Halloween Pumpkin Faces

We had a farewell party for some of our friends from church. They are moving back to Equador, and we wanted to do something fun for them. We did a Halloween themed activity--decorating pumpkins. We decided to make it funner, and less slimy, by cutting out features from pictures of the branch members and having teams use them to create faces for the pumpkins. It was so much fun!
Everyone really got into it! Gabe helped a group of ladies finish theirs and felt very special. Eli was on a team with Fratello Garcia, and Adam did his own after everyone else was finished (he had been too busy earlier, dressing up as a cowboy to show everyone--he even had me announce him when his outfit was complete and ready for presentation).

Good times.

But the best part was after all our "customers" left (leading up to party time, the boys kept asking when our customers would be here. It totally cracks David and I up. I did tell them that they are our guests, but it just doesn't stick). While we were cleaning up we would find a random mouth, or other feature, with tape on back and put it on our own face. It was hysterical!

These are a few of our favorites!

Rebekah turns 31

Okay, so I am now officially "in my thirties". Isn't that surreal to be saying?!

I didn't really think it counted when I was just 30, but now there is no denying it!



David and I watched The Man From Snowy River a couple of days before my birthday. We hadn't seen it in years, but were blown away when we realized that it was made in 1982 (or 83, can't remember right now).

I seriously spent the first 30 minutes of the movie pondering 25 years ago! I realized that my mom was basically my same age and with 4 or 5 little kids. Wow!! I couldn't even ponder the movie becuase I kept thinking about her at my age, knowing that someday her kids would be grown and she would be an empty-nester, but not being able to truly fathom it.

All of a sudden, I felt like my own life was on fast-forward and I really wanted to pause it. There are days that are so difficult, but I really love little boys! I want to just eat up the now because before I know it we will be at Eli's mission farewell and I will be wondering where time went!

To top it off, Eli is preparing for his next birthday (he is, after all, just days away from officially being 9 and 1/2). He says to me, "Mom, 10 sounds so much older than 9, to me. Does it sound old to you?" I answered yes and when he asked why, I responded, "Because I was just 10, so you can't be that old yet!" Life really does just fly by.

Since I can't stop the forward dash, I had better put myself in fast-motion-camera-mode and capture the moments!

I am happy with where my life is right now and am therefore perfectly content with my age. I've decided I will probably always be cheesy, always be in love with my husband, always wish I had more time, always want to be in better shape, always love the combination of red and white, always do what I feel, rather than what I think I want, always love it when David makes dinner, etc. It is good to be me--never perfect and not always enjoyable, but ME.

*some of my birthday gifts--from David, my friend Angie, and from myself.

Grandpa Von--one great guy!

Yesterday was my dad's birthday and I just wanted to put in a little my-dad-is-the-best-because message.

Grandpa Von truly is hard to compete with. He is just amazing, and fun, and energetic, and thoughtful, and patient, and... the list just goes on. I have never met a soul who didn't like my dad.

I hear about Grandpa Von all the time from my kids. They remind me often of just how lucky I am to have him for a father. He was a great dad to me, and is an over-the-top grandpa. What I love is that they don't think "cool new toys and treats" when they think of grandpa, but they think, "I wonder what adventure we will have" and "will I beat him at horseshoes this time?" and "grandpa would love to see this cool rock I found."

He is that amazing kind of person who truly enjoys the simple things in life, like nature and curious little boys. He is a natural hero for all of his grandkids--he always has been for his own children.

I love you, Dad!!