A brief video from the pumpkin patch...

My dad took a brief video today of the kids at the pumpkin patch. Just so you can see them in real time. It is neat to see a video from time to time.

You may have to pause the music at the bottom of the blog page...

Lots of fun Fall pictures of today...

Did I mention how much I love Fall? We took the kidlets to the Zoo today because it was a "Pumpkin Palooza" day. They all got in free, and a free pumpkin too! Jeff unfortunately had to work, so he couldn't be there. My parents have been wanting to visit this Zoo, and since they are now retired, they can! So we all went together-but I felt like something was missing (Jeff).

I really love this picture. It is pretty rare to get my children in a picture with "Brown" Grandma and Grandpa. I am so glad that they are retired now so that my children can get to know them better, and be able to spend time with them doing fun things.

Here is Matthew, and his PUMPKIN PICK! It was huge, and heavy. He asked me if I would carry it for him, and I told him that it was so big it wouldn't fit in the stroller so he would have to carry it...

So he decided to pick a smaller one so it would fit in the stroller. :OP

Here is Bethanie's pumpkin pick! She is so excited. She is hugging it like a baby!

Madison went pumpkin shopping again. She had like 4 pumpkins in the stroller. Finally Grandpa started sitting them on the ground each time she went back for another one. We ended up dragging her from the pumpkin patch. She wanted more.

Here are MY PUMPKIN PICKS with THEIR PUMPKIN PICKS!

I love this picture of my mom! I sure had a good time with them today!

Here is dad. He was assigned as Madison's adult. She kept trying to lose him.

There were little games for the kids to play (sort of like carnival games). One of them was the kids got into a pile of hay and dug around for mini pumpkins. When they found one, they could get a prize. Madison was totally in LOVE with these Zebra sunglasses! She put them on and posed!

The Giraffes were out, and you could feed them hay. This one was coming down for Bethanie, you can barely see her face, she is the one in the pink shirt. It came down to nibble her hay, and it got so close to her she freaked out. She tried to feed it again later with my hand on hers, but I think it knew she was afraid because it wouldn't come to her again, but it did me. They were so beautiful, and their lips were all soft and gentle.

What a fun time at the Zoo today. I only wish Jeff could have come with us!

What an HONOR!!! I have been invited...

to become a member of Phi Theta Kappa. It is a Honors Fraternity (International Honors Society). I was shocked to get the letter in the mail yesterday, certainly was the last thing I had expected. For this privilege, only a small handful of students are invited to join. You have to have a GPA of 3.5 or above (mine is a 4.0 right now). I will be eligible for scholarships too. If I do this, induction into Phi Theta Kappa will allow me to have a Golden Key Membership Pin, Membership Certificate, Notation of membership on my diploma and transcripts and if I can maintain my GPA, I will get to wear the Regalia at graduation that sets me apart as a Phi Theta Kappa member. This would look EXCELLENT on any resume because just the words Phi Theta Kappa tells any employer that this person has worked hard, had taken extra care towards their grades, and that they are committed.

Now, I have not decided to do this as of yet. I am concerned that since this is a great honor to be a part of (really just neat to receive this letter), I know that members of this Chapter are busy with doing special things for the college. It helps promote leadership and there is responsibility that goes along with it. I don't know if I can commit to being away doing these other things while trying to parent my sweet children, and keep up my grades. This is a hard thing I am doing right now, and I don't know if I would be able to swing it. Isn't it a neat thing? I was excited about it, anyway. :OP



So with this news, and I don't know how these things work, it brought about a great deal of concern and confusion to my brain (which is fairly fried- midterm week, tests, kids...) I talked with my Advisor about it. She gave me some great advice and counsel about what I should do. Then while at my Practicum today, I talked to Mrs. Brewer (the teacher that is mentoring me), she gave me some great advice too, similar to what my instincts told me, and also what my Advisor advised me. I felt concerned because of my age, and not wanting to be the old woman sitting in the back row trying to act like a 20 year old. I was firmly corrected and told that it is the non traditional students that make the BEST students, because they are there because they want to be, not because it is expected of them. I feel the same way, and glad to know that IF I do this, I wont be the old woman sitting on the back row. Really, it is just an honor getting the letter, so we will see what happens.



So, my orientation session is on Tuesday, October 21st. It is the initial meeting I will go to-to make my final decision, seeing what the commitment will be on my part. If I do it, the formal induction ceremony is on Thursday November 13, 2008. If you made it reading this far, you deserve an award! LOL!



Here is a website incase anyone wants to view it: http://www.ptk.org/ This explains a little more of the Phi Theta Kappa program.

Um...now what?

That is all I can say.

For my Music Appreciation class, I have to attend 5 concerts. Then I have to write about the concert and hand it in. That has proven to be nearly impossible for me. I tried to at Fall Fest, but the kids would never let me get any of it done. That was 2 concert possibilities missed on that one day. Tonight, I took the kids to the Jr. High and tried to view their Vocal Concert. Jeff was where? Of course, anywhere but here, so I had to take the kids with me. Near the end, there were about 4 songs left, a man came up to me and asked me (because Madison was very wiggly and noisy, that is why we sat in the back of the auditorium) if he could watch him (he thought she was a boy) out in the hall so it was more quiet. I said, she was fine with me. He then asked me if there was an older sibling that could watch her. I said, um, NO (as if I would let Matthew tend her). So then he started telling me that he needed it to be quiet and I said fine, we would leave. He was all, I can watch him in the hall for you, and I was all, I don't even know who you are, why would I let you watch my child? He said (in a rather saintly way, I almost saw a halo around him) "I am the Vice Principal" and I am all, so? I still don't know who you are. We will just leave. Then I proceeded to tell him that there were lots of people in the back row cursing and talking and texting and so on, he needed to get on them as well. So, here I sit, half a concert behind me, feeling rather humiliated that because of my children, I was asked to leave. I am so sad that I have NO ONE to help me with children when I need it. Jeff's parents are out of town, so it is just me. Disappointed and let down.

Pity Party is now over. Back to my homework, I have a midterm in the morning.

Fall Primary Activity...

The kids went to the Church today to participate in the activity where they practiced for their music program in a couple of weeks for Sacrament Meeting. We have worked all year long on learning how we are all each a Child Of God, and it is finally coming up to perform our program in front of the congregation. After the practice, there were other fun FALL activities to do.

Here they are playing BINGO. They got neat-o treat bags with it when they had a BINGO. It was so cute!

Here the kids are decorating pumpkin cookies, and then they got to eat them after they decorated them! It was a ton of fun! Sister Richey did a great job, and the kids all had a great time! I am so glad that we had this!

I LOVE AUTUMN!!!

I think October is the best time (weather wise) of the year! It is so nice to wake up to nice cool mornings, cool evenings. This year, the mosquitoes are really bad, but even with that, it is very pleasant outside!
Today, "White" Grandma and Grandpa took the kids to pick out pumpkins just outside of town. We also got some of my favorite...Butternut Squash! YUM!

Here is Matthew! He had a BLAST picking out the biggest of big pumpkins!

Bethanie, she has a sort of ornery look, but she was totally excited to be here!

Madison is at a really hilarious age right now. The first thing she yelled from her crib this morning because she just woke up was: "HELP ME!" When we got her to the pumpkin patch, she started her pile of pumpkins she wanted. She was doing some serious shopping.

She is still shopping.

Bethanie is soooooo excited that we decorated the inside and the outside for Fall! She can remember some of the decorations from last year.

Here is Jeff (Left) Matthew (next to Jeff in red and white pants) "White Grandpa Al, and I don't know the kid behind him

It was fun. I love this time of year!