September 2011

Dear Family and Friends-

Fall seems to be pressing in, and even Winter is on it's heels. We are trying to soak up any last warm days by taking walks after dinner and playing outside as much as we can. I even “tortured” the kids by taking them out in the cold wind to try and take school pictures. I wanted to get them done outside before it is snowing. It's really funny to me how when the kids want to be outside and play, barefoot and without jackets, they never get cold. Then, I take them out for a quick photo-shoot and the air is “freezing them” and they will “never be warm.” Just another story for my meanest-mom award acceptance speech.

I will start with Olivia this month, she started pre-school right at the beginning of the month. I wrote a little about it last month, but it is such a huge part of our week with carpooling and her sharing all she is learning. She truly loves it! She keeps bring home her papers with comments that say, “perfect”, “beautiful coloring” and “very nice handwriting.” She is just soaking it all up and loves every minute. She is an excellent helper at school and at home. She loves to run out and get the mail with Thayne, it helps that the mailman brings treats! The other day she was doing her job by dumping the garbage. She noticed that there was some mail that I hadn't opened. She said, “Mom, why didn't we open this mail?” I said, “It's just junk mail that we don't want.” She said, “Oh, so why doesn't the mailman just throw it away?” Good Question, that sure would save us a lot of time, huh?

Homecoming at Malad High School was a big event. Martin was busy all week with preparations and practices. We drove over on Friday for the big game. They always have a big dinner for fans and faculty right on the hill overlooking the field. So, we started our game with a really good dinner, then it started pouring rain and didn't really stop the whole game. I had our kids and the kids of the other coach. His wife had run back into town and wasn't back before we were soaking wet. Luckily the rest of the game we got to sit in her van and dry out and actually watch the game. It was a great game, too. Malad won against one of their biggest rivals. Matt and his friends just stayed out in the rain and played football on the hill. I'm not sure he even noticed the rain. Olivia and Thayne spent the whole game climbing in and out of the van and drinking hot chocolate.

We had our Stake Conference, with Martin and I actually going to the adult session together—it was so great to get to sit by him. That is always my favorite meeting and we even had one of my really good friends speaking about how their family just went through the temple. Then, on Sunday, another of my good friends spoke in that session too, it was a great warm-up to General Conference and I really enjoyed the whole weekend.

Matt and Abby started up Piano lessons again. They have a new teacher and they just get off the bus right at her house. She is an excellent teacher and I have been very excited to hear them playing so much again. Our summer practicing is always pretty unimpressive. That is still one of my favorites sounds, someone playing the piano in our house. It is such a nice, homey sound.

Abby learned to ride her bike with no training wheels. We can't figure out why it took her so long, but she really had no desire to even try until the last week. Matt coached her a little bit and now she rides to the bus most mornings and is a very determined little bike rider. She and Matt like to ride up the hill and look at the fish in the canal, and then ride up the other hill and see the horses. They have to watch out this time of year because of all the trucks hauling grain and hay, but it is really nice that our road is so quiet most of the time.

Matt planned our FHE this last week. He did such a wonderful job. Martin just turned it all over to him and he planned a lesson where we had to try and name all the latter-day prophets in order. Luckily, I learned the Prophets song in Primary—that sure payed off! I loved how he ran back and forth and kept saying, “Mom, you have so many more that Dad!!” He was so excited! Then, we played a game out in the backyard where you had to say the name of a prophet and run across the yard without getting tagged. This is where Martin got back at me, cause I cannot run very fast with this pregnant belly, so he would use me as a shield from the person tagging and never get out. Matt did such a good job and I was so impressed with how much he knew about our latter-day prophets and how he took charge and planned our whole night. It was a very good and successful family home evening.

We ended our month with a very fun, and crazy weekend. It started on Thursday night with Martin hosting an Elders Quorum BBQ over at the church, after I ate, I ran over to my friends house where she was having a class on using essential oils. Friday morning I drove to the airport and picked up Jodee. She flew in for a scrapbooking retreat that I had planned. We set up for the retreat at Downata Hot Springs and then the other ladies started showing up. Steffany got to come too!! We scrapbooking and talked all night. The Downata kitchen took care of our dinner and breakfast and it was so perfect!! We scrapbooked until noon the next day and then came home and got ready for a nail party that Steffany put on for us and my friends. We held it during the priesthood session so all the wives could have a fun night out, too. Steffany was going to drive home that night, but decided to just stay over until morning. Jodee had to be to the airport by 5 AM on Sunday morning, so we woke up at 2:30 and I drove her down. By that evening, everyone was home safe and I was so grateful to Heavenly Father for all the protections and blessings that we received. I also was so glad that Martin watched the kids and even CLEANED the house that weekend. He was/is super-dad!! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend with two of my sisters. I always wish we had more time, and could have everyone there ( we missed you guys!!), but it was so nearly perfect that I cannot complain.

That was the end of September and the start of October so I will continue this next month. Love you ALL!! The Pope's