Here is our October...in Photos, of course

Mike and I were just talking about how fast time has flown this fall.  It always does for us...  but We really have flown through our October and November.   Luckily, it has been full of good times, fun, blessings, and even a few little miracles.

So I am a month behind in photos...that is because November really FLEW by...but here is October...

We kicked off General Conference weekend with my nephew's bday party.  And a house full of family to enjoy.

Happy Birthday, D!

We have been having a lot of rain again, and I had to kick my kids outside to enjoy the sunshine, while we had it.  It was pathetic to hear them grumbling about going outside.  So they spent a LONG time out there...and had fun!

The three 3 year olds = 3 x the trouble.

D's Birthday present.  This makes me grin because J had the same clubs, only a 10 year older version when he was a baby.  LOVE it!

putting while Joseph was at his golf lessons.

Putting with his big brother.  D HAD to change his shirt before we left so he could be JUST like J.  Thank goodness for good big brothers to want to be like.

And the lesson.

Playing with some new lighting techniques on overcast days.  My sweet A is always a willing model!

THe sunset is coming back around to our deck view, and Mike has an obsession with me taking photos of our sunset.

My silly S!  

He is such a  HAM!!!

my table centerpiece, gourds spilling over!

Found D in J's bed again. 

After a TON of work we had our Sacrament Meeting Program.  It turned out great.  The kids did so so great!  And really, what is better than listening to children share what they have learned about Jesus and testifying of his life and his mission.

D decided to play peek a boo with me.  I won!

Our pumpkin patch adventure was VERY successful!

Yet another sunset.

photoshoot--A tiny little baby!

Photoshoot- One of our favorite friends!

my nephew--he is so so chubalicious!

My boy, all grown up and ready to go hunting with Dad.  He could only go, no shooting yet. THANK GOODNESS.  I was a little bit of a basket case as Mike left the house with one of my most prized possessions to go traipsing through the woods.  The came home all safe and sound, but J couldn't stop talking about hunting for about a week.

and still another sunset.

And that, my friends, is October for us!  

Our October photoshoot...

I felt a little disappointed with whole quick late afternoon photo shoot.  I shot them with different settings than I usually use, so I was flustered a bit.  The kids were great, but I was frustrated with my camera's limitations in dealing with low light and in the end they all have a lot on camera noise.  But like I said, I am OK with them.  I also wish we had a bit of sunlight that would create better lighting effects than the blah look of the overcast. :)  These are all pretty much right out of the camera...no photoshop, or if I used it, it was just to correct the white balance.

dd-A was awesome!  She was happy and helpful and even posed herself a few times. :)  Love her!   I love that I caught a few nice pictures with her big chip in her tooth. (it is now filled).  And I love that I have a few of her not smiling.  I think she is growing up to be quite a beauty!

D was, well, a three year old, off in his own world, funny, goofy, and silly.  I think a caught a few that I like.

J started out grumpy and worried about the spiders that he saw around the building, but once I got him away from the building a bit he was great!  WOW!!  He is growing up so fast!!  It is a little scary how fast time has gone.  Also, I am amazed that he was not OVERLY goofy. :D

 The only thing that would convince S to take some pictures this day was the big sunflower.  She wanted very little to do with me or the camera, just the sunflower!  hahaa!  She is her own little thinker and did her own thing...I just got to follow her and laugh as she let her personality show.  I think the overcast day effected her skin tones the most.   They seem a little off to me but I didn't photoshop them so this is the way they are. :)

 

Then I tried to get some with all four.  D wasn't really having it, but he participated in a few. :)

and then he ditched us. :)

They were troopers.  My poor kids...this is what they get to deal with as their mom tries to improve her photography skills.

As I look at these pictures I am just reminded of how different my kiddos are and also how much I love them all.  They are my joy! my heart! my world!  I am beyond blessed to have them in my life.  I was reminded this weekend of how much they really are NOT mine.  Our Heavenly Father has kindly, somehow, allowed Mike and I to have them in our lives for now.  He has not turned them over to us.  He still is their Father.  He still is very interested in what we do and what we teach His children.  I am humbled to think that He has allowed me to teach and raise His children.   I feel so unworthy at times and so lost as I make mistakes.  Luckily, these four special people love me, forgive me, and teach me.  Life is good...very good!

and my girls!

lovin them too!

and Dawn--in the last photos, D had just eaten a Suzie-Q (thanks to the discovery of Mike's hunting bin that had all the "food" he ate while he was away...Suzie-Qs, chips, cheetos, fruit snacks, cherry pies, chips a hoy cookies, fudge stripes, grandma sycamore's white bread, soda, granola bars, etc.  oh, there were apples in there, too. :)

my boys...

Just my boys!  Loving them!! :D