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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Sleep, glorious sleep...

Dear Family,

Despite Robyn not getting the memo about us sleeping in, Jeremy and I managed to catch a few extra Z's. Allison great child that she is, changed Robyn's diaper got them both dressed in church clothes and set themselves up on the couch with a box of cereal and Vegi-Tales. I am looking forward to not having to drive kids to school with the street lights on and having to turn on my headlights to see the road. It just doesn't feel right to start the day when it feels like the middle of the night!

Monday I took our last load of garden refuse to the dump. I don't know how people garden without access to a truck. It made me wish I had dumped the tomato plants before the frost hit and they became all moldy! The sunflowers ended up requiring a hack saw to cut down. The roots are still waiting for my manly husband to yank them out as they are not budging for me. Monday night we got to go tour our friend's the Guymon's new house. Jeremy took some pictures of them around it and then we all went out for ice cream. It made me realize that our kids have a very set routine because by 7:30 Robyn was DONE and ready for bed.

Wednesday was our ward Halloween party. Jeremy had a great idea to set up his back drop and lighting to take pictures of all the kids dressed up for their parents. They turned out very cute. Spencer and Allison invited our two neighbors to come with us so we were a full crew. Jeremy asked if he could go over early to set up and meet us there. The moment I said yes and he took off I realized that I was dooming myself. So I kept a smile on my face as the chili burned, Rocky took off to growl/bark at a neighbor walking down the street, Allison decided she needed her hair sprayed blue for the party and Spencer lost it over tripping on something! Always happens, doesn't it? Kids had a great time. Robyn kept doing the cake walk over and over and then finding a corner to lick the frosting off her wins before going back! I won third prize in the chili contest and hope the winners are going to share their recipes! Kids ended the night with hot chocolate and a hay ride around the neighborhood. Jeremy gave up all the fun to spend the night hunched over his camera on the stage, helping the young men take pictures. Today he posted his pictures on the board and made many kids' day.

Halloween has to be one our kid's favorite holidays. Allison woke up at 6 so I could spraypaint her hair and braid it all over. They all had parties and parades at their schools. We went trick or treating at Jeremy's office and Robyn got the concept down VERY quickly.

Friday night we invited our two old neighbor families to come over. Our kids were all bummed that this year they wouldn't be trick or treating with the old group. My parents came down as well and manned the door for us. We had a suitable digusting dinner of brains (stuffed pumpkin - really good and although my kids begged me to make it, none would touch it), bones (breadsticks), blood (tomato soup) and eyes and fingers (olives and carrot sticks). The boys took off to go on their own with a dad catching up with them halfway through the night. The big girls raced ahead of our group with the little girls and we didn't meet up with them till the end of the night. They thought they were just so awesome for having gone on their own. It was nice running into so many parents who let us know where the big girls were and what they were doing. Spencer was busy eating as much candy as he could that night and filled up on the hot chocolate and doughnuts one of the cauldesac does for a break area. Robyn kept hiding candy in her skirt so we wouldn't take it away. Each kid got to eat a bunch and then pick out 10 to keep to eat at their discretion (need I mention that their bags are half empty already?). The rest gets donated to Jermey's office treat jar and to the lunch treat stash.

Halloween night was a bit of a doozy. With all the candy Spencer ate his acid reflux acted up for the first time in a long time. At 2 am we hear these loud wheezing sounds and Spencer is all panicked. So he spent the night sitting outside trying to calm his breathing down in the cold air sucking on cough drop and watching Jeremy's ipod. With the medication he is on, steroids would not be a good idea unless there was no choice. Last night was better as he was only up for an hour or so.

Mean parents that we are we woke up Spencer and Allison at 8 the next morning to hop in the car and go up to Antelope Island with Jeremy and me for his photo group. They were busy vetting the bison, tagging them and releasing them. It was fun to see. The kids and I went for a hike up a mountain where you could see most of the island and the Salt Lake. Robyn and Taylor vegged at home with Meredith.

Spencer's hard work at math is paying off. He got a 90% on his test Friday. Makes the long homework sessions of me checking over every problem worth it. He is vigourously campaigning for sparring gear for his martial arts class. He found the make, color, etc on the web and has shown it to use many times. He is talking better with his retainer but boy when he is tired at the end of the day you need an interpreter at times!

Taylor has not been doing so great. He is perky in the mornings but then goes downhill. I can't decide if he is having absentee seizures again or isn't feeling well or what is up. He has decided that he doesn't need to walk anymore which gets awkward. I wonder sometimes at what point I won't be able to lift him. Just have to keep working on him getting himself around.

Allison started an after school art class at school this week, every Thursday. She was really excited about it. They are having a school play, The Wizard of Oz, and she has decided to try out to be a munchkin.

Robyn is 2 - that really sums it up. Every day she wears a princess outfit - the rattier the better usually. She reads princess stories, acts them out, watches the movies and dances to their songs. She is a little obsessed! Luckily she found a friend, 3 year old Luke across the street who shares her obsession. He is over most days as they strip down, put on their "ball gowns" and high heels and strut around to the chipmunks.

Jeremy is really, really tired of having a hurt back. The chiropractor seems to help and then it comes back. The constant pain is making it hard for him to sleep which makes it even harder to keep a smile on his face during the day. He keeps sucking it up but I hope things improve for him soon. He anchored all the book cases to the walls downstairs so I filled the shelves with all our books. Looks good! They also came and put on the doors to his desk. The frosted glass on the top doors didn't quite meet his approval - there are smudges on them - so we're going to work on that. We also picked out the curtain material for his window in the office. I am hoping to get it done soon as right now there are beach towells draped across it - not quite the effect I was shooting for.

Lauri moves aparments this next week over to the regular assisted living side. I'm hoping to focus on her kitchen this week and cleaning out cupboards. Tonight she and Jason's family are coming over for dinner - always a fun time. I am sure we will work out the logistics then.

Seems like I stay busy just getting life done. Had a flat tire this week so Robyn (in full princess regalia) and I went to get that fixes - had a presidency meeting - did the laundry and shopping and boom, our week is full. Strange how that happens!

Love to you all and check out HUGE amount of pictures below, Heather




Allison trying to look like Ariel at the top of the mountain we hiked.



Standing on an observation platform overlooking the bison getting checked.



Allison made a line out of her loot to pick her top 10 to keep.



Robyn's friend Luke who always wants to come over and play dress up. His mom says he prays that he can come over and wear princess shoes with Robyn. Needless to say his parents get worried sometimes.



Up at Liberty park last week. Robyn was promised a cookie if she would pose.



Allison and Robyn feeding the ducks.



The old gang is all here (minus Taylor).



Spencer striking a pose at Liberty Park


What a handsome kid!



Robyn got a little scared by several cameras flashing at her so she came to get my hand. Then she was set to be Daddy's little poser.



Allison is a professional now. She just walks up and breaks out her cute smile.



The ducks were well fed!


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