Pumpkin carving

We get pretty serious about our pumpkin carving. (OK, Logan gets pretty serious).  He did a great Batman head this year. Michelle did the L + M = love and Aleigh tried to do "We heart Hunt" but the middle of the H got cut off.  We had a good laugh but know that it's the thought that counts.  Pat did the normal scary Jack O Lantern.  Love this crew:)

Kids Raising Kids

My kids are pretty fun parents.  I'm very proud of them.

Favorite Things

It's not quite Thanksgiving but I'm really feeling thankful today for so many things.  It makes me feel good to see them in writing.  Maybe it will brighten your day a little too.

I love fall weather.  I love the cozy feeling of being inside when it's rainy outside. 

I love a husband who is faithful to me in every possible way.  I know he loves only me because he tells me every day.  We have so much fun together.  We have 36 years of memories together and we are now finishing each other's sentences and thinking the same thoughts at the same time. 

I love funny children.  I have 7 of them.  They constantly crack me up.  They know so many movie lines and say them at just the right time.  They have funny nicknames for each other and are so fun to be around.

I love living in San Marcos.  It is a wonderful town with warm, friendly people that I love to call neighbors.  I fit right in here.  It's a small town that is next to bigger towns so I get the cozy feeling without being too far away from civilization. 

I love sports.  I absolutely love watching my children play sports.  I love the competitive atmosphere and the comraderie of teams and the bright colors.  I love college football and March Madness and all the fun times I've watched both with my family. 

I love my grandchildren.  They brighten my life.  I love how girlie and dainty my little Ava is.  The things she says just make me smile.  Sienna is a little happy butterball that is smiling all the time.  I wish I could be closer to see them grow up.  Landon is my opportunity to play with a little boy without being distracted.  I had lots of little boys for many years but since I had lots of them I didn't take the opportunity to just sit down and play with them as often as I would have liked.  Now I play firemen and Thomas the Train and race cars with Landon and I absolutely love it.  No distractions.  Just Money and Bubba.

I love the new girls in my life.  They are teaching me many things.  The thing I love most about all of them is that they absolutely love my sons.  That makes me happier than I would have ever imagined.  I always thought that no one could love my sons as much as I do but these girls are proving me wrong and I couldn't be happier. 

I love my church.  I love everything about it.  The things I know give me complete peace and comfort and joy.  I love my fellow Mormons.  There is something about the bond between people who believe the same way when those around them don't that is strong and comforting. 

I love Brighton jewelry (we're getting really deep now).  It makes me feel feminine and pretty with a little gypsy thrown in.  My family has always told me that I am kind of a gypsy/hippy and this jewelry represents me well. 

I love Victorian decorations.  I look at pictures of old Victoriean rooms and I feel a deep connection.  It feels like I belong in one of those houses.  I really relate to that era and that style of decorating. 

I love BYU.  A university where my children can hear prayers in the classroom and see other students living a high honor code and hear general authorities speak to them right on their campus on a weekly basis makes me very happy.  I'm so thankful that all of my children have desired to get their education from this great school.  I'm a Cougar through and through and I'm so glad that my husband and children are too.,

I love the Raiders.  This may seem very contrary to my nature since I am a very obedient, disciplined "good" girl and they are just the opposite.  There is something about my maverick team that keeps me rooting for them year in and year out.  They are the outcasts and the rebels but they are secretly really good people.  I've met a few of them in person and they are genuinely nice people.  Their fans are a little crazy but I really like that dedication and devotion to a team no matter how much they struggle on the field.  When I was a teenager they were the best team in the NFL and won 3 Super Bowls.  They were very exciting to watch and won most of the time.  I love the colors silver and black.  So tough and cool. 

I love my house.  I look in every room and see memories of tearing down and building up with our children holding hammers and wearing tool belts.  I see love and memories everywhere.  "We" built this house and made it just how we want it and all of my children's childhood memories are here.  I always wanted to live in just one house for my children's whole lives so they would have a firm base and foundation and  one place to go to relive all of their childhood memories.  It doesn't look the same but it is the same house and we are the ones who changed it. I love coming home to it. 

I love chocolate.  Enough said.

Jacy

Today is my 5th son, Jensen's, first wedding anniversary with his sweet wife, Tracy.  It's much easier blending my sons' and their wives' names together since it shortens them quite a bit.  Thus, Tanner and Alana are Talana, Logan and Michelle are Lichelle and Jensen and Tracy are Jacy.  Kyle and Aubrie are a little harder (Brandon just calls them Dumb and Dumber, nice).  But I digress.  So Jacy has been married 1 whole year.  They fell for each other like a ton of bricks right after he got off his mission and they have been living in Utah their entire married life since he is attending BYU.  They are perfect for each other.  They are so sweet together.  The greatest gift a girl can give her mother-in-law is to love her son.  I know that Tracy loves Jensen and I know that Jensen loves Tracy.  This combination makes for a very happy me.  Happy Anniversary, Jacy.  I love you both:)

My Princess

I love love love this beautiful girl. 

Who Knew?

I came across these 3 cute little ceramic pumpkins a few years ago in a catalog and thought that they would look cute on my bar.  Who knew they would become the center of the whole house and the source of so much joy for my family?  Each fall I put them out and fill them with candy and I can hear the clink of the lids from the minute any of the family gets home.  They love seeing the different varieties of candy I put in them and it's a nice little sweet treat between meals.  They know it's only a seasonal occurence but, boy, do they look forward to it.  They are so easy to please:)

He's Back!!!

My little tornado is back and I am soooo happy!! It was nice to see his parents too:)  My house is now upside down and he has a terrible cold which means lots of yummy stuff coming out of his nose but we have the pitter patter of little feet running up and down the hallway and "Where Money go?"  ringing through the air.  Ahhhh.  Heaven:)

Four...more...days!!!

There is a tingle in the air and it's not just because fall is finally here.  In just 4 more days we will have the light of our lives back in our house.  That's right, Lando is coming home!  No offense Node and Shell but we all know who the main attraction is here. All 4 of us are just giddy with excitement at having our little whirlwind back in our lives.  We can't wait to kiss those little cheeks and hug the life out of him.  We can't wait to hear little feet running through our house.  We finally get to hear that high little voice yelling, "Where Money go?" and "Babba juuuuuuiiiiccce!" and "Papa truck!" and so many other things we have missed.  We will look for zizzards and he will call every blue car on the road "Josh car" and we will take walks and run and jump on the love sac and dance and watch a "show" and snuggle in Money's chair with our bunny and blankey and all will be right with the world.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!

The "Joy" of Joy School

This little girl is a mystery to me.  She is very serious and reserved.  She is not a giddy, silly little girl and that is what I expect little girls to be.  She is smart and thoughtful and is a little stingy with her smiles.  She only gives them when she really wants to.  That is why I love this picture.  Ava is very gregarious.  She loves other kids.  She is fearless at making new friends.  When Tanner and Alana moved to Oakland I encouraged Alana to find a Joy School for Ava to attend,.  Alana didn't even know what it was.  I told her it was a pre-school with a curriculum written by a Mormon couple and taught by the parents of the students.  She found a group of moms in her area who were doing it and got Ava into the class.  This picture is Ava's first day of Joy School and I see "joy" just oozing from her darling face.  She has her big, fat "Rapunzel" braids and an outfit that Grandma Moores gave her.  She has her little back pack that her best friend, Grandma Salisbury, gave her and she has the sweetest smile in the world.  I love this girl with all my heart and with all the joy that she brings me I am very happy to see her experiencing some for herself.  "Oh boy, I got joy!"

I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.

It's hard to put into words how much I love my church.  I just got back from General Conference in Utah and my heart is very full.  Being surrounded by thousands of people who believe as I do is awe-inspiring.  Hearing a prophet of God impart modern day revelation and hearing apostles of Jesus Christ testify of his divinity makes my heart sing.  This gospel is my life.  It affects every single minute of it.  It brings me hope, peace, guidance and eternal joy.  I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that my husband and children feel the same way and so do their wives and loved ones.  Knowing that I am sealed to all the people I cherish brings me indescribable joy.  I love every part of being a Mormon.  I love the Book of Mormon, temples, the priesthood, For the Strength of Youth, missions, the Word of Wisdom, high standards, even all the meetings:)  I absolutely know that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in that grove and that they re-established their true church through him.  I am so thankful to be a member and will be forever proud to say "I am a Mormon.  I know it.  I live it.  I love it."

Happy Birthday, Kyle

Today is my second son's 29th birthday.  He was born on conference Sunday at 6:10 p.m. and had to be drug out of me in an emergency birth even though he was 6 days late.  He was losing blood because of a tear in the umbilical chord and they had to get him out really fast so it hurt like nothing has ever hurt anyone in the history of hurting.  They didn't even have time to do a C-Section.  Then, he had to go straight to the NICU so I didn't even get to hold him or anything.  Luckily, in the 29 years since he's been in my life, that is the only pain he has caused me.  I have felt pain on his behalf, like when his lovelife went haywire but he has never really caused me pain by his actions.  He is a very obedient, loving, kind and funny man.  He has more energy than 3 or 4 people combined but has a heart of gold and would never intentionally hurt anyone.  I am so thankful that he is in my life and I hope he gets as much joy in his lifetime as he has given.  Happy Birthday, Kymimo. I love you Moore than anything:)

Jensen and Tracy and Kyle and Aubrie

I found some fun pictures of my newly married kids.

I Miss You, Rita (Part 4,762)

Last night I had the privilege of going to a musical fireside given by Calee Schroeder Reed.  If you have read my previous posts you will know that her mother, Rita, is my best friend in the whole world.  Sadly, her mother left me behind several months ago to scout out the spirit world.  I have found myself missing her many many times but especially since my crew left me a few weeks ago.  I have wished she was here so many times in my recent loneliness.  So, while looking at Calee sitting next to Savannah on the stand (by some fluke, Van got to introduce her) a ton of wonderful memories of the happiest time in my life came rushing at me like a freight train and the floodgates opened.  I bawled throughout the entire fireside and well into the night and I'm still leaking this morning.  I remembered how excited the girls were when Van was born.  They couldn't believe that their Moore boys finally had a real sister (not just fake ones).  All the fun times we had as one big happy family just came flooding over me.  Listnening to how Calee's voice had changed over the years just left me in awe.  I remembered when she was a shy 7 year old who got nervous singing in public and had absolutely no breath control.  Now, the angel singing before me was bringing tears to everyone's eyes.  The kids have all grown up and gone their separate ways but I will never have another friend like Rita and the memories my family has of our time with her family will ever be absolutely precious to us and will forever be among the greatest times of our lives.  I really, really miss you Rita McBride Schroeder.