and we'll fall asleep....counting our blessings

so we spent all of yesterday wondering if will was going to have a job or not.  we found out monday that his company was going to be having lay-offs.  we weren't really worried.  will's pretty good at his job and his salt lake territory is a pretty big market.  then came the big day and one by one he was hearing of people on his team getting let go.  the guy from reno.  then from denver.  will's boss (whom he highly regarded) from seattle.  it wasn't looking good.  will's call wasn't until 2 in the afternoon.  so we had to wait a long time.  his call was short, 5 minutes at best.  they told him he was staying on, but that his job would completely change.  he'll only be involved in the martindale-hubble end, no longer lexis-nexis.  he'll only be selling client development, no more research.  (which is quite a big deal.)  and the worst point about it:  his new territory includes spokane and boise.  that means he'll be travelling to those cities every other week.  ugh!  will and i have always agreed that he'd never take a job that meant he'd regularly have to be away from our family. 

but he didn't really 'take' it.  they just gave it to him without asking if he wanted it.  it isn't ideal.  it's not our idea of a happy work situation.  but it's a job.  and he still has a paycheck and benefits.  that's a lot more than many can say after yesterday.  so even though we're a little bummed about the changes, we're very thankful he is still employed. 

he has to travel to L.A. on monday to begin new meetings with new bosses and get new training for all of this good stuff.  but on a bright side- we don't have anything going on this monday night.  every other monday in december we have tickets to plays, polar express, choir concerts....so it actually worked out well for us. 

the following monday we're going as a family to pioneer theater to see the play 'white christmas'.  it is one of my most favorite christmas movies.  i hope it's good on stage.  it's hard to compete with bing crosby and the andrew sisters, right? 

that's my boy

a few weeks back the boys had 'crazy hair day' at school during red ribbon week.  we were messing around with brig's hair, and since it had gotten so long, i decided to try to style it my way.  i think i kind of nailed it. 

he actually wore it to school that way.  he is one confident boy. 

i even had the whole flip thing going on in the back.

this is currently one of my latest projects.  i took yet another knitting class!!  i've got the whole crochet thing down- but i swear knitting is so much more difficult.  problem is- half of the stuff i love is knit and not crochet.  dang it. 

i like the one on the right.

not the same, but close?

i worked so hard on spencer's costume.  it looked good, until you put it up against the real thing.  :)  the eyebrows and the black space between the two front teeth were the hardest part.  quince bailed on nacho about 5 days before halloween, so brig became nacho.  he acted the part well, but he was far too skinny.  i'll have to post pictures of the other boys later.  their photos are on my mom's camera.  we did the whole party thing again on saturday for the boys' friends.  it was almost completely school friends, so some of them i didn't even know.  we did fear factor with them- we were a little worried the girls wouldn't get into it.  holy cow!  we were dead wrong. 

yes- those are worms.  not one of them wimped out.

the half goat milk, half buttermilk bottle

spencer didn't have a clue who emma was dressed as.  sad. 

just a few

my photos this year turned out crappy.  my good camera wasn't working.

the 80's dance after the party.  better than expected.

bad picture of the hanging ornaments.

the first place costume winners.  (one of my personal favorites.)

the second place award- which actually tied for first.  wow. 

before and after

                                                             then...

now...

we're getting more used it.  he looks so different without them.  they are s.t.r.a.i.g.h.t.

fall photos

abbey road?  this picture cracks me up.  they look so robotic. 

sometimes i feel like the luckiest mom in the world.  i REALLY love these guys. 

btw- preston's date said yes.  the dance is this saturday. 

my boys are growing up

spencer had a choir concert last night.  when he came upstairs all ready i seriously thought he looked like he could be leaving on his mission soon.  (without the braces, of course.)  i instantly felt scared and sad- i'm not ready for them to grow up and leave yet!!!

preston is asking a girl he doesn't know very well to the herriman inaugural ball.  these are the notes he's putting inside the balloons.  she has to put them together to figure it all out.  too easy?