October 2015

General Conference
The month of October started out with one of my favorite things--General Conference!  Twice a year we have "church at home" and watch our prophet, the apostles, and other church leaders speak from the conference center in Salt Lake City as it is broadcast all over the world.  It is always uplifting and inspiring.  One of my favorite talks was called "My Heart Pondereth Them Continually" by Devin G. Durrant.  He invited us to choose one scripture each week to "ponderize."  Here is an excerpt from his talk:

"The word ponderize is not found in the dictionary, but it has found a place in my heart. So what does it mean to ponderize? I like to say it’s a combination of 80 percent extended pondering and 20 percent memorization. 

There are two simple steps: First, choose a verse of scripture each week and place it where you will see it every day.  Second, read or think of the verse several times each day and ponder the meaning of its words and key phrases throughout the week.

Imagine the uplifting results of doing this weekly for six months, a year, 10 years, or more.  As you make this effort, you will feel an increase in spirituality. You will also be able to teach and lift those you love in more meaningful ways."

When I heard this suggestion, I thought, this is something I can do!  Well...I have not done it faithfully each week as I had planned. Consistently sticking with things is a real struggle for me!  Writing about it here has renewed my commitment and my new plan is to post my weekly scripture here to help me stay accountable.

My Birthday

Yes, this year I turned 40!  Wow.  Hard to believe.  Nothing I can do about it, so I might as well embrace it.  It means I have lived 40 wonderful years!  My birthday week was lovely.  Jason was going to take me on a trip somewhere to celebrate (I love to travel), but we couldn't work out babysitting for the kids and I was also busy getting ready for a craft fair.  Instead, he took the kids away for a day so I could stamp, stamp, stamp without interruption.  Awesome gift! :)  I was spoiled in many other ways that week.  Archer brought be flowers. I didn't cook, either Jason or the kids did most of the cooking.  I was given plenty of foot rubs, and the family watched Anne of Green Gables, which I love, for my birthday movie.  My mother-in-law had us over for a yummy dinner.  It was a great week.

Skyline Drive
I mentioned that Jason took the kids on an outing for my birthday so I could stamp in a quiet house without interruption.  Here are a few photos from their trip to Skyline Drive.  Maybe Kayla didn't go with them?  She didn't make the photos.

Craft Fair

I was asked to sell some things at a craft fair and it brought on a case of severe stamp addiction!  I used to do paper crafting and rubber stamping quite a bit when my oldest children were toddlers.  I stopped several years ago as more children came along and I got busy with other things.  But I'm back now and loving it as much as ever.  I'm still very busy with other things--which is good so that I don't spend all of my time stamping--but I'm really enjoying my crafty release time.  Just trying to figure how when to do it besides the middle of the night, which leads me to sleep deprivation!

Visit from the Stoddards

Our good friends, the Stoddard family, came to visit from California.  We lived in the same ward when Hunter was born and stayed friends until they moved (I think when Kayla was five).  Anyway, they came to visit Virginia with their seven kids and we were lucky enough to have them stay one night with us.  We had a great time visiting with them and only wished they could have stayed longer!

Halloween

The kids had fun dressing up and trick-or-treating in Oma's neighborhood.  Yes, I know Kayla and Hunter are too old to trick-or-treat, but they did it anyway because they were "taking their younger siblings around."  Nice excuse! :)

Archer as Harry Potter

Tanner, the Penguin, looking like an angry bird here!

Hunter as Rock Lee from the anime show "Narito"

It was a happy October.  As I am now writing this post in December, it is apparent that I am not doing so well at my monthly post goal.  Good thing the new year is coming up and I can apply myself with renewed force to all my goals! :)