Tis the Season!!!!

I absolutely LOVE this time of year! i love the cool fresh air, the yummy smells everywhere and the happiness that seems to be on everyones face! I have been just soo excited for Christmas lately and keep looking up christmas crafts and things that i can do to keep the Christmas spirit!! but wait...it isnt even Halloween yet..oops! well i was so excited for Christmas this year that i made shane watch The Grinch with me! LOVE THAT MOVIE! (the one with jim carry) i need to slow down and just focus on Halloween! what should my costume be? what to do? hmm...

This weekend i am watching my sister's kids and i have some fun crafts planned for them..coloring and pumpkins! cant wait! They are the cutest little kids! i am so blessed to be an aunt! i wish i got to see all my nieces and nephews more often! this past sunday we were at the Wilson Family's house for Emmett's First birthday!

Kaylee was talking to me and she said "when i am a mom i will have a salon, tons of kids, and LOTS and Lots of babies! oh and i will shop at D.I. aunt kate!" hahaha...she is the cutest thing and gets so wide eyed and excited to tell you everything!

we were all sitting down to dinner and i noticed that my sister, Lacy, had put out some poppyseed dressing (which i love) for the salad! we were talking about it and Kaylee chimes in and says "oh i LOVE puppies too aunt kate, i have a puppy shirt and stuffed animals!" we all got a good laugh! Ethan just rolls his eyes and says, "oh Kaylee!!" they are like an old married couple! it is the cutest and so refreshing for us to be around them! love it and cant wait for this weekend of fun!

What a HAY MAZING day!!!

 We went to the Hay maze with some of our good friends! the Spains and the Johnsons!!! it was fun!

 Shane found the Exit!! Good Job Shane! he is like a little kid when it comes to these things!! i love it!

 Oh how i love these girls and it was soo good to have the Johnson family in town for the weekend! we miss them!

KENYA Run a 5K?

I ran in a five k run yesterday morning! it was lots of fun! Pinnacle Security, the place i work, is raising money to build a Hospital in Kenya, Africa!!! it was a good turn out! good job Everyone!! I got Fifth for the Girls and wish i would have trained for it so i could have done better!!

Getting Excited for Halloween with my Spooky Eye Ball Oreo Cookies!

 Chocolate Cookies!!

 The really Creamy Filling! yummy

 I had to add Eye Balls to them.

Donkey in the Well

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people but more from God.

This was really touching to me today! i feel sometimes that i am a donkey in a well and just need to be greater and bigger then the dirt that is thrown my way and just use it to grow and become stronger so that i may get out of the hole i am in!

Aloha Hawaii and Goodbye Rexburg!!

 Shane and i got to go to Hawaii this last week! it was sooo fun! i loved every moment and i know that Shane did as well! this was my second time going and his 1st! we had perfect weather there and such an awesome place to stay! my dads boss owns a house there and so we got to stay at the house on North Shore that is neighbors to the guy who started Billabong! we had a great view and the best sunsets!

 My HOT hubby just hanging out in the Ocean! this is sunset beach and this is where the soul surfer Lost her arm!! kinda scary swimming there!

 Pretty Sunset!

 We learned to Paddle surf! it is really easy and fun! i accidently ran into a old chinese man that was fishing though! oops!!

 Shane was in heaven at the Dole Plantation!! he got to enjoy a bowl of pineapple ice cream! yummm...

 cute little pineapple!

 The turtles were amazing! we went snorkling with them and the were always just laying on the beach by our house! reminded me of Finding nemo! They were the coolest when seeing them underwater.

We climbed up Diamond Head to see this amazing view of Wiakiki! it was a steep hike up stairs but well worth it!

 DATE NIGHT!! shane and i got to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center and watched the night show! it was way fun and incredible how much they put into the show! great dancers, great costumes, great set!

 Another Gorgeous sunset from our backyard!! definitely not missing rexburg!

 Temple DAY! this was such a cool experience! the temple was gorgeous inside and out! we were in a session with a huge group of missionaries from the area! we were asked to be the witness couple again! i swear we are the witness couple every time! :)

Sooo in LOVE!

 Some North Shore Burger Joint! i stuck with the chicken Salad! but shane, my dad and mom got some huge Pineapple burgers!!

 Look at how huge my jugs are!! haha..first time i have ever been able to say that!! we love pineapples!

 They had the prettiest flowers ever there! everywhere we went i saw new bright flowers.

 Swap Meet!! we got to go to the swap meet in honolulu and got some fun stuff! my parents are awesome and took us to do some fun things while we were there and this is one of them!

 We visited a football stadium while we were there! I dont even know the team but shane was excited to step foot on the field and walk through the tunnel! he is a CHAMPION!!

 Look at those muscles!! go shane! haha

Shane loved paddle boarding as well! we even got to meet up with my cousin colby that teaches at BYU hawaii and his three cute kids and wife! they are livin the life in Hawaii for sure! love them!

Well there is a summary of our awesome trip! wow it went by sooo fast! and now i am back in rexburg where it has been snowing nonstop!! what the heck? it is so not cool going from sunshine and tanning to boots and big furry coats! ohh well! back to reality...work and school! bring it on! thanks mom and dad for a dream vacation and thanks Shane for making it a BLAST! LOVE YOU HAWAII! aloha!