Dear Friends and Family,

We are in the middle of a rain storm but it is snowing on the mountains.  I cannot remember the last time we have had snow before Halloween.  It is supposed to clear up next week and I can go pull out all the dead plants. But right now kids are excited to turn on the heater and fire place and think hot chocolate should become a food group of its own.

Biggest news of the week is that Allison came home Tuesday afternoon.  She was spoiled rotten out in CA and once the initial excitement of seeing everyone at home was over, she was a little let down with the transition back to reality.  Doing make-up homework, eating squash for dinner and going to bed early on a school night was a little depressing.  Today she wore the dress my mom bought her in China Town and felt quite special.

This week was full of just the regular rhythm of family life.  Spencer and I got our flu shots together.  Robyn thought it was great that I couldn't get the mist as she could tell the nurse when and where to stab me.  Too bad moms can't cry.  I told Robyn that Sunday when we used our last pull-up that I couldn't buy anymore.  She has still been wearing them at night.  I am not giving in to the pressure of having to wash the sheets every night but one so far but it is very tempting.  Jeremy has been getting up in the middle of the night to wake her up which helps but not enough yet.  I figure she has to get it at some point!

Friday night I had a girls night out with a bunch of women from our ward where we ate at Zuppas and watched You Again at the movie theater.  A very cute chick flick.  Spent any free time this week working on sewing Spencer and Robyn's Halloween costumes.  Last night Spencer and Allison went to a friends Halloween party.  Spencer was willing to put up with an unfinished Halloween costume in order to play games and eat treats.  I am not sure if I should be depressed or flattered at our kids belief that I can magically make the perfect costume for them.  We have had a few tears as reality and their visions have collided.

Speaking of treats after we had our big Auxiliary training Thursday night with a buffet of amazing desserts afterward, I decided I needed to do some changing.  All the ladies I run with eat zero sugar (it is a bit ridiculous).  I couldn't help but think about the half marathon on Halloween and wonder how much better I would do without any junk in my body.  So I figure I can do anything for one week (the longest I have ever gone without sugar has been maybe an afternoon).  And it has been dang hard!  My hand keeps automatically reaching for everything I shouldn't eat.  I don't plan to keep it up past a week but I am hoping it will reduce my dependency on regular chocolate fixes!

Jeremy has had a photo week.  He had two photo shoots, one of which he was a model for and the other he photographed.  Then Saturday he was able to spend the day at a photo class learning how to do lighting etc.  He learned a lot and enjoyed the challenge of learning new things.  He has been pulling in the daddy points lately after solo parenting two nights in a row while I was gone and then doing Saturday morning by himself while I ran and then cleaning the church again.

Love to you all and hope you are enjoying a nice rainy day inside as we are.

Heather

P.S. Forgot 2 highlights of the week.  Monday we decorated "pumpkin" cookies.  Spencer created Mt. St. Cookie for his FHE treat with candy overflowing.  And secondly Jeremy had his physical this week to get shots for our trip and was psyched that his cholesterol is much better than mine.