Week ending 11-5-17

Last Sunday: Someone took this of Kaitlyn with the different faces I had used for putting on a pumpkin during singing time. 

Kylie did this fancy do and took pictures of it. 

I got this outfit from the free RS yard sale and thought the colors looked so good on Talea. 

It's my new favorite. Unfortunately I couldn't get any good pictures cause she was so wiggly.

Monday: we spent all afternoon carving pumpkins, which was way more fun and relaxed than trying to squeeze it in during FHE and rushing to bed. 

Madalyn and Alexis practiced their instruments while the other kids carved pumpkins and Spencer and Kylie were at pit orchestra rehearsal. Madalyn plays in the band at school and pays for her own occasional private lesson. Alexis is enitrely self taught except for a few lessons from Uncle Morgan, who is loaning her the oboe. 

Kylie did the sweetest, best job of lesson ever! She said Kaitlyn has been asking her questions about the plan of salvation so she printed out little papers about it and had the little kids gathered around her intrigued. I've done so many sharing times and personal progress lessons on it that I've found it boring, but I probably forgot to teach my own kids, so I'm glad Kylie did.  

It was so tender seeing Kylie teach the lesson so gently, lovingly, and self-assured. She is going to make a great missionary in 2 years! 

Tuesday: Kait reading to her doll in the corner. 

Getting ready for Halloween! 

The kids were the 10 Little Indians. They've been planning it since 2008 when they were the 5 little monkeys.  

Trunk or treat at 5:30pm 

I took this on my phone to send to my sister. I don't know why it's so huge.

Kylie made the cute hat. 

The Summers family--the primary president and our neighbor over the wall. 

Other primary children who wanted their picture taken. 

A bunch of boys going off to play football. I thought it was hilarious that right after I took this picture the dressed up football players took off their helmets and pads to play football. 

trick-or-treating 

People in front of us would tell the home owners, "A whole tribe of Indians is coming!" before we got there. 

Anderson 

Me and my papoose  

Talea was a perfectly happy and warm papoose. 

Nathan got home at 8 just in time to dump out the loot. 

Wednesday: A random goofy picture where Thomas is measuring Andy with a snap bracelet ruler someone got from Halloween. 

Talea wearing her cute outfit again. 

Friday: (I took this on my phone, that's why it's so much bigger.) Madalyn, Thomas, and Kaitlyn got to ride the train to Roy where they hopped in the car of a friend of my sister's where they rode to Boise to see the Meridian Temple open house. My mom was there too so they got some great Mama and Aunt Misty time. 

 

Waving from the second story window!

Friday night at 11:25 Nathan was still up but I was lying in bed when the doorbell rang. I leapt out of bed and looked out the window and saw a van with a bow on it. I heard Nathan calling out, "Who is it?" and then dialing the police. I ran downstairs yelling, "Nathan, there's a van outside!! We got door-ditched a van!" I was so excited I could barely talk. I pushed him outside to see it and he was as flabbergasted as I was. We walked around it in total shock. I ran back in and got Kylie, Alexis, and Spencer and told them to go outside in a voice that was so excited I could hardly spit out the words, I just dragged them out to see for themselves. What a night! We laughed and talked and each told our thoughts of what we thought was going on when we heard the knock and finally went to bed at 12:30.

Nathan's selfie. 

We've been door-ditched a lot but nothing like this! 

The next morning when the little kids woke up we told them to go outside and see a big surprise! 

After breakfast they packed bags and rode in it to Aunt Lori's house, playing in it until lunchtime. 

We actually found out it was our friend's old van (the 17 year-old accidentally left his wallet in it when he dropped it off after gassing it up) but they had tried hard for it to be annonomous. They had the title and registration and all in our names and had to jump through hoops to not have their name on anything. So I felt bad their surprise was ruined, but it made me feel better knowing another large family gave us their old van (detailed and spruced up to look pretty nice) instead of someone buying us a van. They are the most generous family ever.

Sunday: Madalyn, Thomas, and Kaitlyn were in Boise so they didn't get to see the surprise until we pulled into the driveway after picking them up Sunday afternoon. It was so fun seeing their reaction and telling them about the greatest door-ditch ever. 

We can't wait to use it for field trips! Nathan hardly goes anywhere with us, but when he does it will be the first time in 6 years that we've been able to all fit in a van together! And it's the first time in 4 years that I've been able to take the kids places without double buckling. Currently in our old van we squeezed 10 kids and myself into an 8 passenger. There are 6 seats in the back with 5 kids in carseats. That means 4 not in carseats had to squish in the 1 vacant seat between carseats. Then Kylie and I sat in front. Now we'll all have our own seat!