Halloween and This and That!!!!

I am a little behind with things but we did do some Trunk or Treating.  The kids had a lot of fun and more than enough candy.  This year the costumes were all reused from years before.

 Jett got to be "Stitch" again and he loved it! 

                                     Calissa was the cutest little skeleton

Jace was "Darth Vader" again (think it is too small)                            Caelin was "Ruby the Pirate Beauty"

It was fun to see all the cute costumes and the faces light up as you put candy in there bags.  For those who don't know Halloween is my least favorite holiday, I never "enjoyed"it as a kid and still don't.  I try to do something because my kids like it.  Calissa even loved getting the candy and keeps asking for her "backpack" (her bag with all the candy).  So for Family Night we will have dinner a short lesson and let them eat as much candy as they want, after all thats really all they care about it the candy.  




Saturday morning was the 3rd Annual 5K Spooky Run that the Sycamore PTA puts on.  Caelin and Jace both ran it and Jeff and I volunteered.  Caelin was first place for the 5th grade girls (think she was the only one that ran)  her time was 37:40.  Jace came in 2nd place for 3rd grade boys and his time was 38:50.  They both did amazing and I was so proud to see them pushing as hard as they could as they came in to the finish line.  Way to go!  Pictures from the race still to come!

On another note, Caelin was able to attend STARBASE this year with her 5th grade class.  Over a five week period they spent one day a week at Davis Monthan Air Force Base and learned about rockets, robots, and all sorts of scientific things.  Caelin says she wants to be an Engineer like her dad.  She definitely has the math skills and logic thinking (most of the time).  She was also chosen to give the Graduation speech for her class.  She wrote it herself.  She is so confident and doesn't get nervous like I always have.  She really is a natural.

Hi! My name is Caelin Best. I am in Ms. Condely’s 5^th grade class. Our class just recently finished STARBASE. My top favorite things from STARBASE were: using our own computers when we were watching videos to show us how to make and control the robots. One of my other favorite things was trying to save Egbert from cracking when he was going full speed into a big block of cement. We also worked with a flight simulator and flew around over Hawaii and after we flew around a little bit the teachers, Ms. Fredrick, Ms. Whitaker, and Ms. Condely, came around to see if our passengers needed a barf bag and if they didn’t need a barf bag we would get a cool ball.   Since we were able to attend STARBASE we have to do a community service project to get a dog tag for our chains. As a class we brainstormed a few ideas. Our ideas were the Marshall Home for men, Ronald McDonald house, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the PIMA ANIMAL CARE CENTER. When we voted the PIMA ANIMAL CARE CENTER got the most votes and so we choose to help the PIMA ANIMAL CARE CENTER. The PIMA ANIMAL CARE CENTER is an animal shelter that keeps animals that are in need of a home. To help the PIMA ANIMAL CARE CENTER we have collected items for them that they are in need of. Some of the items were pet shampoo, towels, blankets, galvanized metal buckets, & leashes. As a thank you to us some people from the PIMA ANIMAL CARE CENTER will come to give us a presentation to the 5th grade classes on animals sometime in November, we are excited for them to come.

A New Journey

Last Friday night Brother Jarem Bingham (from our new Bishopric) came by to visit with Jeff and I.  I knew it was about me because Jeff was just called as the Ward Mission Leader.  As I pondered what it might be I was nowhere prepared for what was about to come.  I even was trying to figure out what organization the 1st Counselor was over.  He first started out by saying that as a Bishopric they knew that Jeff has a demanding/important calling, but we feel that you need to serve in the Young Women as 1st Counselor (over the Mia Maids).  I think my mouth dropped and I just about fell out of my chair.  I knew I couldn't say no I am just not that person, although a HUGE part of me wanted to.  Brother Bingham in a way I think was waiting for the rejection, but it never came and he was grateful.  I have had a mixture of feelings over the past few days.  I am feeling overwhelmed with what is to come.  I am excited (for the amazing leaders and Young Women I get to work with), anxious (for the lessons I will have to teach), scared (about the activities I will have to plan), and nervous (about the time this calling will entail)!  All of this is NEW to me, I have never served with the youth before.  I remember a couple of years ago feeling the exact same way when I was called to serve as 1st Counselor in the Primary Presidency.  I didn't know those I was going to serve with but got to know them and have new friendships because of it.  I had many of the same feelings I am having now but got through it and was sad when I was released.  So my hope is that I will figure things out quickly and be able to serve these Young Women and find "Joy in the Journey".

So if my posts are even fewer and further between you will know why! :)