In keeping with the theme of Past Child Abuse:

 When Lukie was tiny, we'd yell "Luke!" really loud and sharp to get him to make this face.  Then, we'd laugh and laugh and do it again, and it worked every time.

Further evidence that we should not be trusted with children.

When I was looking through my old albums for Jessica's M&M picture, I ran across this old favorite:

This was Pepper's second birthday.  Brad's mom got him this toy elephant that was really cool--you'd flip a switch on its belly, and it would move.  The movements were really slow and realistic; the head would roll, the legs would walk, the trunk would wiggle, and it honestly looked like a real, miniature elephant.

And it scared the TAR out of Pepper!

After seeing Luke traipsing about all week in the M&M, I had to go dig up the picture of the Original Red M&M--Jessica in 1997.  This was taken at our ward Halloween party, and as I recall, she kept trying to pry the fat padded part off.  She obviously didn't like it as much as her future brother would.

The box of old Halloween costumes has been sitting out this week (yes, I know Halloween was several days ago--get over it), and Lukie has discovered this old M&M costume I made for Jessica when she was one-year-old.  I keep putting it away in the box, and then an hour later Luke will walk by me wearing it.  Or I'll see him laying on the floor, watching TV in the M&M suit--again.

Apparently, old M&M's are still just as good sixteen years later.

Today we got to set our clocks back, so the morning before our 11 o'clock church felt very long and leisurely.  So long and leisurely that Brad got up and made us all a fantastic breakfast.

We'd all loaded up our plates and were enjoying our pancakes when Adam piped up, "Hey, isn't today Fast Sunday?"

Silence.  

Oh yeah.

But, Brad and I just looked at each other and shrugged.  It's hard to feel repentant when you're eating bacon.

I'm missing Michigan today, with it's crisp Fall air and the amazing colored trees every where you look.

This was taken at a preschool trip to an apple orchard Adam and I took in 2004.  There are apple orchards all over MI where you can go and take a hay-ride, pick a few apples, and eat your fill of cinnamony cake donuts and fresh cider.

Seriously, nothing beats a Michigan autumn.

And the winner for my favorite Halloween costume goes to...

...Brad's two sisters and his brother-in-law Cameron!

 Polygamists at their happiest.