Autumn!

We've been enjoying this mild autumn weather by being outside as much as we can!  The kids and I took a bike ride to the park this week and had fun playing in the leaves and enjoying a gorgeous day!  James really just liked throwing the leaves and Evie wanted to lay in them and get covered up - but they had a great time!

Becky and Adena came over on Friday to hang out - it's been awhile and it was great to see her and chat and hang out - our hubbies always wonder what we do when we get together - but there is never a shortage on conversation and when all you get during the day is 2 - 4 year old conversation, getting to talk with another adult is priceless - especially when that someone happens to be someone that you have a lot in common with and who's company you enjoy.  :)

Friday night - Eileen and Anna had a friend spend the night - She came over Friday evening and stayed most of Saturday - the girls all had a blast - but they were up late (of course) and so they were a bit tired the next day - I came down and found Anna and Taylee asleep on Dan's recliner - I wasn't sure how they both fit there - but it turns out they didn't - Anna fell off the side about 10 minutes after I took this.... 

Otherwise it's been a mostly normal week - Aaron got an award at school - he's doing really well - now if he would only remember to turn in his homework...  His teachers had lots of good things to say about him!

We're counting down weeks until we get to go out to Utah to welcome Dan's parents home and see Paul and Candace and their sweet new baby!  (and their other awesome kids too)

Bike rides and snow...

....but not at the same time.  Our week mostly contained the normal levels of insanity - laundry, piano lessons, school, preschool, choir and such.  We got some snow this week - mostly it will snow early and then it will have all melted before the day is over - but it seems crazy to be getting snow already - It just doesn't feel like snow-time yet!  Dan spent some time this week fixing up our bike trailer and getting new tires on my bike so I can now stick Evie and James in the trailer and go on bike rides!  I haven't been able to do this since Aaron was born.  Evie and James both seem to love it - and even with the cooler weather, all I need is a sweater and maybe some gloves to be totally comfortable.  We have been enjoying going on family bike rides (though daddy usually has to stay behind with Aaron who really kinda needs a new bike....)  And I've been enjoying a way to get some exercise during the day with out worrying about what to do with the kids in the meantime.  

This weekend has been kinda nuts - on Saturday we had our primary program practice - the whole presidency left the practice feeling like everything was going to totally tank on Sunday - trying to get them to be even kinda reverent and to pay attention was an uphill battle.  But miraculously on Sunday, everything went smoothly - the kids mostly behaved, they read (or said) their parts really well, and they paid attention to their teachers, to the music director and to us.  We even managed to end on time and feel the spirit.  I truly feel like the Lord intervened and helped things to run smoothly!  

Saturday night I had a concert - at our own building - I picked up Nicole to bring her and the concert went well - it was really neat to sing with the youth and it was a well liked concert with decent attendance.  I really think that the spirit was there lifting our voices and carrying the message to the people there!  Now it's time for Christmas music!  yey!!

Whole Lotta Fun!

As usual life has been busy.  We had a fun and busy day on Monday just doing the normal laundry, groceries, and school.  

Tuesday we had a fun morning of preschool, followed by a wonderful evening with the Sister missionaries and Dwayne and Nicole and family.  

Wednesday was a fun morning at the library where we got to run into lots of friends and have a great time singing and listening to stories.  Then we had some friends come over to play with us - and best of all - she was totally sweet and let me leave James napping while I went to pick up kids from school!  :)  And of course, choir in the evening - always fun, but a little crazy to think we have another concert in a week. 

Thursday was totally nutso.  We had a preschool field trip in the morning - we went to Nick's Garden Center, where they do a fun little fall festival each year - the kids had fun running around the maze, playing the games and checking out every single pumpkin.  Yes - I'm a bad mommy - James was shoe-less.... 

 The kids all had a blast though and didn't want to leave.

Thursday after school we had piano lessons, then i dropped off James and Evie and took the older 3 to Skate City - once again - bad mommy didn't take pictures - I was kinda annoyed with Eileen's whining and didn't get around to it. 

Friday, the kids all had school off.  Dan stayed home with them in the morning so I could drive my friend to some doctor's appointments that she wouldn't be able to drive to and from.  It was a nice relaxing morning for me - mostly sitting in a doctor's office and working on some projects.  It always feels good to be able to help out a friend - and I didn't have 5 kids demanding and yelling and going nuts!  In the afternoon, I took the older 4 kids to the zoo - I had promised them a trip on their day off, so we went and had a great time - the weather was just cool enough to keep the zoo mostly empty so we had a great time exploring and seeing our favorite animals.  Eileen was excited because she had read about a baby snow leopard that they had at the zoo in the zoo magazine we get as members - so we headed on over to see the cute little guy!   Then Friday night, we watched Dwayne and Nicole's kids while they went out to dinner and had their pre-baptism interviews!  

Saturday was WONDERFUL!  It was such an amazing experience to be there for their baptism.  They are such amazing people and it's just wonderful to see them so happy and so excited!  I was playing piano and had the wonderful opportunity to see their faces as they sat listening to the talk after their baptism and it was awesome to see the joy there!

Today, we went to the Peoria ward this morning to see their confirmation - Dan stayed to see Dwayne ordained a priest and I took the kids home for food and a nap for James before going back for our ward and our primary program practice!

Fall!

Fall kinda hit us hard this week with a first snow - not much and it didn't last the day - but it's been cool fall weather ever since - instead of the hot summer-y days.  Preschool this week has been at our house and it's been a blast - we have had fun counting and sorting, making dinosaurs out of our letter D's and of course, reading stories, singing songs and playing.  During our play time break - one of the kids ran in and told me that they had found a "Leaf Monster" I went outside to find this katydid - hard to tell for sure from the picture - but it was nearly 2 inches long - we talked about it - used a piece of paper to move him to a tree and the kids thought it was a grand adventure.  This group of kids is really a great little group and the schedule works so well that instead of dreading the weeks teaching, I'm actually looking forward to another week here.  

Aunt Tina stopped by with this fun little play computer - Evie looked so cute sitting there with her little 'laptop' and trying to be like daddy.

Tuesday we had Dwayne and Nicole and the Sister Missionaries and Bishop Doxy over for another lesson - I am so excited to be part of this - so excited to watch this process and mostly so amazed at Dwayne and Nicole and what amazing people they are.  Every time we meed with them for these discussions, I am just amazed at their understanding and faith and strength.

Wednesday was our normal insanity - we went to the library with Nicole and kiddos - we had meant to get stuff planned for their baptism - but between me chasing James and her chasing Tayanna - we hardly got to see each other!  It was fun to also run into Cindy and Niki there.  Wednesday evening was choir and my first official trial as the soprano section leader - we had a sectional - and it felt like it went well - it felt like we were efficient and got a lot done and that there were good feelings all around - hopefully I'm not imagining things - but I'm feeling more capable and able to do this.

Thursday was also insane - preschool in the morning and piano lessons in the afternoon - and traffic was so bad that it was almost 7 PM before we got home - where Dan, and the poor Sister Missionaries whom we had kept waiting, were out on the front porch waiting for us to get home to eat the yummy chicken pot pie Dan had made.

Friday was WONDERFUL!!!!  We didn't have anything to do in the morning - the kids had very little to do after school - the kids (and mommy) were able to relax a bit - get some stuff done around the house - and enjoy a day together with out worrying about being places on time.  Life has been rather busy lately and it's made me truly appreciate a day or two off!

It has also made me more excited for General Conference weekend - it was so nice to take a break for 2 days and put almost everything aside and just listen and absorb the spirit.  Even James enjoyed sitting down (with all of Eileen's stuffed animals in his lap) and watching some conference!

Dan's great-uncle Jack passed away and Saturday evening we went to the viewing and a family get together for dinner after.  The kids didn't quite get what was going on.  Aaron went in with me and asked "Why is that in there?"  I don't think he even realized that it was a real body and that it was the purpose of being there to see him and make our farewells.  Once we explained it to Evie and Aaron, the hard part was getting them to not walk around telling everyone that there was a dead guy in there....  It was nice to get together with Dan's family and be with them.  Dan also went to the service today - but we didn't want to subject them to a very cranky 20 month old, so I stayed home with the kids.