True Companions

.: (You really should read this first!) :. So I have become very laxed in my writing and keeping everyone up to date. So since I was doing some things out of the ordinary , I thought I would let you all know about it. I just spent the last hour painting almonds. I painted them red with food coloring so that tomorrow I can make them the fingernails to witch finger cookies. Madison is having her birthday party tomorrow night. She decided that she would like to have a Halloween costume birthday party. She is very excited!!! The menu looks like this: Dragon's Blood Punch (apple juice, cranberry juice, and Hawaiian Punch), Witch Finger Cookies (sugar cookies with red almonds at the tip), Pumpkin Patch Cake (pumpkin shaped cupcakes), Mummy Slime (ice cream), Graveyard Mud (chocolate pudding with gummy worms), Eye of Newt Chips (blue tortilla chips), Spider Web Dip (guacamole with sour cream in the shape of a spider web), Deadly Drizzled Popcorn (this is one of Leslie's famil...

.: (You really should read this first!) :. I went with my Father and Brothers to a Diamondbacks baseball game today. It was pretty fun. The people behind us left in the middle of the game and offered us their peanuts. Hey, free can't beat free peanuts! ... Well actually, we did win a free "chalupa" from Taco Bell because they scored more than 8 runs. So instead of waiting in traffic we decided to eat our free chalupa. Wouldn't you know it, the brief pitstop gave us a traffic free ride home.

My wonderful wife and I are coming closer to our 1 yr anniversary. YAY! The labor day weekend was great! We went on a hike up at Oak Flats Campground and the boys managed to find a few micro sized frogs. (the size of a fingertip) We came home and enjoyed a great time with family at my house. I am soo happy that my family enjoys hanging out at my place. We practice singing a song for my sister's wedding. She is still slated to be married this month on the 19th. Yay!

Greg was here for the last week - gosh it was soo nice! He left yesterday. But before he left we took the kids to Wild Rumpus . It is a bookstore in Minneapolis for kids. It is a ton of fun. Not only can the kids run around and play with toys and books - but they have animals running around. They have cats, a chicken, tons of birds, lizards, a rat and a tarantella. (Obviously the last few animals on the list are caged - otherwise we would not have gone there!) This is one of the resident cats, the other is a black and white. I am not sure of his name. This is the resident chicken. His name is Elvis. He was just walking around. The first time he came walking towards Danny, he jumped up on a chair. Then after that Danny walked up to him and petted him. He is VERY soft. Kind of odd to think he is a chicken. Greg even pet the chicken - he must not be allergic to the ones that are still running around! L0L The door to come and go has a kid size cut out. The thought that was so very cool. ...

We had Hunter's birthday party today! It was soo much fun. First we went to see "Miss Nelson is Missing" performed at the Stages Theatre . It was a lot of fun - except the boys didn't like the 'apple part' (where the teacher and the janitor both took a bite of apple at the same time and it looked like they were kissing). Unfortunately Greg missed the end of the play because of a certain unnamed irritant - but what do you do!! After the play we returned to the house for cake and ice cream. I had the cake made at a local grocery story, Cub Foods . They did such a GREAT job!! It was so nice to have Greg's parents join us for the party and a couple of days. The house was full but very cozy! I think his parents had a good time seeing Minnesota. I went walking one day with Barbara - she is amazing!! I thought I was going to die by the time we were done - and it was as if nothing fazed the woman!! It was cold walking in the snow - but not as cold as the next day ...

OK so here is some potential happy craziness……. Brad and I went to mediation yesterday to try and negotiate my move with the boys. We left there two hours later no closer to any negotiations than we had been for the last three months. Then today out of the blue he calls me to ask how long I would be willing to stay in Minnesota if he agreed to negotiate. Greg and I had previously discussed this question and had agreed that even if the boys and I stayed in Minnesota until August that it would be better to have the “bird in the hand” so to speak and a signed agreement. So I told Brad that I would be willing to stay until August 1st. He wanted a few tweaks on my last proposal but seems willing to agree that I take the boys with me to Arizona for the school year and he has them for the summer. Now, I am not holding my breath quite yet as there is no signature on any dotted line…..but we are soo much closer than we were yesterday. Right now I am amazed at what the Lord can do. I hav...

Just thought I would post a note and say thanks to my wonderful wife for always being the gem that I adore so much. You are sneaky... How did you manage to get me to teach your lesson? Next time I'm gonna have to just put tape over my mouth... (I'd probably end up looking as silly as that senior primary boy in sharing time.. LOL ) Sorry again for the frustration at dinner on Saturday night. BUT making up with you is sooooo incredible, who wouldn't want to 'work it out'? :P Well it's back to the telephone routine.. I will call you in the morning. I love you tons and want you to know that I am soooo blessed to you have you in my life... Thanks GOD... ( don't worry we will still be in close communication about the details of the physical arrangement) Thanks! I love you JEN!

Well, I just put him on a plane and he is on his way back to Arizona. This is the worst part of the whole thing. I will feel better when he calls me after he has landed. We had a great time! Even if it was for only two days - that is better than nothing. And I didn't even have to let him out of my sight much at all!! We started the weekend out by attending an endowment session at the Temple. I am amazed every time I go....at everything. At the knowledge, at the feelings, everything. I cannot imagine how a couple who attend the Temple together regularly could not work through ANYTHING! It is wonderful and amazing - and I get this way EVERYTIME I go. I hope that as the years pass, my excitement for going and feeling all of these wonderful feelings never changes. If it does I need someone to pull this out and make me read it....deal? Anyway, My friend Kandi watched the boys for us (Thanks a ton Kandi - you rock!! I love ya!). Because Greg had gotten in late we were running a bit late ...

I thought I would post a quick post. I am very anxious to see Greg tomorrow! He is coming for the weekend and I can bearly contain myself. He gets discount rates now that his mom work for America West and so it makes it very nice and very convenient. I also found this picture and thought it would be very fun to post it on the site. This is the first picture Greg and I ever took together. This is at the Minneapolis airport July 30, 1993 - The first time we ever met. Aren't we cute....and YOUNG!!!! :-)