Life in a Northern Town: FAMILY LETTER 10.29.17

Dear Loved Ones,

My hands smell of pumpkin as I type since I gutted all the pumpkins during naptime today. I know it’s a little control-freakish, but I like to open the pumpkins and clean them out and brine the seeds and clean up before the kids carve their jack-o-lanterns. This has two main benefits for me: less mess and ALL the seeds—I love to eat them! Tonight I am making cinnamon ginger and Cajun spice and toasting them sooooo well. They are gonna be delicious! The fire is roaring; it has been the best kind of Sunday: RAINY and cold. A storm blew in during church and it has been a quiet cozy afternoon. Uncle Mark (Rich’s little bro) is visiting from Colorado and he came over after church for chicken noodle soup and rolls: perfect rainy Sunday lupper. Grandpa and Grandma Melin had a speaking assignment in Cody, so we got to have Mark with us for a while. This week has been very Halloween-ish.

Last Monday (10/23), Ammon had a dental appointment in Bozeman so we did that and a little shopping and brought home Chicken artichoke pizzas for dinner. We had a nice little family night and homework before bed. Tuesday James was home sick, so I hunkered down and worked on laundry and we watched the old “Becket” with Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton. I remarked on Facebook that they reminded me of Brad Pitt and Russel Crow together, appearance and mannerisms-wise. There were lots of great little sermons in that movie. We watched “The Inn of the Sixth Happiness” a few weeks ago and thought the same thing. Some gospel truths were just a given back in the day, even in the movies. Tuesday night the girls and I went to a Relief Society meeting to make a Halloween craft. We got the time wrong so we were late and didn’t finish, but we have 3 cute cheesecloth ghosts which I will someday trim with Halloween banners (I don’t where all my crafting time went, but it’s GONE).

Wednesday was Autn Jill’s and Uncle Jex’s birthday, but I don’t think Ammon knew that when he had a fit and begged for birthday pancakes (which are just pancakes with sprinkles mixed in and a candle on top). We did some errands and sewed up Niles’ leggings for his Halloween costume. IN the evening, Uncle Mike and Uncle Mark came over for bulgogi bibimbap bowls for dinner, and then Rich and the big kids ran to YM/YW (getting ready for the Trunk or Treat). Niles’ friend Winston came over cuz his parents had meetings, and they and Ammon watched Russian dashcam videos with their Uncles for a while. I finished sewing Halloween costumes upstairs while listening to St. Olaf’s choir online (beautiful!). When Wintston went home, we put the boys to bed. Thursday was Uncle Will’s birthday and we just did chores and errands, nothing memorable. The whole family was home for the evening and THAT was unusual and pleasant.

Friday was all about the Trunk or Treat. After we took Heidi to school, Ammon and I went and got fresh ingredients to make cider and chili for the Trunk or Treat. They both simmered all day long. We cleaned up and took a rest to be ready for the fun. After school, the kids began to hurry and get ready in their costumes. Addie made up a last-minute masquerade-ball type costume, James was a Hunter, and the little boys were luchadors—Nacho Libre and El Scorcho. Heidi was a creepy clown, Pennywise from “It.” But she took her costume to school and wore it to the middle-school dance/party after school. She won the costume contest with her friend Sophie. They met us at the Trunk or Treat. My chili did not turn out awesome, but there were like 10 fantastic chilis to try, as well as homemade root beer and cider. Grandpa and Grandma Melin got to come to the party with Uncle Mike and Uncle Mark, too. The youth did the Thriller dance for the ward, followed by carnival games and trunk or treating. Bonnie Speas won the chili cook off and the Carters and Bakers shared the prize for best trunk decorations (a fall scene and a “Trolls” movie theme). Niles won the boys’ costume contest as Nacho Libre. It’s a small thing, but I am glad two of our costumes won because that was an awful lot of sewing for me! After the party, Addie’s friends came over and all changed into HER pj’s and watched “Pride & Prejudice and Zombies”—great fun!).

Saturday (Uncle Jess’ and Uncle Michael’s birthday), everyone was a little under the weather. The boys soldiered on and went shooting and to Chico Hot Springs with Uncle Mark (except sickie Ammon stayed with me), the girls and I stayed in our jammies and watched Stranger Things 2. In the afternoon we got ourselves together and went to Bozeman. We picked up the invitations to Addie’s birthday party and went to Macy’s to find a tie to match her dress for Winter Formal (she is going with her friend Spencer—they had a Spiderman themed promposal). Heidi bought a Stranger Things T-shirt and Ammon got a strawberry Julius and everyone was happy, but tired. We headed home at 5 with a few Little Caesar’s pizzas because James had friends coming over for pizza and games at 6:30pm. It was a nice quiet evening…until the boys fell asleep and coughed their heads off. Heidi was also feverish, so she and the boys just piled into our bed this morning while we headed to church early for meetings and Sacrament meeting. I left Addie and Rich at church and came home to be with the kids after sacmtg. We had high council speakers this week (Sister Richards and Brother Carter) and their messages about sharing the gospel were fantastic. Our little choir that could sang “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee” at half time and it turned out beautifully…I never get tired of those little musical miracles!

And so here we are about to start another week and ring in November! I’m not gonna lie, I’m kinda excited there in a little snow in the forecast. Now that most of the leaves are gone, I need some of that sparkly beauty! We are so super excited for Thanksgiving and Addie’s Sweet Sixteen and all the magic of the season…bring it on!

We hope you all have a grrrrreat week! All our love and prayers!

Love, Jamie and Richard and Family