HAPPY HALLOWEEN this week!  Where did October go?  I can hardly believe that we are seeing the last days of this month slip by and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it!   

I have already received some great Halloween photos thanks to early Trunk or Treat/Fall Festivals  this year.  

Ben and Holly in the leaves 💛

Watch out World! 😍

Sayre is Captain Olimar 😘

Mike and Barbi have always been intense Halloween fans. Last week she showed me their costumes and I was a little bewildered because I wasn't sure who they were so she said I needed to come home and watch Hocus Pocus.  We did last night and now I get it 😁

Of course, we had our first snow of the season just in time for Halloween

It caused many problems on the roads and affected the number of people who took the challenge to drive to Church today.  Our kind neighbor shoveled our sidewalks and driveway before we got home this morning.  They are the best!

Remember when. . . .

Kids in the news . . . 

Spencer on the job at his fancy restaurant - 

This is what they offer for dessert.  In my dreams, I think I am having the Cooper's Hawk Chocolate Cake 😋

DESSERT

S’more budino 

Caramel Custard, Valrhona Chocolate Mousse, Brown-Butter Toasted Graham Cracker 10.99 

Banoffee pie 

Graham Cracker Crust, Banana, Toffee Filling, Fresh Whipped Cream 10.99 

Cooper’s Hawk chocolate cake 

Valrhona Chocolate, Hazelnut Ganache, Vanilla Ice Cream 11.99 Salted caramel crème brûlée

Fresh Berries, Flaky Sea Salt 11.99 

Key lime pie 

Fresh-Squeezed Citrus, Graham Cracker Crust, Whipped Cream, lime Dust 10.99 

Reese’s ice cream cookie

Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie Baked with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Vanilla Ice Cream 12.99 

House-made truffles

Chocolate, White Chocolate, or Truffe of the Month 4.99 Each

Sammi & Blythe selling lemonade and cookies

This should have been our first clue that Sammi was destined for greatness in the business field!  She has joined DECA this year and is loving it.  This weekend she is in Vail for a competition.  Yesterday we went shopping for shoes and socks that would keep her feet warm, and just happened to find these cute Stanleys - 20 oz - just the right size for a beverage or instant breakfast.

Emma and her friend, Sean found a Halloween Corn Maze in Erie (close to Boulder).  It looks like so much fun - remember the maze in Japan?  Was it in Showa Park?

Last Thoughts . . .

Did you know Southwest offers hot chocolate as one of their beverage selections?  Yum!   

We had such a wonderful trip to California but it does feel good to be home and in my own bed.  

Wanted, Dead or Alive - Missing Rice Cooker

Can't find it anywhere  - If anyone sees someone walking around with a rice cooker that looks like this please call the police immediately 😊

Dad's doctor's appointment with the Gastroenterologist was moved up from Nov. 8 to this past Friday. The reports indicate that they didn't find anything remarkable we need to worry about, so now they just need to figure out why he has difficulty digesting food.   

I have been keeping tabs on Francie this week and I am happy she is taking good care of herself.  She stayed home all day on Friday to rest and catch up on some much-needed sleep.  Mike called tonight to give me an update on Ray.  According to Jenny, her dad had about 12 inches of his colon removed including all of the cancer.  He still has a spot on his liver that they are testing.  He also has some kind of infection in his legs and is receiving large doses of antibiotics for that.  Jenny said the Ward has been wonderful to bring in meals, and is giving them lots of support.  Ray also has had several visitors from his friends in the Scout program.  Francie said the other day she thought Jenny might end up in Congress - she has battled the insurance companies insisting her Dad get a specific medicine, and she has a doctor from Stanford consulting on the issue with the liver.  She is amazing! 

Our favorite missionary only has one month left before returning home.  He recently sent this email so for anyone who might have missed it, I thought I would share and let this be our spiritual thought for the week -

Sorry it's been a while things have been super crazy busy the last while. These last few weeks have gone super fast. It's kinda crazy to think that I only have a little bit more than a month left. in recent news me and my comp were put in a trio with the new Vietnamese speaking missionary. If i'm being honest it is super sad to think that i'm going home, my mission has been the greatest experience that I have had so far in my life. I am so grateful I decided to extend another transfer. Of course I'm also sad that It took me so long to figure it out but I'm just happy that I figured it out at all. Before I close my email I want to share a small spiritual thought. A few weeks ago Elder Slaughter from the 70 came to the Huntington Beach North stake conference. He has some incredible thoughts but there was one in particular that stood out to me. He was talking about when he was a mission leader in Texas and how sometimes missionaries would come to him with too much confidence (Pride) issues, and other times missionaries would come to him with lack of confidence problems. He came to the realization that both of the problems stem from the same issue. Both come from a lack of Christ confidence. When we have confidence in Christ and his Plan of Happiness then we can face anything with comfort knowing that we have our Savior with us every step of the way. 

Things to look forward to in next week's blog - 

Eilis is turning 17!

Adam may be playing soccer forever if his team keeps winning 

I'm getting a new hip!

Kate is coming for a short visit ~

Please don't forget to send me all of your photos and fun/or not-so-fun family news 💖