Halloween is here!

Halloween is today and everyone is super excited!  We LOVE the fall holidays!  The only hard part is that the weather still feels like SUMMER!!  Seriously, it's in the 90's and SOOOO hot here!  Truly, it's not until after Halloween is over that the weather finally starts to cool down.  There is always a little "teaser" week in September and we think "Oh, Fall is finally coming!"  Then, like clockwork, it soars back into the high 90's and we have summer again.  It's really the only time we ever complain about living in Arizona.  The rest of the year it's just about perfect :)

Kohler and Suzy are counting down the days!  I really can't believe how fast the time is flying!  11 more days . . . wow!  I have been pacing myself in wedding preparations so I hopefully won't have too many things thrown on me at the last minute.  I'm still nervous though to see how it all turns out.  I have so much to learn since this is my first time planning a wedding.  Luckily, I am the mother of the groom so I didn't have to do an entire reception.  Our family is hosting a Family Dinner the evening before the wedding.  We have about 88 guests coming and I think it will be a really fun event for everyone!  We are having the dinner at the Doubletree Elegante Reception Center in Gilbert.  It's fairly new and an absolutely beautiful venue.  They are catering the entire meal so all I need to do is decorate, plan seating charts/name cards, and entertainment.  Tom has been such a help to me.  I have loved having him home on certain work days (thanks to Dr. Young :).  He has helped a lot and I feel confident that it will all go according to plan.  

I have worked really hard to lose weight and get more healthy for the wedding.  So far I have lost 26 pounds!  I have 4 more to go to reach my goal before the wedding.  Well, probably more like 5 or 6 after this last weekend.  I really caved and ate some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that I made while we were watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!"  I love that movie!  Plus on Sundays I tend to just snack more because we are all home together.  So, this next week I really need to hit it hard!!!

Tom and I are so happy for Kohler.  He loves Suzy so much and cannot wait to marry her.  She is such an amazing girl and we feel so blessed to have her join our family.  I have always felt peace about her and just knew she would be the perfect fit for him.  It's fun to hear them talk in Spanish.  Suzy served in Concepcion, Chile South Mission and got home last May.  They have known each other for over 3 1/2 years and written faithfully every week during each of their missions.  They know each other so well and it's been a special experience for me, as a mother, to watch them fall in love more and more each day.  I told her the other day at her bridal shower, that I truly cannot tell her how much I love her.  Only when she has a son of her own, and she sees how much he loves the girl of his choice and how HAPPY that girl makes him, then will she know how much I love her!  Kohler has never been happier and as a mother, I cannot ask for more than that.  They are such a perfect match and I know Heavenly Father has blessed this union because how it has all fallen into place has been divine and intentional.  They both put the Lord first by serving their missions and now they are reaping the blessings of that service.  What a cool love story!

We had fun at Colleen and Wade's home for General Conference.  She always puts on an amazing spread of food!!

 Kelsey and Aaron are starting to date very seriously and we are excited because they really seem to love each other. He treats her well and they laugh a lot together!

Tom took some new photos for his office advertising and I think he looks super handsome!  (or he looks like a good-looking vampire with his pale white skin and dark eyes ha ha!)

Tom also won a prestigious award in Phoenix for his work at Chamberlain Orthodontics.  His office was awarded "Best in Phoenix" for small sized companies.  We are SO proud of him!

Hailey is really loving her training at Cactus Rose Ranch.  Carolyn MacDonald is her trainer and works her extremely hard.  The horse we are leasing is Klassique and he is a National Champion English Arabian.  He has been very good to Hailey and she really likes riding him.  My parents came into town and we took them to the ranch to meet Klassique.  My dad also likes spoiling Hailey and bought her an english dressage riding shirt!  Aw Grandpa! So sweet!

Here are a ton of pics from Kohler and Suzy's bridal photo session.  They look so happy together and we are thrilled about their wedding coming up this month!

Spencer received his driver's permit and is WAY stoked!! Look out everyone . . . SMC is on the road!  

Just a few weeks before the wedding we attended a bridal shower for Suzy.  It was hosted by some really good friends of the Nielsons and was just lovely.  Colleen and Amber drove up from Tucson and MaryKay came also which made Suzy feel extra important and loved! We can't wait for her to join our family!!