Dave, We can't top that!

Wow! Dave that was impressive. It actually made me cry, partly because I was so proud of those boys, and partly because we don't get to see any of this. Darn!

Mandy, the pictures of your kids just made me smile. What cute pumpkins, and Claire looking so cute all dressed up. I want to be there, too.

Well, I can't be with all my grandchildren when they star but since I've been staying (can't call it baby sitting anymore---they're too big) with the Thomas kids this last week I did get to see Maddy play in her last of the season socker game. She scored 3 of the 5 goals. They will have a play off game next week, which I'll miss.

I actually composed this blog from Dallas. I started it the day after Halloween and Grandma Geri was a Halloween witch, thanks to Terri for providing a costume for me. Terri will tell you all about their fun get-away, I'm sure, so I'll report what was going on at home. The kids are getting to that age where they would rather be on their on for a few days instead of having Grandma come. But there I was so they made the best of it and I did keep the dirty dishes and laundry from getting out of control.

It was fun to spend Halloween in a place where the kids could actually wear their costumes without a bulky sweater underneath or a coat on top. I'd never been to a "trunk or treat" before so it was fun to see how that works. I'd forgotten how these Dallas people really get into Holidays like this. Everybody around town dresses up for the day---doing errands, going to work, shopping, whatever. It's fun. At the church "trunk or treat" they really let their hair down and adults and kids alike made the most of it. After a "healthy" meal of hotdogs, chips, and drink the trunks were opened and the sugary treats spewed forth. Even the trunks were decorated. It was amazing! And there were so many! Several rows of cars, all calling out to the sugar crazed little ghouls. The only one I had to look after was Sydney and much to her credit she knew when she'd had enough. There were still a couple of rows of cars still unexplored but she said she had enough candy and wanted to go home. So we did. Nor did she want to canvas any part of the neighborhood when we got there as the other kids did. She was happy to stay home and color with grandma (one of the trunks gave out new crayons), and answer the door for the greedier group. It was only when Maddy came home an hour later with a pillow case half full of goods which she emptyed out on the floor did Sydney have some regrets. It wasn't the candy she was eyeing. It was the new pencils with fun Halloween erasers. I think Maddy finally decided to share some of those with her. The rest of the week my biggest problem was keeping the dog, Maverik out of the candy. The kids were in school and I'd be busy at some job or other and Maverik would saunter by as sassy as you please with a piece of half eaten candy hanging out of his mouth. I took it away, closed all the doors to all the rooms that had doors, but pretty soon there he'd be again---more candy. I finally found Maddy's stash not very well hidden under some throw pillows in the reading room (no doors) so I that took care of the problem at least until the kids came home and opened doors, left candy exposed, etc. He was my hardest "baby" to sit.
At home, Doug acted as my RS secretary and called me every night with messages for the RS President---one of our older sisters fell down and smashed her face, and other was hospitalized for a bleeding ulcer, another was being evicted from her apartment for zoning violations and I'd been organizing a group of supporters to go with her to a hearing, etc, etc. Cell phones and e-mail is great for long distance leadershipping.

Doug and I have been taking a class every Sunday night at the Family History Training Center. It was manditory for me, Doug went to support President Hinckley in his plea for all members 12 years old and up who have access to a computer and the internet to help with the Extraction Program you read about in the Ensign a couple of months ago. It's really a hugh project and will change the face of family research in a big way when it gets done. Thousands of members have responded and the work is going forward but it will take thousands more and several years before all those records in the archives are indexed digitally. When it's done a researcher could just type in the name of an ancestor and all the records available any where in the world---birth, death, census report, immigration and emigration records, war records, etc. will come up. Wouldn't that be great! You can do it for just a few minutes a day, or longer if you have a bigger block of time---it fits your schedule. Ask your ward or stake FH consultant to help you get started.

Terri, I downloaded it on your computer while I was there, along with a Paf program and your history data. All you have to do is register and get a consultant in your ward to show you how to use the program. It is so easy!

Doug has been really enjoying speaking at the Deseret Book outreach conferences this month. They are called "Time out for Couples" or "Time out for women", or a mothers and daughters focus, or a singles focus or whatever. He and several other Deseret Book authors and entertainers went to Sacramento one weekend attended by 1,500 people. Next he went to Dallas at a venue close to Terri. He said the program is awesome and Terri said he was awesome. His next stop is Tacoma, and it just goes on and on.

FLASH! Birthdays this month: Kevin and Denise share on this Tuesday on the 7th. James is on the 20th, Tanner on the 30th.

Love Mom and Dad