Why are we here?

Driving home from Utah last night, my heart was full of emotion. We had a wonderful time with Brit and it was hard to leave. The sky was black, the car was making weird noises, and Morgan couldn't stop crying.

My mind was full of questions: "Why did we leave Idaho? Why did we move so far away? Why NEBRASKA?!" I was murmuring.

Then, we were blessed to have a couple speak to us at church today. They recently returned from serving as mission presidents in England. As they shared experiences and testified that God knows us personally, I was overcome with emotion. It felt as if the speaker looked directly at me when he said, "You are here for a purpose. The Lord transferred you to Sidney, Nebraska because this is where he needs you."

So, the question becomes... "What does the Lord need me to do here?" I know I can still be a good mother and we will always be a family even though miles may separate us. I also know we will be blessed when we do what the Lord asks us to do.

Great things are happening in Nebraska! I am grateful the Lord trusts us enough to be a part of the miracles here.

{Merry-Go-Round}

This girl is insane! I had to stop the camera 'cause it was making me dizzy.

Playing at the {Park}

We have really enjoyed the parks here. The kids love the "fish" park the best. (It has a huge pond with ducks and fish.) This park is close to Morgan's school and has lots of grass and MERRY-GO-ROUNDS!

My Conference Project

I always need a project to do while watching conference... it's my ADD. I love using a menu to make grocery shopping and mealtimes more pleasant. I have been using a little paper calendar to write out menus for each week. But, sometimes I forget and so I just started saving and re-using them. Then I saw a great menu idea that a friend had posted on her kitchen wall.
Did I mention it was a GREAT idea?

Using scrapbook paper and my computer, I created a two-week menu planner. I printed 42 main dish cards that can be moved around to create the menus. (Extra cards are kept in a ziploc bag.) I also printed a list of possible side dishes and desserts (to keep me from serving green beans and pudding pie every night.) I was impressed that I came up with that many things to cook. One of my cards simply says, "New Recipe" for those times when I just want to try something different.

I thought it turned out pretty cute! Morgan loved it because now she can easily read what is planned for dinner. Scott still calls everyday to ask, "What's for dinner?"

Our New Favorite Holiday!

Oktoberfest is our new favorite holiday! This is a huge celebration here. While we did not participate in all of the festivities, we did enjoy the craft show and PARADE. They talked about the parade all week at school so there was no getting out of it. (I would have preferred to spend the 2 hours watching conference.)

We came home with a huge bucket of candy! No need for trick-or-treat this year.

I was thrilled to see the scouts lead off the parade.
(I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the scouting organization and the amazing leaders
who work with these boys.)

Fire trucks are always a thrill but they are too LOUD. Zane had a heard time chasing candy with his fingers in his ears.

This one is for Grandma and Grandpa. It's a group of cloggers from Colorado.

It wouldn't be Oktoberfest with out the pipes!

We found a car for Brit. (She likes orange.)

And a truck for Dad. Zane thought Tucker would like to ride in the back.

I had no idea... wiener dog races are such a big thing.

Anxious to go check out the nearby pumpkin patch.
(Maybe Brit would like this truck.)

Morgan's friend was in the dance group.

Maybe Brit would like this car. (She likes green too.)

Morgan's friend was driving the little John Deere.

It's where we are!

This car is for Dad.

And this one is for Grandpa.

There were no horses in the parade...

but there were lots of MOTORCYCLES!

The kids liked this group. On the far side is a train made out of wagons. Too cute!

My favorite part...

the marching BANDS! Not sure why.

The weather was crisp and cool but the sunshine warm. Perfect for a PARADE!

CTR Baptism Towel

I found time to be crafty! My sister-in-law made these adorable baptism towels and I just had to try it too. (Click here to see her tutorial if you want to see how.) I wanted to make them for all of my Primary kids getting baptized but our move put an end to that. So, we picked one special girl to make one for.

I did a couple things different. I stitched the CTR shield onto purple before stitching it to the towel. I liked the contrast. I also did a satin stitch instead of straight stitch.

Then we rolled it up and tied it with a bow to send to Morgan's friend who will be getting baptized in a couple weeks. It turned out so cute!
(I also abridged the poem. The other one just went on too long.)

Now I am in the crafting mood. What to do next?

{Preschool Fun}

Zane is loving preschool! He wasn't too sure but after the first day he was hooked. There are 5 of us in the group and we rotate homes each week. It is such a great opportunity for the kids to learn the basics they need for kindergarten. Not just ABC's and 123's but also how to be friends. I love preschool too!

A is for apple.

Zane also loved the ant they made. We are waiting for our egg carton to empty so we can make an entire ant family.

This week was at our house. They are the sweetest group of kids! Zane is the only boy but doesn't seem to mind.

B is for butterfly.