Life in a Northern Town: FAMILY LETTER 11.12.17

Dear Loved Ones,

This has been a great week! We started out Monday with a Family Night about gratitude, wherein we rang in the holiday season by putting up our Thanksgiving Tree and adding some thankful leaves. After FHE, Rich took Niles and James to see the Thor movie (the girls had already seen it and the boys were jealous). I stayed home with Ammon and made tissue paper poof balls for Addie’s upcoming birthday party, while watching the Ken Burns documentary on New York City (it is fascinating to me! What a crazy history!).

On Tuesday we had a little morning playdate with Lincoln and Harrison Baker and Callen Kling. Ammon loves having other kids around and they did everything—played toys, built mega blocks, play dough/ kitchen, and jumping off the stairs. It was tons of fun, and Ammy was worn out when the boys went home at lunch time. He told me, “Mom, I’m a wibit [little bit] tired; I need to lay on your bed and watch Daniel Tiger.” So we did! Later I spent 2 hours at the middle school Parent-Teacher conferences (and got to talk to 2 out of the 12 teachers I needed to meet—long lines!), then came home and watched “The Glass Castle,” which just came out on DVD/streaming. I loved the book, and of course the movie couldn’t capture the whole story, but it was pretty well done.

Wednesday morning we had a visit from Ammon’s pre-school teacher. We did some paper work and visited and made some plans for Ammon. He should be able to start school right after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, we are cracking down on potty training because he should have it down for school! That afternoon, James had a friend (Kinnick) over and we made oven fries to go with burgers for dinner. The boys loved their dinner and went with Rich to scouts at 6:45. I got Ammon and Niles ready for bed and made a big fire. They watched “Polar Express” while I wrote the Christmas Sacrament Meeting program. I had been getting promptings all week for it, so I figured I’d better sit down and put it together. I’m so excited for Christmas music! The choir is going to attempt a women’s 3-part “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” and I just love that song!

Thursday we finished up PT conferences, then had the Dixon Family over for tacos before they move away. They have felt like family since day one and Addie and I have loved being Cali’s visiting teacher and watching her become a mom. All the kids will miss playing with little Laney Mae, who is already going on 9 months old! I’m grateful for social media in situations like this—it makes good-byes a lot easier because I know we will still get to watch Laney grow up and we will all keep in touch.

Friday morning, Addie and Heidi were both under the weather, so they slept in while I went to Costco and Target for supplies for upcoming festivities, the most urgent being a case of IBC root beer for the Winter Formal-anti-formal pizza dinner Saturday night. I came home and finished the laundry, cleaned the kitchen and basement, and took a rest to watch some more New York documentary. I cut paper snowflakes to relax—it’s so zen! We had chicken pot pies for dinner, and then we divided for movie night. The boys watched an animated movie with Rich on our bed while I watched “Dead Poet’s Society” downstairs by the fire with the girls. We loved it, of course, though Heidi was full-on ugly crying at the end. She’s scarred for life—but aren’t we all? Oh, captain, my captain! I sound my barbaric YAWP over the rooftops and write beat poetry with Nuanda and we all gang up on Neil’s dad and Headmaster Nolan #justiceforKeating!

Saturday was unexpectedly consumed with Winter Formal preparations. Addie got up and took a lavender soak in my tub and got all fresh and relaxed for her first legal date (even though she isn’t 16 for 9 more days!). Heidi had a birthday party all day and night with her best pal, Sophia. The boys went to Bozeman with daddy to get stuff at Home Depot and Walmart. So I did Addie’s hair and nails, then we went to lunch at Gil’s and to the store. We came home and tried a few different up-do’s before settling on a half-up do with her hair pinned into a bow. Before we knew it, Spencer was on his way to meet up with Addie. Rich and the boys got home just before Spencer and his family arrived. We did the whole corsage thing, then met up with Joneses for photos at 4:30. At five, all the seminary kids met up at the Denniston’s house for a make-your-own-pizza dinner. I had planned on just dropping off Addie and Spencer, but it became obvious that Vicki couldn’t transport all the kids in one car, so I stuck around to drive them to the bowling alley at 6:30. Addie and Spencer played a few games, then I took them to the high school for the Grand March and the start of the dance. As soon as the dance began, they wanted to return to bowl with their friends, so I drove them back to the bowling alley. I snuck home and grabbed something to eat and visit with Rich, then back to drive the kids from bowling back to Denniston’s for a PJ movie party til midnight. They brought Addie home a little before 1am and she was on cloud nine. I love that those kids have so much fun together! They are hilarious, and I think/hope Spencer had a great time as well.

Today at church, Heidi and Addie sang “How Great Thou Art” with Clara and Jeanette. They sounded so lovely together—sister voices are always so harmonious and gorgeous. Heidi continues to conquer her stage fright, thank heaven—she really does have the prettiest alto voice and great pitch. I’m so happy to see them sing together. They were asked to sing at the Ward Christmas party, so we practiced, “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella” tonight. SO PRETTY! I love Christmas music!!! I also got to sub as Primary Chorister today, which is always the best. The kids are singing “Thanks to Our Father” in Sacrament Meeting next week –it will be so cute for TG. Rich has gotten 2 new deacons this month (James’ friends William and Kinnick) –it’s nice to have fresh attitudes in scouts and Sunday meetings.

All is well with us. We are excited for Addie’s birthday party this next weekend, and then THANKSGIVING the next week. Sara’s family, Laura’s family, Mom & Dad Melin, and possibly Dad Post will be joining us for dinner, and we get to keep Sara’s kids over the weekend for some cousin bonding time (they have lived across the country the past 14 years, so we need to make up for lost time). We are all very excited about this! We wish you all a happy, healthy week! Keep in touch!

Love, Jamie and Rich and Family