1ST BAND CONCERT

 She performed in her first band concert tonight. I told her if she would give me one smile, I would buy her ice cream. She did. She was still annoyed. She wanted me to put the camera away. Why did she ever have to turn eleven. I feel like she is always missing from my blog. 

She asked me to get a babysitter. She has been to too many events with me where I have brought the little's and I am so busy with the boys that I always end up leaving early and never really enjoy it. She didn't want her dad to come either, she new a bunch of sixth graders who were grossly out of sync and out of tune would just rattle him. She just wanted me. 

I thought it would sound really, really bad. I haven't heard her practice at all. The band director doesn't require them to do any out of school practicing in sixth grade. I couldn't imagine that they could even blow into their instruments, let alone play a piece. They were surprisingly not horrible.

She finished up and came to find me and took me by the hand and she held my hand as we walked back to the car together. I thought she may be eleven and feel too grown up for most things but apparently she still likes her mom and needs her every once and a while.

HELPERS

I think one of the hardest things about motherhood is inventing ways for your children to help you, because the little ones always want to help. I started making applesauce this afternoon. The boys insisted. They have been begging to make applesauce since we picked the apples. I quartered the apples with a knife and then gave them to James who was suppose to rinse them and pass them to Ashton who was suppose to place them in the pot. Every few apple slices James would lick one or suck the water off of one. Then he would pass them to Ashton who would take a small bite and then throw it into the pot. Those boys! I tried to teach them about germs and sanitation but in the end I figured we were boiling them anyway. You have fair warning don't eat the applesauce at our house. 

Aren't they the cutest little helpers you have ever seen?

BATHTIME

 Yesterday, I gave the boys a bath while Nate took the girls fishing. James was in break down mode. He couldn't understand why he was being left out. I tried to explain that Daddy took him Bear hunting on Monday and camping on Saturday night and he couldn't take him everywhere, every time. Madison and Sierra needed a turn. He said, "But mom, we didn't catch a bear." I replied, "No you didn't, but you did get to go on a special daddy day and now it's the girls turn. He could not be consoled. It is a good thing that baths are so much fun that they help you forget your troubles. 

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Turn it off!

Asho-on!

(Your guess is as good as mine! :))

Momma!

This trench is all filled up, with big water!
Ahhhh!

Asho-on!

Don't.
(Again, your guess is as good as mine!)

MORNINGS with MADISON

 I think I have mentioned before how much I love that my girls don't go to school at the same time anymore. I love getting up with Sierra at 6:00 and Madison at 7:00. I love that it is just us for a few minutes. Madison has to have all of her ducks in a row before she can relax in the morning. She has to have her hair done and breakfast eaten and her lunch made. She gets really anxious if I ask her to read a book or have scriptures or prayer before these things are done. 

I have been reading in 3 Nephi lately. 3 Nephi, chapter 4 to be exact. Click here if you want the really good stuff. I was telling Madison about how the Gadianton Robbers were running out of food. 

"They were hunting in the wilderness until they couldn't find any food." 

She said, "Like the Indians?" 

I said, "Yes, these were the Indians." 

Then I asked her, "What do you do when you run out of food and there are no grocery stores to go and buy any and you are a really bad guy. You take food from the good guys. These Gadianton Robbers were bad, so they dressed up in lambs skins dipped in blood. They put these metal plates on their heads. They went to war with the Nephites, who were the good guys. 

She looked at me wide eyed. 

The scriptures said these Gadianton Robbers looked terrible. Not terrible like there hair was out of place, but terrible like horrible monsters.

Do you know what the Nephites did?

She said, "What?"

I said, "They fell to the earth and cried out to their Heavenly Father for help. What should we do when terrible, scary things happen in life?"

She said, "Pray."

I said, "That is right we pray."

Then we had prayer and I gave her a huge hug and she was off.

There were so many other things I wanted to tell her. I want to read her verses 23-28. They are some of my favorites in written scripture. I will save it for another day though because the bus was coming.

ASHTON HAS A FEVER

 Today has called for the Starfall App, lots of shows and bottles full of delicious milk. My baby is sick. Oh, and popcorn for James because if you watch that many shows you have got to have popcorn. He shared with his brother although he wasn't that interested. 

APPLE PICKING

Madison and I went apple picking tonight. Stacy Ellsworth invited us. It was so fun. Jenn Neff drove us out to an apple orchard and I got to pick apples and visit with friends. I wish the whole family could have come, but my car is in the shop again  to get the headlights fixed. I have a lot of blogging to catch up on but I jumped ahead to today because I really want to get back into doing a post a day. I love my life and I love documenting it. We are going to be making applesauce all week and I can't wait till my home smells of apples. 

STEPHANIE and CON's BAPTISM

 Stephanie and Con, Leslie's sister and nephew were baptized the following Sunday. September has been a really amazing month. Leslie's testimony is so beautiful. I know that it played a huge role in helping Stephanie and Con. Stephanie and Con are both such beautiful people. It was so beautiful to see these two sisters take this journey together. (How many times can I use the word beautiful?) Stephanie has been so dedicated. She has been reading from the Book of Mormon and the Howard W. Hunter manual and Conference talks. She wants to learn more and become more and it is beautiful to watch her. She is such a great mother to her children too. 

I love watching miracles happen as someone turns their life over to the Savior. Leslie was over at my home one afternoon before we left for Disneyland. I felt inspired to show her this video. It isn't made by the church. It is just pictures of the temple put to music. She wept through it. I told her to got to the Fort Collins temple open house. She said she didn't want to go without me. I was headed to Disneyland and by the time I would come back the open house would be over. (Where are my priorities? I know Nate said the same thing.) I said, "I can't, but you should go with Stephanie." Not two seconds later she gets this text from Stephanie saying I ran into the Gladdens at the grocery store they want us to come and stay with them in Fort Collins and go to the temple dedication. The Gladdens babysat Stephanie's youngest son when he was a baby. The Gladdens are Mormon too. Think about it, she runs into one of them at the store whiles she is out for a coffee run for her co-workers. They invite Stephanie at the same time I am encouraging her sister to go. Not a coincident! Divine! They went, all of them. Stephanie and her boys and Leslie and her girls. They loved every minute of it. This wasn't the only miracle I witnessed in this journey with these girls. 

Heavenly Father wanted to send them a clear message, you are my daughters. I love you.

I am so grateful I got to witness this. I love these girls and Con with all my heart. I have told them over and over again that this is the first step in a long journey. I am excited to watch them grow along in their journey. I am grateful Heavenly Father trusted me enough to be apart of it. 

Love you all.