Happy Halloween!

Halloween night, Mommy and the two matching Sugar Plum Fairies.

Quinn was "Max" from "Where the Wild things Are". It was so awesome of my sister Kim to send me all the pieces of this costume, all I had to do was assemble. Thank You Kim, you're the best! It was great that Quinn's naturally tousled hairdo actually accentuated the costume.

Joey wanted to be a fierce Viking Warrior.... I was shaking in my boots!

Our good friend Brandy had a Birthday close to Halloween so we did cosmic bowling
and this is the cake I made her.

Let the good times roll.....

Joey had his third season of soccer. His team was "The Silverados". It was so much fun for our whole family.

This is Grandpa Stella and cousin Madison, Conference Weekend.... Yay, BYU station!

Our city of Lynnwood, built and opened a brand new High School this year. Joey's Cub Scout Troop was invited to be a part of the dedication flag ceremony. It was exciting because this is the school Joey will go to someday.

Mormon's Rock!

About two months ago our good friends the Pedersen's dropped by with a Dairy Queen cookie dough ice cream cake and I just about died laughing when I realized they had to have the Dairy Queen employee write this on the cake for us. Tom and Brandy, you are some funny people!!!

I got thinking about how we are asked to always look for Missionary opportunities, and although I can't say for sure what Tom and Brandy's motives were in that particular moment, I have always been impressed by their courage. And besides.... Mormon's DO Rock!!!!!

Recently I started watching two girls in the morning before school. They are 7 and 10, and their family is wonderful, but they aren't LDS. Our family, does scripture study every morning at breakfast. (I find if their mouths are full, they absorb a lot more.) So I wondered at first if it would be offensive, or uncomfortable for the girls, to be present for that. They eat breakfast with us. I briefly considered moving our family scripture study to another time, but then I felt kind of ashamed that I hadn't even given this great family the benefit of the doubt. We tried it out for a few days, the girls could not have been more polite, and seemingly interested. I had a conversation with their Mom, she was thrilled that they girls would be getting daily devotionals.

I have to say it's been a surprisingly uplifting experience for us having these girls in our home, at our table sharing the gospel on a daily basis. If nothing else I see the spark of good (for lack of a better word), in my kids eyes as they share their own ideas about what we've read in the scriptures, and then quickly peak to see the two girls' welcome and open faces in response.

I find more and more that the Lord is blessing us in ways we are not even realizing we should be asking for.

Our ward recently had an activity, where every man women and child was invited to come and participate at the Temple. We've taken our children to the Temple grounds several times, but they were invited into the lobby along with the rest of the Primary children at the activity.
I was taken back at how elated they were by the experience. It was so special to Joey, Audrey and even Quinn, all of them couldn't believe that they were allowed inside the doors. They each individually described feeling the Spirit that day, what could be better for a Mom and Dad to hear? I just wanted to write this down so I could help them remember that day.

(Joe took this picture.)