Dear Friends and Family,

This week fall seemed to come and go.  Early part of the week I had a cold, just miserable enough to keep tissues and hot chocolate on hand but not enough to crawl into bed for the day.  We had our windows open during the day and enjoyed the sunny afternoons of 80 degrees.  And then on Thursday we woke up to snow on the mountains and slush in our back yard.  Winter had decided to give us a little taste of what is coming.  Waking up to pitch black cloudy skies just makes me want to curl back into bed with the heater on.  Luckily I have friends who are waiting for me outside to go running.  Without them I don't think I would ever get up before the sun.  But today the sun has come back out and everyone feels more cheerful.

With the fall colors coming on fast and quick we took a ride Monday up the canyon to look around and for Jeremy to scope out his portrait spots.  We stopped at a reservoir for a few minutes before we turned around and just happened to run into some friends of ours up there fishing.  Then back home for hot chocolate, cookies and bed.  Something about a car ride, cold weather then baths and hot chocolate makes for a magic formula where everyone is ready to crash into their warm beds, happy and tired.

Spencer and Jeremy left Thursday night for their man trip in Lake Tahoe with my brothers and Dad.  Reports I have heard so far have spoken of lots of food, hiking in the snow with Spencer in full on whine mode until he manned up a bit, biking, sleeping in, talking and searching for for geo caches.  It sounds like a perfect man trip to me.  We had to make an emergency shopping trip this week when I realized that Spencer had no long sleeve shirts and had lost his sweat shirt.  Guess that is what happens when you grow so much, so fast!  I always think I will surprise Jeremy with all I had done while he is gone.   I had big plans that the garage would all be cleaned out and organized by the time they came back Monday night.  Instead it will be more like, "See that little tiny corner over there?  Its clean.  Now I just have the rest to do!"

The girls went and picked up their painted piggy banks from Allison's birthday.  It amazes me how good they look after being fired.
Allison now that she is 10 was old enough to go to a babysitting class Saturday at the rec center.  She came home feeling super knowledgeable with a big bag of supplies - treats, games, first aid supplies, info sheets for the parents.  She told Robyn about the sleep fairy that only babysitters know about who leaves a treat under the pillows for all kids who fall asleep quickly for the babysitters.  Last night she put a mento underneath Robyn's pillow and Robyn woke up jumping around with glee saying, "she came, she came!".  Allison can tell you all about how to feed and burp a baby, what to do for kids who are fighting or for when they get a burn or easy meals to make for little kids.  Now she just needs some kids to practice on!  Right now Robyn is being the lucky recipient of all her new ideas.

Yesterday Robyn had her last soccer game until spring time.  I was sure it would be cancelled but the rain stopped and although it was slushy and 40 degrees they had a great time.  I am not sure when or how my kids became wimps about doing tough things like bundling up to go play when its cold outside but I am determined to correct it.  Once Robyn got over the whine mode, she had a great time.  Of course I think I was pretty wimpy as a kid and didn't toughen up till I was older.
Saturday we had a cousin afternoon which was fun.  I am glad they act like our house is their house and are just comfortable here.  Wish we had more family close by, but I treasure those that we do have here.  Saturday night Allison was my date to a play at Hale Center Theater in Orem.  It was The Marvelous Wonderettes.  It was more of just 50's songs being sung by 4 women rather than a play but we enjoyed it.

Rest of the week was full of me bumbling around and doing odds and ends.  My friend Brenda came over to preview '17 Miracles' with me to see if Allison could watch it.  It was a great movie.  I am just not sure Allison could handle it emotionally to see what the pioneers went through in the Willie Handcart Company.  She lost it during the Joseph Smith movie in SLC and we have yet to finish it.  I have been sewing this week on a present.  I am sure that if I spent the same time and money on something at a store, it would look a lot better, but I enjoy the process and the thought that I am making something for someone I love.  I am trying to make more of my presents this year.  I like to think that it means more.

Love to you all, Heather