Halloween Welcome: Decorations, Food, and Fun!

Today has been quite the Fun Filled Day! It started this morning with a high school homecoming parade down our street. This is another fun part of living in a very small town. Last night we went to their tailgate party for the community.

After Leif and I finished our homework and my Young Women's meeting, we got to work finishing projects around the house. After nap time we all went to the HS volley ball game. They asked Leif to keep the score and I was glad to go and cheer for my YW girls on the team.

When we came out of the school it was COLD! We started bringing holiday boxes upstairs just as it started SNOWING! Snowing in Arizona? In October? That does not happen! But it did today. Only for a minute of course. Luckily we were planning a fun evening inside.

We hung all of our Halloween decorations. It's fun for me because some of the decorations are some of the ones we hung in my house growing up. So I feel like I'm carrying on a fun tradition. For dinner we started the tradition of taco salad for dinner and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for dessert on the night we decorate for Halloween. I made my own rendition of taco salad. MMM, it was GOOD! I do the normal chips, meat, cheese, etc. But I also add black beans and a special homemade southwestern sauce. Yummy! I will post all of the recipes on my Healthy Mama's blog. My pumpkin bars taste WAY too good to be good for you! As we sat and ate Leif and I talked to Jakob about the fun Halloween memories that we have of growing up. Jakob pretended he had some fun memories too.

As I was making the cookies Leif turned on a computer game with Jakob that was a Halloween themed bowling game. They had a lot of fun playing together. We had a great day and a great evening celebrating the fun that Halloween brings!

I Found Facebook!

Well, it's official, I am now a "Friend" on facebook.com. I signed up just so I could find the contact info for a lost missionary companion. I have now found half a dozen old friends. It's fun to be back in touch. But I still love blogging a WHOLE lot More! I like to hear how all of you are doing in detail.:) Maybe I'll enjoy it more down the road. But honestly, I'm already pushing my limits on how much time I spend "socializing" online.

Hurray For The Exersaucer!

We finally got Caleb's Excersaucer! I decided to just go with my instincts and spend the money for a high quality one. We got the Evenflo Triple Fun Excersaucer. I am SO Glad I Did! He really loves it as you can see from the photos. YIPPEE! Now he has a place to play that is off of the dirty crowded floor. He has already learned how to rotate around so he can play with all of the toys (the seat turns.) Great Investment!!

Are You Ready To Vote?

The day to vote for our future President of the United States is just around the corner. Leif and I sat together and endured another presidential debate last night. I hate them because I don't trust everything that is said, and I can't stand blatant contention. However, I do feel that it's important to be involved in studying out who we feel is the best potential president.

After the debate Leif and I discussed some of the "issues" of the world today that we feel are important to us in particularly, and to our future as a country.

Here are a few of the things we came up with:

Same Sex Marriage
Abortion
Stem Cell Research
Social Security
Health Care
Taxes
How involved government is in All Areas of life
Strength of the military

Personally, I feel that the moral issues we face are the most important issues that I need to face as a mother and do what I can to stand up for Truth and Right. I received a short five minute video today made by the Family Research Council This gives us a good perspective of what will happen if same sex marriage becomes legal throughout the country as it has in a few of our states. I hope you'll view the video and form your own opinion.



I just did a little research on the presidential candidates websites. They are quite interesting. They both have their faults. They both have some positives. Unfortunately, not one of them has it perfect. So, we'll have to draw up our own list of priorities, study the candidate's views on each of the issues, and then make our decision.

A Lingering Question and General Conference

I woke up to feed Caleb early Saturday morning, long before the sun came up and we sat down to watch the LDS General Conference. I was jogged awake with a simple, yet profound question floating through my sleep fogged mind... "are you living a Celestial Life or a Terrestrial Life?" I pondered it as much as I felt I could without waking myself up too much to go back to sleep.

The thought was still with me when it came time to crawl out of bed and get ready to listen to conference. I began looking at different routines in my day. We pray over breakfast in the morning. Is the prayer Celestial or Terrestrial material? I care for and communicate with the kids all day long, is it in a Celestial or Terrestrial manner? Do I even stop to have my own personal prayers? What about scripture study? Am I living a Celestial Kingdom life TODAY? That doesn't mean I'm being asked if I'm perfect, the question is asking if I am even focused on the end that I am hoping for. A very interesting question...

I enjoyed General Conference. However, Leif and I have concluded that next conference we will go to Salt Lake and sit in a conference center somewhere and participate in a true manner of worship. Sitting at home with a 4 year old is pretty much Crazy! We did manage to get him to listen to President Monson. We asked Jakob what the prophet told us and he said, "to hug me." That is exactly what we were taught, to STOP and enjoy the moment. That seemed to be a theme, enjoy the moment and find peace in Christ through hard times.

I have a lot to work on. But I'm grateful that our leaders aren't preaching Hell Fire and Damnation. Instead, they teach hope and peace. This is Christ!

Teaching Jakob Repentance

Leif and I take the responsibility of being parents very seriously. Sometimes we're a bit too serious and we expect a lot from Jakob (Caleb will be in the same boat soon.) We re-evaluate often and try to make the right adjustments.

Recently, Jakob has become a lot more aware of what is right and wrong. He'll often correct Leif and I if we say a "strong" word (as we put it.) He'll point out whether his friends chose the right, and he is aware of his mistakes most of the time. Yesterday Jakob told a blatant lie. We have had to deal with him sneaking out of the house or away from the yard to go into his grandparents house. He knows that he has to ask First, Wait for an answer, and then Respect the answer. Last night he went into the grandparents house where Leif was studying. Leif asked him if he asked me, and Jakob told him that he did and I said yes. This was completely false.

When I came down to find Jakob, we were faced with a dilemma. How do you teach a 4 year old that he lied and lying is completely unacceptable. The first thing Leif and I came up with was to take away the privilege of watching his favorite show with us that evening. But something just wasn't sitting well with me and that consequence. A little while later, the answer came to me. We needed to teach him about repentance and HOW to repent.

Jakob came back up to our house after I had left and said that he wanted to ask me if he could go over to Grandmas house (he recognized that he really didn't like the consequence in store for him.) I sat Jakob on my lap and we talked. We talked about the fact that he didn't choose the right. I often teach Jakob a lesson and have him repeat it to me after it's been taught. The first lesson taught was, "Make the right choice The First Time!" Once that lesson was established, I talked to him about who his wrong choice hurt (himself, Papa, Mama, and Heavenly Father) and then who he needed to fix things with (Papa, Mama, and Heavenly Father.) He told me that he was sorry and he eventually told Leif that he was sorry. But he was confused on how in the world he could tell Heavenly Father he was sorry. He talked about the fact that he couldn't see Heavenly Father and he couldn't hear Heavenly Father. Basically, it was all completely abstract.

So I started from the beginning and as basic as I could get. I explained to Jakob that we talk to Heavenly Father by praying to him. Kind of like talking on the phone except that you have to "feel" Heavenly Father's answer instead of hearing it. He was thrilled to find out that Heavenly Father knew him and He knew Jakob's name. The fact that this was a novel concept to Jakob showed me that the Spirit was teaching him. It was finally sinking in.

Then came the prayer of repentance. I started the prayer for Jakob and asked Father to help Jakob feel His love and His answers to the prayers Jakob prayed. I then told Father that Jakob had something he wanted to say to Him. Jakob then told Heavenly Father that he was sorry for telling a lie and that he wouldn't do it again.

After the prayer was over I asked Jakob if he felt Heavenly Fathers answer. He said "Yes, it was soft and warm." ... Lesson Taught!

Jakob and Caleb's Portraits

Jakob Preschool 2008

Jakob and Caleb 2008

We Have A Closet and A Sound Proof Room

Leif worked really hard this weekend! He was determined to finish our closet so we could get all of the furniture out of our living room. We worked all day yesterday (in between conference) and got a whole lot done! the biggest project was the closet. We are thrilled to have an organized space for our clothes. I'm loving these home improvements!!!











We also hung carpet up in Caleb's room. It was a messy, dusty job. But it was totally worth it! His room is like sleeping in a cave. We will be installing a bathroom fan in his ceiling to increase air circulation and maximize the sound proofing. I'm trying to get out of the habit of hushing Jakob when Caleb's asleep. Because it's no longer necessary! HOORAY!

All Day Shopping and The Events Therein

Yesterday was our monthly trip into St. George. These trips usually take some serious planning and a Huge amount of time! This trip was no different. We usually hit Costco, DI, and Wal-Mart. Yesterday we scored big at the DI!:) But I'm getting ahead of myself...

First I have to write about the funny thing Jakob said while we were out. We were at Golden Coral eating lunch and Jakob was "practicing" his ballet next to our table. He was actually doing really good and it was catching the attention of the people around us. Just as everyone was paying attention to him he did something really good (can't remember what) just as I thought to myself, "WOW! that was great!" I heard Jakob say matter of factly, "I've Got Talent!" Everyone cracked up laughing!

Yesterday could have been an absolute NIGHTMARE! But it wasn't. Both Jakob and Caleb were wonderful! I actually enjoyed having them with us. Jakob was kind and patient and Caleb was the same. This was a VERY much needed blessing!!!

We have learned that if we hit the DI first and let Jakob choose a toy (that he has earned ahead of time) this will save us for the hours of shopping we have ahead of us! Yesterday our car was full even before we got to Wal-Mart. We found a cute toddler size art desk, a high quality air purifier, baby toys, and more. All for a lot less then what they were all worth. It was great!

We spent 5 HOURS at Wal-Mart yesterday! Have you ever spent that much time at Wal-Mart? We took our car to them to get the tires fixed. But the bulk of the time was just shopping without a rush. Now our cupboards are stocked and a few more home improvement projects are underway.

All in all, it was a great day. Long, but productive. And I still liked Jakob after we got home. This was the highlight of my day!!!

The Month Of October

The month of October has always had some type of meaning for me for as long as I can remember. As a little girl my parents would decorate the whole house and the whole yard with Halloween decorations. We would often decorate our unfinished basement and hold great spook alleys for the neighborhood. My dad inherited a trunk full of old Halloween costumes and dress up clothes from his family. We would use these as well as the costumes that my mom would make or purchase throughout the years to dress up. Thanks to my mom's great costume make-up talents, our family members were always among the "Best Costumed" group of students in school on Halloween.

As we grew older my parents began a business called Hunt Mysteries and Company. My dad would write great Murder Mystery Dinner Theater plays and they would hire a cast to perform them at different locations for private and public Dinner Parties. As young kids we would often go along and help with the set up and technicalities of the shows. My brothers were working the sound equipment with my mom at a very young age. For us at this point in our life, October meant Business. We would have many many shows booked for the Halloween season and it grew as the years went on. As a family the month of October was bitter sweet. There was always a sense of accomplishment and excitement as we pulled off another great run. But it was also a source of great stress and frustration.

Halloween night however usually always turned out great! Somehow my parents were usually able to come home from the shows and we had some great times! One year my dad scared some local teenagers half to death! Throughout the month we had a stuffed dummy sitting on our front porch bench. On Halloween my dad put the Dummy costume on and as the kids would come up to get candy out of the candy bowl he would grab their hand and scare the heck out of them. It was Great! The other fun costume for my dad was his custom made pirate costume. My dad lost one of his legs to Cancer when he was twenty. So he made the perfect pirate with a peg leg. He would answer the door wearing his peg leg and the Trick-or-treaters would stare in wonder at my dad. Another great memory...

Now that I am grown and a mother, the month of October has many meanings and emotions attached to it. I love to plan what the kid's will be for Halloween as early as August.:) Although, Jakob announced that he wanted to dress up as a ghost this year. This was a surprise to me. But a ghost is a lot easier then the Pilot that I was going to dress him as. I enjoy decorating our house too. I inherited some of the decorations that my mom would use to decorate our house while I was growing up. I love the sentimental value that they portray.

It is interesting that the traditional meaning of the word Halloween is commonly known as the Day of the Dead. I don't think I would think about this much except for the fact that our daughters were born the day before Halloween 2006. They both passed away leaving the month of October filled with a small sense of irony.

We feel blessed to have the knowledge and comfort that our little girls are well and that we will see them again. If we didn't have this knowledge and conviction, I'm sure the month of October would be filled with the darkness that it could portray if a person wants to invite it into their life.
For us, the month of October is a poignant reminder of the good and bad of times past. As well as the opportunity to fill our little family up with some great memories similar to those that we both have from our life growing up.

Our World As We Know It

Is going fine. :)

I haven't blogged as much because of the craziness of life. But I knew that would be the case when I started school. I thought I'd take a minute and post an update on how the first month of school and life in general went for the month of September.

We are doing good. Scholastically, Leif and I are doing fine in school. I am focusing on the general ed classes that I'm enrolled in because they are the classes with deadlines. So far, I've been able to keep up with the classes and running the house. Leif is keeping up and enjoying his classes for the most part.

This month I have become more involved in the Young Women's program for church. I am in the YW Presidency. The life that these girls live is so completely opposite from the life that I was living when I was their age. I grew up in the city, and this is NOT the city. Tonight we talked about writing in our journals at our weekly activity. We discussed different ways to incorporate journal writing into our daily life. I was shocked to see a dozen girls ages 12-18 years old give me a blank stare when I brought up the idea of blogging. NONE of them knew what a blog was! I then asked who used the Internet on a daily basis, only a few of the girls used the Internet often and two of the families of girls didn't even have the Internet in their home. I was a bit disturbed by this. I believe with the right kind of parental supervision the Internet can be an incredible tool for good. It opens up a world of opportunity. I think we all have a lot to learn from each other!

This last month has been filled with church and community involvement. It's good to be getting out of our little bubble. Leif has made a great impression with the faculty as well as the students at the schools in town. He works with their lunch system. But he is also their Character Counts instructor. This is a program that teaches the kids about different positive character traits and how to be a person of good character. Leif is able to visit with each of the classes of the K-4th grades. He has really enjoyed the opportunity to interact and teach the kids something of value. They love him too! EVERYONE knows Leif!!!:)

Jakob is growing up more and more every day! This evening as we were driving in the car he started naming the names of the months. We had no idea that he knew them. Obviously preschool is sinking in. He has a really bright mind. His thinking skills are sharp as well as his memory! We sit and watch his dance class each week so that we can work with him on the different moves throughout the week. I am thrilled that he remembers the names of the different positions and steps. Jakob is a lot of fun! He's moody. But So Am I!!:) His excuse is that he's four years old, what's mine!!??;)

Caleb is a light in our home. He is content most of the time. I love to see he and Jakob interact. They can get each other rolling with laughter. Jakob has tried this week to get Caleb to wrestle with him. I growl at Jakob for squishing Caleb, but Caleb just smiles. Caleb is very mobile! A lot more then Jakob ever was at 5+ months. I think it was because we put Jakob in an Exersaucer when he was 41/2 months and Caleb's Exersaucer is still in transit after being purchased. So Caleb has had a lot more experience rolling around on the floor. I have a touch of OCD and it;s hard for me to just let him roll around on the dirty floor. But I have no choice really. He will roll across the whole room if we let him. This afternoon I laid him down for his nap and he Would Not settle down. So I finally went in to see what was wrong. He had rolled over on to his stomach and had his face smashed up against the rails. Poor guy! Last week he some how wiggled out of his swing seat! I came in to get him so we could go pick up Jakob from school. He had been fussing, but not hollering for me, so I let him be. I opened the door and panicked at the sight of an empty swing seat. I looked down and Caleb was on the floor on his tummy. He looked up at me with the look like, "So ya gonna pick me up or what?" I felt so bad! And grateful that he wasn't hurt! CRAZY! (Sorry if I already told that story, can't remember...)

Our little house is really becoming a home! I am so grateful for all of the help from my sweet husband as well as our good friends who have just handed over lumber and also their time and strength to help us build two new rooms. Caleb's room now has carpet up on the walls. It really does make a difference in the amount of sound going in or coming out. Leif and I also have a walk in closet now. I LOVE It! Our bedroom space feels like a bedroom now, not just a side part of the whole house. It is really nice!! Throughout the next while we'll continue to build and beautify. I'll keep you posted.

I think we're all doing well right now. I am getting out more and finding my whole self again. Leif is doing the same by sharing his light with the community through his church calling (Primary Chorister) and his job at school, Jakob is learning and growing so fast it's hard to keep up. Caleb is growing as quickly as he can so he can communicate with us and play with his big brother. We're in a good spot right now... It would be fine to keep it that way, as far as I'm concerned.:)

First Essay Completed

When Leif was taking his English 101 course (English Composition) I often asked him to save his essays for the kids to read someday. So, now that I am in English Composition class I will keep a record.

I finished my first essay and I am glad that it's over:) I like free style writing. Although, I am definitely learning a lot from the class! Here is a copy of the essay (for future record.)

Type of Essay Required: Descriptive essay written strictly in third person.
Subject Given: Where is the most interesting place you have ever been?
Grade Awarded: A

The Aura of Hawaii

There is a family of islands closely linked together by an enchanting magic out in the sparkling blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. This family of islands, known as the Hawaiian Islands, is filled with an enchantment that can intertwine itself in the heart of an island dweller and never leave. The magic of the Hawaiian Islands consist of a rich array of natural beauty, musical sounds and heritage, and a multiplicity of activities for everyone young and old, strong or weak, to enjoy.

The beauty of the sparkling ocean view can be seen from countless vantage points generously sprinkled throughout the islands. One can wind through the islands on the different highways that are often established along the pristine beach lined edges of the island. It is a common occurrence to have the white capped ocean waves crashing along one edge of the highway and a lush green foliage filled mountain towering along the opposite edge. The sweet perfume like scent of plumeria flowers blow with the breeze in the day, while the soft smell of jasmine in the evening floats through an open window.

The hypnotizing sounds of the Hawaiian Islands express the heart and soul of the island culture. These melodic sounds can be heard everywhere on the islands. The coo-coo calls of doves and other birds alike are a constant piece of music in the air from the second the morning sun vibrantly rises, to the moment it quietly sinks into the ocean at night. The sounds of local musicians peacefully strumming their Ukuleles and softly singing the story of the leisurely island way of life float throughout the island in the whispering breeze. As a person strolls through one of the many peaceful parks located throughout the islands, the deep, rich, sounds of traditional Hawaiian Chanters share the respected story of the island’s ancestors through the musical stories that they vibrantly sing. The spellbinding music of the islands radiates throughout the many hills and valleys of the islands and down into the lulling sounds from the waves of the ocean as one walks along the warm water’s edge.

The Hawaiian Islands are filled with an abundance of leisure time activities. For someone who needs to rest a wearied body, one may rest casually on the warm sandy beaches while canopied by the fantastically blue sky and warmed by the welcomed sunshine. As the soft breeze cools and calms the mind and body, the rolling waves out in the distance hush any lingering troubled thoughts. For the young, and young at heart, the exhilaration that is felt while riding a wave on a surf board can make one feel, if only for a moment, that they have conquered something much more powerful then themselves. The mountains of Hawaii are a refuge for someone who is seeking a place filled with calm surrender. The grand, yet humble, mountains of Hawaii emanate a deep melancholy aura recognized by anyone who knows the stories of the struggles faced by the Hawaiian people who lived long ago, almost as though the ancestors who lived in them long ago are still crying for the loss of their land and their innocence. Hiking through the steep green filled mountains along the meandering streams and up to the magnificent waterfalls brings one to a natural state of introspection.

The Hawaiian Islands are a refuge of peace and serenity for many people. It is difficult for a person to find words to explain the many wonders of Hawaii. However, many express the captivating aura that beckons one to return to the islands and stays with them forever after they taste of the natural tropical island beauty, hypnotic musical sounds and heritage of the Hawaiian Islands, and the multiplicity of healing leisure time activities that Hawaii has to offer.