October overview...

I'm so behind... ugh!

Here is a quick overview of the month...

The first weekend in October was homecoming weekend at Bonanza. Tanner is on the student council and had worked very hard on the hallways and the float. The boy so exhausted by the end of the week! Between early morning seminary, homework and student council he was barely moving by the end of the week! John and I were very impressed with how hard he worked on everything. He really led the freshman class! We had to jump in and help with some of the big stuff. Building the framework of the float and a few other things. The overall theme of homecoming was Pixar films. Our movie was Cars.

John helping with the base paint.

They went through about 20 cans of spray paint!

Tyler got suckered into helping! 

The final look!!

The freshman hallways! They did a great job! Everyone was surprised with how well the freshman did!

So the football game/parade was Friday night and we left for Salt Lake Saturday morning. We went up  to watch General Conference. The kids and I had never been to a live session before. It was wonderful! Ashley and I hung out at Cindy's on Saturday night while the boys went to priesthood session. We worked on a quilt for Angela's baby. 

Cindy and Ashley

Angela, Jennifer and Ashley

Jenn, her mom Joanna and the kids came up for conference too. They stayed at Cindy's house. We stayed at my parents house and enjoyed visiting with them!

Mitchell loves his Jack!

Sunday morning we got up early and went to conference. Our seats were up in the top balcony! ugh. Oh well. It was still really cool to be there! I loved watching my kids faces when President Monson walked in. So worth the long drive! There was an amazing spirit there! We had a few discussions that week trying to decide whether or not we should go all that way for only about 27 hours! But, I had a strong feeling that we should go. While we listened to Elder Holland talk, I got an overwhelming feeling that  this was the reason we came. To hear him speak in conference. It was a very powerful talk. When he was done, Mitchell turned to me and said, "That was REALLY good!" I'm so glad that we listened to the spirit want went! Maybe there will be a bad day on Mitchell's mission and he will remember that talk and the feelings he had during it and it will help him! Listen to the talk here.

The conference center is huge!!

After we left the conference center we dropped John off at the airport and he flew our to Chicago for a Yumz meeting. We missed him on the drive home!! Our trip was short, but it was worth it to hear conference and to see Ashley and Scotty! We miss them!!

We drove home to this... 

The next morning I was supposed to drive carpool to seminary and my battery was dead! ugh. 

Another exciting event took place in October... Mitchell went through the temple.

Scott and Jenn were able to join us.

 It was a happy day to be there with Mitchell and watch him make important covenants that will help him return to his Heavenly Father someday. It was one of those really good parent days! 

We love our Sunday skype's with Ashley! I love technology!! 

October 16th was one of those not so good days! John and I were in St. George headed up to Cedar City to see Les Miserables, when Mitchell called and said the house had been robbed! He came home and there was a hole in the front door and things had been taken from the upstairs. We feel blessed that Tanner was safe. He was asleep on the couch in the family room and thought the bang at front door was Mitchell slamming the door after work. So he rolled over and went back to sleep. We are so grateful that he didn't wake up! And we are grateful Mitchell stopped for something to eat after work or he would have walked in on them. 

Last Monday there was a fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings for student council. Tanner and I had a little date there! (Mitchell and John wanted to watch the Bears game at home...) Tanner got 6 of the hottest wings and ate them! He was so excited!! He had talked about doing it for a long time and finally did it!

Thinking about it...

Look at the face after! He was burning up!

His mouth was still on fire! 

I can't believe that October is almost over!! Time is sure flying!! Sorry this was long!

Yumz!

John and I are in Chicago (South Elgin) for the grand opening of the fourth Yumz store! It's so exciting!! The last 2 stores have been opened by a franchisee.

The store looks great! I love all the windows!!

The South Elgin city council came for a ribbon cutting!

Radio station came and gave away Justin Bieber tickets!

Friday night we went to Matt and Lori's kids high school football game. Yumz was recognized for being a booster club sponsor. They fed us dinner and we got seats right behind the end zone on the field! It was fun. They get great turnouts for their games.

Saturday morning we went to Annette's for a quick visit. It was great to see them!

We decided to get a hotel last night that was near the airport. It was pretty ghetto looking on the outside, but our room was nice. We felt like we were in a tropical place!!

This is my first blog post from my phone. I hope it works!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

can't think of a title...

Well, I can't think of a good title for this last week. It was kind of boring! John was out of town for most of the week and I missed him. I sat around feeling sad the first of the week and then I got into a groove and got a lot done!!! I did a few pinterest projects, cleaned out my scrapbook room, cleaned the bathrooms (this is a big deal! my least favorite job.) and did some organizing in iPhoto. On Wednesday night the boys and I went to help Scott with a leak in his front yard. The boys worked hard! They found it fast and we were home in time for Mitch to go to institute!

Mitch smoothing the dirt back out

McDonalds for dinner!

Eating with the kids! 

 Our neighbors got a new puppy! It is SO CUTE!! We are trying to be better neighbors and missionaries. I went walking with her this week. 

 One of my projects... 

I wanted to get my pens organized and have them lay flat. (they work better that way) I looked all over for the right kind of containers to put them in and couldn't find what I wanted... Then one day while I was thinking about it, i thought of using mason jars! What a great idea, right! I thought I was brilliant, I would save money and everything! (I hot glued them together.) Then last night I was looking through my pinterest pictures and I saw this idea... then I realized I wasn't brilliant, I had seen it done before and forgot all about it! Took the wind out of my sails! Sometimes I think I am loosing my mind!

click here for source

Then I organized my ribbons! I had bought a curtain rod at Ikea a long time ago. I hung it all by myself and stuck my ribbons on it! It looks cute!!! Not sure how practical it is... what if I want to add another spool of red and I think they will get dusty?? Oh well, it looks good and makes me smile.

John was in Chicago opening Yumz store number 3! So exciting!! This is our first store opened by a franchisee! This franchisee is opening 6 stores in the next 2 months! Way cool. It is in a city called Bolingbrook. He worked really hard and came home feeling pretty sick. I don't think he got enough sleep there!

Mitchell's passport came on Saturday! Now we are working on his Visa papers and then immunizations. 

Well, that was our week! 

I hope they call me on a mission!

I've been trying to prepare my boy for this event his entire life! I can't believe it is finally here! Mitchell got his mission call on Thursday! He is going to the Mexico Culiancán Mission. He will serve for 2 years and only be able to call home on Christmas and Mothers Day. How will I survive?? I suppose I will!  I know I will love my weekly emails!!

Mission calls usually arrive in Las Vegas on Thursdays and since there was a holiday that week I thought it would come Friday. But it came Thursday!! It took all my willpower to leave it in the mailbox and not open it!

I mixed it in with the junk mail!

It's here!!! So excited!!

 We hurried and called Scott and Jenn and invited them over and a few of Mitchell's friends... I ordered pizza because I couldn't cook. I was too nervous! Tested out the skype to make sure we could skype with Ashley and Grandma and Grandpa. 

Michelle brought jack his own bunt cake for his birthday! He wouldn't let go of it and could hardly eat his pizza because he wanted it so bad! So cute! And she brought Afton this really cute cardboard princess village! The kids were so excited!!

We got Mitchell's favorite pizza, Manhattan pizza. We got the huge colossal one. As big as Afton!

Michelle adding her guess to the list!

It's time!! We had camera's, video camera's and skype calls going! 

(Jenn  made the cute sign for Jack's birthday party!)

Culiacán Mexico!!! He reports to the MTC January 9th, 2013

So happy!!

 I was really expecting state side, so when he said Mexico I pictured New Mexico! It took me a minute to process it! 

His call letter!

We got the globe out to see where exactly it was! Michelle's mom Alma helped him find it! 

Big smiles!!

The map of the mission. It's the greyed out section! Over on the Baja peninsula side and the mainland side. It should be beautiful! It covers a lot of the coast! A lot of tourist towns, Cabo & Mazatlan...

We are so proud of Mitchell for making this decision! It's what we have always wanted for him and we know he will be blessed for his service! He will be a great missionary! I can't wait for him to start teaching the gospel! 

I can't believe he is old enough for this already!! I know I keep saying this! But really, how did this happen??