This week

We told Ada this year that we weren't going to throw a big party but she'd be allowed to invite a friend to do something with her.  She said that she wanted all 5 of her best friends to come and that she would pay for it.  She did brownie sales and babysitting to pay $32 so that all her friends could got roller skating with her.  She was so sweet and very determined.  I love seeing my kids working towards a goal that they've set for themselves.

It was so cute.  Sam and Evelyn had never roller bladed before.  They took turns helping each other out and just had fun.

Ada enjoyed having Frankie, Laurel, Brenden and Luke there.  I call them her pack.  I invited Frankie's mom and sister.

Sam has been in a Chinese club.  He LOVES it.  Unfortunately he can't do it again until after Christmas.  The club likes to rotate who attends.  We downloaded Duolingo and he's been practicing on it, but I think he likes better having a human teacher.  I want to see how we can keep him going. 

Marg and her kids made a surprise Fall Break visit.  It was fun to see them and play games.  I really just like to chat and miss all my dear Sister in laws often. 

Since we were going to be super busy on Ada's actual birthday, we did cheesecake and presents on Tuesday with Tarkingtons.  They're all growing up so fast!

Sharon came down on Friday and we got to take the kids to the All Around Playground.  Sam's friend Martin was there too, so he was ecstatic.  (Right after this we took them to see the Tarkingtons... we didn't tell them they were coming and Sam was especially surprised.)  Her new pregnancy is going very well and I couldn't be happier for her. 

For Mutual this week, the Priests organized an escape room center in Peace in Christ.  It was so fun!  We did have one Laurel come, though I think that all would have loved it if they had come. 

My lesson today went fairly well.  We talked about living in a spirit of gratitude instead of just giving thanks for things.  The YW that was going to team teach with me thought it was next week... Opps.  I guess we'll teach again next week.  I love being in YW's.  It makes me happy to see these girls turn into women and learning the gospel as they go.

Thursday was very busy.  My brother, Seth, came to Evelyn's class in the morning.  They're learning how to address people with handshakes, use their names and look them in the eye.  The teacher has been having people come in and teach them greetings in different languages and then they practice them all throughout the day as they talk to each other.  I taught them ASL and Swahili.  Seth taught them in Arabic, Turkish, and the Pakistani dialect that he speaks.  They practiced all of them and decided to use Turkish for the day.  It was adorable and Evelyn had to hang on to Seth everywhere he went.  After that, Seth went to bed for the day and Sam, baby Seth and I went on Sam's fieldtrip to the UofU Natural History Museum.  It was amazing!  It's a fun museum and my Mom used to live right up close to it.  She and her siblings would wander the museum.  I thought that was a fun connection.  Thursday night, my brother Seth came to our house and we painted the mini figures that he gave them for Christmas for their D&D game.  Ada got really into painting them.  I on the other hand had a tiny Seth jumping up and down on me so I didn't paint well or very much.

This week, they had the soccer game make ups for the ones cancelled because of the smoke.  They didn't tell us until Monday and we had two games on Tuesday.  I almost decided not to take them, but we did anyways.  It was soooo cold, but the kids did great and I got to talk to all the soccer moms on the sideline.  No matter how busy I get, when I get to talk with women it always makes me happier.

Sam very rarely ties his shoe laces.  The other day he tripped and hit his elbows hard.... yet here he is running around a soccer field.  After the very cold game, Sam said that his legs were numb.  My toes were so I could imagine that his would be too.    They even called the game early because the temperature dipped so much.

Seth was wagging his finger in the players face telling him no.

Sam and his friend Wesley from church.

Yesterday was my parent's 40th anniversary.  That's quite the fun marker to remember.  I love how my mom told it in her email.  They met 52 years ago in the 2nd grade and they are happier more and more.