We carved pumpkins this week!  The little ones got help from bigger ones.

And we all made a gigantic mess! Ben had no idea what we were doing, but he was game!  He thought it was great!He even tried to eat his pumpkin, which is actually quite sensible compared with what the rest of us were showing him to do with this large vegetable.  Right?  Bethany, with Dad’s help, got done pretty quickly.  So she took advantage of the general chaos to entertain herself in other ways:Cute pictures, huh?  She just started drawing faces this week!  I always think it is such an important first – right up there with first steps and first words, etc.  These ones she told me were ghosts.  I’m totally seeing it.  (It did wash right off.  I love laminate tables!)

I had one of my busiest days ever this week.  On Tuesday, I did Activity Days with Mariah from 4:30 to 5:30.  Then I did basketball with the twins from 6 to 7.  Then Savannah had to go to a concert at BYU which started at 7:30.  That’s some night, huh?  It’s nice how they all lined up, though.  As long as nothing overlaps, I guess it’s doable,  huh?  It was doable with help from my good husband and kids who took care of everyone else when I was gone and handed me a taco between events.  The concert at BYU was the Symphony Orchestra, which is the ensemble I played in while at BYU.  It was neat to go back and hear them.  The conductor was the student conductor who led us when I was a student.  Funny, huh?  I guess it’s been a day or two since then.  It doesn’t really feel like it, though.

Savannah and Sarah had youth conference this weekend.  It was just our ward and they called each of the youth on a “mission,” gave them a companion, sent them to a country, had them do service, a p-day activity, and even teach discussions.  It turned out really, really well.  Savannah and Sarah both had a really good experience.  Afterwards, Sarah sat on the couch and sighed, “You know how people say after their missions that they wish they were still there?  Well, I feel the same way.  I wish youth conference wasn’t over.”  Bravo to all the adults who made it happen and gave them things to think about and an experience to remember.

Finally, this weekend was also the long-awaited grand opening of Springville’s new library!  Huzzah!!  EVERYONE in Springville was there.  Even Red Riding Hood who I didn’t even know lived in Springville! We heard the orchestra play, the little girls got their faces painted, we saw a magic show, and best of all . . . we checked out books.  IT was awesome.  We are so glad to have a library again!  I went back again later with Savannah and Sarah (who had been at youth conference in the morning) to see Brandon Mull, author of Fablehaven, and hear him speak.  It was so fun!  Savannah and her friend, Miranda, even stood in line afterwards for an hour and a half so he could sign their well-loved books.  I went home and came back to pick them up when they were done.  I’m like that.