Halloweens Past

"Whaaa?"

This year for Halloween Kyle and I were Despicable Me characters! It was so fun :)

We just stayed home and made caramel apples and watched the Halloween episode of Friends and Hocus Pocus! 

I am pretty sure there were only 5 or 6 trick-or-treaters that even came to our door! Good thing I bought a $10 bag of candy right?! Like we need it.

Fear Factory was the best Haunted House I have ever been to though!

We went with Dakota and Natasha and it was crazy! We parked at the Gateway and rode the Zombie Bus to the factory.

Up at the top the floors are just metal grates so you can see all the way down and feel how high you are!  However, the price means it will probably be a one time thing.

 Now for the fun of Halloweens Past!

1992

Who wore it better?

1998

1994

Kyle told me he was a red power ranger for Halloween one year! I wonder if we were power rangers the same year?  Tammy was so great at making most of our costumes growing up :)

1993

1996

1999

Mom used to make each of us a cup of dirt on Halloween! Chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos on top with a gummy worm and a tombstone spoon :) Holidays are so fun!

2001

2006

2007

Trunk-or-Treat with Rubis the butterfly

 2008

Kayla used to throw the best Halloween parties I have ever been to!

The Hunt

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it is learning to dance in the rain

Life sure has thrown us a good curve ball this week! So in case you were wondering...

Friday morning Kyle was told they wouldn't be keeping him at the Santaquin Police Department and it was the biggest shocker ever!

Kyle was hired as the animal control officer in May then right after that started training for patrol instead.  Well, somewhere along the line there was miscommunication about what they were expecting him to be doing, so long story short they let him go because:

1. Dog Kennels
2. Green Grass
3. An E-mail about those 2 things.
So Kyle fixed everything that he was asked to fix 2 months before they still decided to let him go.

DISCLAIMER
To anyone doing a background check on Kyle in the future:
The opinions and feelings I write about in my blog are my own.  They in no way are to reflect the thoughts of my husband.
I don't keep a blog to make everyone think I have a perfect life or to please other people.  I blog to express MY opinions, MY feelings to help ME feel better.  I also use blogging to document my memories that I don't want to forget.
Nobody has a perfect life, but talking about trials can help others going through the same things.
Feeling angry towards unfair events is normal and it is normal to express those feelings!  I also feel that defending yourself against what isn't true should be allowed.

Dear ambiguous employers:
I think that it is so wonderful to tell employees and their families that they have 30 days after you hire them to move near your city.  What an opportunity it is to spend 3 months shopping for houses and gathering paperwork to find the very place that that family plans to be long term.
I think it takes a stellar supervisor to really take the time to give honest, face to face feedback during training, giving employees every opportunity to succeed and getting to know them.
But in the end, every company should only hire associates based on how well supervisors perceive that the employee likes being there.
Sincerely, Amber

I can tell you right now that they will not find someone better than Kyle to hire.

He is qualified, has a bachelors degree and scored one of the highest in his academy, plus was voted to be a class lead in the academy.

He was told he had the most boring background check they'd ever done.  Who doesn't want someone like that?  He has integrity, more than most officers. 

He is a dang hard worker! From the time he was 8 or 9 and rode his bike all over Utah County to mow lawns till now I have NEVER heard Kyle complain about going to work.  I complained plenty when he had graveyard shifts during dispatching or had to plow snow during a family Christmas party, but Kyle has never ever complained about working.  It amazes me.  He has already taught me so much about picking your head up and moving forward.

He was committed and worked so hard to finally start the career he loved, so why did this happen?

Is it a sign that we need to be doing something else or fight for this career?

What are we supposed to learn?

Why do we have a house in Spanish Fork if I work in American Fork and Kyle's new part time job is in Lehi?!

Why are we getting pulled backwards right when everything was working out?

Am I destined to not finish school? Do I work full time again? Do we rent our house?

Is there an even better job out there for Kyle to be lead to?

If so how do we find it?

Does the Lord really care what our jobs are as long as they don't lead us away from Him?

Well, that is life.  Things happen and we are to endure well anyway.

I left work early on Friday and we went to the temple.  We feel the peace that this happened for a reason, but still don't have any answers.

I know that the more faithful we are though, the more we will be blessed.  Even though blessings come through trials sometimes.
I also know that things could be lots worse so don't think I am complaining, just venting about a frustrating situation!

Money doesn't matter, being happy now and exalted later is ALL that matters.  It's just a good thing that marriage isn't like working for Santaquin, cause I would hate to divorce Kyle because our lawn wasn't green enough!
Thank you to all the wonderful family and friend who have so generously offered to help us.  We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

General Conference

I get so excited for General Conference weekend!  It's like a billion times better than super bowl weekend- HANDS DOWN! Including the food :) This year: philly cheesesteak sandwiches, avocado mango smoothies, shrimp and huckleberry pepperjelly smothered creamcheese with wheat thins!

But my question this conference was why. Why is General Conference to important and great?

Well, the first talk of conference by Elder Hales confirmed what I already knew!

GOD WANTS US TO HEAR THE PROPHET SPEAK

I love conference because I know that we have a prophet on the earth that has been called of God, to be his mouthpiece.  He receives modern revelation for each of us.

Heavenly Father loves us so much for sending us a living prophet.  We in turn should love God enough to follow him and hear him when he speaks.

How can we live the word if we don't hear the word?

RECEIVE GUIDANCE IN YOUR LIFE

I love conference and cuddling in my pajamas with my family, eating treats and feeling the spirit of things I can do to be happier in my life.

 I know that when we choose to put God first we are blessed and strengthened.  Answers we have heard will come to our mind when we need them.

FAMILY TRADITION

I love conference because it brings families together, spending time together, talking about the gospel together and strengthening testimonies of the gospel and of prophets.

Kids may not really be watching conference, but they are watching you and will know that it is something important for them to watch when they do grow up.

Live what you believe.

We got to go see the Sunday afternoon session at the conference center and I learned to much during conference this year!

"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith"
We are all hypocrites
So why would anyone want to be a member of our church that requires so much?
Well, it's been restored with Christ's authority
because we love Christ and want to follow Him and grow closer to Him
There are opportunities to do good
and walking this path leads to blessings, peace, purpose, joy, forgiveness and salvation
-Uchtdorf

The only safe place to raise children is in a Christ centered home -Packer

Thanks to Christ's love, it is possible to change. -Soares

There is only one plan of happiness for everyone.
Follow the commandments of God.
We can't force anyone to choose the way to happiness, love them anyway -Eyring

Christ's love for us never changes, whether we think we deserve it or not -Holland

Make the decision to do what Christ has asked us to do,
pray for missionary opportunities -Ballard

Sin legalized by man is still sin
We are never to young to learn or to old to change -Nelson

What areas of my life will I better try to perfect after conference?
Where am I willing to go?
The prophet has called me, have I been listening?
What choices lead to happiness or unhappiness?
What is our ultimate priority? -Oaks
How will we observe the Sabbath?
God should be the center of our universe, is He the focal point of our thoughts and intents?

True conversion is following Christ even when it's not convenient.  It's living the gospel daily, not simply having a testimony that it is true.

We have General Conference to watch it, make changes in our lives and be blessed.  If we don't find something to change then we missed the whole point.  The speakers don't want us to just enjoy their talks, they want us to repent.

I want to become who God needs me to be.  He will make me something much better than I could ever be on my own.  I am so thankful for the new perspective I have since this conference!

If you believe God called a prophet then listen to him speak.  If you don't believe there is a prophet on the earth then watch conference until you do, because you will.

My family will always see me watching General Conference :)