Dear Family,

Happy Birthday David! We'll try to catch you later this day on the phone.

This week has reminded me of having the right perspective. Monday was a little rocky. Jeremy was up during the night hacking away with his cold. Rocky woke us up very upset and then preceded to throw up everywhere. So at 2 in the morning we were cleaning up throw up. Allison had bad dreams and then left the bathroom door open Storm doing a marathon run on his squeaky running wheel woke us up a little bit later. Got up to find Rocky had thrown up all over his crate and that Robyn had diarrhea all over her crib. Then Robyn preceded to have a very 2 year old day -need I say more? With Rocky continuing to throw up all day long without warning and being very miserable.

Tuesday Rocky switched from throwing up to pooping everywhere. Got to clean his crate out for the third time. Robyn decided to cut her hair and found her with chunks of hair everywhere. She now has lots and lots of layers! Dumping cat food all over our bed in an effort to feed the cat. Drawing all over the tub with pencils and then filling her bathwater with pieces of paper to color with. Tantrums about everything. Spencer throwing fits at the amount of make-up homework he needed to do. Allison realized that not only did she have a make-up piano lesson but also her master piano class (I thought it was going to be Wed) and her new gymnastics class! Lots of time in the car with Spencer having karate that night. Allison is loving her new gymnastics class. She is learning how to do somersaults and cartwheels off of the tramp into the marshmallow pit, her favorite part of gymnastics.

By this point I wasn't wearing my customary smile! Went to bed Tuesday night just having to laugh at how bad things had been. Found a note from Allison for me on my pillow and a similar one on Jeremy's pillow - "Dear Mom, you are the best in the whole world. I love you, Allison". Talk about a reminder of the right perspective.

Next morning Rocky was back to normal and Robyn could talk without yelling or screaming. Went to gymnastics to find her friend Tally who had gorgeous but length, thick curly blond hair had her friends cut it off to the scalp! I almost cried when I saw here. Talk about another reminder about perspective. Makes Robyn's layers not look so bad!

Jeremy's cold is doing better but he has not lucked out health wise this fall as he threw his back out Wedneday with a pinched nerve. So he is cracking his back a lot and realizing its time to see a chiropractor again. He has been putting in long hours to finish up the Osmond book and is hopefully almost done now. He stayed home Friday to stay on pain pills and work on it. He has been feeling very old lately with all his health problems. Never rains but it pours. Last night he had a photowalk event up at Gardner Village. So I got to go along for our date. I dropped him off and then spent 3 hours checking out all the cool shops and eating fudge. Then we went to IKEA to get bookcases for our basement. I am excited to get our books out of boxes and off our bedroom floor. We also found Allison's Christmas present - a desk for her room. Once Robyn is out she'll have room and the price was right for furniture that will be trashed with crafts I am sure.

Spencer has been really struggling with math trying to understand long division. He is on the verge of getting it and can do it with an adult looking over his shoulder. His teacher has been working with him in class on it which means he has extra homework at night to make up for what he didn't do in school. Makes for many tears but this fall break he has finally all caught up.
Kids were out of school Thursday and Friday and then tomorrow as well. So we have been enjoying our lazy time together. Thursday Meredith came over and we all went to the indoor swimming pool. It is like a sauna and feels so nice. Allison had a late play date/dinner with a friend to round off the day.

Friday we took Spencer's friend and went to the Provo Canyon for a scooter/walk/wave ride. It was gorgeous and reminded me again of the whole perspective thing. I could focus on the girls crashing often and having to scream to make up for the lack of any blood to show me. Spencer throwing a brief fit over a squeaky wheel that the lubricant we had brought didn't fix. Spencer learning that going to the bathroom in a bush doesn't work so well when its number 2. Or I could focus on sitting on a bridge eating snacks with the kids all giggling or the fall leaves and the warm sun. And Allison coming up to tell me that she loved walking with me here and when could we come back. Did I mention how often Allison makes me glad she is my daughter! Friday was supposed to be cousin night but Garion ended up sick at the last moment. So the kids and I decorated Halloween cookies and watched a disney halloween movie together. (Jeremy was still holed up with his book).

Mom and Dad just arrived so I will post pictures later.

Later - Kids are lying on the couches, stomachs distended after eating a gigantic chocolate cake my parents brought down. My parents are currently serving a family history mission in SLC for the next 3 months until they leave in January for their mission in Sydney Australia. I am excited for them and plan to take advantage of having them so close. Yesterday our kids cleaned their rooms without complaint because they were so excited about the reason they needed to clean their rooms!

Love Heather


Making cookies.


Robyn would spread frosting, lick the knife and spread some more. Needless to say she didn't have to share her cookies with anyone.



These are the 2 quilts I am thinking about for Robyn's room. Which do you think is cuter? I had planned to make it in purple and green but I am really liking the pink.