Over the last few months, things here have just been nuts. We've had Hiram's birthday, lots of family visits, the first 9 weeks of school, soccer, gymnastics, a new job, and several projects around the house.
Hiram turned five back in July we gave him a bike for his birthday. We are so proud of him. He's worked so hard to ride his "big boy" bike and enjoys going for bike rides through our favorite spot, the Matthison Trail. It is a three mile trail around a golf course.
Just a few days after his birthday, Noleigh and Hiram started school. Mom was in town that week, so she was able to walk with us to school and experience the kids first week. They started to attend a new school this year. They like it so far. It is year round so they are on break this week. They've enjoyed their classes and teachers and some of the special programs that the school offers. We are within walking distance so that has been a huge plus for us. It has been so nice spending that time before and after school with the them. I get to hear all about their day and enjoy their stories so much. Noleigh has just developed this sense of humor that keeps us laughing.
<
We've also had a few scares. Dan was working out one day then hopped into the shower. He was so over-heated that he passed out in the shower and cut his head. He ended up with 7 staples in his head, but luckily, no concussion. It happened on a bad week, as he had a dining out for his battalion and had to attend dressed in his Class A's and those staples in his head.
Dan was also promoted back in September. We're proud of him. He has been working hard to since he made Warrant Officer and I'm glad to see his hard work rewarded.
As for me, I started working for one of the sisters in my ward. I teach a preschool gymnastics class. I enjoy it overall. I get to drive a bus with gymnastics equipment on it to the preschools. I feel so sad for those kids. It is sad to me that so many of them spend all day almost everyday in those facilities. I'm grateful I've been home with my children. I am still working on my business. We had our primary program the last week in September. It turned out well and I'm relieved to have it finished. I'm excited that the rest of the year can just be fun for the kids. I have great counselors, teachers, and a wonderful chorister that help to make Primary a great place to be. I'm grateful for all their support.
I've also been pre-occupied by this election. It is discouraging to me that we are left with these two candidates. Neither has shown evidence of sharing the vision of our founding fathers or of honoring the Constitution. I think sometimes we forget that our country was founded on the principles of self-determination, accountability, and personal responsibility. We are responsible for our actions and should not be forced to pay for the mistakes of those who tried to take advantage of our capitalist system. But enough of that.
Overall it has been an exciting few months and we are excited about the upcoming holiday season.
The view of the land from the Ferry was truly beautiful! Once we were in Surry we travelled the whole 2 miles to get to the Pumpkin Patch. There we found some very interesting things like:
A Peanut Pumpkin- very strange!
A scarlet pumpkin
And some Pumpkin Thieves! 
Noleigh and Hiram loved being out in the pumpkin patch! They were looking very carefully for the most perfect pumpkins. Hiram was specifically looking for a "little, bumpy pumpkin." He searched high and low, but ended up with a small white pumpkin. Noleigh was looking for the perfect orange small pumpkin. She settled on a greenish-orange one. Though we didn't find exactly with what we hoped, we still enjoyed the hunt! What a fun day! 
