Happy Thanksgiving

I love this time of year...and I feel so blessed today.

We are expecting quite a lot of company today, and I am thankful for that too.

Since we live so far away from our immediate family, it is wonderful that we have such great friends to celebrate with.

So, I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Wait For It

So, after planning activities at church for years now...I got released today.

I am both happy and sad.

Activities are a lot of work...but it is work that I enjoy it and I feel like, most of the time, I pull off a fairly good activity.

So, it really was sort of a comfort zone for me.

And today I got pulled out of that comfort zone...WAY OUT!

I got called to the Young Women's Program and I will be working with girls 16 to 18.

I find this to be a new and exciting challenge, but a terrifying one as well.

I did not have a good experience in young women...I was baptized at age 16 and never really fit in with the girls at church...and the leaders were awful. The girls at church thought the leaders were the bees knees, but they treated me pretty poorly.

Now, I am the leader! yikes.

I already have a real love for these girls, and I am SUPER excited to be working with them...I just wish it didn't feel so intimidating.

So, I worked hard on my lesson, came up with a really great object lesson, which I also worked really hard on, dressed with care and made my way to church.

Well, there's nothing like walking into church with your skirt tucked into your underwear to shoot your confidence all to heck.

**big sigh**

I guess there's no where to go but up. Right?

Patience and the Six Year Old

So just a quick update on Josh's birthday "weekend."

He had a great day at school...he got to take m&m cookies - his favorite. They sang to him, AND he got a birthday pencil.

He was pretty happy coming home from school today.

We ran a few errands, and then came home around 4 pm to wait for Dad to come home at 5:30 pm, to resume the rest of the festivities.

Well...between 4 and 5pm Josh asked when he was going to get his present about every 3 to 5 minutes.

Yeah. It was "cute," in that wanting to rip your ears off kind of way.

So, at 5 pm, Josh comes in and says, "Mom, I don't think my birthday is going very well."

hummm...at six, I guess patience is not his strong suit.

But, promptly at 5:30, Dad came home, we went to Red Robin (Josh's favorite), and came home and Josh got his present...phew.

It turned out that this was his "best day EVER."

Thank goodness. That was a close one!

More birthday fun tomorrow.

Heaven help me.

SUPERjosh

So, today is the day.

Josh if SIX!!!!



Holy cow.

I can hardly believe it has come so quickly.

So, in honor of Josh's birthday, I wanted to tell you six things I love about Josh.

1. He is always happy.

2. He ALWAYS smiles when he has done something wrong...maybe this explains why he always seems like he is happy. LOL!

3. He asks the best questions...stuff that is deep and funny...that grown ups sometimes ask, but that he intuitively gets.

Like, why do we park on a driveway?

4. He is the best BIG brother. (Notice I had to qualify that, although is the CLASSIC little brother!) He adores his little sisters and would do anything to keep them safe, make them happy, and just loves them.

5. He is super sensitive. It is amazing to me how much feeling and emotion little boys carry around. He hates to get in trouble. LOL! oh well.

6. He is a great kid. Josh was the first kid that I got to be a full-time SAHM with, and I have to admit that I spoiled him a little. (Okay, a LOT.) And, Troy was still at the law firm then, so we saw little of him...consequently, Josh got the soft touch...but we have worked with him on being more responsible and reliable, and he is really coming along.

So, Joshy, Happy Birthday. Hope it's a good one.

No News?

No news is good news?

Is that they saying?

I have been trying to think about what to blog about...but amazingly, things are quiet here.

Maybe a little too quiet.

Definitely the calm before the storm.

Do you think I could fit another cliche in here? LOL!

Anyway. Just thought I would post a couple of photos of Katie.




Isn't she getting big?

Can you believe that she has bronchitis? She looks healthy to me.

So healthy in fact, she was able to single-handly pull all the jackets off their hangers in the coat closet.



Maybe putting everything at kid level wasn't such a good idea.

By Popular Demand

When I did that blog post a while back about Emma wearing Troy's pink work gloves, there were a few request for photos of Troy wearing them too.

So without further ado.




What can I say?

He's a manly man.

And, just for kicks...this is Melanie helping at Enrichment.



I think that's the face she is going to give me when she sees this post.

tag, again?!?!

Well, life has calmed down considerably.

Enrichment is over. phew.

And I don't have to do again until January!!!! YAY!

But, I thought it went really well. We had such a good turn out.

I think that most of the sisters had a good experience.

It is always such a struggle for me to find ways to touch everyone, but it's unrealistic to expect that I will.

So, I am just happy that some felt the spirit.

For me, at least, working on the enrichment helped me to feel a greater love for the women at church, and I feel blessed to have had that experience.

Now, for the tag.

Troy's niece Mariann tagged me...luckily, this one isn't too bad.

Name 7 things you love.

I guess if I named each member of my family that would take up all my answers, so I will be good and just count them as one thing.

So, in no particular order:

1. My family - both near and far
2. My friends - I couldn't make it so far from my family without them!
3. My computer - sad but true. Scrapping makes me happy, as does blogging.
4. My Savior - I know that I could not feel so peaceful in this crazy world without Him.
5. Coke Zero - Really, does this one even need an explanation?
6. Chocolate - ditto.
7. My home - it's getting colder, and I feel really greatful that we have a nice place to live, enough food to feed our family, and enough to pay our bills. What more could I ask for?

As for the tag...wait for it...

Amy, Robin, Jolinda, Maralee, Kirsten, Christine, Hilary (hehe)

Better Luck Tomorrow

Did you ever have a crummy day, and the only thing you could think of that would make you feel better was one of these?



So you went and picked one up and brought it home...

and dropped it...

on the carpet?

Yeah.

Me too.

I'm going back to bed.

Free Ice Cream? I'm There!

Well, we did it. We survived the 20 hour drive from here to New Hampshire and back again.

And it was TOTALLY worth it.

Who knew there was so much to do in New Hampshire?

Well, maybe not so much in New Hampshire, but Vermont was super fun, as was all the time we spent with the Snow's.

We really enjoyed our time with Paul, Sarah, Ethan, Sadie and even Jabba.

Isn't Miss Sadie just a little bit of sweetness?



And Ethan is a totally mini-Paul.



And even Jabba was a good sport about our visit...considering we tortured him by making him wear this little pirate hat we got him.



I was worried it might be a little cold, but really, we had great weather. Although we did see sun, rain, and even snow during our visit.

We got to see where the magic happens at Ben and Jerry's.





We are all about the free samples!

We also went to see where Joseph Smith was born, in Sharon, Vermont.

It was so interesting to learn a little more about the Prophet.



There was also a wonderful monument that was made from a single piece of polished granite. It was 38 1/2 feet tall, one foot for every year of the Prophet's life.



We took a little tour of Dartmouth and the surrounding area. It's a sleepy little town, but I could definitely see the appeal of going to school there. We appreciate Paul taking time from his studies to show us around.



Of course, not every trip runs smoothly, but luckily a child can stick their nose against almost ANY wall when misbehaving.



We got to see the longest covered bridge (in use) in the world.



We were able to go and see Quechee Gorge. The "Grand Canyon" of Vermont.



Personally, I'm thinking whoever decided that they should call it that has NOT actually been to the Grand Canyon.

But, it was nice little hike just the same.



And of course, it's never only Joshy that's getting into trouble. These girls are at that age where they bicker ALL the time...so, of course, they have to hold hands until they can get along.



We really had such a fun time and appreciate Paul and Sarah putting up with our horde...and considering we ate them out of house and home, I am surprised that Sarah was able to manage such a lovely blog post about us!

My Guy

1. Where did you meet?

We were in the same ward at BYU. His roommate was my home teacher.

2. How long did you date before you were married?

We dated for a mere 30 days before we were engaged. Then a scant 4 months later we were married.

3. How long have you been married?

13 years. Wow.

4. What is your favorite feature?

Oh. This is difficult. I love his smile and his hands, but he's got a great little tushie too.

5. What is your favorite quality he has?

The thing that impressed me the most about Troy when we first me was his love of the Savior and total acceptance of himself and others. Troy has this amazing ability to see the hidden potential in others and always look for the good in them.

He still does this, and I love him for it.

Even when I find it completely annoying. Because, obviously, this is NOT how I am.

6. Does he have a nickname for you?

He calls me sweetheart and honey...and because I call him Charlie Brown (think Lucy pulling the football away from poor, dopey Charlie Brown)...he calls me his little red headed girl.

7. What is his favorite color?

Blue, blue, and then more blue. In case you didn't know, and I kid you not, Troy has about 50 blue shirts.

8. What is his favorite food?

Oh. Depends on his mood, but he has a major passion for Tony Roma's ribs. And since they have one in Spain (and not here in DC), he is VERY excited to go!

9. What is his favorite sport?

Oh. I don't know. I am very thankful that he doesn't watch sports. But, he did play football in high school and once a year, or so, he might even play golf.

10. When and where was your first kiss?

We were sitting on the couch in my living room at BYU. We were watching "It Could Happen to You" after having come back from Preference. Charlene and her date were sitting on the floor in front of us, and Troy snuck in a little kiss. Still makes me smile.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?

I don't know if we would answer this the same way. I love just being with Troy, going out to dinner, to the movies, or to the temple. I love it when I have him all to myself, so he can focus on ME. It doesn't happen too often, so I really cherish it when it does.

12. Do you have any children?

Yes, six. And yes, he does want more. Heaven help me.

13. Does he have a hidden talent?

LOL! Yes. He can tie a cherry into a knot just using his tongue. He's actually quite proud of this talent, and will perform on demand.

He can also still do a backflip.

14. How old is he?

35. Old fart.

15. Who said I love you first?

He did. We were speaking on the telephone and at the end of the conversation he said, "I Love You" and quickly hung up. I sat the phone down and looked at Charlene and said, "I think he just said I love you, but I'm not sure."

16. What is his favorite type of music?

I think Troy is pretty eclectic, but he really enjoys Gershwin, at least while playing the piano. And as many of you know, he has a fondness for Christian Rock.

17. What do you admire most about him?

Wow. This is hard. I admire what a hard worker he is...he is tireless, and works really hard to provide for his family. I also really admire his optimism. It has taken years, but I don't find it TOTALLY horrible when he is optimistic in the face of my gloom and doom attitude.

18. Will he read this?

Yes. And he can think of how much I love him and miss him.

And maybe, he might even leave a comment.


I know you girls hate tags, but I want to hear about your guys. So I tag Andrea, Melanie, Lisa, Kelli, and Kim. I could go on, but if you read this, let's hear about your guy!!!

Election Night Traditons

What did you do on election night?

I normally spend it glued to the TV, completely absorbed in who is winning and who is losing.

But, this year, I thought I'd try something different.



Melanie and I got 60 quarts of applesauce done. (That would be 200 pounds of apples, thank you very much.)

There is something SUPER satisfying about doing the work and seeing all those wonderful bottles of goodness.

But, sadly, I don't like applesauce either.

I SWEAR, the next time I can, I am so doing something I actually like!

At least my family will appreciate it. Right?

Rocked The Vote

So, I know everyone is blogging the same thing today...but I just wanted to say, I voted.

Troy voted.

Now, let's just keep our fingers crossed.

Lame, and Then Some

Well, tonight was parent teacher conference, and the WORST possible thing happened.

I got so riled up at one of the teachers, and the discussion got so heated...I cried.

How lame am I?

Seriously.

I hate that about myself so much. I am NOT sad, or upset, but just REALLY emotional, and the tears just come, and I can't stop it.

I never would have cut it in the courtroom! Good thing I like the law library.

Sigh.

Oh well.

Pretty Even When Grouchy

So, yesterday was a photo shoot with the Jones family. And I love how the photos came out. We'll see if Tamee thinks so too.

It turns out that I like taking photos of happy children, but the unhappy children are just as much fun.

There were a lot of great photos to choose from, but here are some of my favorites.

The family.





Daddy and Daughter.



Mommy and Daughter.



The kids.









The Happy Couple.



I know you don't like your profile Tamee, but I just adore this one.

Quite the Haul

So, October officially goes down as the worst on record, and I can only be thankful that it's over!!!

It was so bad...I skipped what has become a Beatty family tradition. I did not make Halloween costumes. It was the first time since I have had kids that I didn't make our costumes.

But, it is what it is, and I just couldn't do it. So the kids made do with what we had in the Halloween boxes.

And this is what they came up with.

First, the bootiful witch Mikayla.



Then we have the spooktacular mermaid Emma.



And, Joe had to be a Jedi padowan.



Let's not forget about SuperJosh.



Then, of all things, we have Velma from the Scooby Do gang, or Becky Velma as she likes to be called.



And, finally, baby Tink.



The kids had a really good time Trick or Treating. It was particularly fun to go with all our friends, as the Taylors, the Joneses, and the Hobbs, as well as Emma's friend Megan all came along. We were quite the crowd, with fifteen kids between us.

My favorite moment was when Josh said, "Mom, I'm tired. Can you carry my bag and go ask those people to give me candy."

"Um. No."

I also enjoyed Katie's attempt to get candy. She was so excited to finally get her very own candy, she sat contentedly in her Dad's arms until it was gone. Then she wiggled down and scrambled to another door step to try and get another piece.

My children, the candy hounds.