Kade Turns One; Halloween

We bought some strawberries for Rebecca's assignment at Mom's family birthday dinner. It was fun talking with Rebecca when we delivered the fruit to her.

Baby boy Kade was celebrating his first birthday and we were invited to his birthday party. 

Haley had the house all decorated festively. They had invited us, Rebecca's family and a few other friends to join in the celebration. Haley was prepared to play some fun games with the kids. It was a great party.

Ben showed us the shirts they had made at his work in his new job at Amazon. He is now managing a department that is printing designs on shirts and PopSockets (the round, collapsible buttons on the back of cell phones).

Caroline loves to take care of Kade. She eagerly took him outside to play on the playground nearby as the birthday party was winding down and the guests were leaving.

I had not been feeling well at all the days previous to this. I was still in constant pain at the surgery site, I was still struggling so hard to be able to breathe and my heart had been racing for several days.

Many weeks previous to this, Glen and I had been asked to speak in Dad and Mom's church that Sunday. I was worried I wouldn't be able to go. Of course I knew Glen could handle speaking for the length of time allotted to both of us, but I had prepared and I really wanted to go.

Thankfully, that particular Sabbath Day, I awoke feeling much better and off we went driving to Ogden in the first snowfall of the season.

Glen and I both really enjoyed that experience. I felt so very blessed to be feeling well enough to go. I'm sure Dad and Mom were relieved to see us both show up after knowing how miserable I had been feeling.

Nani is a fan of ours, so she decided to attend their ward that day to hear us speak.

After the meeting, a couple came up to introduce themselves. They are the parents of one of our missionaries who had arrived in California one transfer before we came home.

A friend of theirs was sitting in the congregation and when they realized we are the Burtons' daughter's former mission leaders, they texted the Burtons who immediately came over to the church to catch the tail end of Glen's talk and to meet us.

It felt good to be out and experiencing life once again. Once back home, my stomach really started feeling sick. I rested throughout the day as I had been doing for the previous 2 1/2 weeks in hopes I would feel better by that evening.

Mom and Dad were hosting one of their family birthday celebration dinners and I didn't want to miss it. Rachel got my phone and took a selfie to let me know she loves me.

It was nice to see the family members who were there, but as soon as the birthday songs were sung, we left. I was not feeling well at all.

I was feverish and had tummy troubles a good portion of that week. Rebecca was so kind to come up one day and make a double batch of lasagna--one big pan for her family and the two smaller pans for us. My right arm was pretty much useless, and I could not lift anything heavy, so I needed lots of help.

I bribed Rebecca and Madison with Costa Vida if they would come cook for us. This time it was take-out.

Glen gave his seal of approval of the delicious lasagna, commenting about how I hadn't made that dish in a long time. Try at least 3 years because I never made it while on our mission.

Halloween rolled around and Glen consented to be the one getting up and down to run back and forth to the door handing out Halloween candy. 

Our first tricksters were Kathy and Roger Jacketta--peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Roger was even carrying around a bag for treats. He was definitely in it for the candy haul!

At the end of the evening, the Golden family stopped by to show us their costumes and get some candy. 

In other parts of the country--San Francisco--Abe, Klarissa, Newland, Wynne and Magnus were getting into the spirit of Halloween and the autumn season. 

Jeff, Sarah, Eli, Carson, Lincoln and Jonah--in Las Vegas--were doing their Halloween thing.

Carson's Halloween artwork--very detailed and I love it!!

They had a very successful Come Follow Me lesson about putting on the whole armor of God. 

Eli makes the best scriptorian wearing a tie with his t-shirt.

There was lots of candy to keep the boys focused on what was being said during General Conference.

Sarah says she is happiest when she is busy and she likes to always have a little side business going on where she can earn money from home. 

I like to think I am keeping her in her book-selling business. I always send Sarah's Date Your Spouse From Your House books (available on Amazon--I'll put in this plug for her) as wedding gifts. 

I recently had a stack of them to send as it seems to be the wedding season.

Dallas, Rebecca, Ben and Haley had a Halloween adventure going to Lagoon's Frightmares.

Looks like they had a frightfully good time! Good thing they went when they did because the weather turned so bitterly cold that Lagoon ended Frightmares midway through October. I never remember that happening before.