Happy Halloween!

This year for Halloween Casey and I decided that we wanted to throw a party. Now bear in mind that we currently live in the biggest apartment we've ever had but it's still pretty small when you cram about 15 people in it. But none the less we wanted to have the opprotunity to host a party and invite friends and family. We encouraged everyone to dress up and boy were we NOT dissapointed. My father in law even threw something together and the man is not known for costumes. It was a hoot. We played some ridiculous games and had a ton of food and overall I hope it was fun for all our guests because I had a blast. Here are some pictures. The only ones missing are my grandparents as well as my nieces. I never caught them with the camera. But below are the folks I did!


My mother in law channeled her "inner spook" and came as a witch. Her hat was so ornate it was awesome. To bad she wasn't holding our black cat when we took the picture that would have been perfect!


Our friends Andrew and Breianne came as Woody and Jesse from Toy Story. Very cute!


You never know what to expect from Jacob and Agatha. She came as a stray cat and he came as animal control. lol


My sister in law Shannon was a "snow" bunny. She was so cute!


My brother in law Perry FINALLY got to use the katana sword we got him for Christmas a few years back and came as a ninja.


The craziest costume of the night! This is my father in law. I should have found a compare photo because here he really looks like someone from America's most wanted. It was a big hit! Even better is the fact that Todd doesn't normally get into the whole dressing up spirit of Halloween.


Who knows what I was going for. A deranged ladybug fairy thing? It took me 45 minutes in the shower to wash all that hair dye out. lol


No Casey is not the devil. He's the beanie baby bull "Tabasco." My grandmother had made this costume a few years back and he got great use out of it the other night! This is is "bull" stance. lol

Creepy, Kooky, Mysterious, Spooky

The other day I decided to try to take some "halloweenish" pictures of our kitty-cats because well, we have a big black cat and that's kind of perfect for Halloween. But the theory of taking an adorable Halloween-type picture of your kitty and actually doing it are two very different things. But I took 2 1/2 pictures that I liked. (The 1/2 is the picture of both of the boys, it was the only one with both of them that didn't have one of them putting their nose right on the camera. But it's not a great picture so I only gave it a .5) Anyway these pictures took some time, patience, and lots of treats! Oh treats, you do make my kitties world go round!

This picture isn't the best but oh well. They were both in the shot.



My handsome Blitzen. He's so sweet tempered and he did really well. He even tolerated the indignity of his orange bandanna rather well.



Crazy kitten Cuzco! He's growing so fast. I can't believe how big he's getting. He is such a curious little fella and didn't mind the camera at all.

Spirit of Elijah???

So I haven't been one to always be great about family history. I had a pedigree chart that goes back about 9 generations and I have done some temple work for my family in the past. I've given myself a few pats on the back.

Well this year while thinking of what I could get my father for Christmas, (the man has EVERYTHING!!! and if he doesn't have it he will just go get it if he needs it.) In recent years I have gotten him gifts that kind of spark a little bit of family pride, like the Sharp family crest and whatnot, so I kept thinking a book of a little family history would be kind of fun. For kicks and giggles I signed up for a 2 week trial at ancestry.com. And let me tell you what, it has been crazy!!! i have found names and dates of people I never dreamed of. I have found so many that I've begun on a thing for my mother. It just seams like although I've found a lot of dead ends, I've started so many new lines to make up for it generously.

Today I was listening to conference and there was a talk about the spirit of Elijah. My husband has said that his mother truly has that because she is amazing when it comes to family history. She just finds things and moves her families story further and further back. It's really neat to talk to her about it. But as I was listening I was thinking of how in the past two days I have found more ancestors than in the past 10 years. I can't help but think not only is this a time in my life when technology is more at my disposal, or that I'm of an age where it truly interests me and I feel the benefit of having a pedigree chart that is more full, but I think that my ancestors really do want me to know them. After starting this project a little ways in I decided to say a prayer because I truly have no idea what I'm doing. It wasn't long after that when my prayer was answered and I was finding family members left and right! It feels so wonderful! Each name I look at I consider I have felt the spirit guiding me this way or that. Sometimes it takes some discernment but for the most part I have felt led.

Casey and I have a goal to attend the temple more often and what better incentive than my ancestors propelling me forward in the journey into the past. (poetic right? lol) I'm excited. I'm trying to find all I can in a very short amount of time however because it is a little expensive. But I'm happy I'm doing this. I've learned many things about my ancestors that I never dreamed of.

I'm excited to listen to more conference and to hear the messages given. I suppose I should go to bed now so I can do just that tomorrow.

Much love to all!