10/29/23

School Halloween carnival, School orchestra concert (Lucy), Lucy's last soccer game, and Anne's first school dance this week! Lots of fall fun! I filled in the water pipe hole we dug, mowed one last time and had the kids help me clean out the garden before our temps dropped 30 degrees! Dad met with a podiatrist this week about his 4th of July ankle, where they scheduled surgery for his long-stretched-out tendon and chipped bone. We had a killer date night Friday--getting to hear an Orchestra at Temple Square concert Friday night after a dreamy dinner at a delicious Afghan restaurant. Great food, music, and time together, and THEN they handed out tickets to the Tabernacle Christmas Concert at the end!! Lucy, Seth and I went to his friend Ryan's baptism yesterday morning, which was so tender, and we got to host Anne's 12 person dance group. Lots of moms were so sweet to pitchen in & they ate (copycat) Cafe Rio dinner, played CRAZY games, including America's Got Talent & the TikTok (table pounding, feet stomping) marshmallow game (Seth was in Heaven, and Brent wished they could respect baby bedtime!). They were SO FUN, and made my day breaking into singing "Country Roads" every few minutes. I've been grateful for repentance this week--I feel like I've wished for do-overs almost daily--getting huffy with the ENT making us wait an hour, making Jane go with my idea of doing her hair when she wasn't unloading fast enough, hissing at Seth to not run a racecar up and down the piano while I was playing at the baptism and other such dumb moments losing patience with things that don't matter. It's relieving to know we're here to keep becoming. And I've appreciated trying to do better at accepting mistakes and weaknesses as part of the growth proceses instead of using them as a bludgeon on myself. This quote from Elder Holland: "Please remember this: faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the 'high priest of good things to come.' (Heb 9:11) I loved reading in Alma 8 this week about Alma when he was feeling weighed down with failure, how an angel came, not JUST to tell him what was next, but FIRST to remind him of what things he was doing well with. Seth is always great at remembering what he is good at--and he told me after Ryan's baptism when we were talking about feeling the Spirit. First, he said "That's what Jesus feels like Mom." Yup, I think so Seth. Then he said, "Mom, you know my rocker songs? They feel like Jesus!" He has been shopping for an electric guitar all week, haha! Well, if we made you miss fall with all of our refreshing weather, we're definitely missing warmth now with highs in the 40's!! Love you, love you! Mom

10/22/23

WHAT A WEEK!! After Monday school break where we enjoyed fall in the mountains with a little photo shoot before a quick pres mtg & Anne's tennis clinic, I worked on getting babysitters for Seth so I could got with Dad to his work conference in Midway Thurs-Fri. (I was also brought face to face with what a coward I am about asking for help--that was rough, but at least I can keep growing!). I had a DELIGHTFUL birthday lunch with Stepanie & Amy Tues, then visited with Amber, and helped set up at the ward chili cook off/trunk or treat at our Holmgren historic barn in the neighborhood that night. It was PERFECT weather, Dad's chili WON!, and we had a fabulous turnout of friends and neighbors. I took Jane to have 2 baby teeth pulled on Wed, and otherwise, the kids have been living it up making tons of batches of homemade fries in the air fryer (because I bought a 50 lb bag of potatoes?), playing with perler beads for hours, and climbing trees (mostly Jane, but she climbs enough for all of us). Also, did I tell you about when I was STUNG BY A BEE THROUGH MY BIKE HELMET?!!!! This was actually weeks ago, but holy trauma, I may have pulled over with Seth in the trailer behind me and sobbed a minute since I was still a mile from home. I had felt something fly by, but when I went to swat it away (while biking, mind you), it somehow PUSHED it into those tiny slits in my helmet where it STUNG my poor forehead!!! The NERVE!! But it still feels SO good to be riding bikes, and now, raking leaves, and soaking up all the outdoor time we can (my subconscious is always reminding me we had snow until April this year!). So, after typing up a schedule and texting all of the helpers for Seth, Dad & I left Wednesday night, getting to the little Swiss-themed Zermatt around 9:30. I had started a bit of one of my hormone headaches, so was hoping it wouldn't take over, but when I started hiking Thursday morning in nearby Wasatch State Park (Phosphate Hill was the longest one I could find close by), there was NO pain, and ONLY JOY!!! I wasn't even sure how much fun I would have with most of the leaves fallen, and pretty typical mountains around--did I need a podcast to keep me entertained, or would I get lonely? NO! I was THRILLED, & then I was thrilled at how happy I was! I would break into a jog for little spurts here and there, saw a live quail? or some big-eyed bird right on the trail, BASKED in the bright sun as it came out, sighed over the postcard looking Heber Valley below, and LOVED EVERY MINUTE!! I got to chat with Mom at the end (where I also got lost, but my All Trails Free trial saved the day, and I was happy to have added miles anyway), and THEN I got to go back to the heated pool to work out all my sore muscles in that glorious water--it felt SO good, while ending with a good book by the pool in the sun--probably the most (warm) pool time I've had all summer! I was freezing in my hoodie when I started that morning, but sweating at the pool by afternoon, so perfect ending. Dad & I did the free mini golf course when he was done with his classes, and then found a fun Indian place in Heber for dinner before crashing. I zipped over to the Provo temple early Friday morning, then came back to use the workout room (including steam room and sauna!) before checking out, bought a birthday cannoli to enjoy in the courtyard while Dad was in classes, and ate it with my DELIGHTFUL book while a carousel was going in the background. We re-did the mini golf before we left (Dad bested his score by 20!), drove through STUNNING Alpine Loop the long way home, walked around Tanger Outlets, and then got birthday dinner at the Mandarin in Bountiful--DELICIOUS!! Came home, not too late, to a birthday cake Breely made (for both of us!), a birthday sign, and happy kids. It was SO rejuvenating and filling--I was SOOO HAPPY. Dad & I had a RS training breakfast Sat morning, I took the girls to orchestra, visited with Maddie, helped Emily's FAFSA form (since she got into her study abroad/internship program!!!), then took Anne to urgent care to make sure she didn't have appendicitis after having to get out of school Friday with sharp stomach pains above her navel that ibuprofen wouldn't touch (?!). She wasn't in as much pain Saturday, but still uncomfortable, so we checked, but she was fine (and now I'm getting to be friends with the Urgent care team after Seth's false alarm with broken leg last week!). We grabbed pizza to bring home, then the girls and I watched a cute movie while the boys finished up football. Dad & Brent also finished attaching our secondary water line, so success all around. I've been so scared of Fall coming, (because of imminent winter!!), but the last few weeks have been SO abundant and happy that I can't help but be grateful for such a harvest of good things. And TRYING to remember the goodness of seasons, that shifting and changing, including the cold dark times, are what bring growth. Our RS lesson today was Elder Cook's talk: Just keep going.. with faith. Plenty of days, that's about all I have in me, to just keep going. But THEN, there are times, like this season, that are so packed with FULLNESS and goodness and life, that make everything worth it that I want to remember when it's harder to push on. Also with seasons and change, it's crazy that you and Maddie both moved this week AND Emily found out she'll be moving for next semester, so another reminder that change can be exciting and good and moving us forward. Love you so so much, and hope you get those days that fill up your heart too. Love, Mom

10/15/23

I was on hold with Anne's Rx company for a while this week, trying to work out some insurance details, and when the woman helping me pulled up our info, she kind of startled, then said, "Oh, you have a lot of fun at your house!" I laughed, and agreed there's never a dull moment! But she, in her cute Southern accent started talking every time she was waiting on her computer or for another rep to get on the line, about HOW MUCH she wanted a big family (and her fiance wasn't having it!). She talked about meeting her biological Dad at 11, and how he had 6 siblings, and her Mimi (grandma) had 25 (!!!!!) grandchildren and 7 great grands, and CAN YOU IMAGINE?!!!! She delighted over hearing Seth in the background, would ask, "Tell me what you do for breakfast?", or "Do you ever just send them outside because it gets so crazy?" and when I told her how they ran around the neighborhood with friends, which helped, she exclaimed, "You mean you have kids in TWENTY-TWENTY-THREE running around outside?!!! YOU ARE LIVIN' THE DREEEEAM!!!" and repeated it often! Sweet reminder in an unexpected place!! And it has been a delicious week during the magic of Fall. Dad had Monday off, and he's been determined to self-install our secondary water line, so I offered to help dig (mainly because I wasn't overwhelmed this week, & the weather was dreamy, so I loved an excuse to be out there!). The biggest job was digging under the sidewalk, but we finally got everything prepped and ready to connect (just in time for rain to come!). Then it was cool and misty and rainy and ALL the leaves are showing off, so I soaked up cozy story time with Seth, fun jog/walks through the farm trails, and GORGEOUS drives through Sardine Canyon. (Seth tried taking pictures & couldn't get over what a RAINBOW of colors was everywhere--especially since every time I've pointed out the red on the mountains to him he's told me it's lava and didn't believe it could be leaves). The girls were out of school Thursday and Friday, so we slept in, {broke up fights between the girls}, went thrifting, continued our Greek wedding movies, found tennis lessons for Anne, and cleaned out our side yard with the city's free dumpster days. I got in a temple session Friday morning-- (10th anniversary to Grandpa's dying!), then Dad & I ran into Emily's MTC companion while we were out for date night in Logan. Saturday morning, Brent and Dad went to help Maddie & Brian move to their new place in Pleasant Grove & visited with Uncle Martin & Aunt Karen who live down the street from where they're moving; and I spoke at LaVonna's graveside service while the older girls were at orchestra, before we got home for Lucy's soccer game. Woke up to zoom in on Baby Heidi's blessing this morning, and pictures of Grandpa's old truck that Uncle Briant just bought/fixed up! Had some good visits, including one to the hospital, and squeezed in a fun birthday breakfast on Wed w/ Treena and Joan. Seth found a pair of glasses out in a backyard tree (one of Jane's friends left them there), and is convinced they are his--I can't get over how much he wears them--he is also obsessed about wearing this "necklace" he made out of earplugs wherever we go. He had a bad landing on Bubba's trampoline Friday, and when he was still begging to be carried everywhere on Saturday, I decided to take him to urgent care (now that we HAVE one!!!), only to have him not even need an x-ray.