(Note: For those of you having trouble reading the name, think like a dyslexic.)
My brother, above in all his Panamanian glory, won hands down. I hate clowns. Always have, always will. They're creepy--all of them--and David was the personification of everything I fear about them.
He went into their local McDonald's on the big day. They gave him a free hamburger because they liked his costume and miming skills so much. He took it out to the median in the busy intersection outside and tried to do a little free marketing by giving it away to passing cars. Nobody would take it. As we laughed about it I could see the lightbulbs going on and he concluded that his new money-making scheme is going to be giving out hamburgers in that intersection every day and see how much McDonald's will pay him to go away. Yes. He wins the creepy Halloween costume award.
Here's the whole happy family: Kathryn was THE disco mamma (and I'm disappointed I wasn't there to fix her hair. It's one of my favorite things to do.), Mr. Creepy, and Grace the flower fairy who looks a little afraid of her dad. It's okay, Gracie. So am I.
Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy visited our stake conference this last weekend. Where meetings are sometimes a drag, Michael and I both agreed these were particularly good. I was riveted the entire two hours during the adult session. It might have had something to do with the fact that I didn't have six kids climbing on me (Michael took them trick or treating. I was at the piano for a special musical number so I had to go--twist my arm!), but Elder Jensen was a particularly interesting, experienced, insightful speaker. He is an attorney so his thought process and logic especially appealed to me, he reminded me of my dad. You can always spot them! I wish I could have recorded the whole thing so I could reproduce it here, but I'll spare you all and leave the elaborations for my journal.
Michael was Steve Prefontaine, and I was actually surprised how many
people recognized him. I guess we are in U of O territory. I was Miss Piggy pathetically, due to lack of time to prepare a costume. Or, rather, failing to take the time to prepare a real costume. Isaac was a Ninja. Why does at least one child always want to be a Ninja? He didn't like the "safety tip" on the end of his sword, so he opted out of bringing it lest his menacing aura be jeopardized. Jake was a "BYU werewolf," though halfway through the evening he decided the latex holding the hair onto his face and hands bugged him so he rubbed it all off. I endeavored not to show
my irritation at this since it took me FOREVER to put it on him. I flatly refused to put it on for the next event, so he decided to be a pile of laundry pinning articles of clothes all over his body, undies on the head. Meg was Rapunzel, James a Terrible Two because he refused to wear his costume, (though, in truth, a nicer 
two-year old there has never been), and Will was ... you guessed it, a "chameleon lizard!" Audrey was a BYU cougar cheerleader (pictured below).A note about Will. He had wanted originally to be a Jackson chameleon, but I didn't know how to do the horns on his forehead so I said he could be a panther chameleon with really bright 
colors, a hood and curly tail, crest down his spine and a pink blow-out tongue (with a bug glued to the end). All that stuff was cool, but he really wanted horns. Then Clara saved the day by making him a crown, which she taped to his forehead and began calling him King Chameleon. "Who needs horns when you have a crown, Will?" Problem solved. Thank you, Clara. This boy (lower left) was our
model. How did we do?
Our sweet neighbor prepared trick or treat bags for the kids since she wasn't going to be home that night. Audrey's contained this little Halloween gift along with some baby food and a coupon for 50 cents off rice cereal. She became a cross between a Cougar cheerleader, Pippi Longstocking, and a witch. We are blessed with some very thoughtful neighbors.
(our entire area is on a hillside) and I talked to this guy and his friend on a scooter at an intersection. They were cool but took off when the light turned. I pedaled after them and caught them, to their surprise at the next light and started talking to them again. We got a little further and I was testifying of Joseph Smith when the light turned green and they waved goodbye again. Now I was ticked. I rode as fast as I could, screaming down this hill on the highway. They made it a long way ahead of me but I rode fast. Six intersections later and just over one mile down the road I pulled up next to them and tapped them on the shoulder. They just about wet their pants. I told them to get to the side of the road, which they did. I testified, took their information and referred them. It was sweet to see the look in their eyes when I caught them and they listened very intently as I spoke.
On another happy note, I was feeling thristy one warm morn this summer during a little family trip in central Oregon. I grabbed the nearest cup, filled it with agua and drank deeply, eyes closed. I felt a tickle on my upper lip, opened my eyes and shrieked louder than I have in a long time as I threw the cup across the kitchen.
Though unwelcome, it was a beautiful creature and my siblings and I had a good laugh about it. In retrospect, I should have given it to Isaac to see if he was hungry.
The kids all admired his new pet until Michael told Clara he'd pay her $5 to eat it. "No way, Dad! That's way too gross." But Isaac's ear perked up, "Really? Five bucks?" He watched the worm wiggle in his hand for a moment, then swapped out his gum for the worm, felt it squirm in his mouth, described the taste to get a reaction from his sister (and the old woman sitting next to us who was watching the whole scene with supreme disgust), gagged for a moment as it creeped down his throat, swallowed, popped in his gum, then smilingly held out his hand to Michael for his $5. Later he said that was way easier than pulling out five teeth!
9/29: We're working with a lot of investigators, a couple of them around my age. It is a struggle to keep them progressing & continually applying the gospel to their life. The BOM is difficult for them to understand often. Try explaining "circumsized of heart," which is very directly translated in the Chinese version, as they read with a mix of fear & bewilderment. The last transfer just ended - I will have been in the same area for 6 months at the end of this one. We continue to search for Bruce Lee....
And speaking of, here's a little video I snagged of our dear baby relaxing as much as she ever does. As you watch, remember that I had this critter inside me for over nine months (way over!). You know the phrase "butterflies in my stomach?" I do. Literally.
This is the mean elf that I paintballed! The elf (William) obviously didn't like it! 
This is The Weirdo with a Beardo, or Isaac the fawn. He had just gotten a falcon haircut for the BYU game!
This is skinny dancing Meg! She is only obedient enough to get one meal a day! Don't be fooled by looks! (She really did just lose her first tooth.)
This is Jimmy Trouble Troll. As you can see, the name fits! Mom was really mad when he colored on the wall!
One thing I was always conscious of growing up is how much my pop liked being with his kids. It delights me to know that he enjoys his grandchildren just as much, and to see their unfeined joy at being with him. When we were visiting a couple of weeks ago, I asked the kids whose ward they'd like to attend on Sunday. Grandma's and Grandpa's was the unanimous choice. I asked why they liked going there so much and they each had their reasons.
