Blessings in the Form of Moments

This week was full of moments that make me glad I am who I am. That I'm blessed with the family that I have. That we've had the weather we have. The friends we have. That I have a testimony in Christ. 

It's hard to have a bad day when the sun is shining and the weather is designed for daily outings. 

~MoNdAy~

It was one of those perfect days that make all the imperfect ones fade away. 

I had special moments with each kid. 

Somehow had time to get the whole house clean.

Received a surprise invite to lunch with Travis. 

Enjoyed a beautiful walk with Addie and Nala before playing barefoot in the leaf covered yard.

Finished an Audio book.

Took a nap! 

The boys and I raked leaves, cleaned the garage, and broke apart the large cardboard boxes (with bats:).

Maddix got to go on the roof with my neighbor (thanks, Rick!) in search of Aaron's bouncy ball!

Threw the frisbee as a family once Travis came home -LOVED-

Night ended with some of the most touching prayer from my boys. 

Seriously, don't know how the day fit all it did! 

~TuEsDaY~

But of course, not everyday can be so good... 

Flu shots. 

2 Blown out diapers.

A lot of baby sass during a LONG grocery run.

Rushed After-school routines... and couldn't seem to get caught up! 

Oh! But Travis's residency group won the pumpkin contest with their AWESOME BB8 design! 

~Wednesday~

Got to have a girls lunch with some friends.

Our Ward Trunk-or-Treat! Travis was NOT a doctor!!

Travis: Glammed up 80's Rocker! 

Lacey: Prof. Trewlawny

Maddix: Severus Snape (couldn't die his hair that night)

Aaron: Cutest Harry Potter in the World

Adeline: Hedwig, the owl

~ThUrsDaY~

A Day Completely derailed from what I had planned!!! 

Slept through my alarm for the gym, ran to the walmart photo lab REAL quick to grab pictures (so i'm basically in pj's), but I find out the lab doesn't open for another 40 minus. Addie and I wander and burn time (something that kills me to do!) before we FINALLY get our pictures. On the way out Addie poops, but I'm headed home, right? I'll change her there. Put my stuff in the trunk, close the trunk, and IMMEDIATELY realize my keys are in the trunk and the car didn't unlock like it's supposed too (the key is supposed to keep it from ever locking us out... ugh). Also realize my phone is inside. Say a quick prayer. My BIGGEST blessing of the week pulls in and parks across from me. She let me use her phone... which did no good because Travis was sitting in an all day test and I don't know anyone else number here. So I plan to walk the couple of miles home, carrying Addie. This wonderful woman offers to drive me home. I wake my neighbor up to get my spare key. Get inside to grab my spare car key. She takes us back. I thank her profusely and go home to change my poopy baby. 

This could have been the worst moment of my week! And it really was for the briefest moment before the Lord sent me that wonderful woman who turned it into the best moment of my week. It was a testimony builder of how we're never alone, and there are good people in the world. So pay it forward! 

Then the day just dipped further down hill when I spent 2 1/2hrs on the phone in a three way call with the credit card company and GAP over a zillion charges on our card that shouldn't be there!! Blah... 

Oh and I never did shower for the day... 

and I couldn't get on top of ANYTHING that day... 

At one point I was STILL on the phone after Addie's nap and she was just screaming and I couldn't hear the people on the phone, so I literally gave Addie a giant box of open gold fish and let her walk all around the front room, dumping in a trail behind her as he stomped on them, ate them, and fed them to the dog... but it's all I could do to get her to be quiet so I could finished that phone call from hell!! 

~FrIdAy~

Hayrides at the school! Parent's weren't allowed to come, but Aaron's teacher sent me a pic, thank goodness:)

Family Movie Night was my choice: Beauty and the Beast, live action. We all cuddled in blankets and shared a bowl of popcorn! 

~SaTuRdAy~

Enjoyed a Lazy morning. 

Accomplished several hours of yard work! 

Made it to the pumpkin patch!

Attended the coolest Murder Mystery Party!!!!! 

(My character was a secretly pregnant barmaid... fitting lol, and Travis was "Carny Folk," and DANG did he pull off the character!!! Everyone did such a good job with their costumes and characters, I can't wait to do another one! 

Baseball break

Promiscuous Barmaid
and a Carny Folk

LtoR: The bad Boy biker trying to start over, The trailer park owner, The country
Wester wanna be stars, Promiscuous Barmaid, Carny Folk, Sheriff, Reverend and
his Wife! 

~SuNdAY~

Attended a meeting before church, which meant Travis got to bring the kids and get them ready while I read scriptures and saved our seats; not going to lie, I enjoyed that :D

Travis made crepes for lunch.

We all snuggled as a family in blankets in the warm sun spot on the rug and watched a Sunday movie/napped. 

Visited with some "Church Family" for dinner.
P.s. I have to mention that for this World Series we've been a house divided, Dodgers vs. Redsox

and my Sox just won!!!! I won't rub it in or anything, but between this defeat and the pitiful BYU game, Travis just said, "this has been a terrible week of sports for me." lol... Sorry Babe!

A Visit From "Flat Ali!"

There is a children's book called, "Flat Stanley." It's about a boy who is smashed by a billboard overnight and his brother finds him in the morning, completely flat. He uses his new found thickness to go on adventures. One such adventure involves his family mailing him in a large envelope to friends in California. He then mails back pictures, brochures, and such to explain his trip to family back home.

Inspired by the book, our cousin's kindergarten class went ahead and made flat versions of themselves to mail to family and friends living outside of the state. The family will then show around their flat counterparts around the state they're visiting and mail them back home so their class can study and learn about different states in the U.S.

So lucky enough for us, we got a visit from our counsin's "Flat Ali" and we had a blast showing her around.... Iowa... Too bad she didn't visit us when we lived back in New York! Jk, we were actually surprised how many places there were, rich with history to take Flat Ali around to visit!

This is the McNider Art Museum. The doors were locked (should've
been opened), but inside this museum houses the marionettes
from the Sound of Music. 

Clear Lake Riverboat 

This is the Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel 

Day at the lake

This was the first national bank, built in 1869. It was once
robbed by John Dillinger.

This just depicts Iowa: farming and windmills. Iowa is the leading
state in Wind power generation. More than 35% of the state's generated
electricity comes from windmills. 

This train began running in the late 1800's and
served as the main mode of transportation in relocating
children from New York to live in farms in the Midwest
during the Great Depression. 

The plane crash that is infamously known as
"The Day the Music Died" happened just outside
our town after they wrapped up a performance at
the Surf Ballroom.

The famous musical, "Music Man," was a play
based in a fictional town of River City. This is a
statue of Merideth Wilson, the man who is the creator
of Music Man. He grew up here in Mason City and based his fictional
town on Mason City. So our town is known as "Music City." 

Aside from those fun outings, we also had the boys' Halloween Class parties, Addie "rode a bike for the first time,"  dinner with the missionaries, a primary program practice, and the real primary program....
and I've NEVER been more proud of my boys in their entire lives! They were reverent, focused, arms folded, and singing nice and loud!!!! Maddix flashed me a few big smiles, and Aaron kept signing me "I Love You." Melt. My. Heart!!!!
Also, Maddix gave a talk that was longer for the kids his age, and it was incredible. It was about obeying God with all our Heart, Might, Mind, and Strength. He was clear, articulate, and even punctuated his sentences properly. We received so many compliments over both the boys!!!!
Then to top it off, they came home and played so well together all afternoon and then helped clean up the house for the missionaries, without ANY complaints... Maddix was even enthusiastic about getting to clean the bathroom for the first time, he he he.

Her FAVORITE blanket. If you have it, she'll come take it.
She rolls around in it. She drags in all over the house. 

Our walk how from school one day, after playing
at a friend's house. 

She's made her way into the "toy room club."
Her favorite toy... the kitchen set. She LOVES it!

F.H.E with the missionaries

She. Is. To. Die. For! 

Riding a bike!!!

Nala favors Addie more than any of our other babies,
and Addie is JUST as fond of her! 

This was his "Harry Potter" face :D

THIS face

Trying out her Hedwig Halloween costume
from Gma Donna

This little monster as been boycotting sleep.
Her naps are off, scarce, sporadic, and almost
non-existent... but she NEEDS sleep... so ...
you can do the math! 

Playing Basketball for the first time! 

He was feeling pretty cool on the way back from
piano lessons, getting to sit up front in the truck
and wear dad's sunglasses :) 

This is the first time I've read through the B.O.M
at such a rapid pace, and I feel like I'm following
the storyline better than I ever have.