Bittersweet

I've sat down a few times to type up an entry on the ol' blog, but I just can't seem to get my thoughts together in any kind of cohesive, coherent way. There's been a lot going on around here, but I just wanted to write a few things that have been on my mind the last week or so.

Thanksgiving is always a thought-provoking holiday. This year seemed more so than usual. David's great uncle passed away a few days before Thanksgiving. We went to his funeral on Wednesday. I had met the man only a handful of times, but each time he made me feel like a welcome addition to the family, as do his wife and children still. The eulogy, given by one of the sons, went into greater detail and further confirmed my initial impressions of what a good man this uncle was.

He was a good son. He was a good brother. He was a good husband. He was a good father, grandfather, uncle. He worked hard and taught his children to do the same. He appreciated the earth and its beauty. He was a rancher and a cowboy. He was a poet. He played the ukulele in a band (his band actually played one of the songs he wrote at the funeral). He fought in the Korean War. He drove a horse drawn wagon every Summer for a reenactment of travelling the Oregon Trail.

I've had this scripture running around in my head lately, and I think it that have been a motto for how this man lived his life: "...never be weary of good works, but...be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls." Alma 37:34 (This uncle wasn't LDS, so I hope he doesn't mind that I used a scripture from the Book of Mormon. :) )

As I listened to the eulogy, of all the things this man had done, I looked around at the family and friends and the thought came to my mind that even though a funeral is a sad thing, especially the day before Thanksgiving, most people in attendance were probably feeling grateful that they had a chance to know this man and learn from him and be inspired by him to be a better person. That's how I felt, anyway.

Halloween Pics

I posted some of these on my Facebook page, but some of you don't have Facebook, so I thought I'd post them here, too.

Jack-O-Lantern Sunset

We went trick-or-treating in Old Town Pocatello. It was a little disappointing. I had a couple friends tell me they go every year and it's a great time and they get good candy. I guess this year was an off year. Plus, it was a Saturday, so it was really crowded. There was a line almost two blocks long at a cell phone store. We bypassed it, so for all we know they were giving out free minutes or something. It must've been something good; I can't imagine standing in line for a Tootsie Roll.

Drew and Owen didn't care about the crowds and the lame candy. They were just excited to be getting something.

Owen wanted to be a wizard this year. I made a funky little hat, too, but he lost it before we went trick-or-treating.

Drew wanted to be a crayon. He was so excited about his costume.

I decided to make a spider costume for Samantha. I used the same pattern for the pumpkin I made last year then I added some extra arms and legs. It was a lot of fun to make, and I was pleased with how it turned out. Samantha was not as pleased. She cried and cried when I put it on her. But after people said how cute she was and gave her candy, she decided it wasn't so bad.

Reasons to Get Rid of A Dog*

Sure, there are a few Reasons to Not Have Kids on this floor, but those were much smaller and blended in with the floor much more nicely.

*This picture could also be titled Heather Has Too Much Spare Time.

A Pinch of Procrastination With a Helping of Hypocrisy

I've got all sorts of cleaning to do today. Drew and Owen want to watch videos on the computer, but I told them no computer until the chores are done. Here I am playing on the computer. My rationalization is I'm just going to "get it over with" and then I won't compute any more today (because I've also got lots of good library books waiting for me once the housework--or at least most of it-- is done).

I just wanted to record a few funnies from Drew and Owen--you know, for posterity's sake. Those boys are super interested in how things work and where things come from lately. I'll answer as many of their questions as I can and things I don't know I'll look up so I can give them straight answers. So now Drew and Owen know little gems like the following (which they have put into their own words):

"Honey is bee spit."

"Eggs are baby chickens."

"Milk is made out of cows." (I keep telling them milk comes from cows, not that it's made of cows, but they don't see the difference, apparently.)

And Owen surprised us at dinner the other day with this classy explanation on digestion: "Water goes into your body and turns into pee." He actually learned that one from the neighbor boy who has been paying attention in Kindergarten class. Smart kid!

Staying Home

Some sad news: I got let go from my job. I just wasn't picking up on the assisting as fast as the dentist (and I) would have liked, so I got the boot. I was pretty devastated on Friday, my last day there, but I feel much better now. Honestly, I was a horrible assistant. I did well with the cleanings and x-rays, and I really liked that side of things, but I was no good at assisting. So I totally understood where the dentist was coming from. Still, I really enjoyed my time there, I really liked my coworkers, and I felt like a big failure, so I cried for about three hours on Friday afternoon. And now I'm over it. Mostly.
I'm kind of relieved, in a way. I haven't been a very good wife or mom since I've been working full time. My house is a mess and my kids are going nuts. So I'm looking forward to staying home for a while and getting the house scoured and ready for winter. And maybe I'll have a little more time to write on the ol' blog. That'd be nice.

Some very glad news: David and the kids and I were sealed in the temple last Saturday, October 24. It was such a neat experience to have the kids all dressed in white and hear the promises of being a family forever. I was worried that the kids would be loud and misbehave inside the temple, but they behaved really well, with the exception of Samantha, who cried during most of the ceremony. But the officiator was really nice and said to her, "We wouldn't have it any other way, sweet girl." Drew was very excited about the whole thing and when it was over he asked, "Mom, are we married now?" He was so cute. Owen was pretty shy, which is totally in-character for him. But he was excited, too; I could see it in his eyes. And the boys loved their white ties that our sweet neighbor bought for them to wear.
It was so great to have friends and family come up for the occasion, too. My brother and his family came from Colorado, my amazing sister agreed to watch the neices and nephews, and we had friends and cousins come up from Utah, too. Thanks, everyone, for your support!
My favorite Heidi-cousin took some pictures for us. Here are a few (okay, a lot) that I like the best:

Granola bars make good bribes... "Hey, kids, let us take your picture and you can have one!"

I love this one; I just wish I had an editing tool that would let me erase the nose-juices and the granola crumbs...

"Look, mom! Leaf angels!"

This is by far one of the best pictures ever taken of Drew.

This is the least-squinty one we got at this spot. And it was such a gorgeous spot! I think the scenery in the background looks fake, but it is totally real!

A cute family pic.

"Okay, okay. This is the last one, I promise..."