November

Another month has come and gone.  If time keeps going by this fast, Jake will be home before I know it!  Speaking of Jake- one of the highlights from my month was getting a memory card from the Elder full of pictures and videos from the past several months.  There were so many that it took almost an hour to look at all of them.  And he did so many video logs, that it felt like he was in the room with us chatting away.  Who knew that boy would be so much like me and his sisters in doing such a bang up job of documenting everything.  I'm proud about that!  I just love looking at his smiling face.  I'm so happy that he's happy and doing well.





Here he is with 3 of his 4 companions.  Elder Haviland was #1, then came Elder Tongish (bottom right picture, the one on the far left) then Elder Mitchell (the red head) then Elder Campbell (the one in the top left picture).  Jake loved Elder Mitchell and took great strides in loving his mission during that transfer.

We had an early snowstorm before we'd had a chance to do winterizing, but luckily it melted and we were able to get the yard ready for winter the following Saturday. 

Me, Cam and Mike worked for most of the afternoon cleaning up- mostly in the backyard.  Mowing, raking leaves (or blowing rather with our new leaf blower/sucker/mulcher. It's awesome!) cleaning out the rain gutters, and putting the patio cushions away in our new handy dandy shed.

Cam and his friends Parker and Chase were Logan's #1 football fans this year.  They were front and center at every home game, and even traveled to a couple away games.  The team was undefeated until the QB  got ejected from the first playoff game (and the following game) for 2 unsportsmanlike calls, so Logan was out of it when they lost the second game without him in the game. Cam and his friends had fun until that game.  And, after 15 plus years, Mike says he's done doing the stats for the team.  With Cam graduating, he thinks this is a good year to call it quits.  We'll see next fall when the season rolls around again. He might not be able to help himself from wanting to be down on the sidelines amid all the action.

We attended a fun party one Sunday evening at the Searles to welcome Matt home for a week's leave from the Navy.  We had fun eating, visiting, and playing bunco.  I was happy I had someplace to go and take my turkey relish tray appetizer. 

Cam's Eagle Project was completed one Saturday at the Middle School where I work.  He and I worked on getting numbers made and laminated, then on that Saturday, along with the help of 13 family, friends and leaders, we put them all up in the windows of each classroom for emergency purposes.  It was a great and fairly easy project.  And a relief to have done! Cam was a great organizer and and did a great job delegating.

Kylee and Brody came home for Thanksgiving for the first time since they moved away 4 years ago.  Happily we've been able to be with them for 3 of those 4 years.  But it was great to have them home this time.  They decided to keep their arrival a secret from Jessica so Ky had fun surprising her the first morning.  We three girls went to one of my favorite classes at the Sports Academy- Paddlefit. 

Mike and Cam played in our wards Turkey Bowl and had a fun time- especially Cam.  I went to watch for a half hour, and it was so much fun to see him throwing the ball, catching the ball, and intercepting the ball. He's a great football player. 

Jess and Brad spent Thanksgiving in Willard with Brad's family, and the rest of us went to the Weyerts for dinner along with Teresa & Brad and their kids, and Tommy & Jessica and their kids.

The rest of the weekend was spent shopping, playing cards, sitting in the hot tub and spending half a day in SLC playing mini-golf, looking around City Creek, looking at the lights on temple square and eating out at Bella's Mexican Restaurant.  All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Ky and Brody, but only for 3 weeks!

Misc items (going clockwise starting with top left):  Mom turned 87 on the 16th.  Me, Carol and Nancy took her out to lunch at Sizzler, then the next day I made her a birthday dinner.  Doesn't she look so cute?  Cam and I went to Thor in honor of Jake and so we could tell him about it.  It was a pretty decent movie.  We had my friend Dani and her girls over for dinner to celebrate Dani's birthday while her husband was out of town. I met Dani while she was a student in Mike's ward about 8-9 years ago and we've kept in touch with her pretty well, but then when she joined my gym last January, we've become great friends, even though I'm old enough to be her Mom.  In fact, we've been asked numerous times if that's the case. I love her! Cam went to 2 girls choice dances this month.  This is a picture of the SkyView one. He had a fun time at that one.  The Logan one, not so much.  Me and Mike and Jess and Brad surprised Lindsey at work on her birthday with balloons and presents.  So lots of birthday celebrations this month.  I didn't even tell about Brody's golden birthday on the 29th while they were home for Thanksgiving.  Kylee threw a fun party for his high school friends and their wives at our house and it turned out great.  She is a master party planner.