Church and FHE

Two weeks ago Travis and Austin went to Sacrament meeting without the rest of us. Keira and Alex were sick so Travis and I did the trade off thing. He and Austin went to Sacrament meeting then came home and Austin and I went to Primary. Well, it was fast Sunday and Travis asked Austin if he wanted to share his testimony. Austin looked at Travis and said "yes, but mom didn't give it to me." It was so cute, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. We decided though that the kids should start giving the lesson and sharing their testimonies during family home evening. Monday was Austin's turn for the lesson. He kept telling me that he knew what he was going to talk about. He didn't need any help. I finally convinced him to tell me his lesson just in case it wasn't long enough. He then told me the story of the three little pigs.
I told him he did a very good job but what lesson do we learn, or how could we make it more spiritual. He then told me that the big bad wolf is like satan and he tries to trick us, or gets us to make bad choices. Then I asked him about the brother that made his house out of bricks. He said that brother made a good choice and kept his family safe. He said the brother was like Heavenly Father and Jesus they help us make good choices, keep our families safe, and they scare the wolf away with a big pot of boiling water. He did such a good job for FHE and Alex listened the whole time and wants to do the lesson next week. I love my kids so much!! They learn so fast and bring so much joy into our lives.

Halloween

We had a very busy Halloween this year. The Monday before Halloween was Grandma Gray's party. The kids had to wrap Krissi and Heidi up like a mummy with toilet paper (the hit of the evening) and they had a doughnut eating contest. We hung them with string and looped them over a long rod and the kids had to kneel down with their hands behind their back and try and eat it all. It was hilarious!! Then we went trick-or-treating at the legacy center on Friday. We played games, watched the magic show and of course got candy. Saturday we started out at Grandma Carpenter's house. We went over there at 10:30 so the grandparents could see all the kids in their costumes. We got home and took a short nap then it was off to the ward trunk-or-treat. We came home for awhile and then took the kids out. We had a Batman, Buzz Lightyear, and Tinkerbell. I made Keira's costume with the help of my mom. She helped me form and sew the wings. I dyed the onsie, spray painted the wings and added sparkle, and made the tutu. I see many more tutus in Keira's future. They are so cute and fun to make. Oh Travis was a hunter ( a stretch I know) and I was Mulan as the kids said. My dad brought me that Komono from Japan. The kids had so much fun and got way too much candy. Alex was dragging his bucket on the way home because it was way to heavy. There is a family in our ward who does cookies and hot chocolate every year. So, that was our last stop before heading home. Something warm to put in their tummies. They came home looked through their loot and made Travis promise not to steal it (or eat it). Then off to bed they went. They are already talking about what they want to be next year. I'm sure it will change a hundred times between now and then though.

The Deer Hunt 2009

Travis was able to get Thursday, Friday, and Saturday off for the deer hunt this year. So up west canyon we went trailer in tow for our last camping trip of the year. The weather was so nice compared to years before. So the kids were able to play outside a lot. The bishop and his two girls came up Thursday and drove around with us trying to find a deer. Then the bishop came up Friday as well. He must be luck and I say luck because I'm not sure whether it's good or bad luck. Travis saw a buck and shot it. When he got up to it he found out it was a two by nothing! It only had one antler. He's probably going to kill me when he finds out that I posted about his "kill" like this, but he never reads my blog. . . so I'm probably safe :D. To save face, he says he was getting rid of the bad genes in that area. I think that's all that's there. His brother shot a three by none and a one by none the two years before. Aren't these supposed to be non-typical? I can't complain though, he got his deer the third day of the hunt and now we'll have jerky. It was a great camping trip with friends and family. It was a little weird not to be in oak grove but the kids had fun. They climbed up the hill, played in the trees, and got very VERY dirty. I guess it's not a camping trip unless the kids get dirty.

The MTC

My father in-law is in a branch presidency at the MTC. They go every Sunday and Tuesday and then sometimes Wed to meet the new missionaries. Because of this I got to have a very unique experience. The last Sunday that Kevin was in the Provo MTC my mother in-law got home from Hawaii and was so tired she needed a helper to get her to her meetings. The boys were sick so Travis stayed home with them and Keira and I went. We went and ate lunch and while we were eating Kevin walked in right by our table. He was so surprised!!!! My mother in-law and another sister missionary had to stop him from hugging me. He kept saying, "It's my sister, I can hug my sister". They had to explain to him that even though they knew it was ok everyone else didn't know I was his sister. They aren't even shaking hands because of H1N1. So we rocked it :). His companion is the one next to him on the left and these are some of the missionaries in branch. He went and grabbed his lunch and then came and sat down and had lunch with us. It was amazing to see how much he had already changed. I couldn't believe it. He said he had been playing Volleyball everyday because the only time he got to play was at the CFR. He asked how everyone was doing and I gave him the run down. I even tried calling my mom and dad but they were in a farewell for a relative in Wyoming. I wasn't trying to rub it in or anything. I just said I had run into someone at the MTC they might know. Before he left for his meetings he gave me a list of things he wanted before leaving for Peru. We finished our lunch and Carol was showing me around. We had Elders and Sisters coming up to us to see Keira. She was the hit of the day. One of the sisters thanked me for bringing a baby in, and one of the Elders got a little choked up because he had just left a little sister at home. It was so cute. The MTC was amazing, there are so many people there, and the spirit is so strong. It will be something I never forget.

Carving Pumpkins

Travis' parents grew pumpkins this year and each grandchild got to pick their own. The boys loved this!! They went out and marked their pumpkins before they were ripe so everyone would know who they belonged to. When they were ready we took them to our house and carved them out. Austin got right into it. He used his hands and pulled out all the seeds and guts, he thought it was cool. Alex, on the other hand, thought it was disgusting and told us so several times. He put his hand in one time and then immediately went and washed his hands. He did help Travis tape his pattern on. They didn't do much carving but they did oversee the whole thing. Then when we were finished it was picture time. They had to have a picture by their pumpkin before we put it outside. Keira's pumpkin is the ghost one. We had so much fun, I love Halloween.

The Colors of Fall

Conference weekend we decided to go for a drive with Travis' parents. It was still a little cold and rainy but the colors were beautiful. We went up the canyon and ended up at Sundance. It was my second time in two days. The night before I went on the moonlight ski lift ride with some friends. It was dark though and we couldn't see anything. I'm glad we made it back up there. I love the fall colors. Nature and Conference is a good combination. After our ride we went to our traditional conference Sunday dinner.We had good food, good company and a good overview of the talks given. A great weekend, all in all.

A NEW JOB!!!

On Oct. 6th I started my new job. I had a little falling out with Macy's and contacted an old manager I used to work for. I am friends with him on facebook and thought I would ask if he was hiring, and he was. I turned in my 2 weeks at Macy's on the 22nd of September and started at Deseret Book on Oct. 6th. I love my job!!! Travis says I come home so much happier, and I'd have to agree. It's such a different atmosphere, they care about their employees and their customers. I even won my first store contest with my group my first month. I am working at the DB on University Parkway next to the distribution center. I guess I'm trading in shoes and handbags for books and art. I'm ok with that though, I LOVE reading. I just finished The Undaunted by Gerald Lund. I wish it wasn't just one book, I wanted it to continue. I had never heard of the hole in the rock expedition and really enjoyed the history in the story. At the end of every chapter Lund tells you what is true history and what was fictional. Well now that this has turned into a book review. . . all I have to say is the next time you're in Orem, come see me!

Elder Carpenter going into the MTC

Of course the day that Kevin went into the MTC it was freezing. We thought we'd be funny with our brothers and sisters picture and have everyone wearing hats. I hope that Kevin is learning Spanish quickly. I can't believe I have a brother on a mission. That's still so weird to say. He's supposed to be my little brother, still in grades school, putting together knex, and watching Jungle book and 101 Dalmatians. When did everyone grow up! I miss him, but I know he's having the time of his life. I couldn't resist putting up the picture of him sticking his tongue out, it's just so Kevin. Good Luck Elder Carpenter!!

Family Pictures

Before Kevin left on his mission we got the fam together for some pictures. This was really interesting!! With 5 little ones I think it's impossible to get everyone looking at the camera and smiling. Melanie took the pictures for us and Sean tried to get the kids attention. I think he's gonna need some more practice before he has kids. He finally found a game that Cambria liked, it was throw the pinecone up in the air. It made her happy though, and I guess that's what counts. We got tons of pictures, but these were the best. This is also my favorite picture of Kevin.