Provo is a cool place to live

Yesterday was such a fun day! We found out Google has having a city carnival. A free carnival is extra fun. There was all kinds of fun things to do. It was really nice to get of the house and I hobbled around on one crutch. 

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The Oak Tree

Elder Ballard came to visit our stake this Stake Conference and shared a poem that I have been thinking about a lot ...



The Oak Tree
by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.

A mighty wind blew night and day.
It stole the Oak Tree's leaves away.
Then snapped its boughs
and pulled its bark
until the Oak was tired and stark.

But still the Oak Tree held its ground
while other trees fell all around.
The weary wind gave up and spoke,
"How can you still be standing Oak?"

The Oak Tree said, I know that you
can break each branch of mine in two,
carry every leaf away,
shake my limbs and make me sway.

But I have roots stretched in the earth,
growing stronger since my birth.
You'll never touch them, for you see
they are the deepest part of me.

Until today, I wasn't sure
of just how much I could endure.
But now I've found with thanks to you,
I'm stronger than I ever knew.

Fun Run

Marley's school has an annual Fun Run! The kids are supposed to collect pledges for running 2 miles around the school as part of a fundraiser. So Marley asked Nana and grandpa and then Scott and I took Marley to his office and she went around asking his coworkers. By the end of the day - she had collected $120! The kids are only expected to earn $15 for a ticket for the drawing - but she earned 8 tickets.

I was asked to help with the water table this year so I missed her on her first lap but I got a picture of her coming around the second time when she stopped for a drink! She did so great! They all get otter pops at the end for a job well done and I got a picture of her with her friend Lataya. I stayed for the awards assembly afterwards and was so excited when I heard her name called for a prize! She won a scooter! YAY!

Halloween!

We had quite the busy few weeks leading up to Halloween around our house this year. Luckily Nana was in town to help get our costumes ready! I don't really care about making my kids into scary things for Halloween, and usually they have no desire to be, but this year Marley decided she wanted to be a bride - and then she changed to a dead bride! It turned out to be a pretty fun costume except that every time I looked at her she gave me a little scare. She was frightening! Ethan found a fun veterinarian coat at DI and decided he was going to be a pet doctor. He brought the coat home and immediately stuck some doggy treats and band-aids in the pockets. He's a pretty smart boy.

This year's festivities included the ward Trunk or Treat on Saturday night, Marley's school Halloween costume parade, her school party and trick or treating on Halloween night.

Ethan and I went to Marley's class to help with her party. We were assigned to the cookie decorating table. When Dayna Jolley asked Marley if she was going to eat her cookie now or take it home for later she said, "I better eat it now! Otherwise my mom might eat it!" She thought she was so funny!

This year's weather was the exact opposite of last year. We went around the block with the Clegg's and the weather was so perfect! We had lots of laughs and got way too much candy! I will give $20 to the first person who can guess who I was for Halloween - I'll warn ya' - it's tricky!

Not gonna happen.

Marley tells me the other day that her biggest wish is that she could have a little sister. Hmmm ... sorry, Marley - not gonna happen. I tried to explain the best I could that it wasn't possible for mommy to have any more babies and she says, "Well, that's ok - we could just go to the orphan village and buy one!"

School Pictures - Marley, 2nd Grade

Ethan's 5th Birthday

Ethan's 5th birthday was a blast! It was several days filled with lots of fun and smiles. Nana got to come and spend several days celebrating with us this year!

Here's the recap:

morning gift ... angry bird

breakfast gift ... 3d shark book

and then off to Jumpin' Jacks for lots of fun!

Ethan got to invite 3 good friends - Tristan Clegg, Ethan Mouritsen and Grace Hale. They played and played and played. So did Marley and mommy and daddy and Nana!

Then back home for a pinata and birthday cake. We played for about an hour with his lunch present ... a stomp rocket!

His primary teachers (for the second year), the Gallops, made a surprise appearance and gave him a very generous gift! They are sooo cool!

Dinner was pancakes! Daddy made all kinds of cool designs, he is so fancy! We opened some presents and he got some pretty cool ones. Mommy and daddy bought him a plasma car, so fun! He got a few special calls from family ... so cute to watch him talk (or not) on the phone. It was a long day but his birthday party wasn't over yet!

Papa came up on Saturday still in time to give him a present and some birthday spankings. We got together and opened a few more presents ... grandpa Yergensen gave him a super cool helicopter which EVERYONE likes to play with. Daddy even made the cake this year ... a yummy carrot cake.

I am always a bit surprised when birthdays come around. It was shocking, a bit annoying, a little depressing, and so amazing that my little boy is now 5. Next year he will start school but I know he will always be my cuddly, sweet, kind, tender-hearted boy.