Scary Stuff

I saw the original Night of the living Dead when I was in high school. Scary Stuff. Since then, on the monster scale...Zombie's are at the top of the list. Right after demons that possess people...they are number 1. I still have never seen The Exorcist. Never will.

Then I watched Shaun of the Dead with Jeff a few years ago, (I totally recommend this movie if you havn't seen it) and my perceptions of Zombies became a little more humorous.

First of all, because they move really slow. As long as you are not overpowered by too many, they are pretty wussy. In fact, according the the Zombie Survival Guide, all you need to do to survive the Zombie Apocalypse is go to a second story house and knock out the stairs. They can't climb. They will just wander around on the first floor looking for stairs. They can't problem solve...they aren't going to stack up furniture or go and find a ladder. You just have to wait them out. (Unless you run into those Zombie Jumping Doberman Pinchers in Resident Evil, you should be just fine...)

Ghost Towns and Rock Hounds

Want a great way to celebrate Halloween in Utah??? How about a visit to a freaky little ghost town that no one has ever heard of???Introducing Ophir. Living Population: 50. Dead: Who knows.... And while you're there, why not check out the abandoned pyrite mine...there is quite a bit of pyrite still lying around. We found a few of our samples:Of course, you do need to hike up to the old mine to get it...Make sure you bring your rock hounding gear.And if the old mine doesn't freak you out...This thing probably will...We think someone lives here.It was starting to get dark, and we didn't know who would be out once the sun went down...So we came down and quickly looked around the rest of the "town."It's about 40 min. outside of Tooele. It was such a nice drive. I love road trips and pretty much slept the 90 min. drive there. Then Clint and Derek slept on the way home. Good times.

The buildings are all deserted, but well kept.

There are lots of places for the kids to climb on and run around.But it started to get cold. There was a nice picnic area, and a campground right outside the city limits. And there is suppose to be an old cemetery around here somewhere. But we couldn't find it. We did find a few small pieces of pyrite.

We are planning to go back next summer. It was a fun place to go, and we totally recommend it...if you don't mind getting dirty.

Happy Halloween!!! From Derek, Kooy, Landen, Meggie and Clint

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Literally Halloween

My posts of late have been a bit emotional and consuming for me...so I am lightening up a bit for the upcoming Holiday season...relishing in the fact that I still have a little guy at home that makes holidays magical...and they will be for quite a few more years. My collection of Halloween books comes out at this time every year. By far, the favorite holiday collection of the year. And Derek loves the macabre a bit more than Clint ever did. Poor Clint still gets freaked out about anything the least bit eerie. Not Derek.

I asked on Facebook for Halloween reading suggestions. I love my Halloween books, but like to add to the collection every year. This year we took Aunt Kim's suggestion and picked up Skeleton Hiccups. An instant favorite. Very wacky and cute. And who doesn't love Skeletons???

My personal favorite is still Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting. I love the pictures, and the twist at the end, as well as the poetry. Lots of my other friends recommended The little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything by Linda Williams and Megan Lloyd. Another one of our family favorites. I also just ordered Witch, Witch come to my party, Story by Arden Druce and Artwork by Pat Ludlow. This was recommended by my sister for the art work, and it is pretty incredible.Here are just a few other titles I would like to Mention, I guess maybe a top 10? These are in no particular order...just the Halloween Books I love most...so far...

• Scare the Moon by Harriet Ziefert Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams Illustrated by Megan Lloyd
• There's A Nightmare In My Closet by Mercer Mayer (This one stays on the bookshelf all year long).
• The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain (My Favorite when I was a little girl...I would still love to find a tree like that...)
• Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman Illustrated by S. D. Schindler
• Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler Illustrated by S. D. Shcindler
• Scary Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting Illustrated by Jan Brett
• Grumpy Bunny's Spooky Night by Justine Korman Illustrated by Lucinda McQueen (Derek's Choice)
• Franklin's Halloween by Paulette Bourgeois Illustrated by Brenda Clark (This was Clint's favorite when he was little...He still listens to Halloween Stories, even though he would never admit it...)
• Witch, Witch Will You Come To My Party? By Arden Duce Illustrated by Pat Ludlow.

I had this book when I was a little girl that I loved Called The Witch of Hissing Hill...I wonder if my mom and dad still have that book.

What is your favorite Halloween book?

Intelligence

I was talking to my sister yesterday, wondering if I should really keep posting my thoughts and opinions of my blog and facebook. I don't know if there is any point.

I told my sis that maybe it is not appropriate to share personal things that anyone can read. Too many people I really respect have very little to do with on-line story telling and debate. And I get into debates over political and religious things all the time. On line and off. And I can't change any ones mind.

Wendy said that she believes we have a responsibility to put good out into the online world. There is too much bad, but everyone needs to use the Internet. We need to contribute to making it balanced however we can. Good things that we care about need to be sent out into the cyber universe to try to level the playing field. I think she's right. We can't let it be over run with evil. Or else it will not be a safe place for anyone. We need to contribute to the online world as much as we contribute to our real world. We need to try to fill it with some good.

I have friends who are against the church. There is a forum for people to bash the General Authorities after conference. Pres. Holland has received some of the harshest criticism for his talk last week. The interesting thing is that their criticism is not having the effects that they had planned. In fact, it is pretty much the opposite. It was Brigham Young who said any time you kick Mormonism, you kick it upstairs...I would have to agree.

The bishop told me about this talk Dallin H. Oaks gave at BYU Idaho yesterday. We all need to read it. We are going to need it soon.

Dallin H. Oaks is one smart guy. This talk is almost over my head. His crediential are amazing. Law Professor, Utah Supreme Court Justice, General Authority. There are a lot of intelligent people in this church. In fact, the church is based on literacy and education. And I am very thankful for that.


Read Dallin H. Oaks talk Here

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Dallin H. Oaks

Why Religion Matters

There are many reasons. And while I listen to several of my friends and acquaintances discuss how Religion is a great evil...how it is full of hypocrisy and fairytales, I bite my tongue. Not because I am afraid. Not because I am ashamed. But because it is pointless to try to convince someone who has already made up their mind. More than anything...I feel sad. To know that the peace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to my life will never be known by some. To understand the deep joy I feel at certain times that I can never put a price on. When I just look at someone, and know that they feel the same. It happens in my family with my sisters all the time. With my nieces, and close friends, with my husband. No words can describe it, and none are necessary.

A few weeks ago, I watched in wonder as an entire religious community made a miracle happen in less than 2 days for a good friend. I have participated in major humanitarian efforts that could never be possible with one person alone. They took place under a banner of Religion. I belong to the largest organization of women in the world...and we constantly do things to make the world a better place. In our own communities as well as in third world countries, and in far away cities where catastrophes have taken place. So what is really so horrible about religion? None of us are perfect. We don't claim to be. But we believe in the ideal, and sincerely strive to reach it. A little better every day. And while we stumble and fall, we try to apologize and recover, and persevere.

I was reminded of this ideal Sunday. Clint turned 12 a couple of weeks ago, and has been able to take part in passing the Sacrament as part of his duties as a deacon. I am very proud of him and his sweet personality and his desire to be a good boy. After the prayer was said and the boys started out with their trays of bread to different parts of the chapel, Jeff whispered to me that "it looks like someone forgot to go up front..." (the bishop is suppose to receive the bread first). The boys were all looking around, when Skylar, one of the amazing older boys, who I love, hurried over to Clint to remind him he was number one, and needed to deliver it to the bishopric. Clint was mortified. He was so embarrassed. Head down, he walked up to the stand while the entire chapel watched and waited until he gave it to the bishop. Then when he was finished, he got in line, and one of the younger boys whispered harshly to Clint to go to the back of the line. I saw him try hard to try not to cry....

Then Jeff elbowed me and pointed to President Williams...our former Stake President. Clint was standing by him, where Pres. Williams was seated. Clint had his head down, but the look of love and sympathy on Pres. Williams face for Clint...how if he wasn't passing the sacrament, he probably would of given him a warm pat on the back and a kind word to say that it was okay...then I looked around the room...and almost every face was exactly the same. Everyone in the entire chapel looking at my little Clint with nothing but concern, and love.

Clint had to go back and finish with the water. He was trying so hard just to keep it together and not cry. He finished. Came back to where we were sitting, and started to cry. Then brother Bowen got up, 1st counselor. And reminded everyone how grateful we are for the boys who pass the sacrament. Stressed how all of us make mistakes, and spoke with love directly to Clint. The 2 speakers that followed also talked about how appreciative they were to the boys who took on the responsibility of the sacrament every Sunday, and of course, the last speaker had his own very cute story about dropping the bread tray when he was a kid.

Love. Pure and simple. Real and True.

It's been awhile...

It has. Been a long time. I have been kind of in a weird state of mind lately. For lots of reasons. I even wrote a post about it...but will probably never publish it. Some things are better left private.

But I have not been feeling like myself. With my new work schedule, and Clint's descent into adolescence...the end of summer, and Derek starting preschool twice a week...I have felt a longing for more time. And I have felt alone. I love being a mom, and I really am not interested in doing anything else. I don't have daughters...and eventually, my boys will leave, and...

All I have is now. This very moment. I have felt sad that so many of Clint's friends that he had when he was little have drifted away. I love those boys and loved having them around. I felt so happy to have them in my kitchen while we made cookies and I always had the doors open so I could hear them laugh and play and fight outside. I kept all the band-aids for the neighborhood on the lowest bathroom shelf, and plastic cups in the bottom drawer in the kitchen. A freezer full of otter pops, and a drawer full of construction paper and glue. Clint and those little boys who used to play here need me less and less every day. And I have missed the constant laughter and energy that little boys bring to the world...

But I am so thankful that I get to do it all again at least one more time...And Clint still hangs around most of the time...reluctantly on the outside...but on the inside...he still knows he's home.

So I snapped myself out of whatever funk I was in just in time for Friday, a very good day....

Derek and Kooy wanted to make Halloween Gingerbread houses...and it turned into a party.So lucky to have lots of friends on our street. I have a small kitchen, so we had 2 work stations, and 2 shifts of kids at each one. Derek and Kooy did all the shopping, and they did a good job of selecting decorations.Then the decorating ended, and as I was organizing the finished products, I thought I would take a look around the house to see what everyone was doing...A few were building the hot wheels track on the front steps.... And I had to stop the wrestling match in the TV Room..Quite a few in the tree house....

Loved the Jedi Tether ball...the first time I 've seen that...
Jedi's were also in the house...

And then it was time for everyone's mom to start calling them home...

I am definitely planning on having more days, like this.