Starting out October

Johns parents are driving across the country on a church history tour so we were super excited to have them drop in on Saturday to spend Conference weekend with us.

Sometimes I get more homesick at Conference time than at Christmas---it's weird.

Their timing couldn't have been better since we were having our
annual October party. John made an amazing roast for dinner and for dessert we had our traditional bone marshmallows in homemade hot chocolate. We spent the rest of the night trying to figure out how to put this hunted pirate ship together and I won't even post a picture of the finished product because it's pretty crazy looking.

On their last day here we went to a pumpkin patch to ride the pumpkin train and jump on the big balloon and pet farm animals.

We really really love it when our family comes to see us.

We are used to being the only people in our area without our entire extended family living within 10 miles. Often on special occasions our friends take pity on us and invite us to their houses with all their cousins and grandparents and although I'm grateful to have generous friends out here it's nice to be with our own family.

The best part though is watching how happy it makes our kids. They are in heaven when their grandparents are around--they just can't contain themselves.