Happy Halloween!

We were in El Segundo, California and after we went trick or treating, we set up camp chairs on the corner because no one was knocking on the motorhome door, for some reason...

Our kids paid tribute to our siblings. I figure this is the last Halloween that I can control what they are dressed up as. Although I do remember that my mom dressed me up as a victim of PMS when I was 9 or 10. I didn't understand really what PMS was, but I wore a robe with tootsie roll wrappers pinned to me and my hair was ratted to maximize volume with more candy wrappers nestled within my hair. And I had to have been willing, but I didn't know really what I was. But I did know that people laughed their heads off when I told them what I was.

So, here we have Davis, the missionary (Jacob)

Evelyn, the Park City teacher who likes to clean for fun (Collette)

Johnny, the UofU student who has a slight mohawk and wears Vnecks and jeans (Van)

Everyone was super confused at the doors, but the kids loved the magic that happened when they said trick or treat and put out their bags. It was awesome to watch them understand for the first time. Next year will be even more fun.

Wedding Bells

One of my dearest friends, Dana Allison, got married in Arizona and I was so happy to be able to put it on our schedule. We just happened to be home in Utah for some appointments and so we drove to Arizona on our way for the next appointment in Los Angeles. It was great to be able to be there, to meet her husband and her three new children. She was nervous about becoming a mom - more so, I think than becoming a wife. I told her, "You'll do great! You'll do awful! And you'll do great. And you'll do awful." It's just how it works. The learning curve of parenting is steep and then smooth and you just have to take the lessons as they come. Parenting is fun. Children are fun. I was talking on the phone and the customer service representative heard my children in the background. He said, "What a blessing!" And it was so refreshing because normally people are wondering how I've kept my sanity with three children. And children can get crazy. They operate on different rules than adults do. Or maybe the same rules, but adults lie to each other. Yes, that's probably it.

Regardless, I know Dana will do great at being a mom. Likewise I know she'll do a crummy job sometimes too. And that's awesome. Not awesome, as in, ha ha, you stink and that makes me feel better about the stinky job that I do. But awesome, as in, what a cool way to learn about ourselves and to learn about our Heavenly Parents and Their perfect love for us made manifest through the birth and life and death and resurrection of Their only Begotten.

Congratulations, Dana and Festus and family!

First Deal

When we look back at where it all started, we have to go to Kanab, Utah. And we actually did drive through Kanab on our way down to Arizona. John & Kathleen had invested in the Redrock Country Inn but they wanted to sell it because it was so stressful to manage long distance. Johnny found the buyer that would put their son in as the on site manager and helped them get rid of the property. When we drove by, it looked like they had made a lot of improvements. I'm so curious what Johnny boy will love doing - what he will choose to support his family with. It's exciting to start somewhere. We all know the real first deal was when Johnny got bought out by the golf course because he was selling used golf balls right outside the pro shop for cheaper than the guy was selling them inside. So the poor golf pro came out and bought everything Johnny had to eliminate his competition. Great for both sides. Johnny boy, feel free to make your millions on golf balls or motels or whatever you want!

Fairytale Land

It's fun to find fun things to do. Disneyland was awesome, but Fairytale Land was right up there on the awesome scale. And less crowded. And 1% of the price. And did I mention less crowded?

Ocean's playground

We play at playgrounds every day. It's part of my routine to get tired kids to be able to take a nap and so I can sleep with them all each afternoon. It's very important. It's interesting being at so many different playgrounds. Kids come and play and a common game is some variation of grocery store where kids order from each other and deliver whatever is requested. This grocery store is magically stocked with everything imaginable. At this playground, we met a cute little girl named Ocean. She had dreadlocks, like her mom. She was helping fill the grocery orders and helped get carrots and apples and after she delivered everything, she offered her own recommendations. Would you like some tofu? Yes, Ocean. Thank you so much.

Metal Mouth

I have noticed that when I speak, I have a lisp. Totally weird. I didn't used to have one and then I have one. I had an internal retainer cemented in because when my grandpa gave me the option of retainers, I did not want to be the kid jumping onto the lunch tray conveyor belt because I forgot that I left my retainer next to my tater tots. So I got the internal one. 15 years have passed since it's been put in and that means pieces have fallen off and it has deteriorated to practically nothing. So that means my lisp formed and it freaked me out.

The solution came in actually getting a bigger lisp because of a take out, put in, but really I just wear it all the time so it can work it's magic, retainer. Chad Rowan, the boy who taught me 7 Habits in highschool, offered to make me a complimentary retainer. How kind! He fitted me for it and made it himself in his dental office. I'm so grateful because braces are not appealing to me right now at this stage of my life. Although they will be the permanent solution when I do choose to take the time to fix my teeth.

For now, just call me Metal Mouth.

Life as truck drivers

We're not really truck drivers, but these crisp hats would help us play the part if we ever wanted to. Johnny and I went to a Byron Katie conference to do our work. It was inspiring. And we got to be all by ourselves. We left all three kiddos (meaning an emergency weaning for Davis) with Samantha, my cousin, in Merced. Then we drove to Big Sur and stopped by Casa de Fruta on the way. It was a fun trip. The food at the conference was amazing - all created from the gardens on the oceanside property. Delicious. And fun to be by ourselves for the first time since Davis was born. I like this truck driver. I could go for another trip all by ourselves anytime in the near future.

Artistic touch

Our cousin, Kinzie, painted some cool creations that were featured at the Kuumba Collective gallery in Sacramento, California. He creates with spray paint and it is fun to see all of his stuff.

Turning a Corner

There is no going back. When you are your own electrician, you can officially take care of business. Once you've cut off a melted plug and replaced it with another and twisted all of the right color wires together and plugged it back in to your generator and nothing blew up or was destroyed, you have turned that corner and it's all up from here.