Anna, I haven't forgotten about You!

I seem to have a hard time blogging during the summer and now we're into fall.
Sad that my daughter wanted me to blog/brag about her during school last year and I just never got around to putting the pics and story together, so here goes.

We rescued a cat from the pound last year whom they named Cooper. I like the name so that's what I call him. Molly calls him Crookshanks after the Harry Potter crazy cat. My seminary kids called him Mufassa from Lion King. David calls him Roto, who knows why? Anna calls him all four names depending on her mood.

In the spring Anna auditioned for the jr. high play and was caste as the cook in "Alice in Wonderland" You're probably thinking, "I don't remember a cook" well apparently the original version had it, or maybe the jr. high just needed more characters.
She has good friends who came to support her and one artistic friend who worked behind the scenes and had a delightful time putting on Anna's makeup.


Towards the end of school,Anna decided to give her lovely red mane to Locks of Love


Attending a week long Christian Youth Theater (CYT) camp, she got a main role as Captain Hook - Exciting! Good thing she has short hair.

She was thrilled when a new friend, K moved into the ward and they could go together.

Even more thrilled that Molly would take time out of her busy schedule and come watch the performance.


AZ to visit Family


and catch lizards

and hike with cousins.

Back at the ranch.
She's has quite the eye for nature and takes good pics, so here's a few of hers for you to enjoy. These were all taken last week on a stroll in our neighborhood.(in between conference talks)





Yes we do live by a creek with the greatest walking/riding trails EVER!




She also has an ear for nature. She heard this woodpecker and tracked him down.


I'm telling you Fall is truly the best in the midwest!






Rumor has it she's starting her own blog since she's feels she's been forgotten this past year. Good thing.
Unbeknownst to me she took this shot off our deck the other night.
Pretty cool I must admit.
Night, night


Anna, how could I ever forget you? ♥

You Never Know Who You're Going to Run Into?

My brother came to visit his new girlfriend who happens to live 4 hours north of us so we met in the middle at Madison, Wisconsin.






What a fun town.

I had no idea.
It just so happened to be the day before the ASU sun devils were playing those pesky badgers.
My brother, his gal pal and I walked to this cool lake which is near the UoW campus.
Lil brother asked a young man that was standing on the pier if he knew what the name of the lake was.
stranger - "no just visiting"
I noticed he was wearing an ASU baseball cap so I had to mention,
"Hey my son goes there and we used to live in Mesa"
stranger -"Oh really where at?"
Me -" McKellips and Lindsey"
stranger - "I went to H.S. on Lindsey."
Me "Did you go to Mt. View?"
stranger -"Yeah graduated 2004"
Me -"My daughter graduated that year. Do you know her? Emily Allred?. My son Jonathan graduated the year before."

Stranger - "no, I was on cross country and track my senior year."
Me- "So were my kids, are you sure you don't them? So you know Coach Sawyer? What's your name?
"Sheldon?"
Sheldon - " Yea I know Sawyer but don't know your kids, maybe my younger sister knows them."
Then I start thinking, hey why is he still in college if he graduated in 04
Me- "Are you LDS?"
Sheldon - "yea" looking at me strangely "served in Canada"
Me -As I show him my CTR ring (like it's some type of secret agent code ring or something)
"I'm LDS too. What brings you out here?"

Sheldon - "Every year we pick a road game to support our Sun devils and this year it was Madison."

He couldn't have picked a better weekend!!

Walked State Street and found a brat place for lunch along with a boatload of maroon and gold old people. (haha I'm not old)
I love my brother and his girlfriend seems just right for him. So great to see him, when he lives so far away.


(sorry I don't have a pic of Sheldon - that would have just been creepy, Molly already told me I'm weird for talking to strangers)

When are you too old to Trick or Treat?

Just wondering? Molly and Jessie went trick or treating before heading over to a party. Out here in Lake in the Hills we are told by our village commissioners when to trick or treat. It is from 2 till 8. So at 3:30 the kids are all over the place and are pretty much done by 7. Weird for me to have trick or treaters in daylight. Although I do remember when I was 10 and the Zodiac Killer in the SF bay area threatened to kill trick or treaters so we had to trick or treat before 6 and a cop was standing on a corner in our neighborhood. Thanks goodness nothing happened but that was a boring Halloween for all us not to be able to stay out late. We were kids, we thought we were immortal and we just wanted the candy. So back to my question, at what age do you stop trick or treating? I have a feeling this is the last year for Batman and Robin.


See what happens when teens no longer trick or treat? They dress up their dogs!!

Anna and her friends trick or treating

I don't think this cute lil mouse will ever be too old to dress up.

Halloween Graham Cracker Houses

I only do one crafty type thing a year and this is it. I make up the Halloween houses and let the kids decorate. This year Anna invited Emi and Leah over for a night of fun frosting

Emi is quite the symmetrical artist

Leah loves creating with the bones



Yay for candy corn and pumpkins!!!








Don't you just love the lil skeleton dude spread out in the corner?