I like to be more careful and creative in my blogging than just a travelogue of our life, but sometimes the time just flies by so fast I can't capture the essence of the moments. And the precious glimpses of joy and depth and growth are faded and I am left with a bit of a skeleton.
Still, I hope that the skeleton can still awaken some of those joyful memories. They remind me of the structure of our lives, the things we did. And as we read back on those moments it will be fun to see how each person experienced them a little differently.
So here's November:
You can only go so long without family pictures before the old ones seem really outdated. I waited too long last time and was already expecting Sullivan before Sarajoy made it into one. So I girdled up my loins for one of the most un-romantic parts of parenthood. It is a time of dread. As funds were pretty skimpy, I was thrilled to find a coupon that would allow me to get all of our portraits on CD for only $50. Then I could print them, use them on my computer, etc. The deal was about to expire so I got us in quickly. I was really enjoying the fall colors, and liked the family picture we got years ago with browns and oranges, so I decided to see what we had. Miracle of miracles: I found something for everyone to wear that matched. Then the whole getting ready ahead of time and hoping hair can stay pretty and people won't fall asleep on the ride there and did we remember to bring some candy to bribe smiles out of people. It actually went pretty well except for sweet Sullivan. He was completely upset by the whole situation. Please PLEASE smile, little buddy. Glad when that was over, and glad to get a coupon when I picked up my CD that got me a large canvas print for only $20. We've paid a lot for those big prints before, so that was a blessing.
Sadly, the deal expired 2 days before Nathan got his braces off so he still has them on in his picture for the next year. He is very glad to have them off.
Dallin and I attended a day-long conference called Stand For The Family. It was extremely informative about the anti-family agenda and the movements all over the world that call good evil and evil good and bully people's freedoms away from them. It was also extremely inspiring and hopeful that there are good people out there fighting for what is right and that there are ways that I can support the movements for good. And it was great to feel supported for doing the most important job of all: caring for my family at home. I had my first Crown Burger on the way home. It was pretty tasty, but had a lot more meat than I prefer.
Dallin and the boys went to the BYU vs ISU game and had a fun time. Though I think Simon went with them and it was not his cup of tea.
We had a really fun Relief Society Activity where we made magnet clips for our Visiting Teaching sisters and cut out snowflakes for the upcoming ward breakfast. It was pure therapy to sit at a table and be creative with paper and scissors while I got to know some sisters in the ward. I actually learned some skills that helped me know how to make snowflakes I've only dreamed of making before. It is kind of silly how much I like it, but every time I see a picture of a snowflake now, I try to imagine if I can re-create it with paper.
And we kept up our regular routine: Monday-Wednesday mornings doing school together with devotional, a time to share what we've learned, a lesson or activity about geography or art or science. It has been a good year. We played tag for exercise on the days that the weather was good enough. Tuesday afternoons the girls have book clubs and Brandon has Shakespeare. Wednesday afternoon is temple day. Thursday all day is co-op with Brandon doing Speech and Debate and Life of Fred math and Pyramid Project (science) while the rest of us do geography, artist and composer studies, and play and visit. Friday is the day to catch up on projects or do something fun and relaxing.
Nathan got his Eagle Project approved in the nick of time. He had to schedule a special meeting for the approval because they were all booked up for the month. We knew we couldn't start selling things until he had his approval so it was great to get that part done.
Thanksgiving with the Millington family was really nice. We got there earlier than usual this year. We set things up at their church and had some time to visit and play before the food was served. It was nice. Dallin was able to gather his family and share some feelings and quotes about forgiveness. I think his siblings especially appreciated his willingness to begin to open some lines of communication again so people can support one another. It was super fun having the Crandalls stay with us for a few days. All the other girls came and spent the night as well. We had Ruby, Daisy, Emily, Holly, Ally, Erica, Brinn, and Jocelyn. They had a great time and Dallin taught them a funny cheer he saw online that they performed for the family later. Friday Dallin had scheduled a time for the whole family to attend the exhibit Sacred Gifts that is at BYU this year. It has some really precious pieces that make it a once in a lifetime thing. Sadly, we forgot the stroller which made it pretty much impossible with Sullivan. I made a quick wander through and spent the majority of the time in the foyer. Kind of a bummer, but a really great experience for everyone else. (Except Simon because he really wanted us to rent an ipad.) Actually, I know even he had a neat experience with those life-size paintings of the Savior.
And with a late Thanksgiving, suddenly it was December.
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