Happy Halloween!

Today Jenna had a Halloween Party at Pre-School.  Her best friend, Clarissa, just joined her pre-school too and we are thrilled!

 While she was at pre-school I went to watch Josh, Jaiden, and Janelle in the elementary school parade.  Then I hurried off to teach my ASL class and Rick brought the kids to the ward Trunk-Or-Treat that the youth were in charge of.   After my class I came home and brought Jenna, Jaiden, and Janelle Trick-Or-Treating around our neighborhood.  Josh wanted to go with his friend, Seth, and Jared went off with his friends.  Janika and Jase had caroler rehearsal from 5:30 to 7:30 and then Janika hung out with friends and Jase went to a Halloween Party at Ky's house where they had a pumpkin carving contest.  This was the first year that I didn't bring the stroller.  Jenna did great the whole two hours and didn't complain at all.  She was really cute and as she took the candy at every single house she asked, "Is this gluten-free?"  I told her to just take the candy and we would worry about that later!

 

Storytelling Festival

Janelle did an awesome job on the storytelling festival tonight!  She worked really hard on her story and it was really cute.  Way to go, Janelle!

Carving Pumpkins

 

 

Prince Eric and Ariel

Janika and Kiara went to a Halloween party tonight dressed as Prince Eric and Ariel.  I was skeptical of the plan but they actually pulled it off quite well!

Bike Riding

This morning I took Janelle and Jaiden shopping for several hours leaving Jared to babysit.  Rick had gone to the temple and Janika was taking the ACT.  She did well the first time but I signed her up again just to see if she might nudge her score up even more.  By the time I returned Jared had taught not only Josh -- but also Jenna how to ride a bike!  Pretty impressive!  Thanks, Jared!  I knew that Josh would catch on quickly but we had just never gotten around to teaching him.  Jenna doesn't own a bike but learned on the neighbor's little bike.  We know what to get her for Christmas now!

 

Grandma Norman

My Grandma Norman passed away Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 95 years old, leaving behind a wonderful legacy. 

I have so many wonderful memories of my Grandma Norman.   As a child, going to Grandma’s house always meant wonderful, delicious meals.  I will never forget those wonderful home-made rolls and home-made jam in little blue bowl.   Christmas always meant Grandma's one-of-a-kind home-made chocolates and divinity.  Grandma was famous for her candy and her delicious pies!  She often entered various home-made goods into fairs and won many blue ribbons.  

Growing up we loved to go fishing with Grandma and Grandpa Norman.  We would wake up really early in the morning to go out on the Lake at Strawberry Reservoir in Grandpa’s fishing boat.  We got to sleep in the bed that was in the back of their truck and play in their motor home. Later on Grandpa got a new boat and brought us water-skiing several times.  We loved that!

Grandma had the most wonderful garden and we loved to pick raspberries at her house and fruit from her fruit trees.  I always remember Grandma with a cheerful smile on her face!  To me she never seemed to age.  I remember the beautiful poems that she wrote or recited from memory.  I appreciated receiving letters from her while I was on my mission and knowing that she was thinking about me and praying for my success.

Grandma and Grandpa always loved to play games and cards and my parents would go each week to play games with Grandma and Grandpa.   I’ll always remember how immaculate Grandma’s house was with everything in its place.   I remember Christmas parties and family get togethers and playing with our cousins in your back yard.  I remember rolling down the hill on the side of Grandma's house, blowing bubbles through spools, and bowling with milk jugs on her back porch.

When I was newly married my husband and I would go over to my Grandma's house for "cooking lessons."  My grandma was such a romantic and loved sharing her skills with my new husband and me.  We loved to visit her and Grandpa and hear their love story and other stories of what it was like growing up in the Depression and going to war.  Rick and I went over to my Grandma's house and did a videotaped history of her and grandpa one year.  We wanted to hear all about their lives and receive advice on everything they had learned through the years.  

I am so grateful for my Grandma. The most priceless heritage that she has given me is in the form of my mother.   I am so grateful that she raised her in such a way that has allowed  me in turn to receive such a wonderful up-bringing.  The lessons that have been passed down from mother to daughter will be carried on for generations yet to come.  For this I will always be filled with gratitude!  I love you, Grandma!

  

Hiking at Zions

This week was Fall Break and so Rick and the kids were out of school Thursday and Friday.  I still had to teach and interpret though since DSU's break was last week instead of this week.  We decided to get the kids' annual headshots done and so Rick took some of the kids' pictures on Thursday and some on Friday.  They turned out really cute -- I am excited to get some ordered!  He brought the kids to the spinny park Thursday afternoon while I taught my ASL class.  Janika spent several hours in the kitchen making freezer meals in order to earn some money for the Sadie Hawkins dance which is coming up soon.

Grandma Jensen came down with Julie and her girls and Connie and Chantel Friday night and it was fun to see them.  Haulee's daughter, Jhi, is fifteen months old now and she is so adorable!  They all stayed at Julie's house in Hurricane Friday night and Grandma stayed at our house.  It was nice to see her and the kids all enjoyed drawing pictures and playing games with her.  Saturday morning we left at 9:00 to head to Zions National Park.  We dropped off Grandma to Julie's on the way.  Grandma had sent down a whole basket of apples and a bunch of treats for the kids for Halloween.  Thanks Grandma!  I am not sure if the kids were supposed to save the treats for Halloween or not, but they didn't because they wanted to open them right away to eat before, during, and after their hike! 

We met Curtis and Steph Healey's family at the Visitor's Center at Zions and then hiked the Upper Emerald Pool hike with them.  It took about four hours because we stopped several times along the way to take pictures or to let the kids play.  The weather was beautiful and it felt good to be among such breathtaking surroundings!   We really do live in such a gorgeous area!  The kids all did really well on the hike -- even little Jenna.  Part of the trail is hiking up and down rocky areas and she managed it just fine and didn't complain at all!

It was hard to keep track of all of the kids because some were faster than others and they got pretty spread out and the park was crowded with lots of hikers.  We had a scare on the way back because we couldn't find Josh for about fifteen minutes.  Rick and Jenna and I were the last ones from our group.  When we caught up to some of the kids Jaiden told us that Josh had been hiking with her but then he had ran ahead and she couldn't see him anymore.  She said that she tried to yell for him to stop but then other hikers ended up between them.  There is a fork on the trail where the trail goes two different ways and she didn't know if he had taken the right way or not.  Jase, Jared, and Raquelle were way ahead of us and we wondered if he had caught up with them, but then we passed some neighbors coming up who had seen Jase and Jared and they said that Josh wasn't with them.

The rest of us were together on the trail by this time which meant Josh was alone and probably really scared.  Rick went back to try the other trail to see if he had gone the wrong way.  I told the kids to all pray that we could find him soon.  About ten minutes later  Rick found him on the other trail.  By this time two people were walking with him to try and help him find his family.  Rick said that he seemed a little shook up but wasn't crying or anything until after he was alone with him and then he did cry a little.  Overall he seemed to handle the situation surprisingly well!

We came to Zions six months ago and I made sure that each of the older children were paired up with one of the younger children and "in charge" of them.  But this time I didn't do that and the kids all just took off with their siblings and friends (except for Jenna who was with me the whole time).  I guess we need to be more careful next time and make sure the kids know they always need to stay paired up with someone older than them!   After we got back we all had a picnic lunch and then we headed back home.  The Healeys had rented a cabin up there and stayed the whole weekend. 

The kids were worn out and Jenna fell asleep as soon as we got in the car.  We decided to stay home tonight and watch a movie.  The kids watched "The Croods" and then after they were in bed Rick and I watched "Iron Man 3" with Jase and Jared.  Fun day!