Halloween Piano Recital

One of my favorite traditions is Sister Shaw's Halloween costume Piano recitals!

This year was Kendall's first recital and he played a duet with her, "Halloween Song." He loved how it sounded so much better when she added her part- haha!

Nathan played,"Pumpkin Boogie." He said he messed up but you couldn't tell because he just kept playing.

It was fun seeing all the students, their costumes, and catching up with their families.

Halloween 2015

This year for Halloween I called Jen and said, "This is what I have, What do you have?" and after talking to her and the boys... The skeleton football players were born.

The best part is that Alverez was the name on the back of their jerseys so then they became the Alverez football brothers.

On the Night of Halloween, we were able to have Elder Scott form the 70 come to our stake.  Justin had meetings that day with him and so he took the boys trick-or-treating that night and let me go to the adult session with mom.

It was an uplifting night and we learned so many neat things from being taught by the spirit.

The boys got a TON of candy and spent the rest of the night sorting it into piles and trading with each other.  It made me smile because I remember doing that with Doug.

Trunk-or-Treat

Mammy came over after work and the boys and I got busy working on the trunk for the ward Trunk-or-Treat party.

It was fun transforming the clothes and masks into Justin's great-great grandparents that we dug up from the back yard- ha!  Grandma was even wearing my pajamas!

It looks like I have a helmet under my shirt!

 31 weeks pregnant with my little skeleton football players.

Letters to Our Baby...

Gooey caramel apples gave us brain power to write letters to the new baby.  I had asked the boys to write a letter to our new baby and tell him what he might like about our family.

Here is what they wrote...

Kendall's Letter...

"Dear Cardon,

Hi.  It's going to be so exsiting!!!!! to see you.  I can't wait for you to do sports with us.  I can't wait for you to be born so we can see you cardon.  Weir so glad to be abel to hug and kiss you.  You will love dad because he will throw you up in the air and mom will read you tons of stories and you will love playing with Nathan.

Love,
Kendall"


Nathan's Letter...

"Dear baby brother,

   I can't wait for family fun friday night!!  You are going to love sports.  They are all around you in our house.  I think you'll get really good grades.  You are going to be an awesome brother.  When you're 6, I can take you to sonic!!  I hope you have my taste buds and love anything spicy, Anyway I love you and can't wait for you to see me. Dad loves sports and you will like how much he helps you.  Mom loves surprises.  Kendall is so energetic.  Love you !!!

Love,
Nathan"

Monday Half Day....

The boys had a four-day weekend this week.  Justin came home for lunch as usual and after he ate he surprised us by taking the rest of the day off.

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful day by going for a drive to see the autumn leaves and ended up at Red Rocks.

We stopped by the Coal Mine Building to see if we could look down into the valley because the church is perched on top of a hill.

 Sure enough the trees were in full color changing mode and we oohed and ahhhed for a bit before getting back on the road.

It is a major perk to live in such a unique place where everyday you get to bask in beauty.

After our scenic drive, we got some exercise and explored Red Rocks.  We came home and I took a nap while the boys had a tournament on the Wii with dad.

Dinner, FHE,  and showers. Then Justin and I dropped the boys off at Mammy's for a little sleep over and with my purse full of Rasinetts, water and Kind bars, we went and saw the movie War Room.

We loved the movie and loved the day!

Freaking out at Church...

I was sitting in sacrament meeting next to Justin and the boys were laying all over me.  It was a particularly good meeting and I was really enjoying the speakers.

All of the sudden I could feel a red hot power surge go through my body and I got so hot and sweaty that you could float a guppy in my neck.

My fingers began to swell and they literately felt like spicy sausages.  It was at that moment I realized I could not get my wedding rings off.

A wave of panic swept over me and I looked at Justin and held up my hand.  His eyes got big and round which was not the reassuring look I was hoping to get.

My entire body was swollen by now and you could not even see my ankle bones.

I sat there and tried to twist and pull my rings during the closing prayer and that just insured more panic.  They were not budging even one millimeter.

Justin escorted me into the kitchen and got me a chair.  I ran my finger under freezing cold water and then sat there with a bag of ice to try to shrink my finger.  I said a prayer.

After my hand was nice and frozen I raised it above my head and Justin twisted and pulled on it for about 10 minutes.

That was painful, I'm not going to lie.

Finnaly, It was OFF.

My panic switched immediately into grateful mode and I couldn't stop hugging Justin for saving me.

A GREAT Season

I LOVE fall sports.

Our family has really enjoyed rooting the boys on as they played these last few months.

Kendall was especially loving this year because his dad got to be the soccer coach.  That always adds just a pinch more appeal and diligence.  He tried so hard this season because he knew that his dad was always watching him.

His favorite position is anything defending the goal.  He was very determined not to let anyone score and that kid has got some wheels.  He can really get places, FAST!

I love watching Justin coach and seeing him interact with the kids.  Laughing and joking and helping the kids learn the game is what it is all about at this age.  He throws in a bit of competitiveness and it turned out to be a great recipe for this soccer team.  It's fun to see him grow from the beginning to the end of the season.  I especially love watching him on the field with his clipboard looking all "coachy".

Kendall was thrilled to be on the same team as his cousin, Elena so that was also another major bonus.

Nathan chose flag football.

He had a great season and learned a ton.  We did not know anyone on his team or his coaches so he was able to make a lot of new friends.

Nathan had some pretty amazing touchdowns and catches this season and I'm not just saying that as a mom.  Seriously, some were epic.  Like the one time he was running the play, slipped, and caught the ball the opposite way he was going to score a touchdown!

Above all, my favorite thing was watching him pull flags this year.  No one could get by him.  Anytime the whistle would blow he would have the opponents flags in his hand.  I would find myself yelling at him to "grab the tickets" because I was so riled up that I would forget the word "flag".  It would get pretty exciting!

We were all sad to see such a great end to these fun fall sports but boy are we excited for the next batch of sports to begin.

What is Orange?

I love this little poem that Nathan wrote.

Scout Temple Tour

 We had an amazing opportunity to get to experience a Denver Temple Tour with Kendall's scout troop.

Our tour guide was such a sweet lady and told us some really interesting facts about the temple and the grounds.

 The blue spruce evergreen tree in the background on the left was one of two trees that were President Hinkleys.  He loved those trees and donated them to be on the temple grounds.

 This braided pattern is on the outside walls of the temple in many places.  It symbolizes that we learn line upon line and precept upon precept.  It is a constant process.  Here a little and there a little.

This Angel Moroni was replaced in 2006 because of lightening damage.  It is 10 feet tall and made of plaster.  It can actually float and has the equivalent to 1700 post-it-note sized gold leafing papers on the outside of it.  It weighs 85 pounds.

Inside the "Erected" box is a time capsule.  President Hinkley, Faust, and Monson were at the dedication and placed the temple architect plans, scriptures, and news paper clippings among other things in the box before closing it up.

I had a really sweet experience with Nathan while Kendall was listening to the tour guide.  I was able to show him where Justin proposed to me in the back on the brides benches and the walls where he would be soon doing baptisms for the dead on the other side.  We were able to quietly talk about some really important things and he asked me lots of great questions.  

He told me that he can't wait to go inside and was so excited for that day to come.  

We hung around the back of the group and even took a temple selfie, haha!

A Granny Shirt...

I do not possess many things of value.  In fact, my most valuable possessions I could count on one hand.

My Granny shirt though, happens to be one of the things I count as being priceless and takes up one those fingers on my hand.

It is stripped and beautiful and even has a little stain on it and hangs in my closet where I can see it everyday.

It is a big deal because I can remember her wearing this and I know many things she did in this shirt.

I smell it often and it invokes deep feelings of her and I cry because I miss her.  As time goes by the smell is fading but the memories are fresh and what that shirt represents is so much more.

When I received the shirt for Christmas, my mom included Granny's Motto with it.  It is from Corinthians...

"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Wherefore my beloved brethren, if ye not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.  Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail- But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found posessed of it the last day, it shall be well with him.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father, with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when He shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

This scripture is Granny.

There a lots of days that I feel like I need her and I know she is super busy but I like to think of her as if she is right there sitting on my bed hugging my face like she used to, patting my cheek and letting me suck up and absorb some of her strength.

When Granny died, My Aunt Diane had all the grandkids sing at her funeral.  The song was, I'm Trying to be Like Jesus.  Aunt Diane had us insert Granny's name in place of Jesus so it went like this:

I'm trying to be like Granny;

I'm following in her ways.

I'm trying to love as she did, in all that I do and say.

At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,

But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,

"Love one another as Granny loves you.

Try to show kindness in all that you do.

Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,

For these are the things Granny taught."

 I'm trying to love my neighbor;

I'm learning to serve my friends.

I watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again.

I try to remember the lessons she taught.

Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying:

"Love one another as Granny loves you.

Try to show kindness in all that you do.

Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,

For these are the things Granny taught."

This song is Granny.

 It has now become a favorite song of ours and we sing the "Granny version" often for family home evening.

Now, every time I get dressed I try to be like Granny and by the end of each day when I know I fell short, I know there is always a fresh tomorrow to try and be like her and that gives me a bit of hope.

Halloween Preperation

One day in October, the boys came home from school and met GUS!  Our new monster that made his debut on our freshly painted black door.  We ended up getting really attached to this little guy and he really helped put us into the Halloween spirit.

My very favorite decoration for this moth was this really tough, little spider man guy that seemed to appear out of nowhere in every corner of our house! Boy, could he climb up walls!

An Epic General Conference

Why was it EPIC?

We got 3 new Apostles!















We are so sad and will miss Elder Perry, Elder Packer, and Elder Scott but there is no denying that these three men are called of God and are to be the new apostles.

They had them bear their testimonies and it was so powerful.

The feeling came right through the TV screen and flooded our living room.

 I loved taking notes this year.  Our family did something a little different.  About a month before conference we all wrote down various questions that we had and prayed that we would be able to get specific answers to our questions.

It is so amazing to see how Heavenly Father works because we each got our questions answered one by one.  Even Kendall.  He wanted to know how to be a better person and to be able to help others.  His answer came in the "Ponderize" talk.  He said he knew that if he picked a scripture each week that would help him and he felt like that was his answer.

Saturday, when the boys had the priesthood session, Mom and I went shopping.  We ended up at Charming Charlies, TJ Maxx Home, and Deseret book getting lots of fun things for being one of the first 100 people.

We spent some of the Sunday session at Mammy and Papa's and drank Brazilian limeades while watching the second session and ate dinner together after.

What an amazing talk the Elder Holland gave on Mothers.  I just love him and have such a special place in my heart for him.

I'm so grateful for a prophet that is on the earth right now!  I'm so grateful for absolute direction and for all the men that lead us.  I'm so grateful for the peace that comes while listening to their talks.  I love that we get this experience not once, but TWICE a year.  I really need it each time General Conference rolls around.

The Mom Clinic

Nathan: Hey mom, I feel like a really rich kid.
Me: You do? How Come?
Nathan: Because you take such good care of me.
Nathan and Me: Laugh, giggle, laugh...

This week Nathan has missed a lot of school due to fevers, aches, and the croup so we set up a bed on the couch and another one so I could hang out right by him.

We watched a few shows, took naps, drank ginger ale, ate chicken noodle soup, rubbed his feet and neck with On Guard, kept the humidifier filled up, stayed on top of the Motrin, and said lots of prayers so he would get better.

It makes me feel bad that he is sick but I loved taking care of him and all the one-on-one time we had.