Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain.

Well it's only been just over a week since my last post. I'd say I'm not doing too bad. This past week has been an ordinary week at our house. About the only thing different was that Mike and I were able to go up to Provo for the weekend without any kids! Thanks Judy for taking the girls! We headed up to Provo to attend a work party for the company Mike was working for in Colorado. It turned out to be a bummer of a party, but just getting away for two days was well worth the trip!

Is anybody here keeping up to date on the whole prop 8 thing in California? I received an email from some of Mikes family who live in California and I have to say it's got me very disturbed. Here is the website they sent me too, and this is the video I watched that's got me a little sick to my stomach. I had NO idea things were this bad! I hope Susanne doesn't mind me posting what she wrote in her email, but I think it's something that needs to be heard.

"We've had our "Yes on 8" yard signs spray painted over and stolen twice (again last night) from our front yard. We file police reports, but there isn't anything that can be done. Although I've contemplated super glue (so the signs stick to their hands), ink in the grass (so the foot prints can be followed), doing a stakeout (all I can think to do if I caught them is turn on the sprinklers and call the police to find the wet people). or the neighbors dog who barks at anything moving. Tyler suggested electric wires or filling our yard with signs so it takes them forever to get them all off and the police will arrive before they finish. Any other ideas? Our neighbors truck was sharpie markered on with profanity- we did get it off.
Last Saturday we stood at the corners of an intersection with about 75 people from our stake and waved signs (we'll go again the next two Saturdays)- mostly a positive response, but one guy was especially loud in his profanity (and you know which of our boys was especially upset by this). The boys were awesome holding their signs and shouting "Yes on 8! Si en ocho! Protect marriage between a man and women! Protect the children!" Two families that drove by got out and stood with us for an hour!"

I just want to say AWESOME JOB to Joshua, Dallin and Spencer! Susanne emailed pictures of her boys out holding signs witch I would love to put on here and show all of you, but I'll let her do that. She also sent along an email she received that might really shake you up, it did to me anyway.

"Dear family and friends, I had a very disturbing experience yesterday that I would like to share with those of you that live outside of California (or outside of the San Francisco Bay Area). This weekend we have stake conference. Our stake conference always begins with a stake temple session on Friday or Thursday night. Early Friday morning I received a call from the second counselor in our bishopric to let me know that there would be numerous protesters outside the temple, and to remind everyone to stay calm and to drive carefully. The beautiful Oakland Temple is located right across the bay from San Francisco, very close to the city of Berkeley . Apparently the opposition to proposition 8, the amendment that seeks to make marriage in CA between a man and a woman again, has realized the deep involvement of the church and begun to protest right outside of the temple and harass temple patrons. The fastest way to get to the temple from our house is to take the 680 freeway, but the exit is a bit tricky. The off ramp is extremely short and straight uphill. You then make an almost blind left turn, an immediate right and another left into the parking lot. As we approached the off ramp, I realized there would be trouble. There was a backup onto the freeway from cars stalled on the off ramp. As we moved forward inches at a time, we realized this was due to a large group of loud protesters who were standing on both sides of the street, yelling, screaming and waving signs. When we got to the top of the off ramp, ready to make our turn, one protester jumped out right in front of our car. It took my husband all his self control to carefully maneuver around him to the left and proceed to the temple. I tried not to listen to all they were shouting at us, but I was shaking as I got to the temple front door. Several of the sisters, especially the ones driving on their own, were crying (which made me snap out of it and go into RS President mode to comfort them). Later, as I was sitting in the perfect quiet of the chapel, I couldn't help but think of Lehi's dream, and the people who mocked the Saints from the big spacious building but "we heeded them not." It was a truly surreal experience, I never thought that I would have to go through an angry crowd to get to the temple. As we left late at night, the protesters had dispersed, temple security (who all looked very large and Tongan) stood by the gates. I never saw a single police man. Please pray for those of us in California fighting for prop 8--it's getting kind of scary out here!"

I have to say I'm glad I'm living in Utah right now, but I do know we are are probably not too far from this ourselves. Just one more thing. Christy (Mikes aunt) also lives in California and wrote a very interesting article to the newspaper. I would really encourage all of you to read it. It's on her blog knowtheparkers.blogspot.com. Great article Christy!

Okay, that's enough from me. How about I leave on a much happier note. My girls! Who doesn't love pictures huh!?! Here are just some pictures I took of them this week, I just love showing them off! :)

I found Kayla like this when I went in to check on her and Kylie. Kylie decided to be the best big sis in the world and gave Kayla one of her Oreo cookies. As cute as this is, it also has me worried that Kylie will give her little sister something that she just shouldn't have.

This is my first attempt in making the cute little headbands I see everywhere. They're just a little to pricey for me, so I tried to do a few myself and I think they turned out cute. And for less then half the price! Can't beat that!

Kylie wanted me to turn on our Halloween lights, then sat down next to her sister and they just sat there looking at the pumpkins.

Here's a playful moment with Daddy!