Stomach Flu Strikes Again

Home Grown

We bought seeds for giant pumpkins this year, in addition to the regular variety we had last year.  The girls decided that what they really wanted for their jack-o-lantern was one of the huge pumpkins.  Each.

We have quite the weed patch out there.  Ryan severely over-estimated my enthusiasm for weeding.  And we have a LOT of pumpkins.

Conference Saturday

Ryan and the FFA picked A LOT of apples when they were getting ready for their display at the fair.  Ryan has a deaf student in one of his classes, and there is a Deaf Ed guy who translates for her comes and helps in Ryan's classroom that period.  He has a cider press, and so Ryan was excited to make apple cider in his class one day last week.  

There were still plenty of apples left over (seriously).  We did something new this year for the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference.  We were invited over to press cider and watch conference at the same time.  

The kids definitely did not pay attention for most of the session, but they had a great time mashing apples, pressing cider, running after kittens, and playing with new friends.  And we came home with so many gallons of delicious apple cider.

Student of the Month

Annie brought a letter home from her teacher informing us that Annie had been chosen as student of the month, and we were welcome to come watch the assembly when they were awarded their certificates.  It was during Ryan's plan period, so he snuck out and was able to be at the school too.

 Annie was the very last kid to be called up.  The anticipation was brutal.  Annie was working so hard to be patient.

 Annie is our very first child to get student of the month for the first month of school.  We are so proud of her!

And then Emma came home, and told us she was a student of the month in her middle school too.  So we definitely had to celebrate.  We had Chinese take-out for dinner.

Maddie took the news hard.  She has been SO GOOD, and is such a big helper, and does what her teacher asks.  Maddie is really, very sure she will be student of the month in October.

Traction

There was a talk in the last General Conference by Elder Bednar about a man who took his new 4-wheel drive pick-up into the snowy mountains for firewood.  The snow was deep, and then man got stuck in the snow, in spite of the 4-wheel drive.  He decided he would get out and cut wood anyway, and later when his truck was full of newly cut wood, he had the traction he needed to get out of the deep snow and move forward.

This last Sunday, we felt like we already had a full load in our life "pick-up."  After the Primary Program in sacrament meeting, which I wrote and helped get ready to perform even though I was released from the Primary Presidency weeks ago, I was in the nursery for my new calling.  Bro. R came by the nursery room and said the stake president wanted to see Ryan and me.

I suppose it's too late to not come to church and just hide, right?  Those meetings with the stake president don't bode well.

After questions about our worthiness (wait- can I go buy cigarettes and liquor right now on Sunday?), the call was extended for Ryan to be in the new bishopric.

Ryan laughed.

He always laughs.  ("Hey, your wife has two babies in her womb. "  -Ryan laughed.)

And I felt like we should say yes.  We both did.  Right there in that church classroom, the Holy Ghost witnessed to us that this was a calling from the Lord.

Much-less-than-perfect-me felt very overwhelmed.  My husband is married to needy me, has 4 darling, demanding children, has a job which could easily take over his life, and after cramming a master's degree into one year is pursuing his Administration degree with internship in a year.  

Ryan was set apart as 2nd counselor in the new bishopric at church yesterday.  His parents and both of his sisters and their families came too.  

The wife of the just-released bishop came by today and dropped off this beautiful arrangement of flowers.  She said it was a thank you to us for being willing to service, but secretly I think it was out of sympathy.

I've been reading the scriptures and conference talks a lot lately.  The thought that has been sticking out to me is that the Lord gives us challenges and opportunities to grow when we are ready for them.

Fair Time, again

On this, our second trip to the fair, I only had my cell phone with me to take pictures.

The Sun-dola ride.

 This picture suits how I see my kids, especially when it comes to their bedrooms or toy room.  (The little animals....)

 There was a pirate display, where the parrots would take your money.  I think it was a fund raiser for an endangered species.

 We watched the piglet races.

We also enjoyed the hypnosis show.  The kids are old enough to understand and get into it.  A free show that makes us laugh?  We are all over that.

Fair Time

We went to the fair today.  We have to go at least once every year.  Thanks to the free tickets Ryan receives every year for putting up an FFA display, and the parking pass to go with it, we are able to visit the fair for pretty cheap.  If Ryan gets that administration job next year, that may change.  So, we made the most of it.

First up, Ryan's display.  You can't even see the part I did from this angle very well.

 Then there was a surf board photo op, surrounded by lots and lots of plastic bags.  I think the point was to think about recycling your grocery sacks instead of throwing them away, but all I could think of was, "Hey, let's ride the plastic.... wave."

 We checked out the produce displays.  We didn't enter any of our garden produce into this fair, unlike the previous one in August.

 I loved that Emma was posing in front of the fake outhouse.

 It was an amazingly huge pumpkin though.

The kids "milked" the pretend cow.  (Water would squirt out.)

 And we saw the turkeys.  Like we never see any at home....

 The kids barn is always a favorite.

Ryan: "Hey, this is an Ag Teacher car."

 The giant ice cream cones.

 Candy Land.

 The music maker extraordinaire.  This thing is here every. single. year.

This was the first year Emma was on the side lines, instead of banging away with her sisters.  She even complained about how loud it was.  Sniff.  My little girl is growing up!

An Unofficial FFA member

"Hey, while I am at a church meeting, would you make up some vinyl words for my fair display?  Tonight?  Because we set up tomorrow."

Yep, let me get right on that.  Once the kids are in bed...

Who knew I should have joined FFA back in my high school days?

Art

We love art here.  At any given moment while the kids are home and awake, there's a pretty good chance someone is drawing, coloring, cutting, using glue, tape, feathers, beads......  

Here are some pictures we drew today.

 Maddie drew our minivan.

 Annie drew.... someone?

 A monster.

And our minivan.

Administrative Internship

The Administrative Internship has really and truly begun.  Ryan has been putting in many an extra hour, going to meetings, conferences, sports, and even a dance since he started.  But last week was when the homework aspect started.  As if spending an extra 540 hours working in addition to his usual job wasn't enough.

So, it is after 10 pm, and I am catching up on blogging and watching my dear husband still diligently working.