Halloween Costumes

 Thor: Cape made by Mama, Dollar Store breastplate, hammer made by Dada, shirt and pants from his drawer. Who needs a $20 Thor get-up from Target?

 Green Lantern: made by Mama out of t-shirts and glow-in-the-dark paint. Rhett doesn't know anything about Green Lantern (neither do we for that matter), but he got it in his head and insisted on this Halloween costume. (As of February 2013 he still wears it sometimes.)

Sweet Lucy. She didn't really get a costume. I did make her a yellow cape and mask to go along with our Super Hero theme, but she wouldn't tolerate the mask and we didn't ever get a picture of her on Halloween wearing this shirt, a white tutu skirt and her yellow cape. She sure loved trick-or-treating at the church, though!

Halloween Pumpkins

 Rhett's jack-o-lantern design: "C eyes, O nose, and zig-zag mouth," like one he made in a library storytime craft

 Is it just me, or is there a resemblance between boy and pumpkin?

 This cute boy chose a design out of a book.

 

Excited for Halloween!

More Soccer

 The thing I liked best about watching Benjamin play soccer was his constant smile.

 

Rain or shine, win or no win, he smiled nearly the entire time. Sure, when he took a ball in the face he cried. But otherwise he was always smiling as he ran back and forth across the little field. I hope he's always like that.

Bittersweet

On October 21 I received the sad news that my Grandma Furphy (my mom's mother) had passed away. It was definitely sad news, though not wholly unexpected given her age and condition.

While the news saddened me, I'd like to share that it was also a tremendous faith-building time. I've only really shared this with Paul (and I'm sorry, Mom, that I haven't taken the time to share it with you as well), but I feel like I want to tell everyone because I was (and am still) so touched by the tender mercy I was given.

I hadn't seen my grandparents for nearly ten years, as far as I can remember. They came to my high school graduation, and I hadn't seen them since. The last time we spoke, so briefly, was is 2004 when I told them I was engaged. Unfortunately, that conversation was not the best, for reasons that are irrelevant now. My grandparents didn't come to our wedding. And pride (and some fear, but mostly pride), kept me from maintaining meaningful contact. I would occasionally send pictures of grand kids, but that was seldom.

Knowing that my grandma's health was failing and that I would not have much more time to see her again, I had planned to take a trip down to Arizona in the fall. Needless to say, that didn't happen as planned.

But here is where the tender mercy happened.

On Saturday night, October 20, I dreamed that I had finally made the trip to visit my grandma, but it was more like she had come to visit me. In my dream I was nervous and apprehensive about how I would be received, given the length of time that had elapsed since our last visit and the reasons for the lengthy silence. When I saw Grandma in my dream, I remember being surprised how tall she was! She was healthy and robust. She was also happy with me. And proud of me. She didn't say so, but I could feel it.

I woke from the dream feeling peaceful, and thinking to myself how interesting it was that I dreamed of my grandma out of the blue. "How interesting it would be," I thought, "if I were to find out that Grandma had died." But I had no reason to believe that was the case.

The following evening my sister Sarah got in touch with me and told me the news of Grandma's passing. Immediately I was reminded of my dream the previous night. And as the hours and days passed, it was confirmed in my mind and heart again and again that it was a tender mercy from the Lord. He knew that I would wonder what if. He knew that I would wonder about those lost years. He knew that my grief would be far greater if I worried how my grandma felt about me after all this time, and that I would be burdened with regret.

But I didn't have to wonder. And I felt so peaceful about it all. I am still a little sad that she is gone from this earth, and that I won't be able to see her in person for a long time. But I know that someday I will. And I know I can look forward to it gladly.

I was able to make the trip down to Phoenix with Lucy later that week to attend Grandma's funeral. Here is some of the photo documentation, though I wish there was more of it.

Thursday we flew in and immediately went to the funeral home to dress grandma's body for burial. That was an incredible experience, and I'm so glad I was able to participate.

Lucy and I hung out at my mom's apartment the rest of that day. Here's Lucy playing with Aunt Melissa.

 Lucy and I stayed with my Uncle Jeff and his family. They were so good to us and I'm so glad we could be there. By the way, it's still nice and warm in Phoenix in October, as evidence by the sweaty, sleeping baby below.

The funeral on Friday was nice. I was fun to have the whole family together for the first time in many, many years. My sister and I are the oldest grandchildren, and the kid cousins I remember are now almost all grown up. I felt a little old. :)

Here's my grandpa talking to a lady in his ward.

 My Aunt Debbie and cousin Rachel

My cousins Nick, Josh, and Erika

 

My mom and Sarah. Behind my mom is her cousin John (?) and his wife (?). He's the child of my grandma's only brother Francis "Bus" Norr.

Melissa and Sarah play with Lucy (who was a doll on this trip, by the way)

My Uncle Chris

Grandpa talking to my grandma's sister Gloria and her son John Uibel and his wife

Grandpa and Mom

My cousin Cathy watching Lucy tear apart roses. (My girl cousins are all so pretty! I was amazed! They were tiny girl the last time I saw them.)

Sadly we didn't take a picture of the whole family when we had a chance after the funeral.

Saturday morning we drove out to the National Memorial Cemetery for the dedication of the grave.

Grandpa, Cathy, Kim (Uncle Chris's wife who I met for the first time), Erika, Rachel, Trent, and Fran

Kim, Debbie, and Grandpa

Behind Lucy are Nick, husband to cousin Kristin next to him, and Aunt Lesley

 Sarah, Fran, and Uncle Chris

 It was a really bittersweet time, and there was more to it than I can write down on the blog. I'm so glad Lucy and I could go. And I'm thankful for my Grandma and the impression she made on my life.

Dads have the best ideas.

 When Mom is out of town, it's obviously a great time to pull out the industrial yellow paint and let the boys help out.

Yeah. Our tub is still yellow.

Kindergarten Field Trip!

 Benjamin and I were both really excited for his first field trip.

I got to hang out with Benjamin and two other boys from his class.

 

Even with one of my charges making a run for it as the class was getting on the bus to go back to school, it was a fun day!

Should I be worried about this?

I wasn't sure what to make of this creation (Benjamin's) I found in the living room...

Poor Lego guys.

Another House Project

 Tired of the weird "window" in the wall, as well as the draft from the unheated room, we finally made a change. After a little demolition and a trip to the hardware store, we ended up with a pair of french doors, which we like a lot more. (No pictures of said doors, but maybe we'll do that after everything is trimmed up. Our house is full of works-in-progress!)

Friday

 7:35 am Oatmeal

 7:35 Oatmeal again. 

(Since I only took 10 good pictures, we get these double oatmeal pictures as a bonus.)

 8:00 am: Lucy doesn't like her brothers' feet on her chair.

 8:01 am: What do you know? More oatmeal! 

And some sort of bun... bacon-onion maybe? Could be, since that's Paul's favorite General Conference tradition.

8:01: Someone didn't do the dishes last night...

 8:40 am: Getting socks on

 8:50 am: Coat on--almost ready to go!

9:20 am: Shopping at Target. Lucy will not sit in the baby seat. Ever.

10:30: Checkout at Fred Meyer

 10:50: Shopping for apples. We go through a lot of apples.

 12:10: Lunch

2:01: Making a Green Lantern costume