Trick-or-Treat

 

How did August turn in to November??? I feel bad that I have neglected my blog for so long. 

I've been working on Hudson's baby scrapbook lately (when I can find the time) and I realized something, this blog is very valuable!! There is a ton of journaling to do but he was born 5 almost 6 years ago!! There's a lot that I don't remember, little details you know (which is sad.) So I turn to my blog, I love, love, love, looking back and reading and watching my little munchkins grow and change!

 

We made it through football season, 3 boys on 3 different football teams, it was pretty wild! They love it, and I love it when it is over...I mean when it is over I can look back and say, that was fun! :) My 11 year old knows more about the sport than I do. He knows the calls the refs on TV are going to make before they make them!! eiyiyi! I'm glad they love it and I'm glad that they can share that with their dad.

 

I am enjoying my new calling, I am learning so much! It really makes me study and rely on the spirit.  2 weeks ago my lesson was on How Can I Develop Christlike Love?  I fell in love with the talk by President Uchtdorf The Merciful Obtain Mercy I read that talk over and over I even made handouts to go with the lesson.  Well, Saturday night rolled around and I was putting together my lesson, organizing all of my thoughts and not one part of that talk made it into my lesson, I even threw the handouts away. I ended up doing my whole lesson on President Monson's talk: Charity Never Faileth.  It was the Lord's way of telling me, "Yes, you needed to hear, The Merciful Obtain Mercy. But the girls need, Charity Never Faileth. I am so grateful for the spirit to guide me though this, I could not do it with out!! I showed this video, I bawl and bawl every time I watch it.  This Church is amazing!!!

 

Little Joslyn is in dance and she is loving it!! Her first performance is tomorrow!! I can't wait to watch her. She asks me just about every day if she has dance. If I say no she gets mad at me and says "you always say no dance today!!"

 

Hudson is in kindergarten and is doing so great! I am amazed at the stuff they are learning!! WOWEE! But they get it, those young minds are little sponges soaking it all in.  I help in his class on Tuesdays for 30 min.  It is so funny to see those little kids, they are always excited to see me (I'm not sure why... ;) ) "Hi, Mrs. Catmull!!!" They say, so cute!

 

 

Here are my kiddos on Halloween:

 

 

I made Hudson be Peter Pan, he was OK with it in the end.  Joslyn was Tinkerbell & we had that awesome costume from when Braiden was Peter Pan hmmm 6 years ago (?) When he was 5.  So he had to! At first he'd say everyone is going to think it's dumb! :( But when it all boils down, all they want to do is dress up! Mom and I bought Brody's costume the day before at Target, it's pretty much all they had left. He is out growing the cartoon character or super hero costumes, so this was our choice.  I don't care for the disgusting mask but there again, all they really want to do it dress up & he thought it was fabulous! Braiden was a Hobo. He is at the age where you have to be creative with costumes.  He came up with the idea, I made it happen! I'm all about that!! I guess on Halloween his school is on the 1:00 bell schedule and then at 1:00 they have a Halloween dance in the gym.  Imagine my relief when he told me that he forgot his activity card and $2.00 and didn't really care to go.  So he and his best friends went to his Advisory teachers room and watched The Croods. Fewsh!! I'm glad we're not there yet!

After school we went over to Nate's grandma's to trick-or-treat and the kids found her GIANT leaf pile! I've never seen them have so much fun!! I love this pic of them smiling so big and having fun together! Brody is off to the side raking the leaves into a bigger pile.

Here I think Tinkerbell is throwing leaves at the two boys.  She really is a rotten little stinker in the movie.  In the Tinkerbell movies she is sweet and creative and friendly but in Peter Pan she is a naughty little fairy.  We're going Secret of the Wings here! :)

Happy Fall Y'all!!

Big Changes & A Cry For HELP

It's been almost a month since my last post eek! How did that happen?? First of all here are a few pictures from Halloween:

 

We were so lucky this year and had BEAUTIFUL weather for trick-or-treating so this was all they had to wear, no coats!!! yay!!!

 

Helloooo, little princess, camera's this way. :)

 

This is the original costume we bought for him to wear this year, however, he also dressed up as spiderman for one party and a star wars clone trooper for another.

 

Braiden had officially graduated from nice, superhero type costumes to creepy costumes, not fond of that change.

(Still in the "nice costume stage") Ninja version 2. The ninja costume we already had in the costume box just wouldn't do. (grrr)

After the trunk or treat we came back home and there were still a few straggling trick-or-treaters knocking on doors, I swear the kids had more fun passing out candy than they did gathering it!!!

Here's the big change...

Sooooo, we got home from church on Oct 21 and got a phone call, you know "THAT" phone call, the one from the Stake Executive Secretary asking Nate if he and his wife would come in to meet with the Stake Presidency... Uh, OK. I am nothing but a bundle of nerves for a good 2 and a half days, it could be anything really, Stake Athletic Director...yeah, that would be good. But when you are sitting down across from the whole Stake Presidency your hopes for Stake Athletic Director quickly go down the drain! So Nate was called to be the 2nd counselor in the bishopric. Whoa!

The next two weeks were filled with stress (on my part) and a LOT of fibbing (mostly on Nate's part) I only had one person ask me if the new 2nd counselor was going to be Nate and I did a horrible job of lying. I'm sure she had it all figured out by the time our conversation was over. : /

I feel like I have been well prepared for his calling in some ways, he has been the Elders Quorum Pres for half of our married life, YM Pres. and Ward Clerk so I am used to Sunday mornings on my own, I don't know what I would do with myself if he WAS home on a Sunday morning. What I am not used to is sitting by myself in sacrament meeting, my first Sunday the older 2 were worse than the younger 2, WHAT? His first week in he had meetings on 3 nights and Sat was a chaotic mess.  Sundays after church are sad and lonely, that is the best part of the day when we come home and I get to tell him all the things that went on in primary that day. :) It will take some getting used to I am sure! That is the whole point of this life after all, to learn and grow. He is lucky to be able to serve with great people who will help him along the way.

Our sweet niece, little Ruby Rose was blessed on the 4th, the same day Nate was put in the bishopric, it was a big day!!!

I was also asked to be in charge of the ward Christmas Dinner YIKES!!! Actually when they asked me I thought they were going to say "decorations" but when they said "the dinner" I laughed! I can think of a few more qualified people in the ward to do that job!! (uh hem...KARLA) ♥ ya! I understand you can't do every ward dinner so I'm gonna need your help!!!

Last week was book fair at the school, I was in charge. That was a toughie, once the schedule was filled, the biggest job, and the books were set up, the second biggest job, the rest went pretty smooth. Glad it's over though!

We got our family pictures taken on the 3rd we couldn't have asked for a more BEAUTIFUL day!!! in Nov too. Lucky!! Everyone looked great and everyone cooperated, I can't wait to see them!! Christmas cards are coming this year for sure!!! Make sure I have your address! ( or I need to make sure I have your address, something like that.)

Thanksgiving is going to be pretty low key this year, all of our brothers and sister are going to the "other side"...hmm, how did that happen? Any way we are going to eat with Kurt and Terril and do a trail run of the ward Christmas dinner. I'm sure we will go out and buy a paper and look at all of the black Friday deals that we won't take advantage of. :) It's still fun to look, maybe we will catch a movie this year!! Know any good one's coming out?

Brody's Birthday and BAPTISM is coming up in a few weeks WOWEE! Here we go scouts round 2! What do I do? Buy another scout shirt? Braiden only needs it for another 4 months. hmmm.

I need your help...

My blog says that I am out of space, apparently I talk too much and I have too many "picture heavy posts.  Have any of you had this problem? What should I do? I am not very tech savvy but here are a few solutions I have come up with. The blog just wants me to buy more space (surprise) $2/month not much but that is just annoying, don't want to do it. I could stop blogging, yeah not gonna do that one either. I could start a new blog. I worry about that, what if no one reads it any more...what if no one reads it now. hmmm. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!!!!