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!

Catching Up

Well, under this heading I could just write my whole life history, but rather than bore you to death I'll just "sum up" (think Princess Bride) some of our main events of the past couple of months:

Natalie's 8th BirthdayIt's hard to believe that my first baby girl is so grown up! We had a really fun party for her birthday. She wanted a scripture-themed party where everyone came dressed up as their favorite scripture hero. It was a little daunting at first, but with a little creative thinking it turned out pretty well. Ben made an awesome "Book of Mormon" cake..and we played games like "Pin-the-tail on the Curelom" and even had a Gadianton Robber shooting gallery! I think she liked it - what do you think?

Christmas 2010Here's all the kiddos in their Sunday Christmas outfits. Even though we were in the middle of a transition, Santa still managed to find our house and a great time was had by all! The older girls got "adventure packs" that they have really enjoyed using in their "explorations". Camilla got a new dolly complete with stroller which she sometimes calls by Sunshine and other times by Baleigh Grace. And Caleb got to enjoy two new stuffed monkeys of his own for his first Christmas.

Saying Good-bye

After Christmas, things got hectic as we started in earnest to pack, de-junk, sell, and store our STUFF in anticipation of our upcoming move to Idaho. It was crazy, but made easier because of the help of so many wonderful people! Thankfully, we were also able to squeeze in a last get-together with some dear friends whom we already miss!


Natalie's Baptism
We were so glad we could also squeeze in this special event right before we left. We are so proud of Natalie for the great decision she made and the wonderful example she is to those around her! It was a great experience and we were once again grateful to be surrounded and supported by so many family and friends!


Move to Idaho
Our last main event was the BIG MOVE to Idaho! It was a VERY long day, but again we had so much help before, during, and after the move that everything ran much smoother than it would have been if we'd had to do it all on our own! I really don't know how we would have gotten through it without all the help from our families and friends! We have been and continue to be greatly blessed by the wonderful, giving, supportive people they are! Thank you, thank you to all who have helped in so many ways! We love you and are deeply grateful for you!