Wow, November is already over. How does that happen? Christmas will be here in no time, and then the new year. Insane.

I don't have anything fun or specific to blog about, I just couldn't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted anything. We've had lots of family in town, multiple illnesses, tons of traveling, and the end of 7 Brides. So. So. Sad.

So, I guess we'll catch up family who live far away, and those of you I don't see anymore because we moved, or those of you who don't have facebook. Like my mom.

Grayden is seven months now. Crazy! He's happy and fun and started pulling himself up whenever possible.....he is still not a huge fan of being on his stomach, so he's only scooted a couple times. Mostly he rolls to what he wants. He's had a horrible ear infection this weekend which has made him sad.

Nate goes out of town every week for work. Poor guy has to suffer on the beach in Carlsbad Monday through Friday. When he comes home, he watches Gray and I go do the show. Those of you who know Nate may be shocked to hear this......he didn't even go to his friend's house to watch the BYU - Utah game because Grayden was sick and he wanted to take care of him at home. That's love, folks. We're grateful Nate has a good job in this rough economy and now that the show is over I'll go to Cali with him sometimes so we can be together.

The show is over. Closing night was Saturday. I keep trying to console myself with thoughts of free weekends and less driving and more time for other things.....but it's not working at all. The hard thing about this hobby is how abruptly it can end. You know those things you love? Now imagine if you woke up one day and you were told this was the last day you could sew, or scrapbook, or play the piano.....for months, maybe years. It's so heartbreaking. And that only applies to the performances, then add on all the amazing people you met and grew to love, and saw 3 to 5 days a week, and now you can't see them like that anymore. It's just awful. I'll miss it more than I can express.

And since I'm already crying, here are some happy memories of those people I love and miss terribly.

Belated Halloween

I realize that according to the radio, Target, and the mall, it's Christmastime in the city. If your tree is up already, I'm sorry to remind you of that distantly past holiday we call Halloween. However, I just got these pictures off of Nate's camera, and as most first-time mothers often do, I feel I must catalog the events of "baby's first Halloween". Here's what we did that week:

Grayden and I went to California with Nate for a few days, he's been traveling a lot for work. Since we had to be home in three days, there was a lot to do. First, we carved a pumpkin for Family Home Evening. (We were neither home, nor was it evening, but we're a family so it counts). Grayden's job was to help scoop out the seeds:

Hold the top for Dad while he carved for 60 seconds:

And then to pose with the finished product:

Then, do we ever go to California without dropping by D-land? (answer: no, we do not)

First, we put on the Mickey Crocs. Thanks Jame!

Then we attempted to warm up a very cold baby. Phoenix has spoiled this child.

At dinnertime, with what was Grayden so fascinated?

The ducks. He could not tear his eyes away from them.

And finally, we went on the ferris wheel. I always forget I'm afraid of ferris wheels until I get on one. I'll take the highest, fastest roller coaster in the world over the ferris wheel.

For Halloween, Gray wore the costume Aunt Melissa gave him last year before he was born. I've been surprised at the number of people that can't tell what he is. Seriously? He's a brown leather oval with white stripes around each end and white stitching up the middle. I can't think of anything else that falls under that description.

He's a football, people, a FOOTBALL! Sheesh.

Ok, now you can turn the radio back on and rock around the Christmas tree all you want.