Butterflies, Ladybugs, and Leaves!

I am sorry I haven't posted much, it seems I am struggling to keep up with everything these days. Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks, in reverse order:

Yesterday, Rebecca was attended a birthday party for a friend she had only met once. Her parents just moved earlier in the year to San Antonio and they used to be our next-door neighbors at the blue apartment complex back in Provo.
Rebecca dressed up as "Ladybug Girl", which is a book about a little girl who pretends to be a super hero. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the house her ladybug wings were broken.

She looks cute even without her wings.

Earlier in the day, I had the opportunity to go to the temple and we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the temple grounds as well. The children love walking around on all the big rocks at the temple... not sure if that should be against the rules or not.

Before our temple outing, we spent the morning at the zoo. I thought this picture captured our children's personalities perfectly.

On Columbus day, we spent some time playing at the park between our appointments for the parent-teacher conferences. David has enjoyed this Fall season because the butterflies are coming through! He sometimes catches other things as well.

Here Rebecca is playing and having fun with other friends that showed up to play at the park as well. She loves to be with the younger children.

Even though we don't have the beautiful changing colors around us, we found out that some of the leaves are actually starting to fall! David and some friends found or made a pile of leaves and were having lots of fun playing in them.

As a side note, I saw them playing in the leaves and my first thought was, "Please don't! You will get dirty, and maybe even have bugs on you." Then I thought of how much fun children have and they don't mind those worries yet, so I let them go at it. I guess I am still learning to let them go and explore nature without a mother hen hovering.

David has been able to catch quite a few butterflies and moths with his net. He loves it! He is the most careful and gentle boy I know. Clark taught him how to use it without harming the insect, and he has followed those instructions very well.

This butterfly didn't fly away when he opened the net, so I had it crawl onto my finger and there it sat for maybe ten minutes before it flew off.

"And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which [the prophet] should speak unto them."
Mosiah 2:6

I thought it would be fun to have the children sit in a "tent" of sorts and watch conference. Clark remembered we had a little tent out in the garage that we have never used. I put it up and found it to be the perfect size. They enjoyed it.