Primary Party

Chris and I teach the nine-year-olds in primary. They are such a fun class that we decided to throw a party for them - so we did last weekend, and it was a blast!

Five out of the six kids came and I think everyone had a good time. 

The party lasted for three and a half hours, just because they wanted 

to keep playing games and running around. Needless to say, by the end 

of that three and a half hours, we were pooped. 

We did lots of fun stuff, though.

While waiting for everyone, the kids played the Wii.

This is the four before Alexis came.

Abby, Maddie, Zach and Jake

We played musical chairs (it's amazing how competitive they are!)

Abby and Jake (twins)

We made fleece monster pillows

Alexis

Zach

This is Jake.

Funny story about Jake: He loves hangman. Without fail, every week, he asks to play. One week, Chris told him that he was allergic to hangman. Without skipping a beat, he looked at him and said, "Well, I'm allergic to Brother Lewis."

Their final creations!

I think we stuffed them full of food... we had pizza and ice cream

on top of all the candy they had 

(note to self: hide the pixie sticks from them next time).

And we did a relay race which involved eggs and blowing bubbles and balloons.

Maddie, opening the bubble gum

Alexis, trying to blow the balloon up really big

Even Billy Ray joined in to even up the teams. Abby was hilarious about Chris. The whole party she kept calling him "cutie," telling him that he should always straighten his hair.

We love these kids. We love teaching them every week, and they bring so much joy to our lives. They are all so individually unique that our class is never dull on Sundays. And everyone knows we have the best class. 

If you spent time with them, you'd know why.

Makes You Think

I just love this picture.

I'm so grateful for those who have given their lives for our country. 

For the freedoms we have, for the lives we are able to live, and for this 

country that was founded on those freedoms. 

I am a bit worried about what this upcoming election will bring... 

but I am grateful that we have the power to choose. Please, do your duty. Vote.

Friday Night

Again, I am sorry for the long post. I just have so many pictures that are too fun not to share. But, if you guys are still reading my blog even with the long posts, I figure why stop now?

....................

Halloween parties are a lot of fun, but they also take a lot of effort on your part, 

whether you are throwing the party or just dressing up. 

This party, in particular, was more than just dressing up. For everyone involved.

It was my cousin Karson's party. He and his wife Kami went all out! 

They put a lot of thought into it and it was so much fun.

Before heading out to their house for the party, 

Chris had to get his hair done.

Thanks Talisia for your help. You're awesome.

Chris showing her the picture of what Billy Ray Cyrus looks like now

He makes a good Billy Ray, don'tcha think?

And yep, you guessed it. I was Hannah Montana.

Chris is trying to "be cool" in this picture, but it looks more like he's angry. 

How can he be angry when he has a daughter like this? :)

Ha ha. Sick.

We had fun.

Karson was Captain Jack Sparrow

My cousin Julie and her husband Ben. His ninja costume was sweet - 

he deserved the award he earned for best costume.

Karson and Kami as

Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan

The group at dinner

After dinner, we were escorted downstairs where we were explained 

what would happen next. We were to do a scavenger hunt.

Karson explaining the rules

We were to split up into teams, head to Walmart, 

and do a number of crazy things, including:

Getting a business card from a random stranger

Getting a piggy back ride from a random stranger

Getting a stranger to push someone in your team down an aisle in a cart

Giving random strangers high-fives, and with each slap saying a different

 word from the 80's, such as "Awesome," "Tubular" or "Cowabunga"

Getting some strangers to sing a song with you

Getting someone to give you a quarter to pay 

for your pony ride in the game room

Take a picture with bikes (we were supposed to be on them, but we 

figured as long as we were touching them we were, technically, on them)

Did you notice how everything had to do with strangers? 

And we had to take pictures of all of it. Our team lost, but we still had a blast.

Afterwards, we came back to the house. Each team picked two pumpkins, and were in charge of reinforcing the pumpkins with whatever random things we picked up during the scavenger hunt. It either helped us or hurt us, depending on what we happened to pick out - because these pumpkins were being dropped off the roof.

Working on the pumpkins....

The two teams and their creations

The boys on top of the roof

Some pumpkins worked out.

Others did not.

It was a fun game. We had a fun night.

Thanks again, Kami and Karson. We'll be there next year!

My View

All day long I sit at a computer and work on projects, 

update agendas, logs, send emails, update schedules. 

Because I do sit at the front desk, I have the advantage of 

looking out the door, which is a just a large window.

All year I have seen the seasons come and go. At the 

beginning of the week, I looked outside and this is what I saw.

I love fall! These leaves were still green the week before. 

I wait for fall to come around each year to show us its true colors, 

telling us how beautiful the world really is. It's the little stuff

 like this that make me happy. :)

His Turn

Chris and I decided when we were first married that we would take turns each year planning our anniversary and Valentine's day. That way, no one gets stuck planning every year and we try to surprise each other with fun little "get-aways," always trying to keep it a secret.

This year it was Chris's turn to plan. He planned it early, keeping the secret for about a month. He did a great job. As he led me to believe we were going camping somewhere near Park City, I quickly changed my thoughts as we headed south on I-15. I thought we were going to St. George; I was partly right. As we headed to his Grandma's in St. George, where we stayed on Friday night, he told me we were headed to Las Vegas the next day! 

But on Friday we enjoyed a night out at the Pizza Factory with 

Chris's grandma, Helen. I love this lady.

Some of my favorite phrases from Helen include 

(please insert a strong, southern Utah accent here): 

"Ya dumb wit!" "I oughta smack you." "Ya big pest!" 

"Good grief." "What a big dipstick." 

There are many more. I actually started writing them down, 

but I don't have the list with me. They are just too classic not to share.

Outside the Pizza Factory Friday night

During dinner

The next morning we headed out to Vegas. The weather was absolutely perfect. 70's the whole day, and not even chilly at night, whatsoever. I think October is the perfect time to go.

We walked the strip, spent time in the shops, enjoyed the different hotels and what they had to offer (everything is so elaborate and so detailed, it's amazing), and just hung out. It was fun just walking and being with each other.

From inside the M&M factory

At the fountain in front of the Paris hotel

This picture is of a ceiling inside the Bellagio. 

It was so ornately detailed I had to get a picture.

That night we went to the Venetian. He told me he had a dinner surprise, something special they did for anniversaries. 

(I thought I knew what was coming, I just wasn't sure.)

He said he wanted to get a picture in with the Blue Men statues.

We also found Nicholas Cage, so we stopped by to say hello.

As we walked towards the Blue Man Theater, my thoughts on where we were headed were confirmed. I was so excited! I'd been wanting to see the Blue Man Group for a long time. Little did I know, as we were guided to our seats, they'd be in the center of the front row.

The stage is in back of us in this picture.

They gave us ponchos for being right in the action (which we needed).

They handed this paper out to the audience before the show; you could do whatever you wanted with it. We weren't too original.

Chris actually didn't pay for front row tickets. We were supposed to be sitting somewhere further back, in the middle of the theater. A couple of weeks after purchasing the tickets, he checked his email and there were the front row seats. Of course, he didn't oppose. The show was incredible. The percussion was amazing, and the music phenomenal. 

At the end of the show, they start moving more paper forward, over the heads of everyone in the entire audience. And more. And more... and it all ended up in the front row. I was literally getting pushed over by all the paper - I had to dig myself out a couple of times.

This is after the show (they did inform us, before the show began, that all of the paper used does get recycled, In case all of you environmentalists were worried).

Afterwards, the Blue Men came out to mingle.

This one liked to give all the ladies a kiss...

On both cheeks!

He also kissed my ticket :)

That night, we walked back to our dark and dingy hotel room at Circus Circus. 

(The lamps weren't on in these pictures, but I assure 

you there wasn't much of a difference when they were.)

Not bad for one night (other than the bed being super hard), but forget sleeping in for very long in the morning. 

The walls didn't hold back much. It was clean, though. 

It at least had that going for it.

We had a late breakfast the next morning and then 

started the drive back. It was a quick trip, but worth it. 

We had a blast - thanks for the surprise, honey. You're the best!