Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!

We had such a fun Halloween! The Hinds side of our family has some fun traditions that we enjoy every year, and this year was the same. Jeff's grandma (Grandma Great) has a party for all of her posterity. She makes us all lunch/dinner and then has games and prizes for the kids. Everyone dresses up, even most of the adults-we didn't, boring I guess-and its a great time. Then we went to Dicks Market for their Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot. It was especially busy this year, and lots of fun to see all the kids in their costumes and get some good stuff. Then its off to trick or treat in Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood (Jeff's parents). We go to several people in the area that are friends of the family and show off the kids costumes. The best part of it all is that we do all of this with our awesome Hinds family and especially with our special cousin Jackson. The kids just love him so much and he is such a fun little guy.

He is such a ninja!




















Sweet little genie girl

Sunday, October 18, 2009

We are alive! Just barely...

I haven't posted for awhile because...well, I guess there is no reason really, just very busy all the time. So here's a little catch up from us.

The kids are loving school still. They have made lots of friends in their class and are doing especially well learning to read. I'm kind of surprised really. Not sure why, I mean, look at their parents. Ha ha! They have had a letter of the week each week and with each letter, comes a "Secret Word". So far they have had "I", "see", and "my". I didn't realize that they were actually getting how to use the words together until the other day when Mallorie was writing on her doodle and she wrote "I see my" and then drew a picture of a horse. Wow! I was so proud of her. Obviously she knows what those words mean, but that she WROTE them all out in a sentence was so awesome!

Soccer has been fun for all of us. I will post some pictures soon. Maybe I'm a bit biased, but Mason really is the best player on his team. Now, realize this is 5-year old soccer and isn't competitive, but he understands how to play and he really plays hard. He seems to love it and looks forward to it every week. Mallorie loves it too, but I think she likes the social aspect of it more. She can run really fast and can beat out most of the other players (just like her Auntie Katie!), but she is such a girly-girl and is very timid about actually getting in there and being aggressive. We're working with her on it. It is fun to watch her run up and down the field though, and especially fun to listen to her tell her coach all about our dog.

Jeff started a new job about a month and a half ago and is really doing well with it. I'm so proud of him. It is definitely not his dream job, but he has really put his best effort into doing great work there. His boss and his boss's boss have both given him a lot of "atta boys" for his efforts. I know it is hard for him to go there everyday, and I am so thankful for a husband who is willing to work so hard at a job he doesn't particularly enjoy to provide for us. This job has been an answer to A LOT of prayers. Hopefully it will be very temporary until he can get through POST and find a position with a police department close by. In an area with low crime :)

I have been working working working full-time. Thank goodness I can work from home and pretty much make my own hours. Another answer to prayers. We have been very blessed this year. Hmmm. Never thought I would be saying that after what has been one of the most difficult years of my life, but it is true. Funny how that works. I am seeing more and more that we are often blessed through trials.

That is pretty much it. This last week, the kids and I have been sick with the flu. Possibly of the porker variety, but not sure. The fevers have not been overly high, but high enough to keep the kids home from school almost all of last week. A lot of families in our ward have had the swine flu, and several kids in their kindergarten class. Ugh! I hope that we're past the worst of it. Anyway, we are alive!! I will try to post again soon. Love to all!