We're Starting fall!

First off, Hannah left for Japan today.  Ada and their group of girls are a mess.  I'll miss her, but I'm glad she's safe and will be somewhere stable and supervised.  Ada helped her DI clothes, pack and throw stuff on Saturday.  Then Sunday they had a birthday dinner and goodbye party for her.  Lots of hugs, lots of tears and lots of promises.

Last Sunday we had Emma and Steven over.  We played games, made sushi and watched a movie.

Monday, we took the kids for Menchies.  Evelyn and Seth were good helpers with Peter and watched him while we finished a movie, so they earned it.

Here's Jer's new shelf.  It fits and doesn't have the drawer holes.... Much better.  I'm getting new laundry baskets though.  These came with the house and have seen better days.

It was Spirit week last week for the jr high schoolers too.  Ada was in charge of Disney day.  She borrowed Disney stuff to wear for the day and created a trivia game that they played at lunch time in the common area.  This picture is red carpet day.  Sam was super fancy.... I love it.  Ada has better pictures on the kid's phone.  I'll get them off and post them sometime.

Evelyn had a rough week.  The ballet teacher said that she thinks Evelyn's trying hard, but that she would do better in the 2.5 class instead of 3.  Evelyn's sad to leave her friends.  But at least she got to have Luke over to do their homework project on Friday.  

Jer and I went to the Timpanogas Symphony on Saturday night.  It was fun.  It's not as high quality as the Utah Symphony, but it's low key and close.

Sam is officially off crutches.  He's excited to be allowed to walk on it.  He's not allowed to take the boot off for two more weeks and no running, jumping, etc.... for 4 more weeks.

The Friday before last, Seth got to go to his very first grown up symphony.  He's 8 now so he's now allowed in.  Jer said that he did a really good job and Seth said it was fun.  I grew up going to BYU basketball and football games.  I was okay watching the games, but what I really savored was the time spent with my Dad and my Grandpa Wilcox.  I remember vividly my Grandpa's car and my frozen breath walking out of the arena.  I hope that my kids can have the same love of one on one time with Dad and their Grandpa.

I have not been to very many games this season, but Jer's gotten a few pictures.  Ada made a goal last Saturday.  She says she sort of made a goal because she didn't have it kick it hard.  Hehehehe.

Jer got a good laugh out of the "swear word" (Brandon Sanderson style) on the back of the counter that he pulled out of the laundry room.

 

Busy busy

Our washing machine broke, so over labor day we ordered a new washer and dryer set.  It came in and even though we had measured it.... it was just a tiny bit too big. We had to take the tack strips off the door to get it into the laundry room and Jer had to take out our shelving unit.  But he's now rebuilding one and I'm looking forward to it.  I haven't been a big fan of this one.

We had Peter and Rosie on Sat.  We are getting ready for a daycare inspection this week, so while I was helping kids go through and deep clean rooms, Ada did homework and held a sleeping baby.

 

Week update

The weather has turned beautiful.  We went from temps in the 100s to the 70s.  It's heaven!  We even had rain for a couple days in a row.  The sunrise the other day was hitting the clouds just right to make lines over each of the mountain peaks.  It was gorgeous.

Evelyn got a part in the 6th grade play.  She's going to be an Indian Brave #2.  She's excited.  She has a speaking part but it's only little and she's excited and relieved. It's really cute.  She first read the entire script. Then she made Seth read lines with her.  They were adorable.

Game of pass in the beautiful weather.

 

Do the right thingie

During our study of Isaiah this last week, Evelyn started saying, "Do the right thingie." I think I need that one on my wall.

We had a paint night with Uncle Seth and the Komens.  It was fun to see everyone busily painting together.

Friday night, Jer took Seth to the Utah Symphony with Grandpa Robertson.  I was supposed to go backpacking with my friend, Michelle Flowers, as our yearly camp trip.  Neither of us were feeling up to backpacking, so we did a night hike.  I love hiking in the dark.  Nice cool breeze.  Feels so good. Neither of us realized that it was a full Harvest moon. It was beautiful.  Too bad I only had my phone and not my camera on me. I'm still sore 2 days later though. 

 

Brashers

We love celebrating with cousins!  Happy birthday Samuel!  This kid is creative and fun. He and Evelyn have fun with each other even if it's been months between.

 

Seth's Baptism

 

My baby turned 8 and was baptized.  I have so many conflicting feelings on this one.  

-Excitement to see Seth learn and grow

-Excitement to hear how he felt

-Surreal to know that he's our last getting baptized until grandkids come around

-Joy at seeing so many of our family and friends at the same place at one time

-Sad that not everyone could make it

-Not sure about what the next step is in teaching Seth more about applying his covenants

At his baptism, we had half the Hansen crew... including Aubrey who will be a missionary in a matter of weeks.  Grandma and Grandpa Robertson, Emma and Stephen's family, half of Mary and Jeff's family, Grandma and Grandpa Wilcox, Janelle, Seth, half of Sharon and Brad's family, Seth's friend Allyssa Eaton, Brother and Sister Wheelhouse, and the stake and ward primary leaders. 

Evelyn led the music, Mary played the piano, Grandma and Grandpa Wilcox were the witnesses at the font, I gave a prayer and Grandpa Robertson gave the closing prayer.

Those in the circle that gave Seth the gift of the Holy Ghost were: Jeremy Robertson, Jim Robertson, Roger Wilcox, Seth Wilcox, Jeff Brasher, Brad Gilchrist, Carl Brown, 

Here is what Seth had to say about the day:

I asked him how he felt about the baptism.  "The water was so warm and I feel really good."  He looked very happy.  

Amy, Millie, Jonathan, Aubrey, Jer, Jim

Seth

Evelyn, Seth, Sam

Seth

After the baptism, we came back to our house for a pot luck lunch and a water balloon fight with Seth's friends.  Seth said it was a fun day.

Jack and Seth

Eli, Dawson and Seth

Vivien

Thea, Eli and Seth

Me, Grandma Wilcox

Seth

Brad, Sharon, Jeremy, Me, Moana, Emma, Rosie, Mary, Matthew, Samuel, Ada, Sam

Thea, Vivien, Evelyn, Robert, Jeff

Peter, Seth

Ethiopia Reunion

My Dad's family was part of a pioneering group of people to set up college education and modern medicine practices in Ethiopia from about 1964-1974 when communism took over.  A lot of the work that these families did remain as a base that would be built on 20 years later in the mid 90s. During the time with communism, the college was shut down, the hospitals barely ran, there were droughts and famine bad enough to catch the attention of the entire world.  The church did it's first world wide fast and used the money to set up a dam in Ethiopia.  This started what we know of the Humanitarian Center of the church.  My Uncle ran into another lady that had grown up with him in Ethiopia and got her in contact with my Dad (Who had been saying that they needed a reunion for a long time).  Together, my Dad and Marcia, put together a reunion of the families that served out there during these times.  Alot of the parents have already died, but the kids that grew there loved seeing each other again.  Covid struck and my parents couldn't come to the reunion, but I took pictures and videos for them.

The group was not able to teach the gospel while there, but they organized the first Ethiopia church branch in their homes.  30 years later, the first convert to the church in the area helped church members take a trip to Ghana to get their endowments out for the first time.  Now in 2020, the church organized a Addis Abba, Ethiopia mission for the first time.  What a neat heritage to remember.

My Uncle Chris with his friend age group.  Harold (dark blue shirt) is actually married to the administrator at my kid's school.  We put together that we had that common connection a couple years ago when I was the Parent Organization President.

Someone brought a yearbook that had Kindergarten through High school ages.

Everyone at the reunion.

Just those that lived in Ethiopia.

We took pictures of family groups as well. 

Each person/group was offered a chance to give memories or ask questions.  I loved hearing the perspective of the whole group when I've grown up hearing my Dad and Grandparents talk about many of these things.

Jer, the best cinematographer.  I hurt my shoulder about a week before, and on Saturday morning I couldn't move it.  Jer got me to the doctor and on a muscle relaxer.  Then he drove me and did the filming at the reunion so that I could take pictures.

My Dad and Mom put together a book from a lot of the pictures that people uploaded onto a shared google drive.  Some were very familiar to me because I had scanned and cleaned them up myself.  Others I had never seen and it was so fun to see a peek of my family from a friend's perspective.

My Grandma playing with the kids on the swing set.

My family getting off the plane for the first time in Addis Abba

A picnic in Sodara (not quite sure on the spelling).  I love that my Grandma is relaxed.  In pictures she was never this relaxed, but here she has her arm around my Daddy and it's now my favorite picture of the two of them.

My Uncle Chris was commenting that he was probably mad that they told him to stop playing and come get a picture....