Dear Loved Ones,
Happy
November! This past month seems to have crawled along for me, it seems years
since I wrote last, but not much has happened up until last week. The weather has
been incredibly mild and warm for us. Except for a few mild rain storms and the
ridiculous wind, it has been calm with highs in the 60s and even a few days in
the 70s. It feels like a real true autumn and it’s been lovely. Ammon has loved
going to the park and to the playground for Niles’ recess. He’s going to be so disappointed when winter
sets in and it’s just him and mom hibernating! He especially loves watching the
birds, ducks, and geese at Sacajawea Park. We went in the morning last week and
the ducks saw him coming and gathered all around, though he had nothing to feed
them. It was so cute, and the mallards looked amazing in the morning sun. Their
heads shone like emeralds in the low sun, it was just gorgeous.
The
older kids are all doing well in school and activities. We are really proud of
them. It’s nice that Addie is so self-motivated to get up for seminary at
5:30am, since Rich and I never are! She’s been so responsible! Heidi, too, is
learning to manage time and juggle the responsibilities of middle school and
church, we’re very proud of them. They
both had choir concerts last week and they were SO good. It’s been awesome to
watch the kids and their talents mature and progress the past five years or so.
James is still working hard at trombone, though his first concert isn’t until
Christmas time. Niles has expressed an interest in piano lessons and tee ball,
so we made a deal: if he will focus and read with me (he hates to sit still),
then he can do piano lessons—as soon as he learns to read on his own. He loves
kindergarten and seems really happy.
The
California Melins came to visit us on October 28th (Uncle Jess got
to drive all day on his 44th birthday) and got here just in time to
change into costumes and go to the ward Trunk or Treat. The night before, Addie
had dressed up as a Newsie for her choir concert, but she wore the dress she
made this summer and dressed up as Jane Bennett from Pride and Prejudice for the party. Heidi stayed home tired,
James was a storm trooper, Niles was Kylo Ren, and Ammon was a monster.
Saturday the kids and Rich went out to the ranch to press cider with cousins
while I cleaned house and did some writing and editing, and that night the
teenagers went to a party at The Johnson’s (TJay and Summer went, too). Heidi
threw together a great Napoleon Dynamite costume. Monday I made a huge bath of soup and rolls and
pumpkin cookies. We took cookies to Niles for his Halloween party, then had the
family over for dinner and trick or treating. Lots of friends and crazy
teenagers were in and out, Grandpa and Grandma and Aunt Kelli stayed home with
me and Ammon after an initial round of trick or treat, and my littlest monster
crashed at 7pm! It was great fun, I love to see the kids enjoying and loving
their cousins as much as I did mine.
Our
holiday plans are beginning to take shape. We’ve been waiting to hear when “Uncle”
Rhett Casper is getting remarried. The original goal was possibly November 12th,
but that has been postponed so we won’t be in Utah next week. We will for sure
stay home and enjoy a cozy Thanksgiving, though, and any/all loved ones are
welcome to join us. We plan to spend Christmas in Arizona with Grandma Lyn in
Sierra Vista. I am planning to drive down December 20-21st, Rich
will fly down and join us December 23rd, and we will drive home the
29th-ish. I miss being able to take off for 2 weeks, but these kids
have lives now and for some reason they want to spend New Year’s with their
friends…punks!
I’ve
been really off my game the month of October (changed meds, doing better!), so
I apologize for the PLETHORA of birthdays we missed. We’re sure grateful y’all
were born, though, and hope you had great celebrations. We are already enjoying
this month of gratitude (my favorite holiday!) and hope you all enjoy it, too.
Here’s a TG quote I love:
"Gratitude
unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It
turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can
turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."
-Melody Beattie
Much
Love!
Rich
and Jamie and Family
|
Spooky dinner and family night with The Johnsons |
|
Daddy ate lunch with Niles on chili and cinnamon roll day |
|
Daddy and Boys campout on October 21st |
|
The Teachers came over and cleaned my windows and made my day! |
|
James got a haircut on 10/25 |
|
Clara the unicorn and Addie the Newsie after their choir concert |
|
Cowgirl Lexi, Ammon, Clark Kent TJay, Jane Bennett Addie, and
Star Feraldo Summer (Studio C) after Trunk or Treat 10/28 |
|
Pretty handmad elinen dress! 10/28 |
|
James in his school parade |
|
Big Kids' Trick or Treat Squad 10/31 |
|
I didn't get any pix of the kids in their costumes on Halloween!
Here's Niles with his booty |
|
James and Matthew trading candy 10.31 |
|
Simon 10.31 |
|
Cousin Pals trading candy 10.31 |
|
Heidi's Choir Concert 11.03--it was lovely! |
|
Heidi's 7th Grade Choir Concert |
|
Ammon walking in the park 11.04 |
|
GOOD LUCK OUT THERE, my fellow Americans!!! |