Ten things that make me smile---

1. Juice asking for help with her problem---it being that too many boys like her!

2. Cutie laying in his bed in the morning singing "You are my Sunshine."

3. Silly Guy practicing his cello---without being asked:)

4. My yard is all cleaned up for the winter.

5. My family laughing together as we play charades.

6. Lower gas prices!

7. Superstar planning to build a restaurant so that I will want to eat out more often. (More on that later!)

8. Stephen's love and patience.

9. Sonny Pie being so relaxed and easy-going and responsible. (This is a huge change from a few years ago!)

10. My wonderful family!----That's all of you!

String Bass?

I'm embarking on a new adventure!

I'm going to become a bass player. (I use that term very loosely;) I've been going to the elementary school two days a week to help with the beginning orchestra where Silly Guy is learning to play the cello. The cellos and basses have their class together---6 cellos and 1 bass. The little girl who is learning the bass is having a really hard time. She is the only one that has something different to play than all the others. The orchestra teacher has been afraid she was going to quit.

So I thought maybe if I learned to play the bass also it would help this girl to not be so discouraged. This was the first day that I played the bass. It was kind of fun. I hope it really does help!

Baptism Day

What a great day it was for our Superstar to be baptized. He has been preparing and being prepared by the Spirit for a long time and finally the day has come. His older brother and sister gave the talks and his brother and cousin gave the prayer. Superstar sang a musical number--"When I Am Baptized." We were really grateful for everyone from both sides of the family who took time out of their busy schedules to travel to be with us. We felt especially blessed that Grandma & Grandpa Hymas were able to be there en route to moving to Salt Lake. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it a special day!

It's Fall Time!

Cutie has been having so much fun discovering what "Fall Time" is all about. We drive around town and he is constantly telling me that it's fall time in the street and on the sidewalks and on the grass, etc., etc., etc. (Wherever there are leaves fallen it's fall time. If there are no leaves then it's not fall time in that place.) Today we dropped the van off at the high school for Juice and Sonny Pie to go to swim practice then walked to the bus to ride home. He was having so much fun walking and jumping and kicking in the leaves. When we got home he wanted to stay outside and I came in the house. About five minutes later he came running inside hollering, "Mom, Mom, Mom!" I wondered if anything was wrong, but when I asked him what was up he said, "It's fall time at OUR house!!!!!" What a discovery that the leaves are falling off of our trees too!

Birthday Boy!

Superstar is "finally 8", to use his own words. We had such a busy day with EFY, swim meet, ward party and a birthday, but I think he was thrilled to have this giant balloon to carry around all day and his monster birthday cake and presents after it was all over.

Here he is in his new cub scout uniform. He is so excited!
Happy Birthday!

Where were you?

20 years ago:
1. I was at Ricks College and dating my future husband. What a great year that was!

2. I was taking a lot of credits and accompanying several voice students and singing in the school opera "The Magic Flute". It was so busy, and crazy, and fun. (Kind of like now!)

3. My goal of going on a mission was changing to my goal of becoming a wife and raising missionaries!

10 years ago:
1. I was expecting my third (and long awaited) child. We were starting to think that there were no more coming.

2. I lived in the USU Trailer Court while my husband went to school. I was doing day care full time. I was called to be the Primary president in our student ward. That was very challenging and fun.

3. My parents splurged and took the whole family to Florida and Disney World. We were all very surprised and we had a lot of fun.

5 years ago:
1. I was expecting our fifth and last child. I was so glad to be having him and also so glad he was the last! That's just how I still feel today.

2. Parenting was becoming much more challenging with a new middle schooler, a temperamental 10-year-old, two toddlers close in age--one of which was having autistic tendencies, and being pregnant!

3. We really enjoyed the harvest from our garden the first year in our home. We would go pick and ear of corn and steam it in the microwave for lunch. Delicious! We haven't had as much success since.

1 year ago:
1. My husband got a big raise at work which brought much relief to our financial woes we had been experiencing for a couple of years. This brought us from poverty level to lower middle class. Thus--

2. We set a goal to pay off our mortgage within five years. Right now we're pretty close to on track to accomplish that goal. We'll see what the future brings.

3. My first son entered high school as a freshman. It is with great trepidation that I watch my children grow up. Have I helped them have the wings they need to fly?

Yesterday:
1. I took Cutie with me to help in the beginning orchestra class at the elementary school where Silly Guy is learning to play the cello. This has been challenging for both student and parent!

2. I oversaw much homework, cooking, cleaning, etc.

3. I watched Sonny Pie sing in his first choir concert. I just know one of my children will want to share in my passion for choral music!

Today:
1. Cutie and I will ride the bus to the library for story time. He is so ready for kindergarten but has to wait until next year.

2. I'll begin sewing Halloween costumes. As much as I really dislike Halloween somehow I can never get out of figuring out costumes, treats, etc. Superstar wants to be a mustard bottle. I saw a picture in a magazine that I am going to make. Silly Guy is going to be a piece of pizza. I have that costume from a couple of years ago. Cutie is going to be a cat since he loves to act and sound like a cat all the time. The older kids are on their own. They get to figure out their own.

3. Tonight is the fall orchestra concert. Juice is playing in it. She's a senior (I can't believe it) so after this year we'll be done with high school orchestra concerts for a while. That makes me sad. Sonny Pie is actually playing percussion in this one too.

Tomorrow:

1. Laundry.(actually that one is every day:P)

2. Working on Halloween costumes and birthdays for Superstar. He'll be eight on Saturday.

3. Cooking, cleaning, etc. (Tomorrow doesn't really sound very exciting, but somehow it always is more exciting than it sounds:)

Next week:

1. Preparing for a baptism for Superstar on Saturday. He's so excited!

2. Conducting a Cub Scout pack meeting. (I'm the cubmaster) We're having an Arrow of Light ceremony. It should be great!

3. Swim meet for Juice & Sonny Pie. I like to be the backup timer for the races. It's much more exciting than sitting in the stands for two hours to watch my kids swim for two minutes.

Next year:

1. Juice will be graduating from high school!

2. We'll probably try to go on a trip to Yellowstone and to see Sonny Pie who will be working at a scout camp near there.

3. Cutie will start kindergarten! Finally:) Maybe that means I can go back to school too?;)

Family Pictures

For about three years now we've been trying to get a good family picture without paying an arm and a leg for it. We've gotten a few pretty good ones, but nothing we would want to blow up and put on the wall.
Now thanks to my very talented sister and an opportune moment we finally got some really good ones.