A Tribute to Our Grandpa Joe

We lost our dear Papa Joe this past Sunday due to complications from a stroke he had on Halloween night.
And now we navigate knowing how to comfort one another and especially our children who now have experienced one of life's great heartbreaks---saying goodbye to someone you love. But we are comforted by our knowledge of Heavenly Father's plan of happiness, and of hope, and of eternal families.



Thank you Grandpa for:
1. Twinkly eyes.
2. A ready laugh and smile.
3. M&Ms at every moment.
4. The CLAW.
5. A HUGE bunch of keys jingling in your pocket.
6. Big bear hugs that make you lose your breath.
7. Your love of God and Jesus Christ.
8. Honoring and loving the Prophet Joseph Smith.
9. Your example of hardwork, continual work, and happy work.
10. Golf trips with Adam and Spencer.
11. Christmas's with scavenger hunts that left us in giggles.
12. And soo much more...

Thank you for teaching us how to love and be loved. We'll see you again before we know it.

Adam's Birthday Adventure...a few weeks ago

We went away for 24 hours for Adam's birthday and this is one of the places we went. Isn't it beautiful? These colors don't last long in Utah...and as we speak they have faded into yellow, then grey.

Hallows Eve

So I had a great plan for the Halloween Candy we gave at the door.
1. Buy candy that I didn't absolutly love, so I wouldn't eat it all before Halloween.
2. And so I bought these.
3. But now...
4. We have leftovers. And I'm really wishing I would've bought chocolate cause I really don't want to eat this (and I don't think anyone else does either!)

Scary creatures.



Grace as Ahsoka Tano (anyone into Star Wars The Clone Wars? Well. She is).



And of course, what is Halloween without a Surfing Pumpkin? Obviously at our house, it's a must. Adam worked quite hard on this puppy...

Grandma's Halloween Box

Yes, this is a very attractive close-up of Spencer's Puketacular Pumpkin (he has informed me that Halloween night, fake vomit will be coming out of this pumpkin's mouth)

But the real news is the package behind the pumpkin!
Sophie had been waiting for days for the annual beloved "Grandma Box". She scoured the porch everyday after school for anything that resembled a box from Grandma.
Then it FINALLY came. And the wait was worth it.
For some odd reason Grandma felt that a few cookies would not be enough...each child had at least a dozen for themselves. Wow. Can we say spoiled little cookie monsters at my house?<
a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BUvluYwIHIg/Su2yAXDtxxI/AAAAAAAADKw/KOVnss3ewcA/s1600-h/DSC04916.JPG">a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BUvluYwIHIg/Su2yALEM5NI/AAAAAAAADKo/tgBTm6Jb0kM/s1600-h/DSC04918.JPG">
Thanks Grandma! We love you. (and yes, I know I've got some weird stuff in this post, but I can't figure out how to get it out. Sorry. :))

Carving Up a Little Halloween

We had a little Carving Chaos...but the good news was Grace didn't dry heave the entire time like last year.
And Maceys has a great deal on pumpkins...9 cents a pound! Wow.








And PS...I just ate an entire Snickers Bar...yes, the WHOLE thing, because they were always my favorite. But now...I think I might throw-up. That was a whole lotta Snickers and not so appetizing right now. When will I learn?

My Decor Of Choice

See this empty shelf?

 

It used to have things like this in it:

 

But now I have this very rambunctious, silly, baby.

 

And I can't put anything out, because she has to investigate everything. So, now, I choose to decorate with her. Isn't she cute? But she doesn't stay in the same place for long. sigh.

 

Gardiner Village