Random November

Watching the Royals win the World Series was a perfect way to spend a Sunday night with the family!

Our bishop wanted to improve reverence in the 10 minutes before our sacrament started and having a quiet child stand at the front was his idea, which I kindly said I didn't think would work.  But since I'm the primary president I was supportive of trying it and Miles got to be the guinea pig the first and only time we attempted this.  He looks very enthusiastic doesn't he?

Taylor has been coaching water polo and he had the brilliant idea to host the end of season banquet.  He promised me it wouldn't be much work, that he would get all the food catered and all the chairs, etc. set up himself and all I needed to do to help was clean before and after.  So I said okay, assuming there's be 20-30 teenagers.  Oh no, I totally misunderstood that this wasn't just an end of season party for the kids but in fact a dinner for all the kids and anyone in their family they wanted to bring including younger siblings, grandparents, etc.  So 140 people later the front of my house looked like this.

And the inside looked like this.

And this.  Don't even get me started.  Taylor still will swear to anyone that it was a great event and so fantastic to have in our home instead of a random church gym.  I disagree.

Aria came to stay with us for the weekend.  She's about the easiest house guest ever.  She went to sleep- in the kids room without a peep, slept all night, got up with the kids, ate when they ate, followed them around the whole time and didn't fuss once.  She can come anytime she wants!

With the 7th Star Wars movie coming out and our kids of course wanting to watch it, I decided they needed to first watch all the previous 6.  No problem there.  And since it was going to be Sunday afternoon family movies, we added a few star wars themed treats.  Red, green, and blue light saber pretzel sticks anyone?

Storm troopers marshmallows (with edible markers of course)

Sometimes you feel crummy and the only place you want to be is in mom's bed.  I get that.

The magic of the car wash.

In the fall, when a find a quiet moment to sneak away and read for a second, this is my favorite place in the whole house.  That tree is just perfection, and the fact that it takes up 1/3 of my back windows is just bonus.

Always more cub scouts.

Isla's favorite thing at Carl's Jr (now that Miles is in Kindergarten and doesn't get to come play with her on the playground) is to take Grandma-greats walker and ride/slide around the restaurant.  She's pretty good at not running into other people but of course she can't resist stopping to say hi to each and every stranger in the place.

Making grandpa-great wear your coat is pretty fun too.

Ahh, the leaf clean-up.  Ethan is very happy to blow them all into a pile even though this particular chore takes him more than an hour.  He's less excited to help me scoop them into bag.

When dad's cousin Sofia comes it's a party for sure.

And Russ is about the best horsey ever.

Dad's a sucker for holding babies- especially cute ones like Stella.

All of Sonia's family came in for grandpa Bill's memorial service.

We're sad, but luckily this giant bear can fix just about anything.

First snow of the year- even if it's not going to stick very long.

Everyone seems to love this bear.

Waffle making.

And when the boys are all watching a "boy" show on the TV, at least miss Isla can watch Netflix on the computer.

Thankful Tree

The past 2 years we've had the tradition of doing a "thankful" tree where each morning, each of the kids gets to write 1 thing they're thankful for.  Only rule is you can't repeat and mom has to approve it.  By the end of the month we have a lovely backdrop for our reading nook.

Here's just a few of my favorites typed out in case they're hard to read:  I am thankful for nighttime and sleeping (poor dad works a lot)- Taylor.

I'm thankful for my 2 grandmas- Miles (Miles is growing into such a sweet and thoughtful big boy)

I'm thankful for my school- Miles (and so is mommy.  You're finally adjusting to following directions and being responsible after a rough few months of trying to control the teacher, making her cry, and then finally figuring out your place)

I'm thankful for my food even though I didn't eat it all, like I only ate one bite of the gross stuff- Miles (thanks for the honest direct quote, very entertaining and honest)

I'm thankful for Ethan's funny jokes- Isaac (these 2 have a special bond as the big boys and they spend hours laughing over things I don't understand even when I try to)

I'm thankful we have fluffly beds to sleep in- Ethan (okay...)

I'm thankful for PJ Masks and the Lion Guard shows- Isla (maybe I'm letting you watch too much TV)

I'm thankful that I got to go to a fun pack meeting- Miles (good job earning that with your good behavior at school and then also realizing it was a privilege you want to work towards)

I'm thankful for U of U basketball games so we can have fun and eat snacks with Grandpa- Isaac (okay so at least you're building a relationship with your grandpa, but maybe missing the whole point of actually watching a basketball game, I guess we can work with snacks being fun for now)

I'm thankful Dad goes to water polo because he has fun and it de-stresses him- Sarah (this one is sadly very true.  While water polo takes Taylor away from family time, he gets really stressed at work and this seems to be magic.  One night he even came home, after having been so stressed at dinner he couldn't even interact with the kids and then going to polo, and said "Ahh that's just what I needed to go beat up on a few high schoolers in the water".  A little service, a little exercise, and maybe a little beating up of teenagers and you're all better)

I'm thankful I knew Grandpa Bill.  I liked going to his house and playing legos- Isaac (yes, sadly Sonia's father passed away last week and while the kids hadn't spent a ton of time with him, they did enjoy going along with grams to visit him and sitting on his living room floor playing legos.  I'm glad they got to know him a little)

I'm thankful that I got to watch Star Wars and eat Star Wars pancakes- Ethan (another great Sunday family movie plus pancakes shapes like tie and x wing fighters thanks to after-Christmas clearance at William Sonoma).

I'm thankful that the Royals won the World Series- Ethan.  (Another good Sunday evening spent with Taylor's family and especially his mom who grew up in Kansas City and was a cheerleader for the KC Chiefs)

I'm thankful it's the Day of the Dead so I can celebrate my cat on Minecraft who died in a Zombie attack- Isaac (When Isaac said this- in a very serious tone mind you- Taylor and I both sat there and looked at him for about 30 seconds before saying oookaaaay.  But now it's totally my favorite of the whole month.  Apparently he had a pet cat in his ipad game minecraft and it died in a Zombie attack and since he's in a spanish immersion school they celebrate the Day of the Dead and get to celebrate their dead relatives... or digital pet cats killed by zombies.  Love it!)

I'm thankful for the Primary program... it was fun- Miles (this melts my heart since it's the first program my presidency has done and it was a lot of work and a lot of stress but really SOOO wonderful to me.  Such a neat experience to feel the spirit with these amazing children while we sang and testified together).

I am thankful for... I love my daddy- Isla (this was the first leaf she filled out and she tried to repeat it several times throughout the month.  Love her!  And she melts her daddy's heart)

I'm thankful that our cousins came to visit- Ethan

I'm thankful Aria came to stay with us- Miles

I'm thankful for yucky charms- Isla (translation: lucky charms cereal.  I really love how she talks right now- flends(friends), wuv u (love you))

I'm thankful that I don't have to go to swimming today- Ethan (awe a classic at least according to Taylor)

I'm thankful for my "p" party today- Isaac (ie class party at school wherein he can bring whatever he'd like that starts with the letter p- popcorn, pretzels, etc)

I'm thankful for Miles cause I love it when he laughs- Taylor (that child really does have the best, most contagious laugh ever)

I'm thankful for Carl's Jr. and that we can visit Grandma great and Grandpa great and eat tater tots- Isla (this tradition started about a year ago after my grandparents got moved out to Utah mostly against their will but so they'd be closer to family who can help them.  My mom was pressuring me to do something to help and this was what I could do that wasn't always fluctuating and would fit into my kids schedules and it's been really a great break each week to take them to a restaurant they love and let Isla and sometimes Miles play on the playground and eat with them.  It's been a small blessing to get to know them better after all these years).

I'm thankful that I got a caught you being good card- Miles (Miles is working hard to learn how to be a part of his Kindergarten classroom in a responsible way.  His teacher is fantastic and so patient and a genius at spotting times when she can "catch him being good" and reward him by noticing)

I'm thankful for Milo cause he's my friend- Isla

I'm thankful Mary and Alice came to play- Isla

I'm thankful we get to go to gram's house- Miles

I'm thankful for our piano-Ethan (so this has been a wonderful blessing for all of us.  I got a nice digital piano before I married Taylor and it's worked great but over the years the kids have gotten food crumbs and gunk stuck under some of the keys and so there were literally whole octaves where Ethan and Isaac couldn't play.  Not so big a deal at first but now that Ethan's playing with both hands and more complicated songs that sometimes span 4 octaves, it was getting a little ridiculous.  And then low and behold, Taylor's parents were getting frustrated that all their kids had moved back to town and multiplied with 7 grandkids and we no longer all fit around their dining table in their tiny dining room.  So their solution was to flip the dining and living rooms and get rid of their baby grand piano since no one used it anymore.  But they really wanted to keep it in the family since it's the first big purchase Sonia made after she started teaching high school in the 70's and also all her kids learned piano on it.  And amazingly we were the only ones who wanted it.  So tadaa!!! Free heirloom, beautiful, baby grand piano.  Complete with all working keys.  So glad Ethan is loving it cause I'm loving it too!)

I'm thankful for the sky because I like looking at the clouds when I'm in the car- Isaac

I'm thankful for Halloween treats- Isaac