October. I mean, OctooOOOooober!

Aka, Halloween activities. Riley and Joe are at such a wonderful age where everything to do with holidays is wildly exciting. And threats about not trick-or-treating actually hold some clout. It's fun for us all. Oh man, and this morning we had our first swirl of flurries and it was like Christmas came early. We did a snowman craft and made hot chocolate (after they ran outside in pj's to try and catch a snow flake) and watched Frosty the Snowman. I might have been somewhat the instigator but never mind. Halloween!

We got a surprise package from home with costumes from my childhood and all the makings of a Halloween party. Thanks, Mom! Riley put on a skunk costume that my Grandma made for Mom many moons ago for a dance recital, one that I also wore when I was about Riley's age. There was much giggling! Riley liked it too!

 And then there was the pirate pumpkin and pierced...bunny clown.

 So we had quite a selection for the ward party. It was a fun night - lots of chili and scones and games I didn't take pictures of, but the prep I did! here:

Riley found her costume at DI and it is probably 20 years old and a little worse for wear but I think the sequence made her feel glamorous.

To take a break from costumes, here are a few fall walks we have enjoyed this season. Everything is brisk and golden. One was from Em's birthday celebration. It's so nice to be close to siblings again, something we haven't had in a few years. These twilight pictures are all a little blurry, but I love them.

And bonus walks...

We've scoped out the good climbing trees.

What can I say, I like a walk that stings the toes and bites the nose! Heck yes I'm listening to Christmas music! So there!

But, er...back to October. We carried on the McClure tradition of Halloween sugar cookies with chocolate chips! It took me a few days to get the right recipe for the cookies - the first one went all flat and shapeless in the oven. Should you be in the market for a great recipe, this one from King Arthur Flour was great! Or, save yourself the trouble and call Mom - which is what I'd have done if I'd been thinking.

 Pumpkin carving. Fraught with peril. No one wanted anything to do with the pumpkin guts, and the first two faces Daddy carved were "too scary." I got them in the spirit of things by distracting them from the pumpkin entirely and making ghosts instead. It worked out. Sort of - this is the forced smile Riley only did because I was taking her picture, the little ham, and because Dave was teasing her.

 Decorating the day of Halloween. Bought temporary respite from the endless questions, or question: "NOW can we go trick-or-treating??"

And - hang in there - almost done:
Halloween night!

The big bowl of candy and chocolate pudding and oreo's that no Halloween dinner should be without. So much sugary sludge...

Trick or treating time! You can't get a good family picture at a crucial moment like this - attention is simply elsewhere.

 There was one brief moment when a plastic goule jumped and screamed when we walked up to a door that Riley decided Halloween "maybe isn't my favorite day." But she recovered quickly and we all had a marvelous time. And still are - tis the holiday that keeps on giving.

 Aaaaaaand lastly, a video compilation...of all our dealings...with October.

Star Wars Day

Dave's out of town again - seems like a good time to catch up on some blogging.

We enjoy the Springville for library story time - that library has the most wonderful kid activities. All free and family-friendly. Win, win. A few weeks back, a few of the librarians staged a promo light saber fight right before story time and, well - hooked us! We had to check it out, along with about half of Utah valley, I think. I have to say: blew me away! For a library, they know how to throw a party. There were game stations and trivia and photo ops with Star Wars characters, tattoos, make-your-own light sabers, and candy at everything.

 And Jedi training! Can I please join!? It was such a blast, and so well organized. Librarians of Springville! You rock!

A geeky fan film for your viewing pleasure:

I guess we'll be going to see the new Star Wars in December.

The library is having a spooky story time on Monday night, but I don't think we'll make it to that one. These little ones don't always appreciate "spooky." Riley won't even let me sing "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" anymore. It is a rather gross song though. Riley had a panic moment of a different sort today. We were taking Dave to the airport this morning and she asked why.

Me - "So Daddy can go visit his Texas family."
R - "Instead of us??? Daddy is getting rid of US?"
Me - "No, no, no! Daddy has brothers in TX! He is going to see his brothers!"
R - *Nervous laugh.

R - Mumble: "Thank goodness."

Except, you know...not "goodness."
I still am not sure if that last bit was meant as a prayer or a swear. She was relieved. But lately has been spending time with some neighbor kids who, turns out, swear like sailors.

We miss Daddy already of course, but I'm so glad he is going to be at Grandma Anderson's funeral and see his brothers and extended family he doesn't see often. Too bad he had to miss this moment though:

I learned how to screenshot my phone to share that with you. Your welcome!

Haha ok so I know it might seem like I make fun of my kids on the blog (or Instagram...) but kids are awesome! They keep things interesting and I don't want to forget these things that make me giggle, and I know the grandparents like to giggle too. Also, I want to remember not to say, "Enjoy every minute of it," when I'm older, because sometimes, moments are just not enjoyable. Like the moment you get a poopy finger waved in your face.

But, enjoyable moments:

Scenic drive of the Nebo Loop last weekend

Hiking with the kids today.

Bridal Veil Falls with Uncle Tim.

And Star Wars! (That post rambled, eh?)
Gucht nacht. (Why yes, I did google to find the correct spelling of that. And I like my original spelling, "Gooten nagen," better. Just sayin.)

Grandma Anderson

The past few months we have been praying for a very special lady, Dave's grandma. Yesterday she passed away. Alzheimer's is a difficult disease and she has been declining for a while, but it is still sad when such a golden person leaves the earth. I was lucky enough to meet her and spend days here and there in her company, when we could make the trip down to Sweetwater, TX, or later Abilene, after she moved into a care home in her final days. I wish we could have visited more, and someone like that, you wish your children could grow up knowing and know the kind of stock they come from. So I'm writing about her here and hoping that something is better than nothing. They can know that their Great Grandmother Francis Anderson was a gem and salt of the earth.

I first met her in 2010, a month before Dave and I got married. Thanks to Dave, I already knew one or two things about her - such as she made unbeatable molasses cookies. Seriously - I've tried to make them and they are never quite "like Grandma made." I knew that she lived in the rattle snake capital of the US (once a rattle snake threatened her dog and she just chucked it into a dumpster with her cane) and that she was liable to give away anything in her house if you took an interest. Actually meeting her though was like, I don't know, being embraced by an angel. A bacon-making, chihuahua-flanked, snowy haired angel. Her smile was so ready and sincere, she was quick to see humor and goodness, but frank and clear-eyed about morals and responsibility. She had a generous, resilient heart. She loaded up our car with kitchen items she thought newlyweds might need, and gave us a huge jar of coins - totaling about $40 - which I believe might have been originally intended for the plate at church, but she felt like we needed them more. Sorry about that, church. We couldn't turn her down.

That time we went down for a traditional Grandma Anderson Thanksgiving at the truck stop. Nicest people, good food, and easiest cleanup ever.

In bits and pieces I learned she had not had an easy life (does anyone?) But rather than grow bitter or withdrawn, life had made her more giving, more bighearted. She chose to see the good and serve those around her. I'll never forget that last visit to the nursing home. I was apprehensive - what would it be like, having to give up her home of decades, her beloved chihuahua, Missy, and sign over her freedom while she waited for Alzheimer's to take it's course. Depressing thoughts. I hadn't considered what strong metal she was made of though.

She was actually genuinely happy that day we came to visit. She wasn't in her room when we arrived, but we heard her coming down the hall saying cheerful things to one of the other residents. "What happened to Missy?" I asked. "Oh I gave her to one of my angels, here." She called the nurses 'her angels'. She took us around to meet some of her neighbors. One was unresponsive and she told Riley to go ahead and wave in front of his face - he didn't have a clue. Ha! She was cheerful. She saw things as they were and took joy in helping the many people who were worse off than her. Her roommate was fairly far along with the disease - confused, sometimes falling out of her bed, and unable to get up. Grandma Anderson was of course the first responder, going for help as quickly as her walker would allow. She watched over her as a dear friend, although she probably wasn't easy to live with.

Grandma told us she was physically in the best condition she'd been in years, thanks to weekly therapy and daily long walks around the building. And I could tell - no neck brace for the first time since we'd met, and she'd put on some weight as well. She was excited and she was grateful! No one can tell me that would be an easy attitude to come by in her situation, and I think it must be the result of a lifetime of rising above, and continued, conscientious effort every day. Her conversation, the pictures and quotes on her wall, were reflections of the attitude she chose for herself. I am to this day in awe. I took a picture of one of her collages she'd made from magazine clippings.

I love reading those and thinking how each one spoke to her and were modeled in the way she lived her life. "Everything God does is purposeful. And since God is in each of us, each of us has a purpose." She was purposeful. She was a blessing in so many lives. "Family matters. Family are the only people who will tell you when you're getting off the tracks a little. Surround yourself with people who love the Lord, love themselves and love you, and you can't really fail." That describes the type of person she was so well.

We haven't seen her since that trip last summer and have been unable to communicate with her aside from cards and letters that she couldn't respond to, but I still think of her often, praying that she felt our love and had peace in the hard times. She will be very much missed by those who loved her, and to know her was to love her - but what a profound joy it must have been to see her husband and daughter again, and be able to look back on a life well lived and many lives touched. Thank you for your legacy, Francis Anderson. It was a blessing to know you.

The Munions Picnic

Hiking, about a month ago. It was colder and windier than we realized it would be. Luckily, we had a neck pillow with a fox hood attached so Riley's ears stayed nice and warm.

Riley, you're so cool. Never change.

You guys are cool too.

Joe was truly concerned about one of us would fall off the edge of the earth. (It was not a cliff, but a steep enough incline.)

A selfie, featuring glasses I sent back. Glasses.com! Is the best!

Happy Fall!

Mostly it has been too hot to feel comfortable talking about fall but, and I'm daydreaming about snowy winter days. And when it's February I'll daydream about hot sunny days - I'm only human.

September

In between the sleeping and the trying not to chuck my cookies thanks to baby #3, we have done one or two things of note the past few weeks. We discovered toddler time at the trampoline gym - Wed. and Fri, $2 from 10-12! We have headed into the mountains on some beautiful fall days and made our first cups of cocoa. We welcomed a new nephew into the world! Mom and Dad came for the blessed event and so we basically had a 10-day family reunion. Unfortunately, my sister-in-law had a really difficult labor and delivery, recovery is ongoing so we have spen time helping them and holding their sweet baby. Well, I have - Dave has totally risen to the occasion and does everything for our kids on the days I'm gone. And often, on the days I'm here (the first trimester is rough). Dave - YOU. are a wonderful daddy. We got some lucky kids. I'm pretty lucky too.

And other mushy things.

Anyway, wouldn't want to miss a whole month without an update. One thing, the grandparents wouldn't like it, and for another, I LOVE looking back on our on our memories here - so much to be thankful for, and it's so good to see how our lives have twists and turns and answers come when we are ready and things always work out. It's something of a comfort when we are still in a transition time of life - still not sure where we will be settling and what not.

Lots of good memories there. And plenty more recent pictures on my phone yet to be downloaded (some even with me in them). What I don't have a picture of is Joe waking me up in the pre-dawn by pinching my nose! I woke up gasping for air. "Mom. My neck isn't long enough." What the? Why?? Eventually, I deduced that Joe had slipped down in the night and his head was no longer on his pillow. His neck wasn't long enough. So he cut off my air supply to tell me about it. "In his defense, you are a very sound sleeper." - Dave. What evs. It's not me it's them.
*Awesome article on similar night time struggles here.

It's an adventure, but how grateful I am for these kids of ours. They are sweet and learning so much everyday - it's really good for me. Oh sure, they are also a little diabolical sometimes (not to pick on him, but I overheard some of Joe's mumbling today..."I will make 'dis ball fwat. And it will be awesome. Riley will be SO. SAD." yeah.) But mostly sweet. Seeing the world through their eyes is a privilege.  Riley was soo excited to be the one to share a scripture with junior primary on Sunday - she was ear-to-ear grins and giggles, bouncing on the edge of her seat till it literally overturned on top her. The teacher rushed over to lift the metal folding chair and check she was alright, and after that Ri was a touch more subdued, but I still got at least three kisses blown my way (I sat in the back to watch her do her thing.) I pray thanks for them every day, and am so full of daydreams about having another one in the spring...I can't even make any more jokes. I'm grateful.