Ben's Birthday, Baptism, and Halloween in All Their Glory

We had a lot of fun with Ben's birthday this year. He chose to stay up late with Mom and Dad and watch Spy Kids. He ate so much popcorn and candy during the movie, that at one point he stood up and said, "Wow! My head feels funny. Why does my head feel funny?" It was nice to have some alone time with "The Kid." I can't believe how grown up he is. We're very proud of him and how well he is doing in school.

2 days after his birthday, we were blessed to watch our oldest child enter the waters of baptism. He was pretty nervous about going under water but he stayed very calm and did great! His daddy confirmed him that same day and did a good job as well. Now we're working on the idea of fasting...that might take some time! Thanks to all of our friends and family who came and supported Ben. It made him feel special.

Here are Ben's thoughts on his baptism:
Now I'm not worried about going under water anymore. I felt weird but good after I got baptized. I felt the spirit when my daddy gave me the gift of the Holy Ghost. I liked having friends and family over afterward for a party. It was a good day.
Halloween was a lot of fun this year. Everyone was cheerful and warm. We started early, before the sun went down and covered twice as much turf as usual. The kids got way too much candy but I- I mean, we-were able to take care of that by sharing. With mommy. A lot. I didn't get a picture with all 5 kids because by the time "Superman" was ready, "Zorro" opted out of any further photo sessions.

Ben: Zorro

Lizzy: Hermione

Jane: Barbie princess

Liam: Superman

Natalie: Kitty