The FFFFF

The FFFF was a stay-at-home adventure again this year, and it looked even less traditional than ever.  In the early morning Leah and Adam went to Meals from the Heartland while Emma, Noah and I spent the morning making potions in the kitchen, 

with varying levels of success

and then a hike over the rocks in the front yard. 

We also spent some time in the backyard- Laney was up to her ears while swimming through the creek! 

And our friends came over- it was a beautiful day and perfect for trekking through the woods- 

Jason had two rounds of young men out in November for paintball.  Adam (second from right) and his buddies had an epic time, the first for many of them, including Adam.  A few days beforehand he had Jason shoot him so he could see just how painful it was.  His conclusion was that he needed to wear a third layer of clothes. But he had a blast!

And finally, once the friends all went home and the sun was setting, we built up the fire and started the most traditional part of the FFFF- eating roasted foods, telling stories and laughing a lot. 

We ended the night with scary stories about a family just! like! ours! and listened to the rustling of the leaves and told way too many jokes about passing gas and just enjoyed the crisp night air, the quiet of our own backyard, and the joy of fulfilling this fun fall tradition (sort of) one more time!

Thankful Thoughts

 For the pup- even though she was trying to steal the car- 

For kids that make us laugh and ancestors that make us smile- 

For pup snuggles at any hour of the day or night- 

For a Sunday best snapshot- because they're the best!

The joy of warm towels fresh out of the dryer.

More relaxing by the fire- 

For the vibrant colors of autumn- 

And for "sick" days- 

these two cuties each stayed home for a day recently, but everyone is back to feeling their best again. 

I'm not sure they were really all that sick.... 

And so thankful that they both got their first Covid-19 vaccines, too! It was a bit more eventful than we would have liked as Emma nearly passed out after hopping off the table, but after receiving an ice pack, juice box, and a few minutes to regain herself, we were off to Krispy Kreme for 2 celebratory vaccine donuts!  I've gotten just a little emotional every time one of us has received the vaccine- I'm so thankful for this crazy past 18 month- and that we're nearly 100% vaccinated against this dumb virus that turned the world upside-down. 

Braces for Adam

It's Adam's turn for braces!  His natural smile is adorable, 

with teeth at all different heights!

 

There is currently nowhere for those 'fangs' to go in his crowded mouth, so the braces journey has begun. Hopefully he'll avoid having to have any adult teeth pulled out and will only be in braces for around two years, not the over 3 and a half that Leah had to endure.  We know more this time around and are hoping for a much less traumatizing process for everyone!

And doesn't he look handsome?  After Emma saw his new smile she hurried over to me and quietly confided that, "Adam looks like even four times cuter now than he did before!" 

He was little sore, but nothing a quick stop by Chick-fil-a (and learning how to take ibuprofen pills) couldn't fix!  

This is a great time to be in braces- masks are required in school!  The next day Adam refused to show his new braces to anyone, and the day after that he described it as a big reveal to all of his classmates. He's getting the hang of flossing and has the commiseration of Leah to help him with this big transition.  I'm going to miss that baby smile but we can't wait to see the final transformation.  Like Adam said, "the results are going to make this worth it!" 

One More Bike Ride

 We're deep into the season when we're doing "one more" lots of things in preparation for our upcoming hibernation.  Last week it was one more bike ride, and we decided to go all the way to our favorite biking spot- the High Trestle Trail Bridge in Madrid for the night.  

We parked further away than we ever have before and still managed to hit the bridge right as the sun was going down. 

This was Noah's first time riding on his own bike, and he did an excellent job! He's the only one of us without gears on his bike so he had to pedal extra hard to get there.  So far we haven't been able to convince him that he needs a bigger bike- maybe next spring!

The sunset was perfect and this time we nearly had the bridge to ourselves. 

Leah gave Adam those cool tire lights for his birthday and he's been waiting since July to take them on this ride. 

And, thanks to several prior night rides in which we somewhat failed at lighting our bikes up in the dark, this time we were prepared with headlamps, glowsticks, flashlights and bike tires!  It was still really, really dark out, but we stuck close together and made it back to the cars without getting lost or being attacked by the unseen creatures that were rustling in the bushes. I'd call that a success!

This Girl is On the Run

 After ten weeks of training, two practice 5ks and a whole lot of laps around the track, Emma was definitely ready for her first race!  Technically her second, but she definitely ran more of this one than she did at the unforgettable Bubble Run about 5 years ago. And she did AMAZING!! 

But first a little side story.  When we signed up for GOTR, we didn't realize until after the fact that the big race was on a Sunday afternoon.  And not just any Sunday, stake conference Sunday.  It was a very full weekend and Emma was incredibly helpful on Sunday morning with getting everything gathered up and ready to head straight from the stake center to the race after conference.  And there was a lot to remember- a change of clothes and food for everyone as well as the signs that we whipped out on Sunday morning while eating breakfast and getting ready for church. 

So it should not have come as a surprise when, as we took turns changing in the van in the downtown Des Moines race parking lot- and I had all of the kids with me since Daddy was still at the church- that I pulled out, instead of my black running pants.... a black pencil skirt!  I had told Emma the pants were on my closet shelf and she put that item into the bag without a second thought.  

And my running shirt was nowhere to be found either.  I had intentionally left it in the car but it was definitely not there. 

After an initial freak out, since I'm not 100% refined just yet, I apologized to Emma, made it clear that it was not her fault, left the girls at the race, and headed back home- a 20 minute drive each way- to get my clothes, let the pup out (we opted not to bring her along, because despite my greatest hopes she is just not a chill dog in public), grab some extra food and head back to the race.  And we still made it back with plenty of time to spare.  But lesson learned- if you're going to run a race on a crazy Sunday afternoon, double check for the right clothes!  I had momentary visions of racing in my Sunday dress Disney marathon style, but it all worked out in the end. 

By the time the boys and I got back Daddy was there and we took a few pictures and did lots of warming up before heading over to the starting line.  It was such a nice day- we could have had either really good or really poor weather this first week of November, and it was just right!

Emma definitely had her game face on- she was ready to go!  The energy and excitement of race day is always a fun experience, and it was a pretty impressive crowd!

And we were off!  I must be getting old, because the cheering and support and signs and cowbells and cute dogs and waving people all along the route just made my heart happy.  And I got to spend 3.2 miles running and walking and laughing and singing and cheering and chatting with my best girl!

And thanks to Daddy's good route planning, we got to high five our best supporters three times!  I think next time they should all join us.  Because the fun and feeling of accomplishment as you race over that finish line are totally worth the hours of hard work!  

Way to go Emma Grace!!

Adam in the Nauvoo Temple

 Adam's first year as a temple-going member of the church has been quite different from Leah's but still memorable. With many temples closed to only their districts for the bulk of the year, we have focused our temple-going efforts in Winter Quarters.  But we did manage to make an appointment in Adam's temple of choice- the Nauvoo Temple!  Last weekend he, Leah and Daddy took off from school and work a bit early to make the 7 hour roundtrip drive to this amazing place.  

Coincidentally (or not) we have been learning about the Nauvoo Temple and the Saints in our family scripture study and in seminary over the past few weeks, so this temple is starting to take on greater significance to the kids. 

And it looks like they had a wonderful time!  I got to stay home with Emma and Noah (and we had a great night too!) but I loved the text updates and pictures that I got while they were there.  

It's always an adventure and a spiritual delight to visit the temple, and this is the second of many to come that Adam can cross off on his list of temples to visit!

Sweet Babies

The kids came home bursting with excitement over the lastest! greatest! fundraiser at their new elementary school (how did I ever forget that we had the BEST thing going at Ashland Ridge with the no sales, no hitting up relatives, no junk in the house Jag Jog?!).  Somehow Adam came home with prize number 1, Emma came home with prize number 2, and Noah came home with. nothing. 

He handled it pretty well, until he didn't and dissolved into a sad puddle of tears because, "put yourself in my shoes!  How you would feel if everyone got something except you?" 

While he and I talked over whether he really cares about getting the octopod or the slap sloth or whether he just wanted to get something, Emma disappeared and quickly assembled the cutest thing ever- Noah's very own personalized Super Spy Kit!  Complete with spy glasses, a shell phone, a notepad, and some super secret spy pens. It was the sweetest!  

And we're working on graciously accepting gifts as Noah delightedly looked over it and then said, "No thanks, I don't really want it." (facepalm) 

And this morning, when Emma woke up on the wrong side of the bed, Noah took time to gently chat with her and admire her slap sloth and helped to turn her frown upside down, because that's what sweet little brothers are best at.  I love the special bond between these two!

Thankful for Fall

I probably say it every year, but I'm so thankful for November and the pause that it brings to the otherwise crazy end of the year.  November means transitioning into darker mornings and evenings, more nights at home, snuggling up with blankets and pups and hot cocoa.  It means knowing that another year is coming to a close but not fully immersing ourselves in the craziness of the holidays just yet (although we do happily throw ourselves right into the deep end on Thanksgiving Day evening). 

It means heading outside whenever we can because the days are just getting colder and shorter.  It's reflecting on our blessings, wondering how we got to this point in the year again! already!, looking back at at all that we've loved about this year and looking ahead to how we will end out 2021 strong.  

This year has been so different from 2020.  I've probably already said this but having everyone home for school last year feels like a fading dream.  The steady hum of activity that filled the house last year has been replaced by hours of silence and then an explosion of activity.  We are thick into early morning seminary and band, orchestra classes and lessons, running and science and leadership and kindness clubs, assemblies and fundraisers, plans for archery and track, youth group... all good things but there is not a whole lot of time for sitting around at home these days.  

It hit me (again) last night that we are headed straight into the busiest, fullest, and some of the happiest years of our little family's life.  Early morning exits are staggered while the few hours after school that we are all together are full speed- noise, energy, homework and project tackling, music practice, storytelling, Lego building- before scriptures and prayers and off to bed so we can do it all again tomorrow. 

So I'm thankful for fall, the season that reminds me that nothing ever stays the same and increases my gratitude for the blessings of today. 

Halloween is Finally Here!

Phew!  It was a fun-filled week of Halloween celebrations at our house!  Emma got an extra night of trick-or-treating with Peyton (who tested positive with Covid 4 days later, but I guess that's still par for the social course these days). 

And Noah and I had a date to Chick-fil-a while Daddy and the big kids were at the Nauvoo temple!

We had to eat the traditional pumpkin pancakes for breakfast and pumpkin quesadillas for dinner. 

The kids got to wear costumes to school!  If that was even an option at Ashland Ridge I've forgotten about it entirely. There are lots of fun extras at our new school!

On Beggar's Night we made sure to watch Spookley the Square Pumpkin, and we carved our lovingly picked pumpkins! Daddy said he wasn't going to help anyone carve ultra intricate designs this year, but he still helped out with the icky parts. 

Adam went all out with the Chick-fil-a theme this Halloween. 

Leah's picked a detailed sunflower. 

Noah was done making his traditional jack-o-lantern in about 3 minutes. 

Emma had a little too much fun with the power tools. 

We dressed up Laney a few times, 

but she wasn't invited to go trick-or-treating. 

We sure did have fun though!  We didn't quite know what to expect from our first trick-or-treating adventure in our new neighborhood.  Last year we just hid candy around our yard and, while completely memorable and appropriate for 2020, this year we felt good about heading into the neighborhood for some new memories!

Just look at this festive bunch!

And their pumpins- Emma's nighttime sky, Noah's jack-o-lantern, 

Leah's sunflower and Adam's Chick-fil-a logo. 

We met up with the Parodi's, piled into the back of Daddy's truck, and we were off!

The driveways were considerably longer, as was the distance between houses, but the payoff was worth the trade-off.  

It was really nice meeting more neighbors too.  Everyone was really kind and happy to see kids at their doors, and we met several families that were just about as new as we are.  We met up with Adam's new friend Griffin at some point, and the girls all giggled about the boys that the recognized from their classes. 

  For Beggar's Night the kids are expected to tell jokes before they receive candy, and everyone did great!

Emma's- Why is grass so dangerous? 

Because of it's full of blades!

Noah's- Did you hear the joke about the paper? 

Don't worry, it's pretty tearible!

Adam's- My grandma is getting vaporized next week. 

She will be mist. 

Leah's- What happens when a ghost gets lost in the fog? 

He is mist.

That joke and the sad little drawing nearly brought Leah to tears last week until Emma changed it to a happy ghost holding bouquets of flowers. 

The jokes were fun, and our sweet Brazilian friends who are just learning English tried their best too, but boy jokes are next level in language. Diego's jokes mostly went something like this- 

So there are nine planets.  One of them is red.  It is called Mars because why? 

Because it is red!

Bless his sweet heart for trying.  I am constantly amazed at how brave those kids are!
 

It was a beautiful night and on the warmer side of our Halloweens in Iowa, and we kept up the trek after the sun went down.  In the past we've split up and Noah and Emma have called it quits far sooner than  the big kids, but this year we were altogether until the fun was over at 8:00.  

Then we headed into the Parodi's house for some hot cocoa, meat sandwiches, and stories around the table about our different holiday traditions and explanations of foreign candy- how do you explain Fun Dip to someone who's never see it before?  Diego ended up pouring his into a glass of sparkling water and drinking it. 

And, to further prove that Diego Sr is the Argentinian Captain Von Trapp, some guitar music.  He played and sang for all of us, and then Diego Jr. helped the kids learn some basics of the guitar.

And then, finally, back to our house for sorting and trading.  Adam trick-or-treated at our front door. 

They all got plenty of candy!

And lots of the good stuff!

A few nights later the sister missionaries stopped by to say goodbye- Sister Menlove is heading to Brazil- and we all laughed about the "our beloved prophet" label from General Conference.  The girls both gave them some Reses peanut butter cups to take with them and remember our happy times together on their missions in Iowa!

Overall it was a really happy Halloween!