My Girlzz!

FFA.  Have I told you about Lily and FFA?  Probably a little bit.  She had been practicing hard ever since she heard of something called Creed Speak.  And she also took her Greenhand Knowledge Test in hopes of getting a certificate.  It was a BUSY day for us this Veteran's Day as our family was in charge of 2 flag routes as part of the YW/YM camp fundraiser.  We four rose bright and early on a cold November morn to put out flags.  I beat my hand thoroughly and repetitively with a hammer, but we had success...of some sort...all the flags were up.  That evening Lily had her first ever FFA meeting (I think they are maybe quarterly???) where she would receive a certificate for Greenhand Knowledge completion.  The preliminaries for Creed Speak were at 4:45.  The flags needed to be down by dusk.  EEEEEEEAAAAAAKKKKKKARRRRRGH!!!! (That's me screaming).  Lucas decided he and Matt would take down flags solo while I drove Lily to a high school across town.  She was so nervous but had practice hard.  I figured no matter what it would be a great experience putting herself out there.  I felt so proud.  When I got home the boys were still out.  I fed the youngest three.  Lily texted to say she felt like she died when she went through the preliminary round.  I thought, oh well, at least she'll get her certificate.  Lucas and Matt took a long time.  Poor guys.  When they arrived it was only a few minutes until the meeting started.  As we drove I felt helpless and guilty as Lily said she made top 5 (and I hadn't seen it).  Then a few minutes later she texted she had just done her turn in front of the crowd at the meeting.  I MISSED IT!  She drew first and so though we saw all the others, we missed hers.  I had that worst mom ever feeling, but at least we were there eventually, right?  When they called the highest scorers up for the Greenhand, Lily was among them.  I was surprised as they didn't call her name until finally, tied for 2nd place.  I knew then we'd have no moody teenager because she had applied herself and was rewarded.  2nd place.  Nice!  Then she totally got called up as being top 3 for her Creed Speak/Q and A.  6th, 5th, 4th....I knew she'd be pleased to place 3rd...or 2nd...but no she got 1st...#1...Yes, I wanted to grow from joy for her hard work paying off.  And she made the connection.  Hard work, personal effort, prayer...and maybe a bit of luck and she achieved beyond her expectations.  She's got a knack.  Now she gets to do districts in January or February.  Lots of school days missed for FFA, but that can be exciting as long as she keeps up with her work.

 And a blurry pictures is all you're going to get because I don't own an SLR and this is what a camera does from our distance back.  Just know that Lily is always the tallest and you're good to go.

Then there's this little lady.  I had to make her stop for a pic on the way out the door for preschool one day last week.  Just...how...cute!!!  Black shirt, jeans skirt, Mary Janes, Berbery sweater jacket, dolphin bubble necklace plus another necklace.  So Daphne, so squeezable.  I'll love her forever.  But I have to tell you a funny story about her which you may or may not find funny but which, if recorded for posterity we will all be able to laugh at in years to come.

 Daphne likes to play kitty.  If I look busy, but she still wants to play she says, "Would like to buy this cat?"  I then normally say as long as the cat doesn't bother me while I try to get X, Y or Z done then sure.  So then we go through the process of picking a name which she has to approve and often doesn't.  And I have to feed her, and then I re-remind her that I need to get something done and she can't bother...but she still does because she NEEDS Mom's attention desperately.  Well, the other morning as the boys were getting ready, she did the routine, and I think we named her Dreamy.  We played kitty and owner for a few minutes, and then I got distracted by replying to a text.  She tried to reengage me, and I said just a minute this is really important.  Right then, Ben and Shawn came in.  She looked at them and said deadpan, "Marianne does not love this cat anymore.  Would you like to buy this cat?"  I just burst out laughing and Ben laughed even harder.  He had no idea this small annoyance known as a sister could provide any amusement beyond being immensely teasable, and she wasn't trying to be funny, but it was hilarious and a good reminder of how she perceives my behaviors/attentiveness when we play, for better or worse.

November = Gratitude

I knew when my children were making extravagant Christmas lists mid October that we were in trouble.  I get as excited about Christmas as most children, but I wanted Halloween to at least have a chance.  And how could we even think of obliterating the only month of official Thanksgiving?  Using my shiny new EdTech skills and a day during a week of sickness meaning I had more down time not having to drive around so much, I made a (slightly) interactive Google Slides presentation for EVERY SINGLE DAY of November.  It's all about gratitude.  And that's right.  Even after the turkey and pies are gone and we still have that whole extra week of November before Christmas, at my house we will still be focusing on, pondering, talking and drawing about thankfulness.  It's our November scripture study actually, and it's definitely an experiment.  I'm not sure how to measure the results, and only time will tell if each of us has upped our gratitude.  It is one of the greatest of virtues, as President Monson once said.

Adorable side effect of our study:  I taught myself to cast the laptop screen onto the TV using our Amazon Firestick (I feel like I could have affiliates links here with all these brands!), and one night we were to draw pictures or write poems, etc.  I helped Daphne write a poem, and now she likes to try to copy down several words from each slide every night, saying she wants to write her poem for the day.  It's pretty cute. 

I need to share very soon about some of her 4-year-old sweetness and innocence.  She does make us giggle on occasion, even if she does not appreciate it.  Some day she will feel very proud making people laugh...today was not that day.   

Trunk or Treat

It was a pretty wild weekend...as per usual.  The stomach started around during our 4-day weekend, but before the nastiness, we trunk or treated and attended Matt's piano recital.

 Lady Bug of Miraculous:  Adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir

 A mysterious masquerader.

A viking (who would not wear his blonde braids or a long read hair wig) and an archer (bless him for cheapest didn't have to buy a solitary thing costume ever in the history of me being a mom).

And Matt he wizard.  It fits!

Daphne has tormented herself because though Lady Bug is strong and beautiful and smart, she does not have long wavy hair and an amazing princess dress.  DG couldn't decide if her outfit was good enough compared to all the lovely princesses.  Yes, Daphne, amazing women can still be amazing and beautiful (or at least freaking adorable) in pants...and they are way easier to fight bad guys in any day of the week.

In unrelated but fun news, I am registering for spring semester.  Eek.

Must  STUDY  for  my  math  PRAXIS.  There is no hiding.  Get it done already, Marianne.

Still, I Do Have Exciting News Even if a Rain Cloud Looms

I may have done things in an odd order, but I applied to the graduate college last spring and was accepted.  Actually, I was confused and also applied to Boise State as an undergrad (I thought I had to because I was doing prerequisites but apparently not).  Then I decided I would apply a wee bit early to my certificate program.  That was a nerve-racking as all my materials were due 9/22, and that meant an essay and having guts to ask for recommendations, etc., all while keeping up school and the rest of life.  Then I got a surprise Oct 1 when I got an email saying I passed to phase II.  What?  An interview?  I thought no interview until my professional year admittance.  So that psyched me out for 2 weeks, but I had signed up for the first interview position on the first day, and I had practice my presentation again and again...and again.  Bless all those who listened!  That went down on Oct 15, and though I could have done better at being prepared with questions (I have a million but they escaped my mind at the moment) and being more comfortable with answering the questions they asked, I felt I did my best for the moment.  A week later I got my letter, part of which is below. 

Sadly, I got to be excited for 1 day and then some work issues have come up and I let that steal my joy...not sure how not to, but I am admitted.  I got all excited looking at spring classes available.  Reality is I should focus on taking my Math PRAXIS and getting my other prereq done, but it IS tempting to take another class.  We will see.  And if I don't get to it in spring, there is always summer.  I feel proud of the steps I've taken even though there are what feels like a million more and lots could go wrong.  It was nice (for 1 day) to feel like all my ducks are in a row and I am making progress.

Life's Lemons

Sure enough, just when I thought most of the things in life were coming together, I feel like all the applies just got spilled out of my basket.  No, it's not that bad, but I feel like it.  So I'm doing some thinking.  And I'm disappointed that I was happy as a clam to start blogging again until BOOM, and then suddenly I want to just hide away and go into survival mode.  I hope I can do better than that.  But it's been a less than stellar week, and I have a hard decision to make, not even trying to be cryptic; it's just there's not any kind of news to announce - it's all things I'm working out in my head.  Darn it.  I wish life were so much more simple sometimes.  I know, I know.  The tricky sticky messy bits are what help us grow, but I do get sick of having so many of them, of trying to juggle, keeping 15 balls (maybe handkerchiefs is more believable for me) in the air all the time.  

So, while I keep trying to figure things out...a beautiful picture (haha, mostly) of the kids and I on our annual Camel Back hike today to enjoy the fall colors of our beautiful city below.  We invited friends this year, and though it was out of my comfort zone to do so (such a ritualistic cave dweller I am), I'm so glad we did.  They are the best!

Busy Little Bees

That describes this weekend at our house.  As I type, the lawn is getting aerated which was supposed to happen last Friday, but there was that tree across a chunk of the lawn.  Saturday was family pics, followed by our friend bringing his dad's chainsaw and 9 kids (his and ours) helping/playing to get the job done.  It went quickly, and we were so thankful for the help!!!  We decided to have an impromptu (nearly) BBQ the next day so that Lucas would have a great reason to smoke a turkey that's been in our freezer for months.  Then we went on a double date and came home exhausted.  I still had homework to do and it's probably the first time I've fallen asleep while taking a test (fortunately it was an online one I could retake as many times as I felt like).  Sunday, it was  struggle to focus 100% on it being the Sabbath.  I will be better next week.  We blitzed the house and made a few preparations, such as Lily baking cookies, before heading to church. 

Side note:  Sunday School was really neat.  We went over several Isaiah verses piece by piece, and I could really feel the power behind his words...instead of just being mostly confused.  It helped that I asked questions/participated and others had insights to share to.  I felt quite well fed.  It is not my usual experience in Sunday School and now I wonder how much of that has been me???  No answers.

Then we came home and enjoyed Lucas's smoked turkey, green bean casserole, funeral potatoes made by our friend's daughter (delish!!!), rolls, my Peach BBQ sauce from this summer, fruit salad, soda/juice, and chocolate chip cookies.  5 adults talked and talked and 14 kids played on our little bounce house, trampoline and even Magic (that was just a few teens and tweens).  Matt was thrilled (heavy sarcasm) that his room was THE hangout for kids.  We fell into bed exhausted for the second night in a row...that's the adults, not the kids, talk about little Energizer bunnies. 

This morning I cleared up the last of what was on our lawn for the lovely aeration guy to come.  Then our kind neighbor/most awesome friend person watched first 3 kids until school started and then just Daphne as she does every Monday a.m. while I work, and Lucas and I got to help clean the temple.  I guess my job (crystal cleaning and hanging up the pretty chandelier bits) was a lot less labor intensive than Lucas's (scrubbing the font, cleaning all the glass and scrubbing up wallpaper glue from wood and marble).  Bless his heart.  They worked hard.  My delicate work was important too, but I feel like I got away with something because piecing those chandelier crystals up row by row and enjoying their cleanliness and shine and sparkle was surprisingly fun.  I'm thankful for a busy weekend, but here's to next weekend being a bit more low key (hint:  I doubt it due to trunk or treat and a piano recitial), but I promise for my sake that the Sabbath will be all about Jesus and family and not hostessing as well.  A day of rest, renewal and refocusing is a beautiful (often essential for me) thing.

TIMBERRRR!!!

I don't know about in forests, but in our backyard a tree doesn't make a sound when it falls.  We had been working around our shed all afternoon, cutting down an old lilac bush and cleaning up the neighbors' tree's pine needles.  It was a brisk breezy but sunny day.  We went inside.  The kids fixed themselves a late lunch, and Lucas and I watched some Netflix in our office.  As Lucas and I were getting ready for our date, he looked out the window to see the product of our hard work.  Then he called me over.  Our dead tree had fallen over...right where 4 of our kids, Lucas and I had been running back and forth, busy working just a couple of hours before.  Kind of scary.

 But get this, get this.  If you look below, the trampoline was about 5 feet closer to the shed when the tree fell, and yet, the tree did not hit the shed, the trampoline, the fence, our deck, or the house.  We truly feel this was a tender mercy.

So tomorrow is tree day...I hope...(been waiting on a friend all week to use his chainsaw) so we can all get to work after family pictures.  We also have to take down the taller trees little buddies there.  It's all been dead for a year...we just didn't realize how urgent the matter was...but at least we don't have to worry about a stump or roots.  It was rotted off thoroughly at ground level.

 So thankful to have all of us safe and not have extra expenses of repairs due to damage.  A nice little/big blessing. 

Side note:  Lily was reading The Book of Mormon (and playing around) with a group of friends from BYS all day, but the boys were such good workers, helping us get this and that done with no complaining (ok, a little, from one boy), but they all worked and Shawn worked especially hard.  I LOVE IT!!!