Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving this year. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I have no pictures to share with you. (except for this one, which I found on-line)

Welcome to Lake Isabella, Ca!!

Spencer has a couple uncles and Grandparents here. Isn't it beautiful? Well, it is to us! A little desert-y, yes, but lovely.


Here's why we had a great time:
1. There were ample kid-cousins and extended family to keep my children extremely happy and entertained--so consequently, mom was content.
2. The weather was perfect. The children played outside a lot of the time.
3. I shot a gun for the first time in my life! Actually, I shot three guns. A .22, an SKS, and a 12-gauge shotgun. I didn't mind shooting the .22 and SKS, but the shotgun--ouch!
4. Lots of new in-laws for me to get to know. I feel blessed to be married into such a wonderful family.
5. The yummiest food. My favorites this year were the sweet potato balls and the cinnamon twists.
6. While we were there, we found a home on-line that we are very interested in. Only time will tell us what will become of it....


I hope your Thanksgiving was a jolly-good one as well.

2 things

Thing #1:

I have started a journal online. It's fast , convenient, private, and easy--although my handwriting may "go the way of all the earth". Perhaps you'd like to start your own journal.

Here's that site.

Thing #2:

If you want to take some inexpensive JCPenney portraits,

I've got the coupons to hook you up.

click here.

Twilight Movie

Loved it!

I thought most of the characters were well cast--loved Edward and Bella.

I loved the humor element in the movie.

I loved that they followed the storyline so well.

Go see it!

(Oh, and a special thanks to my mom for taking me, because I don't do movie theatres. I just wait for it to come to the Red Box. We're pretty cheap!)

Sunbeam Funnies

My sunbeams are always saying and doing the silliest things. Here are today's funnies:



1. Alyssa said the opening prayer. She prayed that the lesson would go by quickly, so that we could then play games and have fun.

2. I was teaching about Christ on the fishing boat in the Sea of Galilee when the storm came and he calmed the water--you know the one. When I mentioned "boat" and "storm", one of my little ones chimed in, "Oh, that's what happened in 'Ariel', too!!"




3. I showed the children a picture of the Christus--the one on Temple Square. "Who is this?" I asked them. One child exclaimed, "Liberty!". No it's not the Statue of Liberty, but good guess. Any other guesses?...

4. Chaye was trying very hard to write her name. She couldn't get it just right--she wrote down an A and a Y and an E. Another child in the class wanted to be helpful so she wrote down a few more letters on Chaye's paper--another A and an H.

This made Chaye very upset. She said, "I already had an A. My name doesn't have two A's.!Now it spells DUMB!"

I love teaching Sunbeams! They sure know how to entertain me.

One Month and Counting

We are renting our home. Our landlords informed us a few months ago that they were about to foreclose on the home that we are living in. They told us that we could continue to live in this home until it was sold at auction. Rent free! Sweet!

Well, our home was sold at auction this month and someone knocked on my door today and told me I had one month to GET OUT! So here we go! On the rent look-out! If you see anything, please let us know!!!

Wish us luck moving soon!

Don't know if I'll be bloggin' tons 'til I'm in a new home...

I'll try.

One word

Where is your cell phone? purse
Where is your significant other? Scouts
Your hair color? burnett
Your mother? Red (from the color code)
Your father? funny
Your favorite thing? gospel
Your dream last night? bizarre
Your dream/goal? togetherness
The room your in? kitchen
Your hobby? outdoors
Your fear? pain
Where do you want to be in 6 years? family
What your not? organized
One of your wish-list items? piano
Where you grew up? Turlock
The last thing you ate? casadilla
What are you wearing? sweater
Your TV? resting
Your pet? chihuahuas
Your computer? Gateway
Your mood? satisfied
Missing someone? siblings
Your car? dirty
Something your not wearing? earrings
Favorite store? Costco
Your summer? perfect
Love someone? truly
Favorite color? blue
When was the last time you laughed? recently
Last time you cried? weeks

Feel free to complete the above questions with one word answers.

happy late halloween

Ward Halloween Party (Maren won the-best-costume-under-2-years-old prize!)

Maren is Tink

Spence is a River-Rafter (LAME-O because that is really what he is. I tried to tell him...)

McKay is Thomas

Can you tell what I am?

(The box was a lot tighter than I had expected, but it was the only square box I could find!)

Taylor is a fairy

Didn't like the hood

Taylor put this costume together all by herself.

This is Halloween Night. McKay stole my costume! (Much cuter on him anyway)

Doing the jack-o-thing with Dad






Library Halloween Party



I have never put chocolate chips on sugar cookies before, but they were really good.
I was pleasantly surprised!

Taylor's Pumpkin Patch field trip

Maren found one she liked.

What fun times!

And Spencer and I have lots of chocolate to eat now.

Isn't it horrible?

We steal from our children!

But does Maren really need all that candy anyway?....

miss blue eyes

Can you tell it's my favorite?

Don't you think this pic should win some type of cutest-baby-picture-front-of-the-magazine-prize or something?

I do.

Go Nanni DeLane!

7 things I am thankful for

Here's my November Thanksgiving/Gratitude List

1. I have to say that I'm so thankful that Proposition 8 passed. That's a relief. I had a few weeks of anxiety over the whole issue. The battle is won (but not the war....yet).

2. I'm grateful to be alive at this exact time. For even though I know rough times are coming, I also know that there is hope. I know that as we follow the prophet's counsel, we will be protected. I can still look around and see that I'm blessed beyond measure. I'm grateful to witness temples dotting the earth, and the gospel rolling forth to all nations.

3. I'm grateful for prayer. We can talk to our Heavenly Father; anytime, anywhere. He hears me! That is amazing. As I have used this most powerful and effective tool, I have tasted the sweet blessings pouring in. Our prayers are always answered.

4. I'm grateful for my husband. We have been happily married for almost 7 years. It seems that each year gets better. He's a great fellow and I'm glad I chose him to be with forever.

5. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a mother. There is nothing that is more rewarding. I can clearly see that down the path of life, the thing that will bring me the most joy and happiness is to know that my children are choosing the right. So motherhood is challenging, and exhausting, and all-consuming, but it is so worth it. Motherhood blesses my life. I am rich!

6. I am thankful for blogs. How do you keep up with all your friends and family that scatter across a nation? You look at their blogs! It's wonderful! It's fantastic! I love it! Thank you for updating your blogs! Keep 'em comin'!

7. I am grateful for Costco. I love that place. Can't get enough. And unfortunately, it's hard to leave without spending at least $100. I love the size of the shopping carts--all my kids fit! I love the tasters--my children are happy, quiet, and satisfied the whole shopping experience (most of the time)! I love the Dino-chicken nuggets and the frozen raviolis and the footie pj's and the Kirkland wipes. Love it.