Our October

Well, October was a great month with lots of fun for our family! Mostly, it was great because we were able to be TOGETHER for a lot of it! Ben was able to come home for General Conference weekend and we had a lovely time just staying at home as a family! It's funny how easy it is to take those little moments for granted. These last few months, with Ben in Idaho finishing up his MBA and the rest of us in Washington, have really helped us appreciate these special little moments together.
Anyway, here's some of the highlights of our month:

Candace's Bridal Shower - got all the Whatcott sisters together and had a LOT of fun! Thanks, Ben for helping it happen!

Apple picking, marshmallow-toasting, and movie nights with friends & family in Idaho!

An afternoon at temple square with Oma & Opa & Great-Grandpa Smith!

Fun times with cousins, aunts, uncles, & grandparents in Utah!

Saturday morning hike in Payson Canyon & fishing at Maple Lake. All the girls caught a fish (thanks, Opa!), but none of them wanted to actually touch it! Caleb, however, was quite enamored with the fish and even took a dip in the lake.

Candace & Matt's wedding dinner -so much fun to have an adult's night out and visit with the newlyweds and extended family!

Last-minute, low-maintenance, & creative Halloween costumes! (Natalie=witch, Lucy=spanish dancer, Karalie=princess of all valentines (she came up with this herself!), Camilla=reluctant cowgirl, Caleb=clown).

Our ward's annual Primary Presentation! Natalie, Lucy, & Karalie all did a great job singing and saying their parts and Camilla was in the congregation singing right along with them! She is really looking forward to being in Sunbeams next year!

Well, that's about it for our month of October. I guess time flies when you're having fun!

Moving Back

Well, the truth that I've found is that moving is hard no matter what. I guess I was expecting moving home to be easier than moving to a new place. Not so, however. While we were gone our ward was absorbed into another ward which then split. So we came home to a new ward and while we still know a lot of people, it is not the same. Even after a few months I still feel like a visitor. Old friends have become casual acquaintances at best. They say "Hi" when they see you, but that's about it. Having Ben gone to Idaho has made me realize just how much I depended on his outgoing, friendly personality. It turns out that on my own I'm kind of a hermit and recluse. Of course, being a single, homeschooling mom of five children doesn't really help to ease the feeling of isolation. Okay, Okay, life isn't all bad, I mean we still have a home and Ben still has a job and I still have my sanity. Maybe I should lose the sanity and start talking to myself and then it wouldn't feel so lonely around here. I guess I never realized that the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days Alexander talked about weren't so bad. It's the weeks, and months you have to watch out for!