Happy Halloweenie

Halloween 2026...

It happened, and I'm going to document it because otherwise it just blends in with every other Halloween, and then I don't remember it. In fact, Eva was saying on Saturday, "Remember how last Halloween I was sick? That means today is the anniversary of me being sick."

I didn't remember that she had been sick. But once she mentioned it, I vaguely recalled being really excited that she wanted to go home early, and I jumped at the chance to be the parent that went with her (I have about a 30 minute tolerance for trick or treating). 

Since Halloween was on a Saturday this year, I knew we would need to have some stuff planned to get us through the day. We started off by going to breakfast at Ogie’s Cafe. Then we went to Temple Square to do the new Visitor’s Center tour. 

Let it be known that today is Zoe's 14th birthday, and she will be taller than me any second now

The Salt Lake Temple grounds just reopened after being inaccessible for seven years. I realized some of my kids have spent most of their lives without the SL Temple! It felt so good to be able to walk around the grounds again. I would even say I felt relief! My girls were like, “Wait! You can just walk up to the temple and touch it?” 

After the Visitor’s Center tour, we made a gas station run, and then we came home and carved pumpkins. 

I refused to photograph Zoe and Eva’s finished projects because they got in a huge fight over who was copying whom, and then Zoe carved hers into a butt. 

So here’s Daisy’s:

I took a nap, and when I woke up, it was only 2:00 pm, which proves how stinking long holidays are. So we watched Ghostbusters and Addams Family, and then went to the grocery store.

 

We made mummy dogs, chicken nuggets, and a frozen pizza for dinner. 

When 6:00 finally rolled around, we headed out trick or treating. My kids wanted me to dress up, so I took the lazy route and threw on my trusty hot dog costume… hence the title of this post. 

At 8:00, Zoe and Daisy were ready to go home. Daisy headed out to a couple of parties. Zoe watched a few episodes of Treehouse of Horror (I gave up on keeping her away from The Simpsons - please don’t judge me), and Eva went out trick or treating again with our neighbors. 

I went to bed excited for my favorite day of the year… November 1st - the farthest day possible from the next time I have to go trick or treating! 

(It really is my favorite day, I’m not lying, but this year it felt a little less so because it fell on a Sunday, and (confession!) I really don’t like Sundays) (please don’t tell Jesus). 

I have to say, despite my disinterest in trick or treating, we have a really good trick or treat neighborhood. It's weird because no one trick or treats on our street (and they never have - in 23 years, I've never even had to buy candy), but beyond our street, the Halloween festivities are alive and well. The people who know our kids absolutely spoil them! The full-size candy bar inventory at our house right now is primo. 

Hope you had a Happy Halloweenie! 

Sunday Sentiments - Someone Said It Somewhere

Somewhere in the April 2026 General Conference, someone made quick mention of how the Holy Ghost will let us know what we need to improve on. It was a single line tucked well within the talk, so it's not easy to track down. For the past two weeks, I've been trying to find the quote I'm thinking of, and I haven't been successful yet! I know I highlighted it in my Conference notebook, and I feel like it's somewhere on the right-hand side, on the bottom half of the page. I've tried running a few search terms online, too, and still can't find it. 

The new Conference notebook just became 

available this week at Deseret Book

So for today's post, I am inspired by a line in a Conference address that I can't find, but when I read that mystery talk and came across that line (that I possibly imagined), I felt like I should jot down a few things that the Spirit had been impressing me to work on. I thought, "Oh, that's been happening to me a lot lately. I should write those things down." So I opened a new note on my phone and started documenting some of the things the Spirit has encouraged me to do recently. 

A few months ago I felt a prompting that cautioned me to stop telling stories I don’t know. That prompting has been recurring since, reminding me that I can't fill in all the plot holes. Let me explain that a bit further. 

At the time this chastening came to me, there were several things going on around me that I was making assumptions about, and I was talking about those things from my perspective. I was telling stories (you might call it gossiping) based on what I knew, what I saw, or what I was told, and to me, it all seemed accurate. I didn’t think I was embellishing or exaggerating or saying anything that wasn’t true. 

But the Spirit warned me, “There are things you don’t know. Don’t fill in the blanks with your assumptions." That's fair. If someone were recounting a story about me, I wouldn't want them to fill in plot holes or make assumptions that aren't correct. There is always more going on than we know, even when we think we see the full picture. I've been working hard on this and try to catch myself when I start "filling in blanks." I know from experience that I can be very sure about what's happening and still be wrong (it keeps happening), and as a person who really doesn't like to be wrong, that should be motivation enough to help me keep my mouth shut! Yet, I still struggle because sometimes I'm just so darn sure!

Another thing I've been prompted to do is to increase our Fast Offering. 

Let me take you back a few years. I don't remember how long ago it was, but sometime in the last decade, money was feeling really tight. I kept coming up short on the budget, and I was starting to wonder if I needed to go back to work, but every time I prayed about working, I felt a distinct, "Not yet." Then I had the feeling that I needed to increase our Fast Offering. I asked in my heart, "How much?" and the feeling I had was, "Double." 

It was counterintuitive to donate more money when money was coming up short, but I've had enough experiences with the Lord to know that this is how things go sometimes, so I did it - I started paying double the amount we had been paying. I can't explain it, but it worked. After several months of coming up a little short, we suddenly had enough. 

I've recently had this prompting again - that it's time to increase our Fast Offering. This time, I didn't double it, but I upped it a little. I've been feeling stingy lately, so this was kind of hard to do, but I'm giving it a go. 

There are a few things on my list that I won't share because they're more personal (i.e. embarrassing), but I will write about one last thing I've felt prompted to do, and that is to share my testimony online. That is why I started writing these Sunday Sentiments back in February. I know I don't always have the most uplifting presence, but I do have some pretty strong gospel-related convictions, and I'm trying to share more of them. I don't know if the purpose is to help me or to help others or to help both... or maybe it's to leave something for my children someday... who knows. But I felt prompted to share more of my testimony in this way, so I've tried to act on that. 

I believe that line that someone said... somewhere in the April General Conference. The Holy Ghost will nudge us toward things we need to do to improve our faith - sometimes gently, sometimes more forcefully. I am always grateful for any direction I receive, and I'm even more grateful when blessings flow from acting on the promptings of the Spirit. 

The Road Trip List

Our family loves road tripping! 

About five years ago my book club friends asked me to make a list of road trips we've gone on so they could have some ideas of places to go. After our trip to Glenwood Springs a few weeks ago, I'm finally getting around to it! 

Here are some of the places our family has driven to over the years. I've included approximate travel times from the Salt Lake area. Follow the links to my various posts if you want to learn more about what we did on each trip. I hope you get on the road sometime soon - if your heart so desires!

Day Trips

These are places you could visit in a day from Salt Lake

The Lodge at Strawberry Reservoir

Strawberry Reservoir, Utah (with pontoon rental) - 1.5 hours from Salt Lake

Our first trip

Our second trip

Maple Canyon, Utah - 2 hours from Salt Lake

Logan, Utah - 1.5 hours from Salt Lake

Crystal Hot Springs and Golden Spike

August 2019

Zootah (zoo in Logan)

Overnight Trips

These are places that require a stay.

Bear World

Rexburg, Idaho - 4 hours from Salt Lake

Bear World (and more)

Cedar Breaks/Cedar City/Brianhead, Utah - 3.5 hours from Salt Lake

Cedar City and Saint George

Cedar Breaks

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Glenwood Springs, Colorado - 5.5 hours from Salt Lake

Places to stop on the way

Hanging Lake and Glenwood Hot Springs Resort

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park 

Rifle Falls 

Saint George, Utah - 4-5 hours from Salt Lake

Glitter Mountain

Pipe Springs/Kanab/Moqui Cave/Belly of the Dragon

Hildale/Coral Pink Sand Dunes/Kanab/Best Friends Animal Sanctuary/ice caves

Places near Saint George (Hurricane/Rockville/Grafton)

On the way to Saint George

That time we kicked Tony Finau's family out of our chairs

On a whim

Saint George

Phoenix, Arizona - 10.5 hours from Salt Lake (and not worth it)

New Year's in Phoenix

Bryce Canyon, Utah - 4.5 hours from Salt Lake

June 2021

Goblin Valley, Utah- 4 hours from Salt Lake

Yellowstone - 5 hours from Salt Lake

My graduation & more 

September 2025

Yellowstone

Las Vegas, Nevada - 6-7 hours from Salt Lake

November 2022

Salina, UT - 2.5 hours from Salt Lake

Gymnastics studio overnighter

Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef - 3.5 hours from Salt Lake

April 2021

Moab, Utah - 4 hours from Salt Lake

Arches National Park/Green River/Goblin Valley

San Francisco, California - 11-12 hours from Salt Lake

April 2021

The winds of San Fran

Gandy, Utah - 4.5 hours from Salt Lake

October 2020 (cave and lava tube adventure)

Lake Tahoe, Nevada and California - 8-9 hours from Salt Lake

Our first visit

Epic Discovery

Celebrity Golf Tournament

Salt Flats (on the way)

Lava Hot Springs, Idaho - 2.5 hours from Salt Lake

June 2018

Vernal

 Vernal, Utah - 3 hours from Salt Lake

May 2018

 

Places to stop on the way to Disneyland:

Parowan/Hoover Dam/Calico Ghost Town

Area 51(ish)/Teapot Arch/Cathedral Gorge/RyanHenge

California Science Center/Hollywood/Knott's Berry Farm

Mesa Verde

National Parks Hop - this was a trip we took to several National Parks

Ten Things I Googled this Week

1. What is a jacket potato?

(It’s what they call a baked potato in the UK)

That time I baked 75 jacket potatoes to make soup for 100 high school kids

2. What happened to Ted Bundy’s body?

(He was cremated, and his ashes were turned over to his attorney. He wanted to be scattered in the Cascade Mountains, which is so icky because that’s where some of his victims were found). 

3 & 4. Map of Appalachian Trail & map of Pacific Crest Trail

(Trying to decide which one I want to do). 

(Just kidding).

5. Difference between Amish and Mennonite

(Mennonites mingle more with society and use more modern-day technology)

6. Can animals have autism?

(One of my kids asked me this, and the answer seems to be… “maybe”)

7. Plural for thesaurus

(Thesauri and thesauruses are both correct).

8. Upcoming Movie Releases

(Just planning ahead for movie season)

9. Halloween food

(Trying to determine my level of ambition for the holiday)

(Hint: it is low)

Zoe's birthday party a few years ago

(I think it's beautiful and will recreate it this year with guacamole)

10. Blood pressure chart

(I can never remember what healthy blood pressure numbers are, so I always have to look it up. I just know mine is always high. Like "go to the hospital" high). 

How I Spend My Days

12 years ago I posted this on Facebook:

17% of my day is spent trying to keep Zoe's clothes on

3% is spent applying medication and/or ointment to Nicky's facial stitches, leg warts, and eczema

25% is spent trying to remember what I was doing

12% is spent cleaning up mysterious substances or bodily fluids

8% is spent answering ridiculous questions

4% is spent feeding people

16% is spent redoing tasks that have already been completed but have been undone by the little people that roam the house

8% is spent trying to locate shoes

1% is spent sleeping

6% is spent repeating myself

6% is spent repeating myself

Life has changed a bit since then, so I figured it's time to update the stats on how I spend my day. 

In 2026:

21% of my day is spent managing the emotions of hormonal individuals

15% is spent at work

3% is spent managing medical situations

12% is spent carpooling

4% is spent feeding people

30% is spent trying to remember what I was doing

1% is spent sleeping

8% is spent trying to get my kids to do their chores

6% is spent repeating myself

6% is spent repeating myself

Rifle Falls

I wouldn’t have thought a five-day trip to Colorado would constitute four blog posts, but it does because we did different, neat things every day (unlike a weeklong trip to Disneyland where we kind of do the same thing every day). 

On the day we headed home, we stopped at Rifle Falls State Park. THIS IS MY KIND OF DESTINATION.

We parked in a parking lot, walked 100 feet, and saw this:

Now, remember the hike that almost killed me four days earlier? If I had gone to Rifle Falls first and then had to do that hike to Hanging Lake, I would have been swearing the entire way. Scotty’s original plan was to stop at Rifle Falls on the day we drove to Colorado, but we ran out of time. I think God intervened, and said, “No, you can’t take Brittany to the easy waterfall first.”

Rifle Falls was amazing!! Not only were the falls beautiful, there was a relatively easy hike that led to a few different viewpoints of the falls and some caves. I loved that the hike was short and easy and that it offered a variety of things to see. 

That was our last adventure before we officially headed home (unless you count a stop at Dollar Tree and a few searches for decent toilets, which is always its own adventure). 

After our trip to Glenwood Springs, I would recommend it! It was a great place within driving distance from Salt Lake. 

Peace out, Glenwood Springs!

This Book Made Me Think of You

Last week I read This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page. I waited months for this book to be available at the library while everyone raved about it. I also heard that it was very sad. I didn't read the book summary, so I went into it completely ignorant.

In the end, it wasn't my kind of book, but if they ever make it into a movie, fine. I'll watch it out of curiosity.

Now, I'll give you fair warning, if you want to read this book with the same ignorance I did, don't read the rest of this post. However, I'm not going to give much more away than the book jacket does. Make your decision...

If you're sticking with me, here is what I need to discuss after reading this book...

In the story, Tilly's husband has passed away, but before he died, he arranged for a bookshop to give Tilly one book per month for a year, starting on her birthday, with a letter from him explaining his book choice. 

The plot then goes on to tell how Tilly responds to each book, and how she manages the loss of her husband.

I have to confess, I didn’t like this for Tilly. For one thing, the books her husband chose for her were dumb. But they also somewhat dictated what she should read and what progress she should make in the grieving process. 

As a DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO person, that does not sit well with me. This got me thinking… if my husband died… would I like something like this? 

There might be some sort of premeditated gift Scotty could leave for me that would be appreciated. Like a Little People set. Or a gift card. Or, heck, maybe flowers on my birthday. I dunno. And hopefully I never need to find out. But anything that slightly makes me feel like I’m being controlled would bother me, and Tilly’s gifts controlled her. Her husband was like “Read this book and do this thing associated with this book!” and I was yelling at him in my mind going, “What if she doesn’t want to do that thing? She’s in mourning! Stop guilting her into doing these things from beyond the grave, you selfish turd!”

I have major issues with feeling like I’m being manipulated or controlled, and I am in a constant battle with feeling like my choices are being taken away from me. Who’d have thought that, of all the things that could trigger me, it would be a fictional, deceased husband leaving his wife twelve books? 

But I ask you…

Would you like your spouse to sign you up for a marathon without your knowledge?

Would you like your spouse to choose a new hobby for you to try?

Would you like your spouse to enroll you in school? (This has actually happened to two of my friends - their husbands “surprised” them by registering them for classes!) 

Would you like your spouse to buy a house without telling you? (This is another real-life scenario - it happened to my cousin. Her husband bought a house OUT OF STATE and said “We’re moving!”)

I would not be happy if Scotty did any of these things… dead or alive.

So what was probably supposed to be sweet and maybe even romantic in This Book Made Me Think of You was not so for me. 

————

Despite what I’ve written in this post, I can see why so many people have enjoyed this book. Again… not my thing… but YOU might like it, so give it a whirl, and don’t let my weird problems taint your perspective (too late?) 

I *think* the book was actually pretty clean (if I remember correctly). It does have 4 “f” words, but not really any other profanity.