Blood Moon, Braces, and a Selfie Stick.

I finally chose the option the other day to "rebuild" my iphoto library and it's {at least temporarily} back in business. Woot woot! I hurried and pulled some pics of Lex and Jason off so I can order a print for my hallway at last! Yes, Jason, we are so so happy to have you in the family!!

Here are a few quick pics from life lately:

 Mar caught a couple of good shots of the blood moon the other night...
these are right out our back door. A big thank you to the Sisters who mentioned it when they got home - we would have totally forgotten all about it. You church girls rock! (I can't help but call them church girls, since that is what Lolo gets called in jolly old London...)

This is just a random pic of Jack-o. And a shot of Ava's behind. I love those pups.

Mar got her braces off. Another woot woot for that!
Here's the before:

And the after:

She has the typical Syddall puffy gums (you sibs know what I'm talking about), and she can't wait to whiten, so she didn't want a close-up... yet.

Bill had a selfie stick given to him from a Progressive meeting he attended (he also received a Progressive FLO costume, which Mar is determined to use for Halloween). We thought it {the selfie stick} would only work with Mar's iphone (neither Bill or I have one), but with Mar's ingenuity she discovered it worked with our phones, too.

Oh we had a few moments of fun with the selfie stick late at night, right after a Teen Safe Driving presentation Bill did for Legend High School.

Life has been hectic. My days are so, so full. I wouldn't be posting today except for the fact that my car wouldn't start this morning... not that I don't have a million and one things I could be doing around home, haha.

I'm supa excited for conference, even though I have to work through the first session (going to try and catch that Saturday evening), and Mar has a piano recital during the first 30 minutes of the second session. Bill's response when he heard about our my busy Saturday, "Why are we so busy? Can't we just sit down and listen to conference together as a family??" That probably wasn't the BEST thing to say to me at the end of a long day (last Monday) with the prospect of week of long days in preparation for my fall break trip to Utah...

I am doing my best.
I am not excusing not sitting down to watch conference on Saturday as a family - I would LOVE to do that!
I am also trying to clean the house (for our Sunday conference luncheon),
plan, grocery shop, and prepare food for 30 - ??? people (for the luncheon),
decorate for Halloween (it won't be worth doing after I get back),
arrange carpools (I'm leaving Tuesday, Mar will fly in Friday since school is in through Thursday),
squeeze in hair clients (because I really do NEED to work and retention is important),
help a stressed-out daughter with her homework so she can attend the youth temple night (I spent 2 hours making flashcards),
attend the temple (I have a lot o' family names to keep working on),
get Mar's school sports physical + doctor advice on a few concerns she has,
encourage my daughter's musical talent (thus the recital on Saturday + a choir concert this Monday evening),
and pack for an 11-12 day trip to Utah, in hopes of leaving by 6am Tuesday.

I concur. We are busy. 
And my feet are killing me.
And I am emotionally drained helping an anxious daughter, a very busy husband, and worrying about a sick little sis.

It will all be worth it!
I can't wait to be on my way (if my car will ever start)!
Here I come, Scarlett!
Here I come, Jana!
Here I come, Britt and Austin!
Here I come, Tay and Lynnea!
Here I come, Lex and Jason (they might be coming down from ID)!
Here I come, moms and dads!

I just have to make it through the next 3 days.
I know I can, I know I can, I know I can.

Post post ~  I am cutting back on my facebook time... a long post for another day. I did, however, want to post on "National Daughter's Day" (if it really WAS National Daughter's Day - I don't have time to check those things), but didn't have access to Big Mac's iphoto (now rebuilt... yay!). So here is the pic I wanted to share:

I am one lucky momma. I love these amazing daughters!

Post post post: I tried to google National Daughter's Day... and apparently it's really National Daughter's and Son's Day on August 11th. Just because someone says it's National Daughter Day on Sept. 25th... or 26th... or whatever day you happened to see it passed around on fb (or Twitter), doesn't mean it actually is. Just goes to show you what that crazy social media can do. I've been on a soap box about it the past few days... don't get me started.