Dear Friends and Family,

This week has seemed really busy. There have been more times than usual when I consciously have to think "I can't do it all" and let quite a few things be undone while I do that which has to be done. The event that put the biggest smile on my face though is that I finally painted our front door. Been planning to do it for some time as the paint on the door frames of our house sorely need attention. Been putting it off but realized last week as the cold and rain start appearing that time was running out and I needed to seize the day next time it was sunny and warm for a few days. Still makes me smile every time I see it!

For Allison's birthday she had a list of what she wanted. She wanted roller skates and to have a sleepover with one friend. She wanted to go to a roller skating rink, have pizza and cupcakes and watch a movie and then have strawberries, whipped cream and waffles for breakfast. She wanted to have her cousins over on her actual birthday and have an ice cream cake with blue frosting and candy letters on it saying Happy Birthday and a big 8 candle and to eat macaroni and cheese and watermelon for dinner. She also wanted to take brownies to school to share with her classmates that needed to be store bought and nut free. And lastly she wanted a beautiful white dress to wear after she was baptized. It all sounds very reasonable but for some reason I didn't prepare super well and spent this week scrambling a bit to pull it together.

Robyn helped me Monday to get a bunch of errands done. We packed up stuff for Jonna at Lauri's, got Allison's scriptures engraved, and found her a beautiful dress. Robyn picked out 2 dresses she though were great. They were called the 'cindrella' and the 'robin' - seriously what were the odds! So I felt like I was on top of things. Then on Friday, Robyn and I went over early while Jeremy stayed home to get Taylor on the bus to wait for the movers at Lauri's. They were coming to pick up the furniture and boxes to take up to WA for Jonna. Got a call when we got there that their van had broken down and they would be there closer to 12. So Robyn and I ran some more errands and came back at 12. No word from them at all. Stayed till 2 and then had to drive back to make carpool by 2:30. Of course the movers call at 3 to say they were there, where was I? So Jeremy ran over to let them in while I scrambled to get cupcakes made for a 4 pm party and get Allison from choir at 3:45, wrap party favors etc. But it all worked out. Spencer got Taylor off the bus for me and carried him inside to his bed (I was amazed and a little scared by that!) and he cooked the cupcakes for me (Allison didn't even care that they weren't perfect looking). When I picked Allison up she asked if I had decorated everything with balloons and then she looked at me and just said "thats OK Mom. I am just happy to have my first sleepover!" I felt a bit like a heel. But we had a fun night. The boys all laid sod while the girls and I went to a skating rink. Robyn and I did 1!!!! lap in one hour while Allison and Alena did 103 laps. Enjoyed the disco balls and flashing lights and disney pop music turned up. Ate pizza and ridiculously blue cupcakes. Played sorry and watched movies. Girls moved locations 3 times to find a 'non-scary' place to sleep. Girls woke us up at 6 ready to play and gave us updates till 7:30 when they started singing "wake-up you sleepy heads" as they were ready for breakfast. Giant waffles and lots of skating later they were all happy and tired out. So it was a great party despite or perhaps because I left a lot undone!

Last night I was able to go up to SLC with Kelly for the Relief Society broadcast. Afterwards we ate at cheesecake factory which just always makes for a stupendous evening. It was a much needed night out and was wonderful.

Thursday Jeremy and I were able to do a sealing assignment. Last time our ward will be asked as they are doing away with assignments. It amazes me how busy our temple seems to be all the time now. Jeremy had had a tough morning with his work computer crashing but had a great afternoon after going to the temple with his work taking him to buy a new computer. With a night of home teaching, a night of priesthood training and pres. mtgs, a temple assignment and then a service project night - Jeremy has been a little busy! He even spent Monday night catching up on some honey-do's. He hung up a mirror in our bathroom so you can now check your hem and the back of your head. It also happens to be right in front of our scale. Allison told me that now I can see what I look like when I weigh myself in the morning. Since I weigh myself sans clothes to get the best result I am sure this will be highly motivating! Jeremy also has been working with Spencer to get his pinewood derby car done. He has a dremmel tool now which has made this process much easier.

I met with Taylor's teacher for parent teacher conference this week. I was very impressed. She pointed out how Taylor was having frontal lobe seizures when he ducked his head and started barking like a seal repeatedly. I had never figured that out before but it was pretty obvious once I started looking. She is working a lot on Taylor shaking or nodding his head for yes and no. Taylor really likes and responds to her.

Robyn continues to love preschool and dance class. She is always singing the songs she has been learning or telling us what her teacher says. A diva in the making most days. I swear she likes to see everyone else go to school in the mornings because then she rules the house!

Love to you all and hope you are enjoying the fall. We put up our Halloween decorations yesterday and it is beginning to feel like hot chocolate and warm blanket time. love, Heather



Taylor waiting for his dinner



Jeremy found a hobo spider in our tub. He kept it for a WEEK! waiting for its energy to die down so he could take a picture of it. Last week was our Hall family dinner and everyone had to watch the picture process. Kelly and I watched from a distance.

EDIT: (Jeremy) Inserting a link to a couple of the photos taken here and here



This was our family room this morning. Spencer and Allison are holed up inside reading their books.



Jeremy and Spencer working on the car.



Got the girls panda sleeping masks to wear.



Cupcakes were a work of art. Blue hands, faces, teeth and tongues on everyone.







Blowing out Allison's candle.



Allison on her new roller skates. She did not want roller blades as she thought she would fall more. After watching her on skates, I had to agree.



Girls all loved their breakfast. There was zero nutritional value going on.





Picked our potatoes this week. I was impressed with how many we got. Have to break out some potato recipes. Made soup this week but still a lot left.



Been getting out some of Spencer's old toys. They have all forgotten how much they liked them.



At the kids' school's festival. Sitting next to Allison is her teacher this year.





Robyn won a pink bear on her first game. She still sleeps with him.








Robyn finally learned how to pump her legs. A huge moment for me and my back! After working to clean Lauri's place for an hour Robyn announced that she had to go to the park across the street RIGHT NOW! I agreed and we both went for some needed swing time.