Sam's concert

Mom, Janelle and I were swimming at the rec center and there were 13 emergency vehicles around. The last one left was this one by the time we were done swimming. They were doing some cool training stuff.

Reasons Seth likes daycare.  He's not alone after school when all the teenagers are busy.

My watercolor teacher is bedridden right now, so our sub had us paint fall leaves. I tore mine by pulling off the tape too fast.

Sam's band is trying to raise funds for their tour in the spring.  They are going to SUU for a master class at the university and then over to LA to record their own version of a movie theme at the disney studios.  They had a fundraiser concert.  I was the only one that could go.  Jeremy, Evelyn, Jim, Aubrey and Corbin, Jonathan and Millie had tickets to the symphony in SLC.  Ada was getting ready for her club fundraiser and Seth just didn't want to be there.  I got there early to bring both the high schoolers some dinner, then I filled out their Harry Potter trivia questions and put my stuff down front and center to get a good view of Sam.  I saw my friend, Kierstan, off to the side and went to chat until the lights went out.  She motioned to my stuff and asked if that was my family and I said, "No, I'm by myself tonight." Then I made my way in the dark to my seat.  To my delight and surprise, I sat down and looked to my side to see my wonderful Great Aunt and Great Uncle sitting there.  Uncle Doug (Duck) and Aunt Linda were there to support Oscar, their grandson (Jared's son) that is in the same Jazz Band with Sam.  We had no idea and connected the two second cousins.  I loved seeing them. (I usually run into them about once a year.) They made the effort to get to know Sam a little bit after Jared and Oscar left.  It was very sweet.

They played movie themes.  My favorite was, My Neighbor Totoro.  They also played Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Avengers, The Incredibles... all well done.

Linda, Oscar, Jared and me.

The hair school donated all their tips from the free haircuts at the school to the hurricane relief fund.

Pictures from the Kindness week. Evelyn really loved weaving the mats. 

 

FBLA kindness week

Ada's big project was running the Kindness week for FBLA club this week.  They organized helpers to make over 600 stuffed bears for donation, sleeping mats for refugee camps and money/donation supplies for hurricane relief funds.

I'm proud of this hardworking woman.

 

Polar Express

Ada's FBLA club has a certain amount of volunteer hours that they require.  This year they answered Santa letters for local elementary schools and hosted a Polar Express activity for the Police and Fire Department.  Ada was one of the conductors.  She stamped their tickets and took them all on the train from station to station.  It was a lot better put together than I thought it would be for a high school thing.  It was cute.

Rose, Evelyn, Ian, Seth, Jack

Ada the conductor

Ada, Jimmy, Lucas

 

Teenagers are hard

 

Teenagers are hard.  Not impossible and often they are delightful. Ada and Sam are my best friends, but watching them grow... make decisions... get hurt... make mistakes... learn... try again...is emotionally harder than watching them learning to walk, fall and try again. I have extreme anxiety, joy, pride, worry all at the same time. Here are some of their current activities though that are less of a roller coaster than the emotional side of things.

Sam got his bottom braces on.  He really struggles with taste/texture and smell.  Getting molds and the fun stuff required for teeth work is hard on him.  He did it.  He didn't move.  Then he came home and cried.  I'm sad and proud all at once.

Ada used her day off school to help support Daddy in his new calling as Elder's Quorum president. He needed to fill 3 spots for the meat packing facility that the church uses for the Bishops Storehouse.  Ada and Jer went with our neighbor, Brandon.  They boxed and helped package sausage.  Ada said she wouldn't eat meat for a little while.... that didn't last long.  Her outfit is throwback to how I dressed working in the clean room.

We have a busy house.  I don't let my kids have more than one pair of shoes out at a time.... These are their shoes, our friend's shoes and daycare shoes AFTER half the daycare has left already.  Janine keeps their shoes nice and lined up.... I don't.  

We got two new chairs off amazon.  I wasn't expecting them yet and they both showed up the same day.

My beautiful painter missed the canvas a little.  She walked around a whole day before I told her she had paint on her cheek.