Five for Friday--Halloween Edition

{Ann, Me & Betsy}

1. I reconnected with a good friend from high school this week; Ann is still good friends with Betsy, and talked to her last weekend after I left. She's been reading my blog (I'm not sure for how long) and decided to email me. It has been fun catching up with her through emails back and forth all week, plus she started her own blog! Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging Ann!

2. My mom, Lori and I went to Whitney's basketball game the other night (she's the only girl on the team) and experienced a most uncomfortable hour of bleacher sitting. Seriously, I'm going to need a tush-cush or something because it was grim.


It was nice having Lori and my mom there though to chat with, otherwise that would have been an even longer hour. Randy is helping coach her team (basketball is NOT my sport).


3. I'm loving the fall weather, even though it's not nearly as beautiful as the fall I experienced in Michigan last week, and have been trying to soak it up. I love seeing all the pumpkins on porches, the leaves falling from the trees, and the Halloween decorations around town.


Our pumpkins are not aging well. They've been carved for 11 days and are looking all kinds of scary because of the rot going on inside them...ew!


4. Last night was our last flag-football game of the season. Landon made a touchdown and we ended up with a 19-19 tie! We're both sad that football is over because we love it so much. The season was only 8 games long and I missed 2 of them while I was in Michigan so it went way too fast for me.


5. Landon and Whitney are both dressed like pirates for Halloween. I don't know how they decided on being the same thing (they never coordinate costumes) but it sure made things easy for us. Randy worked his magic this morning with pirate make-up, bandanna tying and belt placement; the kids were psyched! (Notice the pictures Whitney drew with the mustard on her bread.)

{Whitney's lunch sack}

I am in charge of Whitney's Halloween party at school this afternoon, then we're off to my Grandma Dot's house, then to Adam and Amy's house for trick-or-treating. Tomorrow we've got a basketball game and Whitney's baptism...it's a big weekend.

**How are your pumpkins holding up?
Do you suffer from bleacher butt?
What costumes are happening at your house?**

Creative Friday--Wednesday Edition

Michelle and I got together for "Creative Friday" yesterday because we missed last Friday since I was in Michigan and will be missing this Friday because of Halloween responsibilities (class party for me). I'm glad we were able to fit a day in because we both needed it!


Kristi had recently sent a package to Michelle's house for us to open on Creative Friday (how thoughtful is that?!).


Inside the package was a note and two sets of Making Memories Halloween stamps. The stamp set also included orange and black ink pads and an alphabet stamp set! That's a whole lot of goodness, plus she got a set for each of us. Thanks Kristi!!!


Michelle made us Hearty Fall Baked Potatoes for lunch, and man oh man were they good!


I cut out 6 sets of good mail labels (notice my hot pad elbow cushion) and wrote several cards. It was highly satisfying and productive.


When Michelle finally got to sit down (she was making lunch for us and for Eva and designing an email ad for her mom's store) she worked on gratitude journals for a couple of her new Young Women at church.


Eva wanted to join us for our self-portrait attempts, she had her face painted from a Halloween party the night before, how festive.

**Have you had Hearty Fall Potatoes recently?
Did you notice Michelle and I had
the same kind of shirt on?
Have you done anything creative this week?**

SPT--100 List Item #21

#21 I wish I could teleport so that I
wouldn’t have to actually travel.

It's so very appropriate that last week's SPT assignment is late because I was traveling! What are the odds of that? I rarely go anywhere. Sheesh.

I pretty much loathe traveling, but really want to experience new places...does anyone see a problem with this? I thought I'd conquered my traveling woes last year when I tackled my first International flight and made it to Paris without incident, but after last week's flights home from Michigan I think I may be back to square one.


This frightening self-portrait was taken especially for this SPT and involved me remaining on the plane until all the other passengers had left and then hurrying to snap the picture while 3 flight attendants wondered if something was wrong with me or not. It was slightly embarrassing and not at all what I had in mind, but is successful nonetheless. It shows that this is what I looked like after getting on a 5:09pm flight in Michigan and going back in time to Utah. I look greasy, tired, old and not at all well rested.


So teleportation is my dream. How glorious would it be to snap my fingers and be zapped from one place to another? Maybe watching Bewitched during my youth did me in.

**Does flying suck the life out of you too?
Do you dream of teleportation?
Did you love Bewitched?**

Speaking of Books

While writing my SPT post yesterday I realized that I haven't been posting about the books I've read this year. This is largely due to the fact that I haven't been marking quotes in all the books I read, so I end up not feeling as compelled to post about them. But today I must post, because I FINALLY finished reading Dracula!


I started reading it on September 22nd (I know this because that's the date I marked it in GoodReads) and I just finished it on Monday (October 27th)! Good heavens, I hate it when it takes me that long to read something. I don't even have a good excuse for why it took so long. I liked the book and found myself wanting to read each night, but it was a deceptively long, dense 400 pages.

I'm glad to have finally read it (it's been on my shelf for like 7 years) and am happy to have another classic to add to the list of books I've read (I'm now at 43 of the 100 on the list).

The thing that fascinated me the most about Dracula was that the description of the count is so different from the one portrayed in Pop Culture.

"Within, stood a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of color about him anywhere." page 16 "His face was a strong--a very strong--aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils; with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere. His eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the nose, and with busy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion. The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth; these protruded over the lips, whose remarkable ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years. For the rest, his ears were pale, and at the tops extremely pointed; the chin was broad and strong, and the cheeks firm though thin. The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor." page 18

Interesting no? White hair and a long mustache?!

Not quite!!

I also thought it was interesting that he had to be invited in (or enter his house freely), but that once you'd invited him in he could come and go freely (spooky).

"Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own will! He made no motion of stepping to meet me, but stood like a statue, as though his gesture of welcome had fixed him into stone. The instant, however, that I had stepped over the threshold, he moved impulsively forward, and holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, and effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed as cold as ice--more like the hand of a dead than a living man." page 16

Of course, this description made me think of Satan and the hold he can have on our lives if we let him in.

I just starting reading Three Cups of Tea for book club and need to get and read Esperanza Rising for our ward book club, both of these meet within a day of each other! I haven't decided which classic to read next.

**Have you read this book?
Do you get frustrated when a book is deceptively long?
What are you reading now?**

SPT--100 List Item #28

#28 I don’t remember most of what I read.

I mention this little tidbit about me pretty much every time I write about a book I've read. If I don't write about a book immediately then I end up forgetting most of it and it gets assimilated into my brain where only the gist of it remains.

I tend to remember whether I've read a book or not and whether I loved it, hated it or liked it. I usually only remember lots of details if I loved the book or if I've read it multiple times (which only happens when I reread books as a refresher for a book club discussion).


It's very frustrating to spend so much time reading, only to lose much of what I read, but it's still worth it because some of the new insights, quotes and ideas DO actually stick with me, I just try not to dwell on all the stuff that doesn't.

**Do you remember what you read?
What keeps you reading?**

It Was Like A Dream

I am back from my glorious trip to Michigan and am already feeling like it was a dream. I spent last Saturday doing laundry and getting my house in order for my trip and I spent this past Saturday doing laundry and getting my house in order from my trip.


I am overwhelmed by the thought of writing about my trip right now, but will say that it was absolutely wonderful. I got to meet and snuggle with Betsy's 5 month old baby Emmit, play with her 3 year old son Owen, laugh my guts out with her brothers Tim and Dave, got to enjoy her mother Faye and got to spend all kinds of time with Betsy.


I loved being able to see her beautiful new house and the way her sweet family lives.


Her husband Greg was so good to me and had gone shopping before my arrival to stock up on things they know I like (Vanilla Soy Milk, Fresca, Chips & Dip, Ice Cream, and Cereal). He even made us tasty grilled cheese sandwiches one night and fabulous tacos another night...now that's hospitality.


I had a guest suite all to myself in their nice, basement complete with a large bathroom just for my use.


Each night I would prep for bed and then read (with my headlight of course) in my cozy bed. Betsy even put a small fan in the room because she knows I sleep with a fan on (for white noise) at home. It was a deluxe set up and allowed me to enjoy reading late into the night before drifting off into glorious sleep. I slept really well there and even slept until 10:00 (which was 8:00 my time) one morning! Poor Betsy had to wrangle Owen for hours because he wanted to run downstairs to get me so we could play.


Another great thing about this trip was the absolutely, stunningly gorgeous fall beauty we were surrounded by. I kept saying "This is an enchanted land!" I guess I didn't pay much attention to the foliage when I lived there or perhaps because I'm contrasting it with the desert terrain of Utah, but I could not stop taking pictures or exclaiming how beautiful it was. It was raining on the day I arrived and on the day I left and it was still stunning.


I was snapping pictures through the car window in-between the wiper blades descent! What a blessing to have been able to visit during the fall!


The 5 days just flew by, especially since Betsy and I both thought Wednesday was Tuesday. I'm not sure how we did that, but it really felt like we lost a day in there. Even though the time went quickly it was enough time to totally catch-up on each others' lives and to recommit to staying in touch so that we don't let huge gaps of time pass without talking to each other.

Here are some highlights from the trip...


--Rainy fall weather
--Feeling totally comfortable and welcome


--Eating at Rose's in their 3 season porch


--Going to Meijer Gardens with Bets, Faye and the kids


--Emmit smiling and laughing like crazy while I held him
--Owen streaking through the house regularly


--Eating at Arnies
--The crazy words they use (Boat Anchor, Zactly, Gark, Ginched) and me trying to understand them


--Almost peeing my pants while Tim told tales of the squirrels in his attic


--Chocolate Torte to go


--Talking with David for a couple hours


--More fall leaves, do these colors even exist in Utah?


--Eating at Real Food Cafe
--Reminiscing about people and events from high school


--3 year old Owen's photo-taking skills (for real!)


--Lots of crushed ice from Betsy's fridge


--Owen saying "I'm glad you're here Jill" and "I love you Jill!"
--Watching Sex Change Hospital with Greg and Betsy and being complete dumb struck


--Trying to scan photos at Faye's house
--Feeling grateful in the moment


--Betsy's limitless generosity (she didn't let me pay for anything!)
--Taking 691 photos and still having room on my memory card


--The Welcome Home card waiting for me when I got home

**Have you been to Grand Rapids, Michigan?
Can you believe how beautiful it is?
Do you have friends that make you laugh till it hurts?**

Sunday Thoughts

We heard a really good talk about prayer today in Sacrament Meeting, and it proved to be most helpful to me since I've been thinking about the way I pray, and because I had a good conversation with a friend about prayer recently so it's been on my mind.

Prayer is so personal, comforting, healing and intimate, yet can feel a bit one sided if we just go through the motions of it rather than really pouring our hearts out to our Heavenly Father. He knows what we're struggling with and already knows what we need, but it is important for us to articulate our thoughts and to have faith that He will answer our prayers.


Here are some of my notes from today...

1. Be conscious of who you are praying to.
2. Pray even if you don't feel like praying.
3. It's a sign of humility to kneel when you pray, but don't pass up on the opportunities to pray elsewhere when needed. (I do this ALL the time!)
4. Pray for the Lord's will to be done, but don't be discouraged if the Lord's will in your life is different than in others' lives. The Lord knows who we are becoming and is guiding our way. (I'm finally grasping this!)

--Understand that He is your best friend.
-- Ask for help to understand the scriptures.
--Express your love to the Lord, don't rush your thoughts.

**Do you feel like your prayers are heard?
Where is the strangest place you've ever prayed?
Do you have a hard time accepting the Lord's will?**

Happy Birthday Barb!!!

In other Sunday news, our primary just started a weekly Articles of Faith Challenge. We're focusing on #13 through November and each week have a challenge between a primary child (they can have their class help them if necessary) and a teacher or leader, so we've been practicing at home. Landon and I have it memorized and I recorded him saying it today after church just for fun.

The Weed Fairy

I suppose I should be careful beginning my post with such a title, especially given Big Brother's spider programs which scour the web for questionable content, but it is appropriate. You see, our front yard has a little corner near the fence which once housed a variety of beautiful wild flowers and such. This year not so much. As viewable in Exhibit A below.


Not a pretty sight. Believe me, I had every good intention to remedy the matter, but alas we all know about those paved roads.

So, the other day we return from an evening of youth sports games and swapping sets of friends back and forth to find this:


Some very industrious, generous (and I'm guessing now very achy) soul--who in my book should at this point be sainted--removed all the weeds, dead flowers, sage brush, and small animal carcasses (just kidding, I hope). Unbelievable. Whoever you are, where ever you are, I hope good fortune comes to your abode for a long, long visit. My knees and lower back thank you profusely!

For those of you who have not yet caught on, this is the OIB--Original Interim Blogger. Filling in on this one post while Jill is frolicking in autumny goodness in Michigan.

Things have been going well. Luckily my schedule has been flexible this week and some nice people have pitched in shuttling the kids around, etc. Here's a brief run down of the events thus far:

Monday I picked the kids up from a sleepover at the cousins, which turned in to impromptu pumpkin carving. Then home and straight to bed.

Tuesday was Whitney's first basketball game, then pizza and A Series of Unfortunate Events. I hope whoever Art Directed that film got a big fat raise--it is so visually rich.

Wednesday was Landon's football game (which they won by one point--Landon's extra point conversion!), playtime with friends, then bed.

Tonight he had another game. He has 8 games in 4 weeks. Kind of rushed, but otherwise it gets too dang cold. They tied 26-26. Afterward, we went to dinner at Rib City Grill. It's a tasty little joint here in the Fork in a strip mall. The weird thing is that the owner is the sister of actor Vincent D'Onofrio. He's the lead on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Is it me, or does this seem odd? Anyway, the food is yummy. Now we're home and I an writing this post.

So that's about it. Jill returns late tomorrow night. No doubt she'll have wonderful tales, insightful epiphanies, and beautiful photos to share. Until next time, adieu.

I'm Outta Here

Wasn't it just last month that I lamented the fact that I hadn't been on a vacation this year? Lucky for me, Betsy decided to fly me out to Michigan to see her. She's always been ridiculously generous with me (I love that about her), but this trip came as a surprise.


We last saw each other when I went out to visit her 3 years ago and got to meet her son Owen for the first time. This time I get to meet his 5 month old brother Emmit. I also get to see her new house, visit with her mom and brothers, and go back to my home town (which I haven't lived in since 1989).


Betsy and I have been friends since we were 14 years old; we were inseparable all through high school. Oh how I wish I had detailed journals from back then! We spent almost all of our time together, and used to laugh and laugh. We also watched thirtysomething, baked cookies, studied, went shopping, worked at TCBY together, cheerleaded, ran track, had constant sleepovers, and used a lot of hairspray. Good times!


Nobody makes me laugh quite the way she does, and it's really amazing that we have lived away from each other for almost 20 years but are still close friends. It's such a blessing to be close to someone who knew me when I was young, cute, optimistic and thin!

{Kelly, Ann, Me & Betsy}

I'll be in Michigan until Friday night, so hopefully Randy will choose to be the interim blogger and post in my absence.