{ tHis iS hALLoWeeN ... }

5 Reasons that you know Halloween is soon approaching at our house:

1. All the costumes (from closets and boxes) are flung all over the house.
2. The kids are outside riding their bikes and running around dressed as their favorite super hero.
3. The neighbor talk turns to pumpkins, candy and haunted garages.
4. Ally can be seen with a bat on her head.

5. Chris can't resist a new Halloween gadget.

I have to admit this Bubble Fogger is very cool! It makes either small or large bubbles that are full of the fog, so when they pop, the fog is released. Oh, how we love Halloween!!!

{ 2 wEeKs }

I found out that I don't have until my marathon to raise money for children with cancer. I only have 2 weeks left.

I figure I just need:

• 100 people to donate $25 each,
• or 250 people to donate $10 each,
• or 500 people to donate $5 each.

I don't think I even know 500 people who could donate! Please help me. If you know anyone who could spare a few bucks to help raise money for such a great cause will you please help me by asking them to donate.

Please donate online at http://pages.teamintraining.org/ut/nikesf08/cgomm

This is Omar. He is my Honored Teammate. He is 8 years old and was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma stage IV 2 years ago. Right now he is currently in remission and winning his battle with cancer. You may email Omar at melihafejzic@comcast.net or Meliha.Fejzic@imail.org.

{hEbEr vALLeY caMp}

I have never been up there before. I just thought I'd pass along some of the information that I thought would of been helpful to know about the facilities.

We stayed in campgrounds Lucy Mack Smith #2 & #4. These worked out great for us since they were close to each other. YM were in #2 and YW were in #4. The girls choose #4 because the bathrooms seemed closer. It's my guess that they weren't that much closer, they just weren't down hill.

We each had 3 cabins. Each cabin holds 16 people. They have wood bunks that are actual twin size, so if you are bringing up a twin size blow-up mattress it will fit. You will definitely want some sort of thick mattress. You can pull your vehicle right up to at least one of the cabins, but you can't leave your cars parked there. They make you park out on the road (which isn't that far away, we had to cross that road to get to our bathrooms). The cabins each have a bulletin board (cork board) and a dry erase board. They also have 2 banquet tables in each cabin along with 8 chairs. The table and chairs are not allowed outside. The cabins have 2 doors and each has a metal screen door, which is nice for airing out the cabin! There are lots of windows. Yes, there is electricity and lights. The cabins each have two outlets, one by each door. Also a little garbage can in each.

There is a lake somewhere, but at this time of year it is drained, they use it for irrigation.

The bathrooms are fully functioning - 3 stalls each, soap, paper towels, mirrors, hot & cold running water, electrical outlets, and there are even showers (which we left locked so we wouldn't have to clean it when we left).

Outside there is a little covered pavilion. It has a sink (hot and cold water), one metal picnic table, and a big garbage can. It has a closet that has a refrigerator and metal shelves. You will use this to store all your food and cooking supplies. You aren't suppose to have food in the cabins.

The campfire area has a cement fire pit, with all the lumber you could need. There is log seating (theater style) and 4 metal picnic tables. Our group of 50 fit great with room to spare on the log seats. There is also a flag pole.

Be sure to allow for clean-up time. I'd suggest an hour. There is a list in every building of the things you need to do to pass cleaning inspection before they allow you to leave.

{ i wiLL suRviVe ! }

I had such a great time at youth conference. I went from being told that I wouldn't have to do anything, to having to do dinner, get sisters to do workshops, do a workshop, and stressing over having enough YW leaders there, and so on! Chris just laughed at me saying, "Did you expect anything less?"

They wanted to have youth conference at the Heber Valley Camp, where they have girl's camp all during the summer, so this was the soonest they could schedule it. Our girls got there and almost everyone of them said, "This is not camping." They go to Mia Shalom, which is nothing like this place. One girl said, "This is a resort."
Our basic agenda was this: dinner, bishopric trust & leadership building games, little free time, sleep, breakfast, challenge course, service project, lunch, workshops, home.
We had about half of our girls there. There were more young men there than young women. The downside to having youth conference when school is already started. There were so many sporting events that both the young men and women couldn't miss.

I am so thankful for this experience. If this is even a small portion of what it is like to go to girls camp as a leader, then I couldn't imagine why any leader wouldn't make every effort to go.

It was nice to get to know the young men in our ward also. I really didn't know but a handful of their names, so it was fun in Sacrament Meeting to be able to name all the young men that were passing the sacrament, since they had all gone to youth conference.

The bishopric games were fun. They had to learn to work together, to trust each other, and to step up and lead.

I guess when you go to these type things you don't plan on sleeping. I also learned that as a leader you should go to sleep after all the youth, that you should sleep with your clothes under your sleeping bag, that your shoes should not be left out in the open for any reason and to have a good sense of humor no matter how it all turns out! Now having said all that I will tell you that nothing happened to me or my stuff, but you might want to ask the young men leaders about theirs! If you go to up there I would definitely suggest that you pay the extra to do the challenge course. It was really a lot of fun, even though our guide/host was making it difficult. She was rushing us so much, and didn't want to let us figure anything out for ourselves.
Our service project was to bring falling/cut trees down the mountain. It poured on us, but everyone had such a great attitude and we by far exceeded their (camp hosts) expectation of what we could bring down.
I'm not sure how all the workshops went, since I had to teach one. Bro. Green and I did ours together. Mine was on relationships and his was on eternal marriage. We had the beehives and deacons first, which was our biggest group, so that was a little challenging. The next group was the mia maids and teachers. I am thankful for Bro. Maryott and his insights. The spirit was so strong, I was a mess. It really was a great workshop. The last group we had was the laurels and priests. I had changed some things, which I wished I hadn't, because of time. Oh well, you live and learn.

Even though I am still catching up on my sleep, I am so thankful for my calling and for being able to have the opportunity to participate in this great weekend. The girls in my ward are amazing!

{biG wHeeL rAceS}

Last night we had our annual summertime potluck dinner. Normally we have this on a Sunday, but since we moved we don't have any play things for the kids (swingset, etc.) so we had to be creative. Chris thought it would be fun to have Big Wheel Races. We've been planning on doing it all summer, but due to weather, resurfacing the road, and other events, this has been the first open Monday.

It was a blast!

I've never had or been to a big wheel race so I wasn't sure what to expect, but everyone was so nice. I think everyone, young and old, had a great time. I had many people tell me that their kids were looking forward to this all day!

Thanks to all that came and for the yummy food you brought.

I apologize to those who did not get the invite. My kids took them around a couple of days last week and it was windy both days. I was worried that some may have blown away.

P.S. I've posted all the pics on facebook - get an account (it's free) so you can see them!

{bAbY bLeSsiNg}

Today we got to go to my nephew's baby blessing.
Ammon is the newest addition to that side of the family. It's hard to believe he is 3 months old already.

{nEwS}

2 weeks ago we had an attempted child abduction in our neighborhood. The boy was on his way home from school when a man told him his mom was in the hospital and that he needed to take him to her. Luckily, the boy was smart enough (thanks to programs like RAD Kids) and he just took off and ran the whole way home, where his mom just happened to be. This was a good wake up call for our area and an excellent reminder that it's always important to talk to our kids about stranger danger, etc.

Channel 4 news came and did a piece on it for the 6 o'clock news and channel 5 came to do a piece for the 10 o'clock news. Landon and his friend, Jesse, decided to go and try to get on the news, which they did. They walked behind the girl reporting and waved! For the 10 o'clock news they did it in the parking lot that you can see in the bottom of the picture. Since it was live you could hear it in stereo. Since our windows were open, you could hear the guy outside and on the TV.

{RibBoN cuTtiNg}

Last Monday our new elementary school had a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The 5th graders sang a few songs. We had the pledge of allegiance (we turned around and used the flag across the street at the church). One child from every grade along with Real Salt Lake's Lion got to cut the ribbon. Then we followed Provo High's Drum Line around back and had a picnic. They had an amazing turnout. It was a lot of fun to chat with friends and neighbors.

{foOtbALL}

I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that the BYU football game against UCLA made the front page of Yahoo, when I had clicked on today. I love football. I'm not a crazy fanatic, but I could be!!!

{9-11}

We just finished watching a History Channel special on 9/11 (102 minutes that changed...). I was once again reminded of something that I sometimes think is easy to overlook.

While Satan's Army is exercising their free agency to carry out Satan's Evil Plan, our Heavenly Father is there, watching over us and helping us in ways that we don't even know.

I just kept thinking that while watching this special and part of the show before it. They said that the towers on a normal day would have 30-40,000 people in each one. A potential of 60-80,000 people could have died that day. Just think if the towers would of have been struck even one hour later. As it was, we lost nearly 3,000 people, but it could have been so much worse.

What about all the people who for some reason or another were late to work. It almost seems like an unusually high number for that one day. Their reasons were all over the spectrum - kids couldn't find their shoes or backpacks, slept through the alarm, mom called and couldn't get off the phone in time, having a rough morning after a Monday Night Football party, they were sick, and so on.

Then there were the people inside. I believe that some people were prepared for this day. Not in the sense that they had what was physically needed, but that the Lord had given them experiences in their lives that would allow them to heroically save thousands of lives, even at the cost of their own. I learned about a man who helped get all the Stanley Morgan people out of the building, around 3,000 of them. He was there with a bull horn making sure that everyone got out and keeping them calm and orderly. Telling them they were all good Americans that didn't run, but were orderly, in his efforts to safely get them down the stairwells.

I know sometimes it is hard to see the Lord's hand in all things. I know that this country was founded by the will of God and as long as we acknowledge him in our lives and the affairs of this great nation, he will be there to guide us and keep us united and strong.

{phErOmoNe}

While at Alice Lane, Chris discovered his new favorite artist. His name is Christopher Marley. He makes insect art. I know you might think that is weird, but his stuff is really neat. He takes insects from around the world and turns them into art pieces. They are stunning and beautiful and slightly strange all wrapped up into one.

I can't wait to own one!

*
Christopher Marley's site: FORMANDPHEROMONE

{aLicE LaNe}

There is a brand new furniture store called Alice Lane. It's located in Orem right next to Artic Circle. It's the cutest store. Adam & Jessica Bennett took the old, pink cinderblock walled, blue carpeted building and turned into an airy, clean, and refreshing place to be. They know how to open a store right.

I say this because Chris and I spent the morning going to every furniture store that we could think of, big and small, looking for one specific item of furniture. Who knew it would be so hard? We went to the big store - where everything now looks the same, old store - where everything looks like it should be a lot cheaper, and to the second old store - where even though the nice lady was persistent and actually doing a half-way decent job, still didn't really listen to our needs.

Before we went to Alice Lane, Chris said, "I guess we'll just save up and get something."

I replied, "Save up for what? We didn't see anything we wanted or even liked."

Then we went to Alice Lane. The 3 of them, that were there, were all very friendly, not pushy, and genuinely happy to help us out. They dressed professionally (this is always something that Chris notices), their showroom was all set up (no mazes through the stacks of boxes to get to the front door), and my favorite part is that they are promoting the local artists and ones that have ties to the area (they went to BYU, etc.). I left with measurements and pictures of the piece I want.

I do not personally know Jessica or Adam. I only met them today, but I will be more than happy to stop by again soon.

{sUmmErS gOnE}

This is never a happy sight. It goes from 90's one day to near freezing the next. This is the Utah weather I remember as a kid!

{17}

Can you believe that this young man is now 17 years old?

{wAtEr fuN}

We ended our summer with a few water activities. One was a trip to Seven Peaks. It was the after school started half day. It was perfect. The weather was still really warm. The water at the park was even warmer. There weren't very many people there. Landon was able to ride more rides in the half day then he would of all day since he barely had to wait in line for anything.

For our Youth combined activity we had a pool party at one of the girl's home. They have a nice setup: pool, hot tub, in ground trampoline, fire area, and lots of grass space. The kids had a great time. We will have to do that again next year.