October 2016...No clever title, just so close to the end of 2016.

 Clark and the older girls had the opportunity to go down to North Carolina to help with some hurricane clean up.  Our current stake extends down to Elizabeth City and Nags Head.  It was a great experience for them, and messy work.

Fall isn't really fall without a trip or two to a pumpkin patch.  We played in the huge tire swing, played corn hole on the lawn and shelled out the money to take our turn in these huge inflatables - so worth it.  I don't know if I have ever laughed so hard.  You can see just on the very edge of that picture that Hazel is all the way upside down and totally stuck.  In the archives now we have a slow mo video of what happens when Haley and I go head to head in a game of belly bombers....I believe I sent her flying backwards, literally heels over her head.  Rock on.


Last year I read a book that strengthened my testimony and made a huge impact on me, written by Katherine and Jay Wolf called Hope Heals.  They share the tragic even that happened several years ago when as a brand new mother she suffered a stem stroke that should've killed her but miraculously, didn't.   She opens up about her journey of faith and points out the physical and spiritually healing power of hope.  When I saw that she and her husband were coming to Virginia Beach I immediately signed up to go hear them.  I'm glad I was able to take Abby along for an inspirational evening followed by a lovely little walk on the boardwalk.

Ah Halloween, my least favorite holiday.  I'm just being honest.  I love the costumes.  I love making costumes and being creative and getting dressed up.  I hate trick or treating, walking door to door in the dark and asking strangers for candy.  It is messed up if you ask me.  I'm also not into the spooky, scary, gore that it can sometimes be.  Give me cute stripey witch stockings and pumpkins.  I will certainly not turn up my nose at a cute Halloween party or a bucket full of candy but all the other stuff, you can have.  Bring on the real fall, I say.

 And this....just stop, freeze, don't move.  Even now, sitting here typing this in October of 2017, this is gone.  He will still sit in the chair with us and cuddle before bed but gone are the days forever, of my own babies falling asleep in my arms.  That sweet face.  I could stare at it for eternity.

For Family Home Evening one night we sneaked away to the boardwalk in Virginia Beach.  Tourists are gone and the weather is cooler.  It was a perfect night to try our legs at a surrey-next time, maybe two surreys.  Holy cow that was a lot of people on one bike.  I'm surprised Clark and I could walk the next day.

And more of this.  I am so grateful for brothers.  I am grateful for a vision fulfilled, ten years after I saw it.  Jonah is the sweetest to Ezra.  Ezra adores Jonah.  I'm sure the fun, rough and tumble play will intensify with age and size but for now I love watching them play and I am so grateful that they have each other.

One of the things that I love, further, about where we live, is the proximity to the high school.  I can see the stadium lights from the front porch and we can hear the marching band through the windows.  It's fun to walk to a football game either as a family or just Haley and Abby.  And even though they totally complain about walking home, I know they secretly love the character building experience (enter eye rolling emoji right here.)