Dorothy and the Not So Wicked Witch of the East

Happy Halloween! Here are our princesses all dressed up and ready to go to our ward's Trunk or Treat out at the Aucoin's.



Katie was a lovely little 'Dorothy', complete with her little dog 'Toto'.



And here is the Not So Wicked Witch of the South. Every time I called her the witch of the South, she would correct me and say, "No, it's the East, not the South." I tried to tell her we live in the South, but she still wanted to be called the 'Wicked Witch of the East'. She wanted to be a good witch, but still wanted to be green. Although I found every other color of the rainbow in the cream make-up, I could not find green. All I could find was this glittery stuff, but she thought it was the coolest, so we got it. After I got it on her face, she kept looking in the mirror at herself and saying, "I look so good" and "I am so beautiful." She was pretty excited to be glittery green.



Dorothy found her good friend, the Scarecrow, by our front porch.



And then the witch came and said,



"I'll get you my pretty.................



..........and your little dog too!"



We also brought a doctor with us, just in case.



Here are Jaimee, Katie, and Savannah waiting to go into the 'Haunted House'.



And here they are coming out. Katie said wasn't too scary, but we could distinctly hear her screaming. After she went through the first time, she just kept going back over and over and we hardly saw her at all until it was time for the Trunk or Treat.



Here they are after collecting treats, trying to be scary. Then Dorothy clicked here heels and said, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home." And then magically..............





.................they were at home asleep.

Haunted House

Tonight the girls and I made a BOO-tiful Haunted House. I got this idea from a magazine and thought it would be fun to do. We had planned to make it last night after carving the pumpkins, but we ran out of time. It was so much fun. I'm not sure if it was more fun for me or the girls, but we all agreed that it turned out great, and that it will become one of our Halloween traditions.

My Season Of Life

I suppose this is my season of life to show 'all my glory.' When I bought maternity clothes when I was pregnant with Katie, the pants, skirts, and jeans all had that oh so lovely 'panel' with the elastic that would cover your entire expanding belly. It was unattractive, I admit, but it accomplished its purpose. These days, most maternity clothes don't have the panel, but just a 5 or 6 inch band of elastic that just sits under the belly, which is more comfortable, but it does nothing--at least for me--in helping to keep my pants up. Whenever I bend, twist, squat, stretch, or anything like unto it, my pants start sliding, and yep, you guessed it.............there I am in all of my glory. Well, not all of my glory, but I am quite certain it is more than people care to see. This is a picture Sarah took the other day while I was on the attic stairs looking for something. Luckily, she didn't get the 'all my glory' part, but you can tell my pants are sliding down because it looks like I have no butt, and you can see my belly hanging out in front. Sarah is constantly telling me that my pants are falling down. Aaron doesn't bother to tell me anymore. He just comes up behind me and pulls them up for me. Thanks honey. I know I am showing the world all my goods, but it's just my season of life. Someone please bring back the panel!

Weekend Recap

Much to our delight, Aaron stayed home to spend the weekend with us, since he had been hunting the past two weekends.

Friday night, his parents invited us over to hang out. We had a great time roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over their little fire pit.

Saturday morning we went to the Arts Fest in Lake Charles. It was so neat, and the best part was that it was all FREE!





Here we are after checking in and waiting for the Andrews.



They had this cool tepee that the girls thought would be kinda fun to live in. They had all kinds of arts and crafts to do, but the coolest and the girls' favorite was making their own vase on the pottery wheel.



Sarah wasn't so sure about getting dirty.



But Katie just jumped right in. It was a fun time, but after a couple of hours, I was tired and hungry. So we headed home for some lunch and naps. Later on, the Andrews came over and we grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. We ate lots, and laughed even more.

My sweet Sarah has been sick for the last few days, so she's been begging to take her "Booger Medicine." We were out, so we had to go to Walmart to pick some up, and when we got back she wanted her picture taken with it. When she was sick a while back, she hated to take the Children's Mucinex that the doctor had told us to give her, until Aaron started to call it "Booger Medicine." Now she LOVES to take it, just so she say "Booger Medicine", I think. At least she doesn't complain about taking it anymore.



Notice the little "Booger Man" on the bottle. Sarah shared her sick germs with Katie, so she has been taking the "Booger Medicine" too. However, she is not nearly as thrilled about it as Sarah. Can't say I blame her--it smells horrible.



Since the kids were out of school today, I took my girls and all of the Zachary girls to see High School Musical 3. We were all a little star struck when we saw who was waiting for us at the theatre--except Emma. We all really enjoyed it. I even cried at the end. I know, I'm a nerd. But I'm going to blame it on my pregnancy hormones.

Tonight for FHE, we did our activity first, which was carving pumpkins. The girls were completely grossed out when Aaron pretended to eat the pumpkin guts.











Look at how cute they are! And the pumpkins turned out pretty good too! Afterwards, we went inside and sipped on hot chocolate to warm up while Aaron gave a short lesson. Then we sent the girls off to bed, but Sarah kept getting up. I guess because of that 4:30 nap. Uggg.

We were at the computer when we heard a knock at the door around 9PM. I looked outside, but didn't see anyone. I looked down on the door step and saw a cute little pumpkin and some treats. I said, "I think we just got ding, dong, ditched!" So we opened up the door and saw that the cute pumpkin said 'Zachary' all over it. And then we noticed that they were pulled over just a few feet from our driveway. They aren't very sneaky, but what a sweet family. Since they knew they were caught, they came back and visited for a few minutes. It was a fun way to end the day!

Finally Fall.....I Think!

Today we got our first taste of some wonderful and very welcome fall weather. The weather has been really cool for a couple of weeks in the mornings, but by the afternoons it was still warming up to the mid to upper 80s. But not today. Sarah and I went outside to play this afternoon at about 1:30 and it was still chilly. So we went back inside and I went up into the attic to find the 4T winter clothes. After I found them and brought them down, she put on some jeans and a sweater, and then went and got her hat, scarf, and gloves from her drawer, since they didn't get put up for some reason. Then we headed back outside, and I decided to take some pictures of her all dressed up like it was really cold outside.



Isn't she cute?! Then I noticed her feet.



Oops! I told her to lets go back inside to find some different shoes and she said, "My toes like to be cold." Right. She thinks I don't know these are her favorite shoes and that she likes to wear them no matter what kind of clothes she's wearing!

The Best Thing About Being Pregnant

I have heard several women say that they absolutely love being pregnant. They feel great the entire time and just love every minute of the experience. I am NOT one of those women. However, I do consider myself lucky not to be on the opposite end of that spectrum. I know a girl back home who is seriously sick the entire time she is pregnant. She loses weight--that she didn't even need to lose to begin with--and is in and out of the hospital several times each time that she is pregnant. Again, I am grateful not to have pregnancies like that, but there is only one thing--other than the end result of the pregnancy, of course--that I look forward to, which is feeling the baby move. It makes the pregnancy seem more real, and not like I am just gaining weight. It also helps me to realize the true miracle that we as women are blessed with in being able to create a perfect little human being. I have been feeling the 'flutters' for a while now, and they are getting stronger and feeling more like little kicks these days. Aaron felt him kick the other night and now tries often to feel him again. Sarah, on the other hand, says she feels the baby move all the time, but actually really felt the baby move for the first time last week. She got so tickled. It was so cute to watch. She looks at my belly each day and says, "Mom, your belly is getting big." I say, "I know. Do you know what that means? It means the baby is growing." Now she and Katie both like to give my belly hugs, and say, "I love you John David." That is the name that Sarah has decided on, I think. Sometimes she says Jonathan David, so I guess we'll see what she says on the day he is born. In the meantime, we are all just enjoying watching him grow and feeling him get stronger.

Funny Girls

The girls have been cracking me up lately with the things that they say. Like last week when Sarah was talking to Aaron on the phone, I overheard her say to him, "Dad, do you know that everybody loves you because you are the bishop?" And then last night Sarah told Aaron that she saved the last cookie for him "because you are the bishop."

Today after we got home from church, Katie came to the kitchen to inform me that she and Sarah were watching 'The Sound of Music' in their room. Since I like for them to just watch church videos on Sunday, I asked her who gave her permission to watch 'The Sound of Music.' She quickly replied, "Well, the Bishop said it was appropriate to watch on Sunday." Sarah is busy 'buttering up' the bishop, while Katie is using him as clout to get what she wants. Should I be worried?

Our Little Gymnasts

Sarah and Katie are both taking gymnastics and they LOVE it! They are both constantly practicing their splits, back bends, cartwheels, and head stands all over the house. And they both got the 'Super Student of the Month' award in each of their classes. Katie also won the contest for doing the 'Frog Stand' the longest of anyone in her class.



Here is Sarah with her teacher Miss Kandace, who she absolutely adores! I don't have a picture of Katie with her teacher because she is apparently too old for all of the picture taking nonsense.

Big Sisters

Here are the big sisters taking a look at the pictures of the baby after they got home. They were very excited to see them--especially Sarah. Although after Sarah got her hands on them, she just stared for a few seconds, and finally said, "They're kinda dark Mom." I guess she was expecting a regular picture of the baby. So I sat down beside her and tried to show her what each one was. After a few minutes of looking and trying to figure it out, she said, "He kinda looks like a duck!" Maybe we should call him 'Ducky'.

Snakes, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails!

WOW! We are excited and in shock at the same time! Our friend Tammy (Vicki Neely's dauthter) did our ultrasound, so we got some great pictures (if only I could figure out our scanner!) and she took her time and explained what she was looking for. She said everything looks great and there is no doubt that it's a boy. I called my parents to tell them and Aaron called his parents to tell them. Since Sarah was with Johnice, she put her on the phone and Aaron told her she was going to have a brother. She said, "For real? Is he here now?" Aaron told her that he was still in my belly, but that he would be here in a few months. She then asked, "Can he sleep with me in the bunk bed?" My mom has always said that your children are the same as you were as a child, only x 10. I must admit that after hearing stories of how Aaron was as a little boy, I am more than a little nervous. Now all we have to do is find a name for this little boy that Sarah, Aaron, and I can all agree on. And we only have four months to do it! Wish us luck!

Random Happenings In Youngsville

1. Today was the Primary Program for our ward. It was so wonderful, as they always are. It was Sarah's first one. She got a little nervous, I think, and came to sit with me just after it Sacrament started. When the program started, she did go back up and sit with her class, who was on the front row, but each time they got up to sing, she wouldn't look up and she wouldn't sing, but at least she stood up there. Bless her heart. But she did finally warm up after her part and then finally joined in singing the last three or four songs. She was still too cute though. Katie sang the second verse of 'When Jesus Christ was Baptized' all by herself and did a fantastic job. I could tell that she got a little nervous and rushed a bit, but it didn't matter because she has such a beautiful voice and it was just precious. Unfortunately, she did not inherit her singing from her mother. I love to sing, but it is not pretty and always wished that I could. Katie, however, has a beautiful voice and loves to sing. I can't wait to see how her talent develops as she gets older.

2. I have absolutely crazy dreams when I am pregnant. Friday night while Aaron was gone hunting, I dreamed that he left me. In my dream he wouldn't tell me why he was leaving because he thought if he didn't, we could still be friends. I told him when he got home that if he ever left me, would could not still be friends--especially if he wouldn't tell me why.

3. Since RaeAnn and I have both recovered from being sick, we were finally able to get together and work on the baby blanket this past Thursday. It went really well, until RaeAnn realized that one of the pieces of fabric I got was not cotton like we originally thought, which changes how we need to do everything. So now I have to take apart what I had done and start over. Good practice for me, as I am positive that this will be my first of many mistakes. Anyway, I am really excited because I think it is going to be really cute when it is done.

4. Tuesday we have an ultrasound scheduled for 10am. I have to make myself not think about it, because I get too excited and consumed with thoughts of whether it will be a boy or girl. With Katie and Sarah, I knew they were both going to be girls. But with this one, I don't have a feeling one way or the other really. I think that because this pregnancy has been so different from the other two, that it might be a boy, but I don't know if that is just because we want a boy. There was an absolutely beautiful baby blessed at church today. Aaron said that when he saw her, he thought, "Awww! I hope we have another girl!" When he was telling me that tonight, we started talking about girl names. Sarah kept saying that we are having a boy baby and didn't like any of the girl names we talked about. She has picked out Jonathan David for our boy baby, and asked us, "Don't you like my name I picked out for the baby?" Ever since I told her that Katie picked out her name, she has firmly claimed her right to name this baby. I told her I did like the name she had picked out, but that it might be a girl, so we need to think of a girl name too. She was pretty adamant about us having a boy, so I think she might be disappointed if it is a girl.

5. For the last couple of weeks, we have been working on combining the two girls' rooms in order to make room for the baby. I will do a post about it when the rooms are all done. We do finally have the bunk beds up though and the girls are loving it! If we had only known how much they would love it and how easy it would be to get Sarah to sleep in her room, we would have done it a long time ago. Aaron showed them how to turn their bed into a tent, so they love to sleep and play in their new--well, kinda new--beds.

6. I was released from my calling in Primary today, which was a sad thing and a relief at the same time. I LOVE primary. I love the cute kids, I love the songs, and I even love doing sharing time. But it was very stressful for me being in there with Sarah because she didn't ever want to sit with her class. She wanted to sit with me, or wanted me to hold her while I was doing sharing time, or if I had to leave to go do or get something for primary, she wanted to leave with me. When I told Aaron that I didn't know if I could handle being in primary with Sarah and a baby, he told me he had already planned to release me. When I asked what my new calling would be, he said that I wasn't going to have one for now. I told him I need one so I can do my part and contribute to the ward. He told me my calling for now is to help our family get adjusted to his new calling. I didn't think it would be that big of an adjustment for us, but it has been quite different from his previous calling as a counselor. He is gone a little more, he is on the phone quite a bit more, and he has even had some meetings here at the house. I think we need to set up his shop or our computer room as an office for him, maybe. So we are taking it one day at a time, and things are going pretty good. I think the main thing that I need to do is to get more organized so that things will run more smoothly and learn to be more flexible when he has to leave for something unexpected.

That's about all of the excitement in Youngsville at the present moment, but we'll keep ya posted about the exciting days to come!

Another Evacuation

Today Johnice and I were outside in the garage working on a project when Sarah came to me and asked me if I could help her find her baby's play clothes. Her friend Ethan was over and they were playing 'family' with the baby in the 'clubhouse'. I told her I would in a few minutes. She had come to ask me probably three or four more times before I finally got to a good stopping point and went inside to find the diaper bag and trunk with the baby's clothes. I picked out a onesie and brought it out to her. She said, "No Mom. Not that one." I had apparently picked out the wrong play clothes, so I told her to take it back inside and pick out what she wanted. I went back to the garage to get back to work and a few minutes later I noticed Ethan carrying one of my plants to the clubhouse. I went out to see what they were up to and noticed that they had my herbs, the baby's trunk and diaper bag, and the baby 'asleep' in her baby bed all up inside the clubhouse. I asked, "Why did you guys bring all of this stuff out here?" Sarah looked at me and said, "Mom, we are evacuating."

We Finally Made It Back!

Aaron and I haven't done so well on our 'once a month' trip to the temple for the last 3 months. In July, the Houston Temple was closed for the first part of the month and the girls and I were in North Carolina for the last two weeks of the month. In August, we actually had plans to go to the Baton Rouge Temple the last weekend of August when Hurricane Gustav decided to go pay a visit to Baton Rouge too and ruined those plans. In September, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike had hit Baton Rouge and Houston, respectively, and left them both without power, so we again were unable to attend for the month. But yesterday, we finally made it to the Houston Temple, along with the Baxters and Bobby and Erin Aucoin. It was a beautiful day spent with great company. It's amazing how much just a couple of hours inside the temple can uplift and inspire you.

About 30 minutes before we got to the temple, we got a call from Katie at school. She had been hit in the head with a door (I think) and was complaining about a headache and wanted to go home. So we called Johnice, who was already watching Sarah for us, and she went and picked her up. We were a little worried until we received a phone call from Johnice after she had picked Katie up. She said she was fine, but that she went ahead and checked her out anyway. I am so grateful for Johnice and that we can leave town and know without a doubt that the girls will be well taken care of while we are gone. It is such a huge blessing. When we got back earlier than we had originally thought, the girls were a little less than thrilled to see us. Katie said, "What are you doing back so early? We still want Maw Maw to stay!" And Sarah added, "Yeah, she was going to take us a bath." I told them I could give them a bath and that Maw Maw was probably tired and ready for a break. But they insisted that Maw Maw give them a bath, and she was more than willing to do it, so I let her so we wouldn't completely ruin the girls fun. After baths, they played a game of 'Battle' with Maw Maw, and then we sent them off to bed. So thanks to Johnice, we were able to enjoy a day at the temple while the girls enjoyed a day hanging out with her. It was a great day for all of us!

FHE Fun

Last night we had Kent, Johnice, and the elders over for dinner and FHE. After Aaron had forgotten that I had asked him to give the lesson (poor guy--I guess he has a little on his mind these days!), Paw Paw quickly gave us a short, but sweet lesson about giving. Katie was in charge of the activity, and boy was it entertaining. Luckily, I got to be the judge instead of participating. Thank goodness. It would not have been pretty. What was the activity? A Hula Hoop Contest! Here are some highlights.

Team 1--Paw Paw and Katie



He chose to do the 'skip it' instead of the hula hoop. He didn't actually 'skip it', but drug it around (quickly) behind him. He got high marks just for the entertainment value.



Fortunately for Paw Paw, Katie is the hula champion at our house. She could have gone for 30 minutes, but we asked her to stop because she had proven her skills, and quite honestly, just made everyone else look sad.

Team 2--Sarah and Maw Maw



Sarah is getting pretty good at hula hooping, and got high marks for doing so well and being the youngest competitor.



Maw Maw gave it a good try, and honestly, she kept it up longer than any of the adults. Way to go Maw Maw! You are such a good sport.

Team 3--Aaron and the Elders



Aaron chose to do the 'skip it', but played it safe and did it on his wrist instead of his ankle. And I was so looking forward to a good laugh from his performance.



Elder Dawe was actually a very impressive neck hula hooper. He also got high marks.



Elder Skeen, on the other hand, was no good at hula hooping. Bless his heart, he couldn't keep it up at all, but at least he tried.

And the winners were.......................Paw Paw and Katie!!!



Thanks Katie for such a fun and entertaining activity. And thanks to all of the contestants for the laughs and memories!

Just Daddy

I forgot to include another funny thing that Katie said on Sunday at church. At the end of sacrament meeting, President Newton asked me, Kent, and Johnice to stand up. He then said, "They are the only ones allowed to call the bishop Aaron. To everyone else, he is Bishop Young." When we sat down Katie looked at me and asked, "What am I supposed to call him?" I laughed and told her she could still just call him Daddy. However, she is trying to decide between 'Bishop Daddy' or 'Daddy Bishop'.

Confession--I'm In Love With My Bishop

It's still kinda hard for me to believe, but Aaron was sustained as Bishop of the Lake Charles Ward today. After President Crossley asked the new bishopric to come sit on the stand, Katie leaned over to me and asked, "So who is the new bishop?" I whispered back, "It's daddy." She then said, "How did he get to be bishop?" That is exactly what Aaron and I have been wondering. I guess we have both been in denial that this was going to happen. I was very excited at the thought of him being able to sit with us at church after five years, and he was pretty excited--to say the least--at the thought of being released just in time for hunting season. As soon as Aaron told me that President Newton had called and wanted us both to meet with him two weeks ago, my heart sank a little. I thought that maybe if I didn't go with him he wouldn't extend the calling to him. But I went and I am glad I did. I will never forget the feeling of peace I had as we talked with President Newton and the wonderful counsel he gave us. I will also never forget seeing the look on Aaron's face and his eyes well up with tears as President Newton read part of the letter from the First Presidency saying that Aaron's name had been approved to succeed Bret Jorgensen as Bishop of the Lake Charles Ward. It's very humbling to know that President Monson and his counselors have prayed over his name to know if he is who the Lord wanted to be bishop. Neither one of us hardly slept at all that night. We have laughed and cried a lot as we have discussed his new calling over the last two weeks. I know it will be hard at times, but I also know there will be blessings to make up for the hard times. Our family has been tremendously blessed as he has served as a counselor for the last five years. I knew when I married him over 8 years ago that I had made a good choice, but I have to say that I have been especially impressed with my choice as I have watched him grow during the time that he has served with three amazing bishops. He has such a great love for the gospel and for the people of the ward. He is such a great example to me and our girls. He truly inspires me and makes me want to be a better person. I love him so much and know that someday my dream of sitting with my husband at church will come true--just not today.

Daddy Daughter Date

Aaron took the girls on an unscheduled Daddy/Daughter date today. Since I hardly slept at all last night because of my yucky cold, my sweet husband offered this morning to stay home from his trip he had been planning all week to the lease to get his hunting areas ready for opening day of deer season in a few weeks. I told him he should go and I would be fine. He then graciously offered to take the girls with him, and I again assured him I would be fine. After all, I wondered how much he would be able to accomplish having them with him. But he had made up his mind and asked the girls if they wanted to go. They were so excited, especially Sarah, and quickly got dressed. They all loaded up and headed out at about 6:30am, made a pit stop at the donut shop, and then went to the lease. When they got home, they were all smiles and told me all about the fun time they had at the lease and how they couldn't wait to go back.



This girl is just like her dad, and loves all things outdoors.



Katie is more like me though, and likes the outdoors, but not quite as much as daddy and Sarah.
Aaron had the girls help him put food out for the deer, and get one of his deer stands ready. Here Katie is carrying the burlap that goes around the blind to keep you hidden.



Aaron put up this stand today and the girls climbed up to test it out.



Little cuties!



Has anyone seen Sarah?

As if it wasn't enough that he had taken the girls for me for half of the day, this evening he was more than happy for me to leave to go to the women's broadcast. I sure needed that spiritual boost. When I got home, I was amazed to find out that not only had he fed and bathed the girls, but they all had picked up the girls rooms, cleaned and vacuumed the family room, and then he cleaned the carpet. I'm not sure what I did to deserve such a wonderful husband and father, but I sure am grateful to have him in our lives!

Sicko

Yep, that's me.......I'm a sicko. This has been the busiest week I have had in a while, with doctor and dentist appointments, helping out with a baby shower, gymnastics, making cards, hunting for just the right fabric for my next sewing project, and tons of other miscellaneous errands. And it finally caught up with me yesterday when I woke up as Mrs. Coughing, Sneezing, Itchy/Watery Eyes, Stuffy Head, Porcupine Throat, Stuffy/Runny Nose Lady. I forged on yesterday knowing I had to do the things on my to do list, but today I cancelled the Box Tops meeting I had at school (I am the Box Tops Coordinator for Katie's school--don't hate me because of my title! hee hee) and, sadly, I also had to cancel my sewing lesson for today, since I didn't want to contaminate my instructor with my yucky cold germs. So, I'm trying to get some rest, but I have a hard time resting when I can't breathe through my nose, which irritates my throat even more. I hate colds!

Look What I Made!

I know, it's nothing spectacular, but I made 15 bean bags all by myself! It was so fun and easy, and the girls had so much fun helping me put the beans in them. I wonder if that counts as food storage. HA! Anyway, I'm moving on to my next project.........a baby blanket. For now, I've got to go make up a fun game to play with my bean bags for FHE tonight!

Sewing 101

My personal goal for this year was to learn to sew. My sweet husband bought me a sewing machine for Christmas last year, and sadly, it has been in its box since Christmas Day 2007. I have really wanted to learn to sew for a while, but I was seriously intimidated by the brand new, fancy (at least to me) machine, considering the extent of my knowledge of sewing is..........sewing on a button! Sad, but true. But today I got my first lesson from my friend and master seamstress, RaeAnn Sorenson. She was so nice and didn't even make me feel like a complete idiot for asking dumb questions. She began by explaining all the parts of my machine, how they work and what they do, and then showed me how to thread the machine, and then we just played around with it. She even gave me some 'homework' to have done before my next lesson next Friday. I am so excited! I think I am going to really enjoy my new hobby.