STIR THEM IN MY WITCH'S BREW

**I typed this on Monday morning and just got the pictures downloaded. Some sad things have happened in our extended family and this post seems way too cheery right now, but I'm just going to post it instead of keeping it in my box, so I have it. I will post more about the sad things when I can**

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I just realized that the Valley View 1st grade had a program this week and I didn't play piano for it! Weird! I played for them for 8 years! No Witch's Brew, no Fly Fly Witchie Witchie Fly....

This week was a great one! My mom was here for the beginning of it. She helped so much and it was nice to have her here with us. Here is a picture of mom trying to bribe Kate into letting her hold her by feeding her ice cream. It worked!

Here is Ali at an NBA game at the Staples Center.

Thank you Uncle Mark for getting them box seats! Also, for my friend Kimi, they had a STAR SIGHTING HO HUM!! Remember the girl in 17 Again who shows up at the high school basketball game only to tell Zac Efron that she is going to have a baby? (ok, that sounds really bad).. Well, she was in the box with them, only she has dark hair and it took them half of the game to figure out why she looked familiar. Also, another STAR SIGHTING HO HUM!! When we were at lunch with Julianne at Jersey Mike's, we sat next to the oldest son on Home Improvement. To make it an even cooler STAR SIGHTING HO HUM!!, Julianne told us she dated him a few times and then they said hi to each other. The older brother to Jonathon Taylor Thomas said hi to us. These people are normal people, readers. It's still my duty to spice up my blog and tell you about these STAR SIGHTINGS HO HUM!!, but trust me, I'm only doing it for you. You're welcome, you're welcome. (*grammar nazi* Never ever ever write 'your welcome.' )

Darcy's family came for the weekend. Yeah!

Maddie and best cousin Katie at the Americana. They got some sweet deals so their smiles are extra big.

Ali and friends went to Pasadena for a haunted house in Old Town. When I picked them up, they told me that 3 middle-aged men corned them on the street and asked them what religion they were. When they said Mormon, the men said they were following Satan and not God. For 20 minutes, they worked on these kids, "prayed" for them and basically made them cry and angry. Would you ever walk up to someone and tell them you thought they were following Satan, especially kids? When they finally got away from them, they all huddled together and said a prayer. She said that it actually strengthened her testimony.

We had a fun trunk or treat on Saturday night, including a cake walk, chili cook off, and seriously the scariest haunted house down in the basement of the church. I made it to the first room and when hands started grabbing my legs, Syd and I were out of there. Maddie said it was a good thing I didn't make it to the room where the 16-18 yr old boys were, because they just cornered her (they are all her friends) and just yelled at her. Ha ha.

Syd and Ben had so much fun together. He's young enough that he will basically follow her around and obey her, which she thinks is fabulous.

Kate of course was enamored with all visitors more than mom. What am I, chopped liver? Seriously, it's like she is starved for other human interaction just like I am, so I get it Kate. I so get it.

Last night, we hunkered down and Darcy and I made about 20 Halloween things for our "Halloween Spooky Eat if you Dare Dinner." Darcy, I would not have done that if you weren't here. We probably would have had bland same old same old...Thank you thank you!

Tell me you can tell that's a brain..

Mark and Julianne came up from the OC to share dinner with us. They make every occasion more fun. Mark has even more energy than, well, Brett. Kate followed Mark and Uncle Chris around the house with her arms up until they would hold her. I'm in trouble when she's a teenager I think..

Brett decked the porch out for trick or treaters....only to have maybe 2 groups. That's it! Well, I don't blame them. Our street is so darn dark, as in pretty much pitch black. Who would want to walk down that?! How am I supposed to start my "2 weeks until Utah must lose 5 pounds by eating no sugar" eating plan if I have leftover Snickers and Butterfingers? That's almost impossible, and if you're a woman, you know exactly what I mean.

It is 80 here every day this week. It makes me happy. I'm not even missing colored leaves right now. I wonder if I'm going to miss the snow? Probably not this year. Maybe by next year? Right now, 80 is good.