Playing Catch-up!

I guess there's only been a week and a half of time since I last reported, but it's surprising how much life is lived in that amount of time!

Thursday, the 25th, was, once again, a test in planning and detail.  It seems every Thursday turns out that way.  Mckenzie and Ruby had dance complete with their Halloween dress-up day.  It seems I was in the car from 3:30 onward, so I didn't even get to see them in their costumes.  Cecilia helped get them ready.  Mckenzie was a witch with a red dress on, black hat, and black purse.  Ruby was princess Leia.  I'm still curious as to what her hair looked like since her hair isn't long enough to put into side buns!  (As a side note, James went to ballroom dance the day before dressed in his green dragon robe.  He said others thought he was a dragon warrior.  So, I guess that's what he was!)  Jarom ended up staying at the school working on a long and overdue project for Intro. to Tech till 6 p.m.!  Incredible that the teacher even allowed it, but it was a boon and helped Jarom get it done!  I took Garrett to sectionals and evidently didn't pick him up until he'd sat waiting for over a 1/2 hour -- Garrett claims it was an hour.  I had to run Cali to the store for some things she needed desperately -- enough that I can't even remember what we got!  She barely had enough time to get ready for her dance concert before we dropped her off.  Squeezed in between was James' trip to get his flu shot.  What an event!  It deserves its own post!  I went back, picked up Cecilia, and left an uproar at home under Garrett's explosive care.  Cali did great in the one number she danced in.  Sometime during the day, Mckenzie and Ruby discovered some old bright red lip gloss that we'd discarded in some bin somewhere.  Mckenzie kept putting it on her lips, and Ruby took a few moments to spread it all over her face.  Interesting!  That should be fun to get off!

Friday, the 26th, was also a bit crazy!  In the morning, I found that our dear Linda had passed away.  She was the lady in our ward who had a severe stroke and never recovered.  In the space of five days, her family changed dramatically with her passing.  I spent some time crying that morning.  James asked me why I was crying, and I reminded him that she had passed away.  He agreed that it was very sad.  I shared with him that even though it is sad, it also helps us remember the truth of the Plan of Salvation, and of all the gospel principles.  I was so impressed that Garrett on Tuesday, then Cali on Wednesday, then Cecilia on Friday all chose to fast for her, and during school and all their activities as well!  What a precious act of love and faith that was for me to see!   After school, we gathered the youngest seven of our kids and their "costumes" and did make-up on the way up to Ladd's work Halloween party for the kids.  Ruby's face was still quite red-ish pink from the make-up that just won't come off very well.  I told Cecilia to spread white on her face to cover up the red and Cecilia, in frustration, finally reported that it just made her face purple.  We decided that maybe it looked like Ruby had been sick. :) Alyssa and Lena were particularly enamored with the idea of trick or treating.  We worked for awhile on Alyssa trying to get her to actually say "thank you" or "trick or treat."  She did manage to wave at someone half way through the experience, and she finally whispered a thank you to a few people.  We rushed home, taking a pit stop at a gas station for a potty break for everyone.  I dropped them off and headed for a dinner date with my parents and some of my brothers and their wives to celebrate my brother's defense of his dissertation.  When I got there, I found him desperately disappointed and so was his wife.  I guess he hadn't had enough time to present everything he needed to present, and so wouldn't graduate when he was so hoping to graduate.  He still has to finish his defense -- some time in the future.  It seems to be a struggling time for his family.  Their house won't sell fast enough, and looming in the future is the job he has lined up subject to graduating and their house selling.  Lots of questions.  I'm positive that Heavenly Father is in charge and directing their course.  They just have to discover what it will eventually be.  I got home after that dinner to find Cali gone to a party.  I really need to up my parenting skills.  I allowed her to go, but told her she'd need to find her own way there.  I just neglected to find out where she would be, what the address and phone number was, and when she was coming back!  I had to wait up, trusting she was okay.  Thankfully, she got in before midnight (we need to work on curfews still!) safe and sound!

Saturday, I got Jarom off to his POWWOW at BYU, and James, Mckenzie, and Ruby off to their Primary Program Practice while I cleaned up the house.  It was dragging the dregs for sure!!!  Ladd watched the BYU football game, then we went out to eat at Chili's.  Yum!

Sunday seemed like such a sad day for our ward despite the Primary Program (it was great, as usual!).  We are all mourning Linda's passing.  Relief Society was in dedication to Linda.  We cried and shared all the good things about Linda and the ways Heavenly Father has been blessing us in regards to her lately.  After church, Ruby's school teacher (our next door neighbor) caught us and reported that on Friday, when Ruby had come to school with a red face, all her class wanted to know what had happened, and Ruby told the class that she was just so mad at her family that her face turned red.  How funny!  What a concept!  As I look back, that Friday was particularly frustrating for Ruby, and she was late to school because of her incredible rage she gets going over the smallest things.  After choir and a quick nap, Ladd and I went over to visit with the Flemmings.  They seem to be handling it well.  What a hard time!!!!  Later, I took the oldest four to the Trek Fireside.  It was inspirational to me.  I hope Garrett, Cali, Cecilia, and Jarom are excited for Trek next year.  I hope it will be a building experience for them and their testimonies.  Ruby went to church that morning with two black eyes -- after-affects from her fall with Lena on her back.  She'll make a great vampire!

Monday, for FHE, we had a Halloween party with my brother and his family.  We tossed candy corn pumpkins into other wide-opened mouths, bobbed for apples, ate apples with caramel (which I found the next day on my doors, floors, cabinets, tables, counter tops, and chairs), and ate doughnuts off hangers.  Ladd and I quickly got ready for the Linda's viewing and spent a few moments over there.  It was beautiful.  The ladies of the ward had really frightened (as they said) the Bishop with talk of pumpkins and tulle and ribbon, but it was tastefully done and beautiful to behold.  A wonderful tribute of love to Linda and her family.

Tuesday, I got Alyssa and Lena ready, took them to my sister-in-law's house so she could babysit them during my trip to the funeral.  I loved the funeral.  It taught me all the things I didn't know about Linda.  I wish I could go back, and enjoy her more as a friend here on this earth.  In the evening, I let James dress up as a time seer-er and go with his friend across the street to a fun center and play there with him and his family all night.  I took Cecilia and the four youngest girls to see Garrett, Cali, and Jarom perform in their various bands.  At first, I thought it was going to be such a long night because Lena was all over and very active.  Finally, she settled down and actually fell asleep.  Alyssa was the next to go, then Ruby, then Mckenzie.  It reminded me of the many times my mother tried to culturize my family I grew up in by taking us to the orchestra.  I remember waking up in the middle of those nights and looking down the aisle and seeing everyone but my mother asleep in various positions.  I wonder how many times we did that before my mom gave up/in.  Alyssa was particularly hard to hold after she fell asleep during the concert since she kept wanting to curl up on her side on my lap -- which is very difficult when I'm pregnant and my lap is short and seems to only slope downward!  Between one of the bands, Ruby asked if she could go to the bathroom and I wondered if she would know how to get back, but I said she could go since she was begging so long.  After a while, I got worried because she wasn't back yet.  During the next break, I was actually paged and asked to wave my arms to they could know where we were sitting.  I guess that didn't work, so I had to stand up holding Alyssa.  Ruby was indeed lost.  I'm grateful there are friends who know us and help us when we need that help!  The Band Bash turned out to be a three hour long event.  I started worrying about how I was going to carry four girls out to the car with only Cecilia's help, but they all woke up when the lights came on.  We got everyone into the car and found Jarom and Cali.  We took them home, then I marched over to our neighbors house (at 10 p.m. at night, mind you! -- I hope they still like us!) to pick James up.  Then, I headed back to get Garrett who was still helping to put everything away.  It was a late night!!!!

Wednesday, Halloween day, found us scrambling to get everyone costumed, make-up-ed, and off to school on time.  Jarom had fun putting make-up on and then, when he was finally ready to go, yelled his love to me and started to leave.  It took me a bit to help him realize his bus had left 20 minutes before and that he'd have to wait so I could take him to school!  I was so tired out after getting everyone off to school that I opted to skip the Elementary Halloween parade.  James had laid on the couch all morning wondering what he would be until I suggested he be a Greek God.  He got enthused about that idea, so that's what he was.  I forgot, once again, to take a picture of him and he refused to get into it again after school because "It's sooooo hot!"  Ruby decided to be a vampire, so that's what she was for school.  Cecilia went to hang out with her friends after school.  James and Mckenzie all went trick or treating with various friends. Jarom went to play with a friend, and Garrett and Cali were madly packing for their final trip for marching band.  So, it was up to me to get Halloween taken care of for my little ones.  I went to the store for some of the time after school.  All in all, quite a busy afternoon.  I finally had everyone at home help me straighten.  We ate -- some of us anyway -- then got ready to go trick or treating.  All the three youngest opted for princesses.  We decided that Alyssa was Cinderella (in a pink dress) because she had put her own shoes on and had chosen shoes that didn't match -- one of which was Lena's and thus, too big for her.  Cali had to bring us a shoe.  She ended up bringing another one of Lena's shoes -- but it was at least smaller and the same color as the other one!!!!  What adventures we have!  I ended up carrying Alyssa most of the night.  We hiked around until Lena asked me when we were going to go home.  Jarom was helping me at that time, so he walked Lena and Alyssa home while I carried on with Ruby.  What a long evening!!!!!  Whew!  I'm always grateful when Halloween is over!  This year was our musical costume choices year.  Everyone dressed a bit differently for each of their events!

Thursday, November 1st, was a bit tricky in the morning.  We managed to get Cali there on time, but Garrett was 15 minutes late.  As a result, I didn't get to say good-bye to Garrett before they both headed down the state to St. George for two different competitions with the marching band.  I got Mckenzie and Ruby off for dance after school.  It seemed so quiet with Garrett and Cali gone, and not as many places to go!!!!

Friday, I got a text from Cali saying they'd made it there okay, but that she'd burned her hand on her straightener and she thought it was a 2nd degree burn.  It should be un-lawful for mother's to receive texts like that.  I worried and wondered all day.  I reached out to my mom who was on site and asked her to follow up with Cali regarding her burn.  My mom reported that Cali said the skin had burned off, but that she didn't need her to come doctor it.  It's hard on the heart strings to simply let go and wait, hoping for the best.  I'm sure grateful for extended family who are able and willing to step in to help when needed.  I actually got busy and did a bunch of cleaning.  I tackled our tomatoes and blended them up to wait for processing.  I ran down to Mapleton to pick up meat that Ladd's dad had waiting for us.  I got back to help Ladd and Jarom get ready for Jarom's campout that Ladd was going with him on.  Afterwards, I ran to the store to get the present for Mckenzie's friend's birthday party.  I got Mckenzie off to her birthday party, then went off to get my hair cut.  When I got back, Cecilia said, "You always get it cut too short!"  and Lena took one look at me and said, "I hate your hair."  Nothing like inspiring words.  Ladd didn't notice I'd had it cut.  I had to tell him.  Even when I did, he didn't comment on it.  Oh well.  At least it's something new to look at and play with!

Saturday was a work day.  I did more cleaning and more laundry.  I processed the tomatoes, shopped for groceries, got Ladd, Cecilia, Jarom, James, and Ruby off to the BYU basketball game, took Mckenzie to find some school and church shoes (she came back from trick or treating with only one shoe on -- I guess it fell down through a sewer grate?!!!!  How does something like that happen?!!!!), and got Lena's hair cut into a chin-length bob.  I re-cleaned the house and collapsed with my feet swollen and feeling like ground hamburger.

This morning we got up and began the whole getting ready for church thing.  I discovered that Jarom felt naseated.  I think it's due to him eating some three week old french toast -- at least I hope that's what's wrong!!!  Who's to know!  Alyssa is coughing up a lung quite regularly.  We took everyone to church, but I came home with Alyssa.  She played with her toys for a bit before succumbing to nap-time.  I just got a call from Garrett saying they are on pioneer crossing.  YEAH!!!!!  I can't wait to hear all about their trip.  Cali kept me posted on a couple of things.  I know they are the state champions in 4A and that they made it into the top 10 bands.  We'll see what all of that means in a little bit!!!!