The Soccer Player

Evan has really enjoyed playing soccer this year.  He has also learned a lot more about the game and has really become a good little player.  He has even scored a couple of goals for his team.  Here are a few shots of the action.

Lining up before the game to listen to and be checked by the referees

Going for the ball

Heading up field to help out

Go Hornets!!!!!!

Happy Halloween 2012

For various reasons, our Halloween celebration seemed to go on and on this year.  Evan loved it.  :)

We got an early start on the "season" because our church trunk-or-treat was the Friday before Halloween, October 26.  It kind of came up on us quickly and we almost didn't have time to carve our pumpkins in time.  We always take the easy way out as far as decorating our trunk.  We just take our carved pumpkins and put them in the back of our Trailblazer....ta-da....instant decorations.  

Here is Evan with his scary howling wolf........

....and Nathan with his sinister smiling pumpkin (check out the mullet cut on the top)

And a together shot

Ooooo....Scary!!! 

Evan playing one of the games at the trunk or treat party

The Soden family, complete with Toto

The Rankin's

Because school was cancelled for a couple of days during the hurricane, the annual Halloween Parade at the elementary school was postponed until Nov. 1.  Can you pick our our little Anakin?

There he is.  

The Governor postponed trick or treating throughout the state until Monday, November 5 to allow for additional clean up after the storm.  Here is Evan in his intense evil pose....pretty scary, huh!!  Hope you had a good time, buddy.

Hurricane Sandy

It isn't very often that a hurricane actually hits New Jersey head on, but one did hit us last Monday, October 29th.  The eye actually went right over our house.  We felt the intense wind before, felt the literal calm in the center, and then felt the wind pick up again.  Fortunately, most of us in it's direct path  did not receive terrible damage, but those in northern New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut were not so lucky.  There are still some whose power has not yet been restored.  We got everything ready, but never lost power at all.  What a blessing!!!  It is now our turn to try to help those most affected by this terrible storm.  Here are some photos from around here....

This little blurry squirrel was hunkered down in a tree outside our front window during the storm.

Our driveway the next morning

One of the trees we lost in the storm...this one just snapped right in half

Another tree down in the back

Some of our stake members in Atlantic City as part of the Mormon Helping Hands effort

Nate was there, too, but without the yellow tee shirt

End of the Year Garden Yield

Gardens can be tricky things.  You think you've learned what works and what doesn't each year when you finish.  Then when you apply what you have learned to the next year's planting, you learn new and different things.  This year, we once again did some things right and some things wrong.  It took forever for any tomatoes to come on our vines, but when they did, they were wonderful.  

These were all picked around the end of September....

...and this was the yield when we pulled out all our plants  on October 27th prior to the big hurricane being forecast.  I made some delicious green tomato jelly and we enjoyed or are still enjoying the rest. It was a late yield, but it was a good one.  We'll see what next year brings.

Our Boston Trip

We got to take a little trip up to Boston over the long weekend at the first of October.  It was general conference weekend, so we mostly stayed at the house watching the sessions and enjoying family in between.  Grandma and Ginny even came along .  Here are a few photos from our fun time there.  

James brushing those teeth

These two love to play games on the tablet together!

Grandpa and James

Look at those eyes....what a sweetie!!!

Alan getting ready to make some pumpkin mold candies....very excited

Just a little chocolate on the nose....love this one!!!

Jamesy having fun with his mommy

He smiles more than any kid I know...such a happy guy

We visited Mt. Auburn Cemetery where we found this big tower.  The cemetery was so beautifully landscaped and the view from the top of the tower was amazing!!

Nate, Steve, and Evan up at the top

Janelle and Alan

Grandma Foulk

Evan and I at the top

Scott and Janelle with Boston in the background

Scott and Alan coming down from the tower

Thanks, Robertson family, for making us feel right at home!!

Our Backyard Visitors

Although we see signs very regularly of deer in our yard, we rarely see them venture in during daylight hours.  We snapped these photos one day around lunchtime when Steve happened to be here .  Even though they do eat our garden sometimes, they are so beautiful to look at.

She caught Steve's movement in the window

Mama and baby

Presidential Election - 2012

I have been trying to catch up on some of our happenings over the last several months and have a number of things still to write about, but I just felt that I needed to write down my feelings today.  Over the last year+ our country has been in the middle of an all consuming presidential race.  Although I am not normally  such a huge follower of every twist and turn of an election, this year was different.  I might not want to admit it,  but the main reason for this is that a member of our church, Mitt Romney, was actually a major party candidate.  This has led to increased interest and understanding for the church.  It has also brought about ridicule and nastiness.  Under the current president, Barack Obama, the country has taken a drastic turn away from principles and beliefs that I hold very dear such as self-sufficiency, thrift, decency, and even freedom.  We had very high hopes that the tide would turn and that wisdom would be restored to the oval office.  But last night we witnessed Romney's defeat and it was heartbreaking for me.  Even though I know that the right thing to do at this time is to move forward, pray for the president and other leaders, and have hope for the future, it is a hard thing to swallow today.  

I am thankful for the Romney family's courage and faith.  They have truly fought the good fight and I know that this country is better for their efforts in spite of the fact that they did not win. I will be praying for their family as well.