Happy Halloween from the Berry Bandits! We had several different events, so of course the kids wanted a to be different things. Here's a bit of our Halloween fun!

A couple fun things recently. We had a great day Saturday with Preston and Lindsay. It began with BYU's Homecoming win, then a mean game of doubles tennis (You should have seen Darren and Preston with the mock intimidating faces, swings and body language - it was hilarious). We had a big steak dinner, then D & I attended the adult session of our stake conference while they watched the kids. As you cans see Rachel exhausted them with about 50 books they had to read and various other games they had to play. They were great sports about it and so dang cute with the kids! Earlier in the week Darren, Steve, & Mike were doing other "manly" things in the hills of east Heber in the middle of the night! They were actually trying to plot some land for a possible family cabin investment, and didn't make it there till after work. They had headlamps on, were packing some heat, myriads of GPS's, and wandered through the wilderness shouting every now and then to scare the mtn lions away. I wish I could have been witness to this scene, the stories alone still make me laugh. Anyway, here is a picture of Darren with some bones pondering which animal they belong to. The Berrys also had a nice dinner & birthday cake for Darren on Sunday to celebrate his big 42. But the highlight was stake conference. Elder Holland was our visiting GA (one of my top 3 fav, cuz you just can't have one) and he blew me away. We were changing our stake presidency, so I thought it would be mostly "business" kind of stuff, but on both saturday night and Sunday he said he just wanted to "chat." He talks to you like you are just a great friend and is so animated. He talks with his hands more than the best of the Matthews! I sang in the choir - mostly so I count sit close and meet him afterwards. Darren took the kids to our ward building (it was live at the stake center and then broadcast in two different chapels just to house our stake population - another reminder we are in Utah). Holland was so cute, when he stood up to speak his first words were "wow, such a great turn out! I can't believe you all came to watch the slide show of my mission!" He had us laughing and crying the whole time. Of course nothing will equal the WAY he says things or his exact wording - he is so eloquent, but I thought I'd share my take home messages. Oh also our visiting area authority is Jon Huntsman Sr., can you believe this town? You move to Sandy and you get the big ones!

Hunstman: #1. Talked about how in all his business travels - Asia, Middle East, India, Russia, Africa, whatever, he has studied and watched other religions. Common denominator? Every religion Judaim, Buddism, Muslim, and various Christian sects, etc, ALL share one thing - the growth and betterment of the one. Personal improvement, on whatever scale, is the bottom line. #2. When Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher came to Utah to visit (I remember this years ago because she spoke at a BYU devotional while I was there. She was one of the greatest speakers I had ever listened to), she came to Huntsmans office and noticed the Family Proclamation framed and hanging on the wall. When she was done reading she said to him, "These are the most true words I have ever seen written. Who wrote this? I want a copy." He of course talked with her more about the church and basically his testimony of the inspiration of the prophet and his apostles. So now I have to re-read the family proclamation as if read by Margarat Thatcher.

Holland: Mentioned what a beautiful autumn day it was outside - 62 and sunny. Crisp, clear and mountain-y. I had noticed it earlier myself, because we've had so much cold and rain/snow. He commented though, that there were many in attendance that because of challenges, heavy burdens, depressions, life's demands etc, that just won't be able to look outside and "see" the day's beauty. Then he respectfully shared a moment when days before President Hunter's death, Holland heard him cry out in pain and anguish because of his cancers, and how it broke him apart to see this. He continued to share that he had witnessed President Hinckley beg and plead with the Lord to take his wife Marjorie and himself together - that's he didn't want to live in this world without her. The stories were much more detailed but he tearfully shared that nobody is exempt from pain, heartache, and challenge - not even the prophets. And that if we didn't "see" the beauty of the day it was okay because you know what? The Lord loves broken people. He loves broken people. The audience was weeping because everyone in attendence has been broken at one time or another. But to have Holland say that the Lord loves you for ALL that, was just so sweet. His remedy however was given in an anology. Paraphrased he said, "Let's say we are sailing on a boat and a storm approaches. In general we prepare to weather the storm, and mentally, physically, emotionally buck up for it. But sometimes in the middle of the storm, when we think we have given SO MUCH, and it's still not over, we feel like we can't do it any longer, and want to jump out of the boat. DON'T JUMP OUT OF THE BOAT! It is the safest place you can be! Even if it has tipped over and you are hanging on to an oar in high waves, you have a better chance of surviving, than if you were to give up and jump to an almost sure demise." After this analogy he spoke so powerfully with a shaking voice, "When you think you cannot bear another burden, make that tough decision, weather yet another challenge, deal with painful emotions, etc... you really have only one option: pick up that burden and put it on your back, make that decision, face that challenge and do what you must do, because I promise you this - when you do this, when you reach down inside farther than you ever have before, you will find deep within your soul all that the Lord sees in you. All that is there, will get you through. And know that the Lord loves you." Ah man, Holland is just so amazing, I wish you could have heard how he said it. Anyway, there is so much more, but that should be enough to tell you that it was a good weekend for the Berrys:)

For Family Night tonight we did our very first pumpkin carvings! We never did it in NY because where do you put them - outside your window on the 28th floor? And last year, we weren't sure Rachel and Jared could appreciate it. So this was our inaugural run at the pumpkin carving and we didn't do too badly: ) My brother Marshall still holds the blue ribbon however for the carvings done on his mission! Any competition lately? What are all the kids are going to be for Halloween - xo Nicole P.S. The reflection is just our countertop in the kitchen.

As Blake so eloquently expresses, October is a GREAT month! Its Darren's birthday and our anniversary too - plus the weather is just to die for here. It's crisp and cool, the mountains are covered with wildfire colors, and the apples you can get make your taste buds swirl. We've already made are first batch of carameled apples and hot chocolate. We are doing well as a family, so we are always happy about that. Nothing BIG going on and that's the way we like it. As of late, here are some highlights:

• Our primary program was on Sunday (the one I had to write and produce). I wasn't scared until Sunday morning and my gut wrenched. But all the practices and re-writes came off without a hitch. Rachel had a speaking part AND a solo - the first verse Follow the Prophets. She exuded such bravery and I was really proud of her as she stood at the microphone in front of a huge ward. Jared had to sit on Darren's lap up on the stand since Darren teaches the Valiant 9 class (remember the 10 body-slamming, karate-kicking boys) so he had to keep them under control while dealing with Jared - he's quite the man and I am continually amazed by my babe! I sat on the floor by the main mic and it was quite the adventure, but the best part was the children. Their faces, their testimonies, and their spirit always make it the favorite Sunday of the year. And our ward is no different than any, we had the Sunbeams on the front row shouting the songs on the same note, and some older boys in the back singing opera to give the program some entertainment. Quite the show actually.
• Mom has been here for RS workshops downtown and stayed through Conference weekend and Colter's doctor's appt at Primary Children's hospital. It was really nice. We did many great projects - (family geneology, sewed my last two pillows for our basement, and she worked on Dad's missionary journal, etc). But the pinnacle event was attending the Saturday afternoon session of Conference with Preston and Lindsay. As we battled the traffic & the hords of people at city center, you wish you were back home in your pj's on your couch. But then, when you get into that room, and the prophet walks it - it hits you. You always know that the prophet is God's voice, and you hear him on TV, and read his words through various medias, but when you are in that room you FEEL him. I had parked the car and was looking for Mom and Preston, so just stopped in an aisle when the prophet walked in, and it hit me like a Mack truck. I got a huge lump in my throat, and it was my own witness as to FEELING the spirit of God through him. Wow. We had a nice dinner afterward and we really had a great time getting to know Lindsay and laughing and catching up with Preston. He is quite THE MAN these days: )
• Shannon blew in for less that 24 hours, but it was really nice. Man, I never knew you could see so much family if you just lived in Utah! That is the key ingredient I am thinking - in NY we were in Timbucktoo though I wouldn't have traded those years and those experiences for anything.

Well, that's about it - Karlyn, Marshall, Louise, and Blake and families - I have loved talking on the phone with you this last month, which is just a great as a visit in person. So know that I love you and love hearing from you! Till next time.

Darren, Nicole, Rachel & Jared