October Stuff

I've been reading the books of Leonard Sax lately. I totally love his books so far and am excited to continue reading. I read The Collapse of Parenting, and I finished Boys Adrift last week. He talks about five factors that have influenced boys in the last 10-20 years causing them to be unmotivated and underachieving. The chapter on endocrine disruptors was particularly fascinating - and terrifying. I even went to the trouble of calling the companies of the different products we have for Emmett to get information about their ingredients - I know! That's how crazy I felt after reading that chapter! It was an eye-opener. I am currently reading Why Gender Matters - such a refreshing read with all the garbage out there about choosing to be whatever gender you please - sorry - doesn't work that way! Girls on the Edge will be after that. This is good stuff peeps!

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As head of the party planning committee for our ward (Office reference, anyone?) we (and by "we" I mean Justin) started getting things rolling this week. Justin made a flyer to pass out at church today. I am definitely getting excited for Halloween, but I need to get going on our costumes! It's my favorite holiday!

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waiting for Justin to get home at the train station

 pumpkins and hot chocolate

Thursday we went to a pumpkin patch in Buckley. They had so many great things to do with kids - I can't wait for Emmett to be older so we can play with him with that kind of stuff! I love the idea of going to the pumpkin patch for kids to pick out their pumpkin to carve for Halloween. We're going to start that tradition this year.

apparently I drink a lot of hot chocolate...

Friday afternoon I met a teacher friend for "coffee." She was my go-to substitute last year. She's my age and I love talking with her. Anyway, as we were talking she asked how I met Justin and I told her at BYU-Idaho. She later asked me what it was like growing up Mormon. I had Emmett with me, so I used him as an example and started with the beginning:

I asked her if she'd heard of the Book of Mormon. She said she had - I told her in it, we learn that babies are incapable of sin, so we don't baptize babies like they do in other churches - we wait to baptize until they're older. I told her about kids transitioning to the youth program and the annual conference they attend to have classes and activities to strengthen their faith in Christ. I told her young adults have the option to serve a two-year mission where they share their faith with people all across the world. I told her that we're a world-wide church. I told her that when Jesus Christ was on the Earth, he had 12 apostles, and in our church we have a prophet, and that he has 12 apostles, so our church is set up just like Christ's when he was here. I told her that we have the opportunity to hear from our prophet and his apostles twice a year, and that it was just last week. She asked how that works, and I told her it's broadcast live and you can find it on youtube! I explained that General Conference is like a bunch of TedTalks that are centered around the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

She was totally into everything I was telling her, and upon reflection, so was I! I mean, do we realize what we have? I know I don't always - and I was grateful for the chance to share how our church works, what we believe, and what we have. I sent her a link to Elder Uchtdorf's talk from the general women's broadcast - 4th floor, last door. I hope she listens to it! I shared my testimony of that experience today in church. I mean really, do we realize what we have? It was a faith-building experience for me.

I am not properly smiling because I was so enthralled talking to the painting teacher about her preschool centered around the philosophies of the book "Last Child in the Woods" which I will be reading after all the Leonard Sax books!

 Friday night I got to go to a painting party with my MK girlfriends. These paintings took us nearly three hours! It was intense work. I had myself my first Dr, Pepper, and the next day I had some crazy side effects. I would close my eyes and they would flutter like mad! Next time I will opt for caffeine-free! Saturday I went to my HIGH Fitness class again - it is so much fun. I wish I had more friends that I could convince to go with me!

this never gets old...

Being this sweet baby's momma is the best thing in the whole world. I love baby Emmett soooo much! He loves to talk to us, laugh, and smile. He is spitting up less and blowing out his diapers more - time to move up to size two methinks! He is getting close to rolling over. Oh my word - we love our sweet baby boy.

Emmett giggles with Daddy

Baby Smiles