HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!!

Wednesday was Josh's birthday. He is the big 7! I got up at 6am that morning and went and picked up fresh, hot doughnuts from Krispy Creme. The boys got them for breakfast and Josh got to take a couple dozen to school with him for his birthday treat. He (and his class) loved that! We always go out to dinner on birthdays and Josh chose Max and Ermas (kinda like Applebees). The boys like that place because it has an all you can eat ice cream bar! So they came home stuffed full of ice cream and not feeling so well because they ate way too much!

We did presents...as usual, it's all Star Wars here (mostly Star Wars Legos).

Tomorrow Josh is having a Star Wars birthday party (remember the cake a month ago????). We are having ten 6 & 7 year olds here for the party......hope my sanity's still around when it's over.

Mmmm..doughuts!

FALL PHOTOS

Today we took the boys to a preserve by our house and took some fall photos. I have big 16x20 pictures of the boys in our entry way and wanted to update them, so that is why we went. I came home and downloaded all the pictures and they all turned out so cute. Then, I found out that my card was somehow corupted and so my pictures are only viewable by a thumbnail image, when I try to blow them up, they become gray and lined. OH! I was soooo mad!!! Now we have to take the boys again after church tomorrow and do it all over again! (pictures are not that fun...it is like pulling teeth to get them to hold still and smile...I can't believe we have to do it AGAIN!!!!) Grrrr!

Anyway....here are the thumbnail versions.....

Center of Our Home

We really enjoyed conference this last weekend. I especially liked President Eyring's talk about remembering the ways that Heavenly Father has blessed you on a daily basis. We have started that here with our boys now. It is fun to listen to the boys share how they were blessed at school during the day. I also really liked Elder Oak's talk at the end of the Sunday session. He talked about good, better and best. We have decided to cut out some activities around here and just focus on the best! Great talk that our family needed to hear.

After talking with Chad and the boys, we decided our home needs to be even more Christ centered....so the picture...Christ is the center of our home.

Rappleye Family

Just finished getting changes done to the Rappleye Family picture. ...Julie make sure you show this to Mom! :)
Can you see any differences????

Butterflies

Every year we plant parsley because the boys know that we will get parsley worms on them. These "worms" spin cocoons and then become black swallowtail butterflies. The boys like to catch them, but them in a bug jar and watch the metamorphosis. Then we let them go on the butterfly bush in the backyard. Our first butterfly just emerged...Enjoy!

We're still waiting for the last 2 to come out. Sometimes they over winter, so we may not see these ones until spring! So for now they are just hangin' out (literally) with the chives behind the kitchen sink!

Sure He's Working

Looks like Chad had a little time to be goofing off at work....he found me out driving my van the other day. And he says he's busy... now we know what college professors really do during the day!

Check it out...(yes, that is really me out driving!)