Hallelujah Party

At the Grove Civic Center, there was a Hallelujah Party. Being in the Bible Belt you get a lot of parties like this: turning every holiday into something church centered. I love it! It is a little humorous to me though, considering it is Halloween!

So I got some of us from the branch together to meet at this party. The Civic Center is an old Wal-Mart so it is huge inside. Area businesses donate candy and prizes to this event to keep kids safe from being outside in the dark and most importantly, as before mentioned, to have another reason to bring God into something. When we walked in, there were many booths and people everywhere which made it hard to locate all my crazy Mormon friends. Thank goodness for cell phones! I took this picture right away because Amanda, Steve, and Logan (with the Bishop family) were only there for a few minutes since Logan was getting upset. I think it was too loud in there for him. This picture of Amanda makes me hurt! Doesn't she look uncomfortable?! Amanda has done so well this pregnancy and hasn't gained weight. She has looked so good. But these past few weeks her blood pressure has been up and you can really start to see it in her face and ankles.

I liked this picture because it was one of the few games that Hyrum was actually able to hit the target on.....only he hit the target on the way back, after passing it!

These two are my favorites! Hyrum (a.k.a Brobey from Yo Gabba Gabba) tried so hard on all the games but didn't even come close to any of them because of how little and short he is!

The Wilson and Bass families meet us there also. I wish I could have gotten this part of the night on video. If you could have only seen Preston (Bakugan) when he saw Max (Waldo) for the first time tonight in his costume. If he hadn't been in Tricia's arms when they turned around to see Max, I swear that boy would have been on the ground rolling around while full belly laughing. I got the biggest kick out of it!

My 2 peas in a pod!

After the Hallelujah Party we took the boys to see Anna Gibson and then David followed us around in the van while I walked with the boys from house to house in a nice neighborhood. I have to admit that I think I enjoyed this part more than the Hallelujah Party. It was so crowded in there and the lines where long and David and I were always concerned about loosing a child. There was something so original yet fun in going house to house. It seems that as the years go by, you see more and more parties and trunk or treats and you don't see as much house to house trick or treating anymore. David felt the same way. I mentioned to him that I hope we remember this for next year. I would be just fine with only going house to house next year.

School Halloween Parties

Today was that crazy day full of parties that most Moms of young children are familiar with. From the time I woke up I felt like I was running from place to place but in amongst all the craziness I was able to meet Tricia for lunch and get some homework done.

This morning was Brigham's first grade carnival. Each of the students went from class to class to play different games and most importantly... ...get way to much candy!

After going to lunch with Tricia and visiting Uncle Steve at work (Happy 30th!) it was time for Hyrum's class party. I came early enough to see them all getting into their costumes and some of them were so cute! Watching them being so proud of their costumes was so adorable to see.

Then we had to rush over to Levi's party. I'm really grateful that the schools are so close together! Here is Hyrum just chillin' with some of Levi's class Halloween food....once again, way to much candy and junk!

And then Levi finally got some of HIS class food!

I have to admit, this year Halloween hasn't been as fun as in times past. I'm not a huge fan of Halloween because of all the dark and bloody stuff that comes out but I absolutely loved getting the boys dressed up when they were little and I still enjoy watching them get so excited about who they have picked out to be for Halloween. This year however, things have been way to busy. Sometimes I wonder just how crazy I am for letting myself get so involved with so much. When I do that, I end up missing out on the fun things like Halloween for young ones. I need to remember this the next time I sign up for something or give away my free time so easily.

Brigham's Bobcat Ceremony

Tonight was a the monthly pack meeting for the cub scouts but it was special for us because it was Brigham's first time going and it was also his Bobcat ceremony. But first Levi's wolf den was asked to do a skit. Here he is with his den doing the 12 days of Halloween. After the skit, our scout master (the man on the right) gave out awards and such. Levi was one of the few boys that got belt decor to recognize what he did this summer at camp. He seemed proud...and maybe a little embarrassed.

Then came the main event: the Bobcat ceremony. A wizard was brought in to entertain the boys. He did a really good job of tying in Halloween and the ceremony. He put "potions" into the cauldron, each representing values of the scout program such as reverence and obedience. You know, sometimes the meetings and outings can really get to be to much when you have so much going on in life but when you hear things like this, the same things that are taught in church, I can't help but be so grateful for the boys being apart of the Cub Scouts organization.

After the potions were mixed together, the boys partook!

Brigham with his den in front of their "potions."

Here is Hyrum with the wizard right before he left.

Corn Maze in the Rain

Today the church had an activity planned at the local corn maze. It rained pretty much all day but that didn't stop the die hard Halloween/Fall fans of our branch!

Here are the boys loading up with the missionaries, Elders Rodriguez and Grigg, to head off for the maze. Both of the masks they are wearing (only for the picture, though) are the boys'. Kids at heart!

Here is Brother Jones faithfully cooking in the rain. With his amazing homemade cooker, he is always in charge of cookouts!

I think our branch may be a little crazy sticking about in this rain! Poor Brother Van Ornum was there since around noon. We didn't get there until after 5:00 p.m. and left a little before 7:00 p.m. so my awe of Brother Van Ornum sticking around through all the rain, is high!

The owners of the Right Choices Corn Maze actually closed the maze down but he still let us cook on his property and even joined us. He was kind enough to take us on a tractor/hay ride anyways, though. Yes, our bums were quite wet afterwards!

Aren't they so stinkin' cute!?!

When we got home Elder Grigg spoiled Bitty with some chips on the couch. I left to run an errand and Bitty cried. He felt bad for him and this is how he got him to calm down. I was about to get on to him for eating on the couch but noticed how cute it was...how could I get on to him for this!

Fun with all my "sisters"

I am blessed to be a part of a small branch within the church. Of course, I would trade it any day for numerous people joining the church in our community but I would really miss the closeness of our little branch. I love that I can laugh and still be spiritually fed by my "sisters" in the branch. And what I think is even more unique is that age doesn't separate us. I love all of them and I really feel that they love me.

Last night was the Relief Society Service Auction. The women donated their time or goods and we all bid on them. We got "money" depending on certain things that were asked like having Family Home Evening, reading scriptures, serving others, etc... But like with most of our R.S. activities, there was a lot of laughter!

This was my favorite picture of the night. Tricia seemed to get outbid over and over and I just so happened to get one of the incidences on camera!

Here is one of the culprits!

Jolayne and I ended up taking pain medication before we left because our heads were hurting from laughing so much. I wonder how many other women had to do the same...

Jolayne with her service bucks and wearing one of her prizes.

Sister Powers rubbing it in to Rose that she is getting a room painted in her house and Rose is not!

Then, tonight was Amanda's baby shower at Sister Culling's house. I haven't known Sister Culling as long as my family has but I can't help but feel she and her husband have given special love for our family (Adams, O'Dair, Beck, etc...).

Amanda received so many gifts tonight that she had to have felt extremely blessed.

And just because we were at a baby shower didn't mean that there was a calm about. The games were loud and the food was great!

I seriously really love the women in our branch. I feel that they would drop just about anything for me, if I needed it. I know that not everyone is blessed to have that with so many people in their lives and here I am, surrounded by it.

Funny Soccer Pictures

Last year was the boys' first year in soccer but I didn't pay for the group pictures. I thought I got good enough pictures of them actually playing. Besides, group activity pictures are expensive! Well, I was at work when they had their group pictures this year and David just figured I would want them. I am sooooooooooooooo glad that we have these pictures! I keep thinking about how cute last years pictures must have been....

Separate Night/Day Outs!

David is so good to me when it comes to letting me have my "outs." He knows that I do so much better at home when I have my own time away from our little family. I come back missing them and really feeling grateful for what I have. On Friday night, Jolayne Bass invited April and I over to her place for some girl time. It really meant a lot because her and April are very close. I know Jolayne loves me but her love for April is very strong and they just have so much fun together that it meant a lot that she would include me. Here is April getting her asthma "puffs" in before the laughter begins. I think we held it all together pretty well while we were elegantly fed by Jolayne. She is absolutely amazing....that's all I have to say!
Once those lights were back on, though, it was time to play and give ourselves headaches.

Jolayne (a.k.a Lloyd) and April (a.k.a. Harry) took rides on Jolayne's bike while playing out Dumb and Dumber. The rest of the night was eating of junk food and playing games. I feel really blessed that I have such good friends who can have clean and good fun!

On rare occasions David actually gets to go out and do things. Maybe it is because I am surrounded by boys that I need girl time so much but David doesn't seem to need his guy time as much. He is usually satisfied with going below the house (garage) and building something. But I still feel bad sometimes knowing that I am surrounded by so much family and friends while David has to put up with it all! He doesn't complain about it but I can't help but wonder....

So I was thrilled when I found out that Susan Ellis was coming to visit this Saturday. David served his mission here and one of the areas he was in was Lebenon, MO. When David and I first were married and on one of our trips back here to visit my family, we went to visit her and her family in Lebenon. This was my first time meeting her and I could tell how much they loved each other. David taught and baptized her.

Seeing this picture kind of melts my heart. Sometimes I do feel badly that he doesn't have any blood family that he grew up with around here but as I was thinking about David and Susan I started to think that she is kinda like his family. There is that special bond that they have that isn't shared with anyone else. He baptized others on his mission but it is obvious how much both of them really do love each other.

So Susan came to visit on Saturday and brought her husband, John. Along the way they picked up some of the other missionaries that had served in Lebenon. I didn't get to go with them as they all went out to eat and then bowling but it was obvious that when David got back that Susan and the gang was exactly what David needed.

Is Oklahoma the landing spot for the Antichrist?

Yesterday was my last trip to Miami to see Dr./President Roberts for the shots I have been getting in my left foot. I am happy to report that as I was driving there that I was wiggling my feet around trying to remember just which foot it was that was hurting me! Thanks to my wonderful husband, who almost nightly has been working on my feet, and remembering which foot I kept on his lap for the last few months I was able to get it right because the pain wasn't indicating anything!!!

As I travel to Miami, OK I have to go through a very small town called Fairland. It is probably one of the smallest towns you have ever seen but boy does it have some interesting people.....after all, it is where Marie comes from (love you Marie Bee!)...... Ok, so as I drive to Miami I always pass this house. I have wanted to stop, for a while, to ask the man what he is trying to tell us all. Anyone who would do this to his own house has a good chance of having some mental issues (which he later briefly talked to me about) and I was right! I made sure it was in broad daylight though!

I parked across the street and starting taking pictures while trying to figure out the messages all over his house, travel trailer, vehicles, and random props in his yard. All these times I have driven by I have assumed that it was all political but as I was reading, most of it was about God but it was so sporadic that I really couldn't figure out what the message was. After a few minutes a Mr. R. Waggoner came out of his travel trailer and asked if he could help me. I told him I was taking pictures and was curious about what he was trying to tell everyone. To my surprise he started right off with the Antichrist and how there was a landing strip nearby and that he has seen the blue and red lights in the sky with his telescope. Never mind that there is a landing strip for airplanes not to far away.....I kept that to myself however. He went on to tell me how computers and technology was to blame and that through this the Antichrist was coming as a robot type person. Maybe a normal person would have ran away right around this point but he didn't scare me at all, I think, because he seemed so knowledgeable. He went from one subject to the next but from his verbiage and experiences that he brought up I could tell he was an educated man. Of course with the Internet and everything that we can find, what that knowledge is can be misleading but still, I knew this man had researched what he believed.

Our subjects went from the Antichrist to buying ridiculously priced seeds to Obama/Bush/Clinton, divorce, voting, him working for God....you name it; there was a good chance that we covered it. As I was listening to him I realized that if he had it his way he would never stop talking about all that he believed but I actually wasn't getting irritated with wanting to leave. He just wanted to be heard and I had the time. Eventually, though, his neighbor came out and had a question. He very politely told me he was sorry for talking my ear off, shook my hand, and I left.

I had to take a picture of this chair because every time I drive by he is sitting in this chair with a paper or something with no shirt on. Today he greeted me in a bathrobe, dirty nails, rotting teeth, and no shoes. As I was driving home I thought about him and how much I like getting older. People like this man used to really scare me and the old me would have worried about how clean his hands were after shaking them. Then I went through a period where I just would have worried about him for the rest of the night. Now I just find it all fascinating trying to figure out why he is the way he is through the little bit that I know about him now. I really like thinking this way now because I feel like I'm a little more understanding of people situations now than I was before.

On this Friday...

Today was one of my days off and it came at a perfect time. I have been wanting to volunteer at the Head Start for Hyrum's class but haven't had the time. I was caught up with my class work so today was the day! I only volunteered for the lunch period but it was fun. There are certain routines that the school has the children do when they first get there and when their parents come to pick them up. Right when he saw me he yelled, "Mom!" He immediately got up and went over to the name board and moved his name over to the out spot! I love that he still loves us so much. I then had to explain to him that we were not leaving and that I was staying there with him for a while. So I got down on the floor with him and the other kids as Mrs. Dayla sang songs with them while lunch was being put on the tables. It was so fun to have those kids stare at me and try their hardest to get my attention with just about anything, ranging from their names to showing me their boo boos made by biting sharks! Then it was time to wash our hands and this is where I got to see Hyrum doing his usual: wanting to do what big boys do. He doesn't pee standing up but as I walked in the bathroom there he is with his pants barely down and his little penis sticking out. Of course he wasn't peeing, even the though the boy next to him was, he just had to be doing what the other big boy was doing. Mind you, they were doing this in the same toilet! I'm pretty sure they weren't suppose to be doing that but I won't tell!

Then we had lunch and after that a quick book. I went to go sign out and Hyrum immediately starting getting his stuff. I tried to get him to stay but we all knew he wasn't going to have that! I thought it was cute and I wanted to get him anyway, honestly, because today was the homecoming parade and I knew he would love to watch that.

But before we left I found this on the wall...sooooooooooooo cute!

Levi wasn't feeling well today so we let him stay home from school. Of course he was well enough for the parade though.....

The parade just circled around the schools and we are fortunate enough to live right by the schools. We sat next to these 2010 graduates who came back to throw footballs to the high school football players. It was fun to watch the floats go by and these guys throwing the balls out and then the kids in the floats catching them and throwing them right back out. My boys got a kick out of it.

Here is Hyrum making out like a bandit! Not only did he and Levi get tons of candy from the people from the floats but the guys next to us kept giving their candy to him. I kept hearing things like, "Here you go, little buddy." One of the many perks of living in a small town!

Then tonight was our monthly Relief Society dinner out and scrapbooking. It is Spring's birthday tomorrow so Sister Roberts' brought the party favors!

I think Amanda might think she is a unicorn!

It is always so good to get out and be with these women. I didn't get to go scrapbooking with them though......I sprained my right shoulder/arm yesterday morning and so I am suppose to be really babying it. I'm right handed so it really limits me a lot. The doctor gave me a steroid shot but told me that this could take longer to heal than if I would have actually broke it. This is because people don't "baby" their injuries enough and keep re-injuring themselves. If I was in a cast, I couldn't do that. Today Amanda Bishop told me (her husband is a physical therapist) that her husband hears often from patients that they would have rather broken what ever injury they had rather than have sprained it. I'm so glad she told me that today because I was feeling like such a wimp.

And how? do you ask me, did I get this sprain? I fell out of bed.....yep, you read that right!