Happenings of Late

For Halloween, Michael was a monkey and Faith was a skunk. I was going to try to find a big yellow hat so that Michael could be Curious George and Jeff could be the Man in the Yellow Hat, but it didn't end up happening. The kids had a great time seeing Grandma and Grandpa Hansen, and Grandma and Grandpa Sabin, and then trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. It was fun. The day before Halloween, we went to our ward's trunk-or-treat, and Jeff took the kids around to the different cars while I handed out our treats. So many people told Jeff that he had cute boys. So when we dressed them up again to go trick-or-treating, I stuck a flower on Faith's costume so people would know she's not a boy.

I just wanted to share this cute photo of Hunter, Michael, and Walker. They were "making a job" on the couch (piling all the pillows on the couch and covering it with a blanket), and when they finished, they were proud of their work and posed for a photo.

And here is Michael in the leaves that he and Jeff raked up.

And finally, I just want to say something about the election. I worked the polls that day, and I was so touched to see how important it was to some citizens that they vote. There was a lot of confusion, because they have reorganized the districts in my area and now people don't vote where they used to. Some people were sent from one polling place to ours, only to be sent back to the first one they went to. The inconvenience to them was unfortunate, but even though some of them were upset, every one of them showed every intention of returning to that other place to cast their vote. One lady was not a native-born citizen. She must have been Vietnamese or Cambodian (last name Phuun). She came to vote, and since this is her first time voting, she had to show photo ID. She didn't have it with her, so she walked home (in the snow) to get it, then walked back. I'm sure there are many others all over who saw this same kind of commitment. But it just hit me what a great thing it is to live in this country. Whether you are happy with the outcome of the presidential election or not, you have to agree that it is a great blessing to live here where our voices are heard.

I have a lot of concerns about President-Elect Obama. My biggest concerns have to do with his stand on abortion, and that he will likely be choosing our next two Supreme Court Justices. But I am optimistic, because has proven himself to be a great motivator, and he has already made it clear that he will expect Americans to step up and do better. And if this country needs anything, it is motivation and high expectations. Even though I disagree with him on some fundamental issues, I believe that he is a good man. And I also know that no matter who is president, nothing he can do will have as much influence on me or my family as what I do. So things will be okay.