Colds

So I hate playing musical colds. Sarah and her friend come visit from college for confrence weekend and bring a cold with them. A Little John catches it. And now John and I catch it and man I am miserable. I don't think AZ colds were this bad (of course the flu there is terrible). I didn't think colds were sopossed to leave you exhausted just from going up and down the stairs carrying the baby. Of course he does weigh 21 pounds.
On the other hand today is cold. It's snowing but not sticking and so we started up the fireplace. I sort of wish it was a "put on another log" fireplace 'cuz I love the smell. But mostly I'm really glad its a gas fireplace. No going out to the cold for more firewood, no messy firewood, no popping sap to set the baby/dog/carpet on fire, no ashes to scoop, and a very stable glass and metal screen to keep Little John out.

Ode to Elder Hizer

So Wednesday we took John's brother Nathan to the MTC. His poor Mom was just loosing it right and left and then its the part where the missionaries go out one side and the families go out the other side and suddenly we're all crying. I'm gonna miss that punk. (And I mean punk in the I-love-him-like-a-brother-and-sometimes-hes-as-annoying-as-my-real-ones sense) But I know he's going to do great. He's going to the Independance, Moissouri mission which, as it turns out, covers most of Kansas and very little of Missouri. We took pictures of course and he told me its my job to be sure that Little John remembers him when he gets home. They have a very smooth streamlined process for dropping off your missionary. Everything from parking to luggage to tissue boxes every twenty feet, its all arranged for. I was very impressed. On the drive home everyone was missing him and sad so I was trying to cheer peolpe up with jokes. They were pretty cheesy, but I will share my favorite with you. (This joke is because Nathan is such a ladies' man)


You know how when you stop dating a person, people start telling you "well there are lots of fish in the sea". Well missionaries aren't sopposed to date, do you think thats why they go to the empty sea? (empty sea=MT C, get it?)


Yeah, nobody else really got it either. But you know you think I'm funny. (That's what Sarah says when we don't laugh at her jokes)

L to R: John, Mom/Pat, Nathan, Dad/John, Kevin
Front: Little John, Carol

Mom putting his nametag on him

Hurray for Elder Hizer

Picnics

OK so I promised a blog about picnics and here it is. Apparently picnics are an endangered species. Most of you reading this might be surprised by this news, I certainly was. While driving to Utah when we moved, we pulled off for gas and lunch. Anyone who has traveled with a small child in a car seat for more than 2 hours understands the need to let them out for a pit stop. So any time we road trip we picnic when possible (weather permitting). We just expect that's what we'll do.
So we get our sub sandwiches, haul our picnic blanket out of the trunk, and eat outside the restaurant on the grass. (For anyone road tripping I highly recommend this: you get some fresh air and kids can run and squirm and yell and nobody cares)
Well, we're there enjoying ourselves and these 2 guys come up and ask to take our picture. They are doing a research project/presentation about the decline of family values (or something very similar) for a college class. They are just gushing about how they can't believe people still have picnics and how this will get them an A for sure. We let them take our picture and if I had been thinking I would have asked them to take one with my camera too.
We just thought the whole thing was so random and funny, but apparently we are an anomaly in the world because we picnic. So since most of my readers are in AZ and this time of year is the best weather I invite you to picnic. It is an extinct tradition worthy of a "strange and peculiar people".

Little John's birthday

So we had Litlle John's birthday party. And it was so fun. He liked the ballons best, followed shortly by cake. He did so good opening his presents and I couldn't belive it but he even read the card :D I have tons of pictures but I'll keep it limited to the best ones for posting. The whole thing wore him out so he and G'ma had a nap after we cleaned up.

The RS Broadcast

So the broadcast was fantastic and I enjoyed the speakers so much I decided to share my favorite things each of them had to say (I promise to keep it short).

Sis. Beck (RS Pres)
RS was created way back then because God knew we would need it so bad now and we had to have everything established well in advance so it could fullfill it's potential now.

Sis. Allred (1st councillor)
Reinspired me to attend the temple and do many ordinances often.

Sis. Thompson (2nd councillor)
Described us as a righteous army armed with: love, compassion, service and faith.
(And its odd to think of those as weapons but just try to resist someone who truely loves you and serves you and you'll realize thats a formidable force.)

Pres. Uchtdorf
Aknowledges that our trials are trying and gave 2 ways to survive them: 1) creating beauty and helpfulness brings satisfaction and 2) giving compassion bouys us up and helps others.
(I loved his talk so much I want to post it somewhere to read every day, maybe on the barthroom mirror. I was going to post a link but its not on LDS.org yet.)

If you missed the broadcast I hope you can find it online, it was wonderful.

Autum leaves

So we've been driving past these beautiful fall leaves in the canyon all week and then I read some blog posts about how Phoenix has no fall and so for all of you who are missing fall this is for you.

We decided to go hiking and took a picnic lunch (I am planning a whole blog about picnics so watch for it)

Little John and the dog were so excited. All the pics are of Little john 'cuz I took the dog to run through the hills (we were at a campground)

He dragged John all over exploring and getting messy

and eating as much nature as he could get his hands on

And while I was off with the dog I collected a sack full of leaves which I'm going to laminate (thanks H.) and for a limited time special offer: if you leave me a comment asking, I will mail you some. I still have my PP RS directory and I will share the wealth. And because kids love to get mail I can address it to them if you want. You can link to this if you think someone reads your blog and not mine and might want some.

Happy Fall!!!!

More Photos!

We made Little John a sand box and Gr'ma and Gr'pa got him a bull dozer to play in it with.

He loves to be out in the yard

Him and John wrestling

He loves the camera

This is the dog, she's so small I call her a puppy even though she isn't any more

And this is what that cute dog can do to an unattended baby bottle.