this and that and this....and that.

So....the turkey's didn't work out. 

 I had two kiddos willing but apparently I needed the medium size pretzels. So I gave up and told the kids we'd try again next week. It is really hard to balance three candy corns on a baby pretzel. So we consumed all the chocolate and now I will have to re buy the Rolo's and Reese's pieces.

Kassidy seems to be doing very well. 

(Apparently she doesn't know how to fix the date on her camera)

It is my favorite thing on earth to mail her an envelope with a letter and a tiny treat in it each week. It might seem over board. But when I she was first out and homesick I started it and now I like it and of course she does. This week I am sending her these awesome babies. 

I always send two of everything for her companion. Then after she switched companions I felt so bad for her old companion thinking of her not getting her weekly package that I had to send her one too!

Brody is getting to be about the best trained dog ever. He still growls at people. He is getting better and better though as I (yes, it is apparently all my job) socialize him more and more. I take him in the car whenever I can and HE LOVES it. His growling is apparently just due to anxiety. He is just so timid. The dog trainer brings her little puppy who is running around like a puppy and Brody just lays under my chair and hides. He doesn't like little spazy kids or dogs, I guess.

Here are all the things we are working on and that he can do...

Sit, shake, sit pretty, down, play dead, come, be ashamed, stay (which includes if I leave the room, he is expected to sit there and wait) leave it (which means if I tell him to leave something alone he does, I can drop a treat right next to him and he leaves it), look (he has to look me in the eye) and the most important one, wait ( when I don't want him to go through the door first, which is always, or if I don't want him to race in the car or go in a room with me, I tell him to wait and he is still learning but he is suppose to wait until I tell him so.) It's fun to have a dog who can learn so quickly. Right now we are really working on teaching him to speak (bark, of course, he's not that smart!) on command. 

Here is the last thing I had to do to get Kassidy's Christmas stuff all organized...It is an advent calendar. 

So each day she and her companion pull the top of the card, read the scripture and sing the song (hmm. I don't know how that will go with just the two of them) and then it uncovers a picture of Jesus.

I got a new church job (in our church it is all just volunteer and you regularly get switched around). I am the secretary now for the primary. It shouldn't be too much added stress and I get to work with great friends so that is awesome. 

Justine came home for a night. It was nice. I miss her and her good buddy, Cheyenne, coming around. They are both so cute. 

At the Halloween Carnival Kate wanted me to do the donut eating contest with her. I did not want to waste calories on some dry old donut that had been handled by teenagers to get on the string! Ewe! 

But I Kate wanted me to and so I had to say yes. My kids can get me to do almost anything. Today I was sliding down the deck that the kids had turned into a sled hill in my pajamas! I biffed it three times which they all just thought was the best. Always fun to laugh at mom.