and then there was one ........

It seems I have always lived in a house FULL of people.  I am #3 in a family of a million and left that chaos to marry Steve - we filled up our house with chaos and I am starting to realize I may not have chaos for very much longer.  When my kids were little and people would tell me I will miss those days of chaos, I was very skeptical.  But I think they are right!  I think I love chaos!   OK - the reason for all this deep reflection is because this week on Family Night we carved pumpkins.  YEP you guessed it, only one child showed up:(  So Grace and Steve carved pumpkins.  I remember being extremely stressed when we found out (surprise!) I was pregnant with Grace.  Who knew she would save me from a premature empty nest!   Derek also turned 18.   He had a great birthday and now as he said "he can legally buy cigarettes!"  What a goof ball!  He loves to tease me!  One year from now and he will be on a mission!  AHHHHHH!   It seems life is in Fast forward - except Thanksgiving is taking forever to get here!  (that's when I get to see my grandchildren again!)  Also ........ I know a lot of information today........ Grace was in the Monster Mash at McDonald School.   My LAST CHILD to participate before she moves on to the middle school next year! 

Thank goodness for good ol' DAD!

Grace smiling like a pumpkin - Don't ya just love that little face!

Only picture I could sneak of the 18 year old! HA

My cute little twister game

Grace and her friends getting ready for the Monster mash- Mckenna was a lamp, Ashley was a peacock and Rachel was the cookie monster.

Monster Mash

Seeing the girls;)

The kids had fall break last week so we headed to Utah to see everyone! Savannah had to stay home because she had volleyball and missed a few games because she just spent the weekend before out there helping David and Lauren enjoy their wedding present she gave them - Taylor Swift tickets- yes she also got herself one. Ha.
We had a GREAT time seeing everyone! I miss everyone! So an update on everyone....
Jackie and Justin are just doing great! Justin just passed his check ride to be a commercial pilot! Yay! Now he is working on his CFI so he can teach! He is working really hard and will graduate this year and then teach flying so he can get hours. After he gets 1000 hours in he will apply to the airlines!;). Jackie is the BEST mom! The kids are just thriving. She is busy with play groups and doctor appointments! She also introduce Grace to the cricut- which now she is obsessed with having one!
Lauren and David are also doing great! They have really hard schedules this semester. But they have almost every class together!;) Lauren LOVES living with her study partner! They live in the upstairs of a cute little one bedroom house and have it fixed up really cute! Their living room has a big long cardboard table and two office chairs where they study. ;) Good thing lauren married a good student! Derek and his friend Dane stayed with the newlyweds and ESPN was the only channel they watched and David commented how great it was to get to watch so much ESPN (he loves it and apparently with Lauren in the house he doesn't get to watch as much as he use to!) The boys later were talking about how crazy that would be to love someone so much you wouldn't watch ESPN! Hahaha We also got to see all my sisters! I love those girls! They are the best!

At David and Lauren's House Grace has her own plate and cup that no one else can use but her! HA So at midnight the night before we leave she HAS to make Brownies so she can eat on it! HAHAHA  this is her eating a brownie and milk at midnight! what a goof ball!

How Lauren and Grace feel about leaving each other!

Went to a Haunted house and ended up sitting next to the Chainsaw Massacre guy! AHHHHH!

sleep over with cousins!

Jackie and Grace working with the Cricut

Derek, Dane & David playing at jump on it

jump on it

Right before going into the Haunted house!

Taylor Swift concert with the newlyweds!

Washington D.C.

The Vandals football team (University of Idaho) were playing in Virginia this last weekend so I tagged along with Steve and we spent a day in Washington D.C.   We tagged along with an Assistant to Senator Risch's office and toured the Capital building, saw a few monuments and walked through a few of the Smithsonian Museums.  It was a great day.  Sometimes I get so frustrated with politics but it was really inspiring.   Our country has always compromised to get the work the done!  Here's to hoping they can continue to get the work done.