sept/oct 2013

Thought I'd better get this posted before the end of the year!  Since school started life's been a bit of a blur--we've been so busy, but things are going well and we are enjoying life.  Beyond the normal day-to-day routine, we were able to take a short family trip down to St. George to watch Jeffrey and the Viewmont High School marching band compete and place 2nd in their division in the Utah State Championship.  We got the kids out of school early on Halloween and drove down to St. George just in time for dinner and some trick-or-treating in a nearby neighborhood.  The next day, while Jeffrey was watching the competition with the band, we visited a dinosaur museum, some petroglyphs, and an abandoned gypsum mine the locals call the "glitter pit".  Then we watched Jeffrey's band compete and did some rock climbing and slot canyoning at Pioneer Park.  That night we watched the awards, and the next day we visited Snow Canyon (slot canyon and sand dunes) and then drove home via Kolob Canyon in Zion National Park.  Though it was quick, it was awesome--we enjoyed some much needed fun family time and loved watching Jeffrey's band do so well!

Aly

1. Enjoyed performing with Lexie in a local children's theater performance of The Littlest Angels.  The director is a family friend and asked me to play the role of Charity, The Understanding Angel.  The show is Christ-focused and sweet and set such a great tone for the holiday season.

2. Enjoyed a break from being super busy with work, but now it's back to the grindstone.

3. Derek and I were called to be a Ma and Pa for our stake Pioneer Trek next summer.  I'm very excited, though not without some concern about my Fibromyalgia with the poor sleeping conditions and extreme physical work.  I do feel since this is a calling the Lord will qualify me spiritually and hopefully physically.  I've determined to run more regularly and be more consistent with my yoga to prepare.

Derek

1. Has submitted several grants to fund his research and is anxiously awaiting scores and reviews on them.

2. Went on a fun campout with the scouts to Goblin Valley in southern Utah.  He was amazed by the unique geology, rock formations, and slot canyons.

3. Has made several small repairs to the cars, including a nonfunctional dashboard in the van as well as leaks (radiator fluid, transmission fluid), squeaks (bad idler pulley), and creaks (loose bolts in the flywheel).  We enjoy not having a car payment but there are downsides to driving cars as old as our boys with 200,000 miles on them!

James

1. Enjoys playing with the Davis County Symphony.  We loved attending their annual Halloween Concert where the instrumentalists and audience can dress up and they have trick-or-treating for kids afterwards.  The symphony is now preparing for their annual Messiah sing-along, and I'm glad James is being introduced to perhaps the greatest piece of music ever written.

2. Loves attending the Writing Club at the high school once a week after school.  Most of the students have written books so they take turns reading each others', analyzing them, doing character and writing exercises, etc.  Most of them are also huge Tolkien fans like James, so they often end up talking about Lord of the Rings much to James' delight.

3. Has taken an interest in Family History work and loves to join with Derek in researching his ancestors on Derek's side of the family.  He and the other older kids have enjoyed doing baptisms for the dead at the temple for their ancestors.

4. Dressed up as the Eye of Sauron (from Lord of the Rings) for Halloween.  That hat took some serious crafty skills, along with plenty of black spray paint, duct tape, and hot glue.  Phew!

Jeffrey

1. Has grown so much socially while participating in marching band!  I couldn't be more thrilled to see him interacting with his peers, and actually taking an interest in and talking to girls.  This has been the perfect experience for him, and he really misses it even though it was a lot of extra-curricular work.  Of course he was a bit disappointed with the band's 2nd place finish since they had beat the 1st place band several times in competitions, but he still loved the overall season.

2. He (and James) both got straight A's for their first high school term report cards, and they both seem to enjoy high school much more than junior high.  Their classes are structured so that they have four 1 1/2 hour periods each day and they attend each class every other day, which they much prefer.

3. He (and James) are doing very well with their driving and are looking forward to getting their driver's licenses next month.  They are both careful drivers so we hope this all goes well. =)

4. Dressed up as The Skipper from Gilligan's Island for Halloween.  Last year he was Gilligan, so maybe next year he'll be Mr. Howell?

Ashley

1. She also got excellent grades and loves school, her classes, and most of all her friends.  She is the most social of all our kids and I'm grateful she has picked some outstanding young women with which to surround herself.

2. Still loves playing 2nd chair violin in the Concert Orchestra at the junior high.  She's diligent about practicing every day and works very hard at it.  I love to hear her play.

3. Enjoys preparing for several upcoming musical theater performances at school and at the local youth theater academy.  She loves to sing and dance, and is quite the drama queen (in a good way, of course).

4. Dressed up as Hermione from Harry Potter for Halloween.  She got lots of compliments on the real wood carved wand she carried that was a birthday present from her cousins.

Lexie

1. Did a wonderful job playing Jesse in The Littlest Angels.  She delivered her lines with energy and feeling, and sang beautifully during her solo section of "I'll Give Him My Heart".  So beautifully, in fact, that she had Grandma, Aunt Jeannie, and the director in tears. =)

2. My mom gave her old guitar to Lexie, so it's currently in the shop getting all fixed up so Lexie can start guitar lessons with a young woman in our neighborhood who teaches.  She's very excited.

3. She entered a poster contest for all 4th and 5th graders in our school district sponsored by the Davis Conservation Committee and won!!  The committee visited her class to surprise her with a $20 award, donuts for her whole class, and a cool watershed demo.  I was able to be there to capture her priceless reaction.  She was elated!

4. Dressed up as a good ol' sheet ghost for Halloween.  We added a layer of white cheese cloth for extra spooky dimension and texture.

Faith

1. Is improving at preschool.  Her teacher (who is super patient and good with her) says she is learning to listen and follow directions better.  I think two years of preschool will be just right for her kindergarten readiness.  She sure loves her Scootlebugs Preschool!

2. Here's my favorite recent Faith quote (said loudly while we were sitting down on the pews as church started):

             Derek: Faith, can I have a little kiss?

             Faith: You can't kiss me!  I'm not your wife!!

3. Is obsessed with imaginary friends of all kinds right now, though her very favorites are "Baby Saylor" and "Bonnie".  Her little friends come over often and keep her quite busy during the day while the older kids are at school.  (Just FYI Baby Saylor is a toddler she sees at church, and Bonnie is her cousin that lives in Las Vegas.)

4. Dressed up as a pink flower fairy for Halloween.  She posed for her photo doing what she thought fairies are supposed to do.  Too cute!  (Click on images to enlarge them.)

October fun

Our trip to St. George

"Jesse" and "Charity"