Happy Halloween! Boo!

 James

 Rylan

 The stash!

 Wesley, He was sad telling me that kids were chasing him at recess trying to eat him.

 Brad!  (He was released last night)

 Eden

 At the grocery store

 my healthy treat

 School parade!

 Rylan

 Wesley

 Eden

 Eden ready for a Halloween party! Scary!

 After the temple. Reagan loves the blow dryer! ha ha!

 Rylan

 Popcorn Wesley

 James is Spiderman

 Eden is a witch

 Elder Brad Hawks serving at the bishops storehouse.  Such a great worker!!!

 James got a nice rug burn at pack meeting.

 At Reagan's first band performance. Weird that I never got a photo of Reagan, just videos.

 Reagan's cell project for Science class.  He told us about it at 6:30 the night before it was due.  Three hours later...ta da!

 Reagan got a scrunchie!!

I taught Relief Society for the first time today.  I did it!  First one down and hopefully it get easier.

“Eden, are you going to get dressed?” I asked.
“No. I’m tiered. I’m tiered of getting dressed.”
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I was playing an abc game with Eden and corrected her “g” sound.  She was so impressed. “How do you know all this?”
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Rylan thinks that tootsie rolls are rotten chocolate.  Also, he says “titsie rolls.”

Eden continued to play uno by herself after I beat her. She played and played for at least twenty minutes. All alone.  When she walked away she said, “I’ll finish later.”

 Sunday morning boys watching Book of Mormon videos and veggie tales while fox Eden's hair.

 Went to "For King and Country " concert. It was great!

 "Who made this?" I asked.
"Me and Wesley. " Eden answered.  "Aren't we proactive?"

Aubryn Earned her Young Women's Personal Progress Medallion!

WOO HOO!!!! Way to go, Aubryn!!  She took the time to get her book out, see where she could accomplish something, set goals, applied herself, and SHE FINISHED!  Many girls quit working on it when they announced that it was going to be dissolved at the end of the year.  Aubryn didn't want to but eventually came around and began plugging through it.  She is an example to me.  She works hard and is diligent.  She finds a way to accomplish what she sets out to do.❤❤❤❤❤

Today I am fasting for me.  I hesitated to do that, feeling kind of selfish, but knew that I needed it so
much.  I have been fasting steadily for those around me month after month. I have been doing all I
can for them.  I have been exhausting myself, seeing slow to little progress in them, and blaming
myself. I feel like I am failing.  I am emotionally spent. I need an increased capacity. In mothering, being a wife, and in my new church calling.
I really need Heavenly Father’s help.

This morning Aubryn met with the bishop to have an interview.  She recently completed her
personal progress. (I’ll write more on that later.  I’m so proud of her!) The bishop called me into
his office with Aubryn (and Eden was with us).  He told me that he asked Aubryn what made
her do this. [The personal progress program will end at the end of this year.  Many girls have
quit doing it. Aubryn didn’t want to finish either.] He went on to tell me she responded with,
“I prayed for the desire to do it.”  

Then he asked her, “Where ever did you get the idea to do that?”

“My mom.  She said I could pray for the desire to do it.”

I don’t remember saying that to her. I do remember feeling frustrated with her that she

wouldn't do it. I was overwhelmed in the moment and further on in Sacrament meeting
(An early returned missionary bore a simple yet powerful testimony that I needed to
hear so so much.  I hope that Brad absorbed it too.) with the words in my head,
“I AM NOT FAILING.” I had to work really hard to control my emotions.
Just typing it out has brought me back to tears.  I feel a renewed spirit that I CAN DO IT.
I am doing it. I have not failed. Only Satan believes that.

It's October time!

It's kind of hard to see, but this is a picture of Elder Hawks's new plaque hanging in the glass case in our church foyer.  ❤❤❤

 Eden getting her face painted at Weber State Homecoming tailgate party.

 Aubryn's first basketball game.  She did great!

 reagan eating some really chocolaty ice cream.

 Reagan doing his homework all on his own.  I was so impressed I took a photo. He has been working really hard to catch up in school after a rocky start to 7th grade.

 Aubryn getting recognized at the softball banquet.  She was the manager and did a great job!

On Monday Eden wanted bring her Rainbow Brite doll to school.  She had missed show and tell "something very old" on Friday because she was not feeling well.  She could not find it.  I could not find it.  She got the idea to say a prayer and ask Heavenly Father to help her find it.  She skipped over to the sofa and knelt down.  I watched her pray and then as she lifted her head she looked around her, like she thought it would be there.  I told her to come help me clean her room, that we need to look, and do our part.  {I hoped we'd find the doll!!} She came upstairs and into her room.  She stood there for a moment and said, "look in that green box in the top of my closet."
I dumbly responded, "Well lets make your bed first and see if we find it under these pillows."  She helped me make her bed. No doll.  I reached up and got the green box down.  There was her doll.  She was ecstatic!
She ran downstairs to tell Brian then added, "I'm going to say a prayer and tell him thank you!