up for success at all and the classroom was very bare. I felt that this was more like a daycare situation and that these children had been swept under the rug to save the school district money. It would be a lot more expensive to put the kids in regular classrooms with aids.

I urgently began making phone calls and letting the school district know what was going on. I made it clear that I did not want Dallin to continue there and that he needed a new placement. Over the next week or so I was told that there was a lot of mentors being brought in to help with the program but did not get any response about pulling Dallin out. I continued to make phone calls and was finally referred to a lady that I was to work with, but that was not easy to work things out with. She got back to me after several more days and told me that Dallin's school was full and that all of the 8 overflow schools were full as well. I told her that I felt that this was an emergency situation and that she should keep looking for a spot.

I emailed this woman a follow up a couple of days later to which she expressed that it would be a few weeks and that I had agreed to that. Yeah, I was really mad after that. I had set up a meeting to go and observe at the neighborhood school to make sure of my decision so in the mean time I went to that appointment but was stood up. Before I left I had prayed so earnestly that Heavenly Father would help me to find someone in the district that could really understand this situation and help me. After sitting in the school office for 20 minutes and my appointment not showing, finally the 2 resource ladies came out to greet me. I immediately recognized them from an IEP for Dallin that they had attended when I was trying to mainstream him the first time. I remembered them because they were the only ones I had met in the district that actually seemed to care about what was best for Dallin and not have a hidden agenda for the autism programs or for money.

They asked me what had happened because they thought that I had decided to put Dallin in the program that had been there for 5 years. I told them that I had been deceived about that and that he was in a horrible school setting at the moment. He was picking up on stims from some of the kids and regressing in his behaviors very quickly, not to mention he was getting more behind academically each day. One of the ladies named Lisa offered to escort me to the kindergartens to let me observe. She was so nice and really wanted to help me. I believe that Lisa was an answer to my prayer. By the time I got home from the school she called me and told me that she had talked to the principle and that he had approved a spot for Dallin there. Even though it would overfill the class, because he would have and aid it would change the ratio and would be approved. I believe that there was a reason that the lady that was supposed to meet me at the school did not show up and that the Lord was directly answering my motherly plea to get Dallin in the place that he needed to be by putting Lisa in my path(she believes that too). What a small in significant miracle that I will never forget.

Even with this new change of events, I was still having a difficulty communicating with my district contact. I swear she is not even human, I couldn't even have a conversation with her because she twisted everything up and never answered my questions even though I was always polite to her. So I had just had it with her. That day Dallin came home with a big bite mark shaped bruise on his arm he had gotten through his long sleeved shirt. That was it! I found the contact information for this woman's boss who is the head of special education. I very calmly explained the whole situation in about 5 minutes to him including that I felt that the autism class was a failing program. I told him that I was not willing to wait any longer for his placement even though I had gone and found a spot for him myself and that I would be keeping Dallin home until he could start because it was doing more harm than good.

Within an hour the non human lady called me back and told me Dallin could start the following Monday! The resource ladies at Dallin's school were very exited to have him and I met with them to discuss his needs. There are wonderful people. They found and aid for him and I met her. I had some concerns but agreed to go with it. They had asked me if they could put Dallin in afternoon Kinder because they thought that the teacher would be really good with Dallin and I agreed to that too.

So the next Monday off we went and I attended the whole first day with Dallin. There was such an instant improvement! Just being around well behaved typical children, Dallin seemed to want to fit in. I was amazed. The teacher seemed so wonderful and there was 3 hours of actual real learning going on in a highly structured classroom environment.

I agreed to go to Dallin's school for the whole day each Monday as a parent volunteer. I was very eager to do this because it is the only way I can really know if he has the help he needs and is being treated right. So the next Monday I went in again and saw that Dallin was sticking out a little, but overall doing incredible. His aid on the other hand was hovering over him so much that he was not allowed to fit in. The next day after I dropped Dallin off I went in to talk to the resource ladies. They knew what was going on and were already on it. A lady that has been volunteering in the resource office for 15 years had volunteered to be a new aid and was in the application process to make it official.

I guess Dallin's teacher was really upset with the aid and how it was going too. She likes Dallin and is so good with him. She said if he had started with all the kids at the beginning of the year that he would have probably really fit in as they were all learning what her expectations were. She said the aid was making it harder for him to learn.

So this is the third week for Dallin at regular ed and he loves it. When the kids get to school they meet in the lunch room and are allowed to eat before school starts. The first week Dallin refused to get a hot lunch because he was just not used to eating before school starts. He was used to having lunch in the middle of the school day and it just didn't seem to work for him. He would get all choked up every time I tried to get him to have lunch with the other kids. Finally, the second week I really pushed it and got the tray of food for him even though he cried a little and would not eat it. The next day he saw that it was nacho day and that just brought him right out of his funk. He actually took the tray from me and got the food himself. He never had a problem after that. So now in the third week and I have started to fade myself back to let him function on his own. Now the other boys can't wait to come and sit by him and eat together. It is so fun to see him being accepted by his peers. He is just one of the boys now!

This weekend at the school party I ran into the resource ladies and we talked with them a lot about how well Dallin is doing. Lisa said she has read Dallin's file and understands his history, but she is not seeing the same kid that is in the file. She said judging only what she sees in the Dallin that she knows, she does not see autism!!! She said it seems more like ADD. Hearing that is like music to my ears. He really has come so far in the last year and a half it is a miracle. His home therapists also marvel at his progress because they knew him from when we moved here and have seen how far he has come. As his mother I think back even farther to my little toe walker always running in circles and banging his head on things repetitively.

I remember when he was first in early intervention in Oregon when Dallin was 2. I would take him to a one hour program once a week that was like a mini preschool. It was hard for me because Dallin was the lowest functioning one even with other autistic children. He could not even sit in a five minute circle time or ask for more snack or anything. There was no language expressive or receptive. Now I see my big boy going to regular ed and I will not at all be surprised if he does not need and aid next year. MIRACLES!!! It was a big leap of faith to leave our whole life and move here, but I believe that the Lord has poured out blessings in EVERY way for doing it. My dream has come true! With intense early intervention there is a small percentage of children that lose their diagnosis. I have never let myself be too hopeful and really tried not to care about that, but I see that this reality could be coming and it makes me weep. My little hero is so amazing.

I have learned so much about autism in the last 3 years and I know what has worked for our situation. I believe that one of my callings in life in the future will be to help young families who are trying to understand just what they are dealing with and what they can do. All children are different and even with interventions, some may still never learn to talk, but there are so many high functioning kids out there with huge potential. I want to get involved in autism politically and make sure that the help that these children need is available and covered by insurance and the state. A family should not have to move to get help like we did. This has to change. A good early start like Dallin has had will make all the difference for the rest of their life. As parents I know that we will always need to be very involved in Dallin's schooling and social development, but I know that he has as much potential for success as anyone thanks to the help that he has received.

So we plan to stick it out for another year or so here in Cali and make sure that Dallin continues to thrive and then return to the place we will always call home:)

I have thought a lot about my confirmation to put Dallin in the autism classroom for kinder and have a couple of thoughts that seem to reassure me. I think that because I was so unsure of where to put him with a six month mental struggle to get it right, I now know for sure that he is in the very best place and perhaps I would have continued to question that if I hadn't gone that route first. Second, I have become much stronger in my advocating for my child through working with the school district. All of my children will have a mother who will stand up for them whenever any issue arrives with the schools and getting my child what they need. I am grateful for this experience and I know more than every how much my Heavenly Father knows me personally and what I need to experience to learn what I need to learn and have peace.

Halloween Celebrations

We have been party animals this weekend. Last night we got to go to an adult only Halloween party at our friends house. It was fun to eat lots of good food and get dressed up. We had two parties today as well. First we went to Dallin's school for their annual harvest festival. The kids enjoyed playing games and eating popcorn. Dallin won at the cake walk! Later we went to our wards Halloween carnival and trunk or treat. We were completely worn out and the kids are in candy heaven. Peter was a stereotypical construction worker. At the ward party, Eden kept asking me where daddy was and I kept saying, "he's right there". She started crying at one point and I finally realized that she did not recognize him. So he took his stash off to show her who he was and then she was okay with it.

I was Sarah Palin. It was a huge hit and I actually won most original costume at our ward party. It was such a last minute thing that I wasn't planning on, but kind of just came together.

Cute little Tinker Bell. All day, whenever Eden saw another girl in a disney princess costume she would get all exited and point it out to me.

Tanner was a lion, sort of. He refused to wear the costume but did want to carry it around all day. I snuck it on him when he was sleeping, but when he woke up he took it right back off.

Dallin was really cute about being a pirate and has been looking forward to it for about a month. He smeared most of the make up and got his costume pretty dirty, what a boy.

The little lobster. What a sweet crustacean.

A Great Comfort

I found this cute little cold pack at Target that is the perfect size for our little ones. Nothing makes an owie all better quicker than the little Nemo pack and the magic of a band-aid. Seriously, it is tears to smiles in a matter of seconds.

Courage

I had to laugh at this picture. This is sort of what it feels like here in California. The Prop 8 signs are being stolen left and right. We have had 3 out of our 4 stolen. We also have bumper stickers on both cars which is pretty bold. There is a lot of support though as well. Peter was holding one at a street corner last week and got a lot of thumbs up, and only got flipped off once.

Hand?

I was helping Dallin with his homework and Tanner walked in very concerned and said,
"Mommy, where's my hand?" He had pulled his arm inside of his shirt and he couldn't figure out where it went!!!

Dance Class

Eden had her final dance class this week so I wanted to take a lot of pictures. She LOVES dance and dressing in her cute little outfit.

I love this picture

I can't get over these little shoes.

Zumba

A few weeks ago I discovered that my gym offers Zumba classes. I started going and now I am totally hooked. It is a blast. It is so popular that the dance floor is packed and they turn the overhead lights off with color light flashing all over so you don't feel self concious. People of all shapes and sizes just let loose and move those hips! The dance is like latin hip hop and it really works you but it is so fun that I hardly notice. The classes are a couple of nights a week at 7pm so I leave just in time for Peter to get the kids in bed and then I get to go enjoy some me time. I can't remember liking an exercise this much before. I have also been getting into Yoga because there is a class right after Zumba. It is so peaceful and relaxing yet still a good workout. By the end of these classes all my stresses are just melted away. Anyway, Zumba is a blast if you are looking for a fun way to exercise.

The Giving Tree

This is one of my favorite children's books. I finally bought it a few days ago and was exited to read it to the kids. I haven't read it for years and then at the end it made me cry!!! I never thought I could turn into more of a cry baby but this proves it is possible. I don't think the kids noticed and Peter was nice enough not to make fun of me. Anyway, it is a very sweet book that I recommend if you have a children's book collection :)

Scooting

Carter is moving right along in his development. He will be 5 months tomorrow, but for the last couple of weeks he has been rolling over like crazy. He is even scooting around. I am beginning to find him on the other side of the room from where I set him down already! He is getting pretty good at using his hands as well. This totally reminds me of how Dallin was with all his early gross motor development. He was taking his first steps before 9 months. I guess I should prepare myself for that again. In fact I just saw Carter getting up on his hands and knees as I type. Guess it's time to baby proof the lower levels again.

The only alarming part for me that since Carter is too strong to be bundled, when I lay him down to sleep he immediately rolls over and I think this is way to young to be sleeping on his stomach. I don't know what to do about it. I know there are things you can buy to lay them on with foam wedges to keep them from rolling but that seems more dangerous because he is probably too stong for that too. Any advice from moms out there?

More than just cute plates

I have always tried to get a good variety of food in my kid's diet, but it takes some work. Having slotted children's plates has really helped me get balanced meals in. Putting something different in each spot gives variety and I just eyeball it to see which food group we still need. It is really a helpful prompt for me. If I see that we still need a dairy, I will just add a slice of cheese to a slot, or if we need a fruit it reminds me to add that in. After a while of using the many sloted plates I decided to simplify the lunch plates with just 2 slots which I think is enough for lunch.

Blog

I have added another blog to my growing list of blogs that I write. This one is all about things for home and family. I just like to write down anything about parenting, organizing, recipes, books, etc. that I think is cool. Feel free to check it out. This is a public blog so you don't need an invite.

I am probably going to add one with photos that I am working on with my photography classes as well. I am trying to get even more adventurous and write one with life history moments from before I started writing a blog like wedding, births, childhood memories etc. I know I am totally addicted to blogging. I have learned that I love to write so blogging is something I really enjoy.

Random Acts of Kindness

I use all kinds of things to motivate my children, but lately I have started using rewards that are not expected. When I see one of my children comfort another one that is crying or sad or kindly sharing or anything kind to one another, I pull out this special bag of treats that is just for times like these. Sometimes I reward them if they just listened to me when I asked them to do something and they were quick to react. I have been using dum dums because they love lollipops but they are little enough not to spoil their dinner. I am just trying to express to them how wonderful it is when I see these great qualities coming out, plus it is so much funner than just punishing the naughtiness all the time. I think it makes a difference to make these positive deposits and they are always so proud of themselves for their good deed.

Fairytale Adventure

A couple of weeks ago we went to fairytale land for a free disability fair. They gave the kids t-shirts, hamburgers were provided for lunch and there were a lot of other extra things there like this guy: He also tore a phone book in half, bent a steel rod in his mouth, broke more bricks with his head, broke a baseball bat and this:
He rolled a frying pan like it was a tortilla. I guess he holds the world record for this. The kids really liked this guy. He is actually a motivational speaker because he was a special needs child and overcame a very difficult childhood to graduate college with great grades and became some sort of professional athlete. I hope this is the only time I ever see my kids in the back of a police car!
Ice cream break
The crooked mans crooked house.
This is the crooked mile and it is everyone's favorite attaction. This little trail winds through the woods and goes up and down in height. The kids just take off running through it and it takes 3 or 4 minutes. They all did it non-stop for at least a half hour. We need one of these at home!
Cute little ice cream face!

Resting after the crooked mile.
They loved meeting Clifford the Big Red Dog. Especially Eden.
Pirate ship. Dallin is going to be a pirate for Halloween so he is really into pirates right now.
In the castle.
I thought this was so cute when Eden found Mother Goose. Dallin seemed to remember coming last year, but I don't think Eden remembered.

Watching a chipmunk. They sat like this for several minutes and watched.
Cinderella's carriage.

Having a drink. Dallin really liked pumping the water.

Run!

The kids had a great time running from Carter the other day. Carter was giggling the whole time too. I have to explain their outfits. Sometimes we put our shirts on the kids and they love it because they think they are so big or something. I only wanted to explain so that you understand Eden's outfit. Yeah, not exactly great for videos but oh well.

You Know You Want One!

You cringe when you see kids eat things they find in wierd places, but what if it comes from here?

Fireside - The Sanctity of Marriage Recap

Last night we went to a fireside broadcast about proposition 8 and the sanctity of marriage. Elder Ballard and Elder Cook of the twelve were the main speakers. They spoke a lot about how we would be affected if it fails and why the church is so eager to stand up for it. They used a lot of the same points that we have been talking about. Mainly churches losing tax exemptions, Church adoption agencies, and children being endoctrinated from a young age at schoool about gay marriage. They even said that as teenagers when they get sex ed, they will teach about gay sex too! Not good.

I guess the one big thing that stuck out in my mind was that tolerance is not a two way street. The more that gay marriage becomes an acceptable and normal thing, the less those with traditional values will be accepted in society. The future generations will be less and less accepted. They said this is really going to affect the whole country, not just California.

They urged us to use the Internet as much as possible to get the word out and teach each other the issues. Elder Ballard was hilarious when he mentioned that he kn0ws people are twittering, and writing on walls, etc. but he doesn't really know that that means. It was really funny.

Another big thing was that we should love everyone as children of God and when we are standing up for our values to do it with love and respect. But they expressed that everyone has the right to free speech and it is a good thing to educate those around us about the issue. In fact they outright asked for at least 30 people in each ward to donate 4 hours a week to this cause. This week the yard signs go up. We have finished walking our area that is designated to our ward, but will continue to contact all of the undecided voters to try to help them understand the issues we face with it.

I had a crazy experience last week. I was making phone calls and a lesbian woman got my message on her machine and called me back! She was actually very nice and just wanted me to listen to her side of things since she listened to mine. So I did and that was that.


BTW, the church has a new website at http://www.preservingmarriage.org/ . Check it out :)

Cream Soup Substitute

cream soup substitute
I get so mad when I have to buy those cream of mushroom or celery cans for over a dollar at the store. Especially when a recipe calls for 2 cans. So here are 2 recipe solutions. I think the first one could be great for using your food storage and for always having it on hand. These cost a fraction of what a can of soup would cost and you can pronounce all of the ingredients!

Cream Soup SubstituteINGREDIENTS:
2 cups dry milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes, optional
1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, optional
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram, optional
1/2 teaspoon pepper2 to 3 teaspoons butter

PREPARATION:Combine all ingredients except butter together and store in airtight container. To use, mix 1/2 cup dry soup mix with 1 1/4 cups water and cook until thick; add butter. This is equal to one can cream soup.The mix makes enough to equal 9 to 10 cans. For cream of mushroom or celery soup, add chopped sauteé mushrooms or celery along with the butter while cooking

Cream Soup Substitute II

INGREDIENTS:1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup low-fat or fat free milk
salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth.Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed to taste.Use in casseroles in place of condensed cream soups.Can be varied by using vegetable broth, sauteéd chopped celery, celery seed, or sauteéd chopped mushrooms

Finances

Value who you are, define who you are, by your personality, by your actions more than what you have.

Rather than wanting more more more more, why don't you want more more more of a quality of life!

Suze Orman

Movie Night

I think having traditions in our family is very important. That is probably the one thing I really absorbed from the class I took about family structure in college. Tradition creates a deep sense of belonging and bonding within the family. So I am always trying to find little things that when our kids grow up they will say, "my family always did this together". No matter how small, a new tradition is welcome in our family. Lately we have been having a movie night each week(another idea from John and Kate). I bought a huge collections of Disney movies on VHS off of Craigslist last summer for less than a dollar each. We have some kind of treat, like popcorn or candy and all sit down together and enjoy a Disney movie together. It is extra special when we pull the couch directly in front of the t.v. This week we ate pizza on a blanket as a "picnic" while we watched. The kids love it, and it is just neat that we are all doing something fun together.

My Friend Amy's Conversion Story

Ok, here is my story for inquiring minds:I took the missionary discussions when I was 16. I met my best friend Pricilla when I was 12, in junior high. Over the years, I stayed close to Cilla and I went to lots of church activities with her, especially when she turned 14 and we started going to church dances. I have memories of staying up late having religious discussions. Cilla would tell me all about church beliefs, book of mormon stories, etc. When I was 16 Cilla asked if I was interested in taking discussions. When I asked my mom she said only if we would have them at our house. Well, after the 2nd discussion my mom made it clear she did not believe it, and no longer wanted me taking the discussions. End of story.

So, went to U of O a couple years later. I was a music major (at least in the begining) and so my second year there, in my small music performance class, there were 8 of us. One of them, the youngest of the class, was Lauren (now Lauren May, hey girl!). There was on particular week where I had been talking to a guy online that went to UofO that wanted to meet me. he was a music major. I definitely didn't want to do this alone. I asked Lauren if she would accompany me, I was rather uncomfortable on my own. She agreed, but also said "Well, I do have a church dance to go to later"...so, I of course said "Oh really? What church" and of course discovered she was LDS. So, she invited me to tag along to the dance with her that night, after my "meeting". That was exciting. I hadn't gone in a long time to one, so I was excited! She went with me, I met this guy, it was overall a wierd uncomfortable situation and she TOTALLY bailed me out by saying "Well, we have to run. I have to get to that dance Amy" So, I went to that church dance with her that night.

The next day I was rather bored, it was a Saturday, and since I had my car there decided I wanted to go home for the rest of the weekend to Portland. So, when I got home that night I called my good friend Robert (Bob Slattery) to see what he was up to that night. He was working at Fry's Electronics at the time as a software rep. He says "Finney! Got a guy I want you meet! His name is Leonard, he is tall, a red head. I think you will like him. Hold on, I will go get him"! So, he puts Leonard on the phone. He and I talk for about 15 minutes, and then Leonard says "I would like to meet you. Can I come pick you up?" SOooo, he picks me up that night after he gets off work. He took me to Shari's for dessert. In his mind he figured "Eh, so I will buy her dessert. That way if it doesn't go well, I am out a few bucks, and there we go" But turns out I was better company than he imagined. Later we called Bob again and invited him to go Cosmic Bowling (I want to go again!). On our way to bowling in a discussion, I discovered Leonard was in fact LDS. Crazy coincidence, right? ;-) So, that date went well, he dropped me off.

The next morning, which would have been Sunday, it just so happens that Pricilla was home. I don't remember if she was living at home at the time, or just home for a break. I can't remember. For the next 30 minutes of the conversation she proceeded to talk me into going to the singles ward with her. I was thinking "Ugh, 3 hours of church, really??" lol. She didn't want to go alone, she didn't really know anybody. So, finally, i give in and agree to go to church with her. This would be at the Westlake branch in Lake Oswego. So, sitting down in sacrament meeting, before the meeting had started, I felt quite an overwhelming peace and assurance. While the sacrament was passed I felt that I had was I considered a vision of sorts. I felt without a doubt that I would be joining the church, and that this is the man I would be marrying. Cilla reminds me that while sitting there I had grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She tells me "I Knew there was something going on when you did that" :-)

The next week after I went back to school happened to be finals week. Leonard called me that Tuesday I believe, and we agreed to a date that weekend when I got home. At that point I had 3 weeks of winter break before heading back. During this time Len and I had several dates, and quickly decided we had become a couple. During those few weeks I made the decision that I wanted to start taking missionary discussions again. So, went back to school in January. During the first month or so, not much happened with missionaries. Then Leonard and I hit a rough patch and we had broken up. This was a hard time in my life, I got quite depressed. I had a hard time being an hour and a half away from friends and family. I was a bit lonely. Then, discussions finally got together. The relief society president at my local singles branch, Julie, and I also become good friends. Her and Lauren came almost every time to my discussions. There were a couple others too, but can't seem to recall. Len even came to Eugene once to partipate in one. I think it was after my first discussion that I was really depressed and uncertain what I wanted to do. In a phone conversation Len had challenged me to a Book of Mormon reading challenge. 30 minutes a night, pray about it to decide for myself it I truly believed it. After the 2nd night, I was SO overcomed with emotion and the spirit that I knew without a doubt what my answer was. So, I agreed to getting baptised. My missionaries were great. I think I knew more than they expected. remember all that time with Cilla in junior high? I remembered a lot about the church. I wanted Pricilla's dad to baptise me, however. Papa Arave. :-) So, I made the date for the baptism set for March 20, during spring break.

During my rough time that winter, I had had a lot of phone conversations with my family. Len and I broke up during the discussions, though we stayed in close contact. I was still unsure if I was truly making the decision for him or or me. So, when we broke up I was even more confused. That is why he gave me the reading challenge, which made the decision for me. My family however still saw it as me joining the church for Leonard. They were against it, and were not supportive whatsoever. The day of my baptism, I asked one last time for my mom and my older sister (who lived with mom) to attend the event. My sister wouldn't because she always stood behind whatever mom said. My mom confronted me and made it very clear, quote her, that I was "ripping out her heart". So, needless to say I showed up to the church a wreck, rather upset.The baptism was wonderful, and I had a lot of friends there to support. I have pictures to share, I should really get them scanned and posted in a blog.

One year later, on the 1 year anniversary of my baptism, after Len and I had gotten back together officially 6 months prior, he proposed to me. We got married 6 months later at his dad's house in Keizer, and we were sealed in the Portland OR temple a year after that, September 18, 2001.Anywho, I think thats the short of it all! Now you know my story.

Who Needs a Roomba...

When your 5 year old loves to vacuum! This is a new skill Dallin has acquired. It may take him a half hour to do a whole room, but he gets everything and edges really well too! He never gets bored with it. Today I put him to work and Eden loves to be his assistant. The younger two were napping so I enjoyed a V8 in peace in the toy room while Dallin and Eden cleaned out in the living room! Caarazy!

Pumpkin Farm

We went to a really fun pumpkin farm the other day. We did things like a hay ride, picking pumpkins from the patch, riding a train, and a fun mountain slide. Dallin is really getting to an age that he gets so exited about things like this so it makes everything so much more fun. He begged all the next day to carve the pumpkins, but I made him wait until Peter was home. Then, when we carved them, he was so into it. Since last Halloween, he has pulled our pumpkin carving knives out and I had to explain that we only use those around Halloween. I think it must have been on his mind a lot so his anticipation was totally cute.
Carter was such a trooper even though it was hot, he never complained and was just happy to be strapped to Peter.

As far as photography goes, this is my favorite right now. I love the texture of the tire tracks and the wood, all good things to look at. I also like how it shows a lot of depth from Tanner way into the distance.
Dallin picked out his pumkin by himself and insisted on carrying it himself as well. I didn't have the heart to point out that his pumkin was pretty mishapen and already a little shriveled on one side.
The kids ran up and went down this slide at least ten times which was pretty impressive since it was at least 85 degrees out and the end of the day. It must have been really fun!
Digging for gold was really fun. There were hundreds of marbles in the mix of rocks and each kid got to find ten and take them home. All three of our older kids thought it was pretty special.
Eden wanted nothing to do with going to jail, she even got upset when I went in, but Dallin thought it was cool.