Hello, Glorious October!

It's Autumn! It's Autumn! Pennsylvania is in full Autumn! Well, not quite full. Apparently it takes a bit of time. I'm not used to 6-8 weeks of glorious Fall! Usually it's only 3-4 weeks (in Idaho/Utah) and by October, it's over. It's just getting started, here! I'll need to take a million photos and share them with you soon-ish.

Things making me sad, lately: 

*People losing their testimony of the gospel and leaving the Church. How they place the blame on others for their own choices to leave (the list of reasons are very long). How quickly they change and begin behavior they would never have thought of doing before, now that they have all this "freedom." Watching it happen is hard and brings up all kinds of past feelings of when I saw it happening years ago to others I love.

*The Supreme Court being cowards and not just making a decision on the gay marriage issue and instead letting things drag out in different states until it's finally legal everywhere. Sigh... Gay marriage being legal everywhere. Inevitable, I know. Frustrating, though. I know people will disagree with me on this, but it doesn't change how I feel. I'm not angry about it, just... sad. The voice of the people has been shut down, not to mention what this does to individuals eternally. Religious and Voter rights are now a joke. And I have lost respect for the Supreme Court. I'm also nervous about what this means for public school education in the future.

 *My ribs are pulling apart even more during this pregnancy; I may need to find a chiropractor soon. They've always had a hard time due to my large babies and my incredibly short torso, but I don't remember feeling this separating pain this early in a pregnancy before.

*The let-down of real life and all of the worldly crud after the spiritual high of General Conference.

Things making me very happy, lately: 

*General Conference! And the realization that everything that was taught this last weekend was meant to give strength and resolve to people of God to withstand all of the scary wickedness in the world.

*Autumn!

*The breakfast Brandon made for all of us yesterday morning (it was a feast of deliciousness!)

*Sweater weather (I love to wear cardigans)

*My cold is finally dissipating and #6 is also feeling much better. Only a bit of hacking left!

*Accomplishing in giving our wiggly, screamed-at-the-salon-and-so-they-couldn't-even-do-it two year old a haircut this morning! He's a cutie:

*Learning to be confident in who I am (even more than before) and not worry about other's issues; not making their issues my own --especially when they are not under my stewardship.

*Talking to one of my BFF's on the phone today for 2 hours.

*Looking forward to a quick get-away trip for Brandon and I later this week! And grateful we have an incredible babysitter.