Presentation, Recovery

Everything went well with the presentation, but that didn't stop me from losing sleep over it and being in a cold sweat all of Sunday. I think I got pretty dehydrated because I was extremely thirsty for the next 2 days and even had to resort to Gatorade to start feeling normal again. I've recovered about 90% now, but I had to spend a lot of time resting the past few days, to the point of getting super bored. I still feel a little lightheaded occasionally, but I'm doing so much better. I cancelled everything on Tuesday just to be safe, but I was feeling well enough to go to the Relief Society activity last night. We made thankful trees, and they turned out really cute.

I'm so happy that it's raining today because IT'S NOT SNOW! We still haven't had a single flake of snow and daytime temps are in the low 50s. I couldn't be happier. Well, there could still be more daylight, but I can't change that.

Today I'm going to see the new Hunger Games movie with the boys. I hope it's good!

We had a presidency meeting earlier this week, and it went well. There's nothing we haven't done before since we've been in there for a year now. I'm really happy that I have all the notes and things from last year, so nothing feels like a big deal. Last year at this point, I was SO stressed because I didn't have a lot of resources to use to figure out what the heck I was supposed to be doing. I lost a ton of sleep over it. Not this time! I'm going to keep Christmas as simple as possible for the Primary and for my family. The traditions that take too much time, money, or stress are going to go!

Time Change, November Glimmers

The time change has been just as hard as I thought. I'm still tired, and it's Thursday. I've tried to get enough sleep, but that's easier said than done. Plus, it's the season of being "kinda sick" (meaning, just having a headache and fatigue), so I don't know which thing is more of a factor today. Maybe both are.

I stressed about it a ton, but we had our first practice for the Primary program on Sunday. It was a great success! Yes, there are some things to iron out, but we made it through the entire thing, which is a miracle. It went a lot more smoothly than I thought it would.

I made spaghetti sauce on Monday. 1 more batch of sauce to go before I finish with the tomatoes! I'm still waiting on the rest to ripen. I'm not done with canning yet because apples will be coming my way from my in-laws. Maybe by December?

I met my friend's twin babies on Tuesday. They are the tiniest babies I've ever held! I can't even imagine having 2 newborns at the same time.

I've been struggling with November a little. Suddenly, it's dark and cold. I'm trying to find the "glimmers" in this month, though. I know it's important to stay in "fall/Thanksgiving mode" and not start anything relating to Christmas because it makes me feel rushed and stressed. It's already been so much better than November of last year. We cleaned up the yard on Saturday, and the kids had a wonderful time playing with their friends in the nice weather. It hasn't snowed yet, and no one has died either. Last year, we had a record-breaking amount of snow and lost 4 relatives. We were also constantly sick. This year has already been a lot better in so many ways.

I'm still stressing about the Primary program, but not as much. The main planning is done, and it's going to happen on Sunday no matter what. I feel a lot better about it. I don't regret all the organization I've done for the Primary in the last year. It's one of my greatest strengths, and I've had lots of opportunities to use it. By Sunday, we will have done everything at least once, so I already know what to expect from here on out (theoretically).

One thing I'm glad I started doing a few years ago in the fall: rereading a favorite book series and doing a movie marathon (not necessarily the same series). As I get stressed about the cold, dark, and holidays, it's nice to revisit something comforting and familiar. I read the Hunger Games and have almost finished all the movies with the boys. I'm also starting The Stormlight Archive again, and I love it even more this time. Thank you, Brandon Sanderson, for being the best author ever.

Dad's Visit, Halloween

I spent Friday morning grinding up deer meat. We ended up with about 30 pounds of meat, which is a lot when translated into current beef prices. Dad visited us on Friday and Saturday. We of course had to get some KFC for dinner. We also tried some of the deer, and it was delicious, not very gamey at all. It's probably because James got a young deer, butchered it as quickly as possible, and didn't overcook it. It was especially tasty with butter and some fresh herbs.

Saturday night, we went to the Jensen Pumpkin Festival. It was cold, but fun.

I went to Halloween parties for both Samantha and Lewis. Everything went well with the Trunk or Treat on Tuesday. It got a little chilly, but we had the right amount of pizza and treat bags. The kids are still working on their candy. I hope it's gone by Saturday because they've been grumpier and leaving candy wrappers on the floor. I'm always glad when Halloween's over. I don't hate it, but it's not my favorite either.

James and I went on a date yesterday to see where he shot his deer. It was good, but I got kind of carsick after a while. The view from Little Mountain was especially beautiful at sunset.

Today hasn't been the best so far. I took Joseph to the orthodontist, and while I was at the gas station, the power steering stopped working in the G6. I drove it home after the ortho to switch it out, but the Yukon had a completely flat tire so I couldn't. Ugh. Luckily, the power steering started working again. I got my book at the library and stopped at Smith's for sales. I didn't have much luck there, but I got Katie her pomegranates there were on sale.

I'm not looking forward to the time change this weekend. The stuff I love about fall has come to an end, and now it's just cold and dark.

Katie's 10th Birthday, Deer

It's been another busy week. I have lots of green tomatoes in the living room, and I started a batch of sauce that I'll likely finish on Saturday. Hopefully, the rest will ripen in the next few weeks, or at least before Thanksgiving. I had to buy more jars again, and I bet I'll use most of them.

We celebrated Katie's 10th birthday on Tuesday since she was hunting with James on Monday. She loves her presents, and I made dirt and worms for her dessert. It was a huge hit, and I'm sad it's gone. Putting homemade ice cream and homemade pudding together was a delicious idea. She had also requested tamales for dinner. I wasn't crazy about how they turned out, so I'll use beef next time and not chicken.

James went hunting on Monday with Devin, and on Wednesday, he shot a deer! He field dressed it, skinned it in the yard, and then butchered it with Devin. Friday, we will turn the scraps into burger. So far, we have over 30 pounds of meat! I had to squish things in the deep freeze to make room for it. That's a testament to how bountiful this fall has been. I can't believe it's almost Halloween.

The parts for the Primary Sacrament Meeting Presentation are trickling in. I have a lot more confidence now that it's going to go well. The kids' testimonies are so sweet. Everything for the Trunk or Treat is ready to go as well. The kids and I passed out a bunch of invitations yesterday. The biggest downfall will be that the weather's going to be really cold over the next few days. On Halloween, we're going to freeze with a high of only 40. Sad day. Hopefully it's not the end of the mild weather.

I deep cleaned the girls' room for the first time since summer. It was cathartic. I've gotten behind on deep cleaning things since it's been so busy for the past few months. Now if only I could start and finish a book...

Fall Break, Carmel's Wedding

The boys and I started our Hunger Games marathon last Saturday. The weekend wasn't too bad. We took it easy since we knew the next week would be crazy.

Monday, I canned spaghetti sauce and beets for the Binghams. I ended up doing 2 batches in the pressure canner to get it all done. I was disappointed in the beets' final color, but everything sealed.

Tuesday, I left for NC in the early afternoon. I got there really late and spent the night with Myles and Skyla. Skyla and I hung out the next day and did a little shopping to get things for Carmels' bachelorette party. I went over to Christian and Rachel's first to spend some time with them. The party was so much fun, with lots of delicious snacks, facials, and fun company. I got to know Carmel's new sisters-in-law a little bit, and they are awesome.

Thursday, we got up and headed to the state fair. Wow. I last went almost 20 years ago and forgot how fun it was. I went on kiddie rides with Emma and Kaya, the on some adult ones with Mara. We went upside down and all around. My favorite is still the one where they just drop you. The adrenaline rush is amazing. I had a Flamin' Hot corn dog and fried pecan pie, both of which were delicious. After getting ready at Mara's house, we headed to the Taylor Swift movie along with Mom, Grandma, and Carmel. It exceeded my expectations. I had a comfy recliner and they turned it up loud, so it felt like a more comfortable version of being at a concert. I could've done without the swearing, though, but I knew that was coming. The visuals and costumes were absolutely stunning.

Friday, Mara, the girls, and I went to the Benson Museum. It was a fun little place with an old guy who talked my ear off. :) We saw downtown Benson as well and then went back to chill for a little while. After dinner, I left with Ricky to set up for the reception. I stayed as long as I could, then went back to Apex with Carmel since I hadn't see Dad or my grandparents yet.

Saturday was the wedding. It went well, and it was beautiful. The luncheon afterward was delicious too. We had a little time to kill before getting there for the reception. There was a huge turnout and all the tables were filled almost the whole time. Carmel and Matthew look so happy together.

I got up very early to catch a 6:45 flight to Vernal with a 3-hour layover in Denver. Somehow I survived, and now I'm waiting on the rest of my family to get home from Rexburg. I had a wonderful, very busy trip. Now only Nash remains!

Primary, Canning, Conferences, Surgery

Last Thursday ended up working out fine. I took the day off on Friday, no big projects of any kind, so I could regain some sanity. It worked pretty well. Saturday morning, I buckled down and worked on stuff for Primary while James took the kids out for 2 1/2 hours. It was the perfect amount of time to get it all done. We did a little date afterward and had lunch outside in the perfect fall weather.

Sunday, I was the only presidency member in Primary due to illness and travel. 2 of the ladies from the stake helped out, so I survived a really stressful Sunday.

Monday I made spaghetti sauce with meat. This was after babysitting my secretary's boys since her daughter was in the hospital. I went to parent/teacher conferences for the middle schoolers.

I ran a bunch of errands on Tuesday and then finished canning the sauce with the rest of the tomatoes I needed. That night, James and I went on another date to get food and watch a favorite show.

Wednesday morning, I had to run more errands, but I had time to make pepper jelly afterward. It's my first time making it, and it turned out great, about medium spicy. I included some lemon drop peppers from some ward members. Those are SPICY on their own! I went to parent/teacher conferences for all 3 elementary kids. All 5 kids got glowing reviews from their teachers, which is always nice.

Today, I got up early to drive Joseph to his surgery. It didn't take long, I paid it off, and his mouth didn't hurt too much afterward. We got food and milkshakes at Dairy Keen and got home around 4. I'm so tired, but I'm glad everything went well. Joseph wasn't too weird afterward; he just kept on asking the same questions over and over as he mumbled though the gauze.

I have more Primary stuff to do this weekend, but I should sleep better knowing that the surgery is out of the way. We don't even have to do a follow-up since we live so far away.

I just need to stay awake during the stake Primary leadership meeting tonight.

Rash, Conference, More Canning and Stress

We had a playdate with the Abarcas on Friday. Samantha ended up with a weird rash on her legs, which made me really worried. After consulting Rex, we gave her Benadryl and rubbed on some calamine lotion. It was completely gone after a couple of days. I have no idea what she had a reaction to, maybe something outside?

We had a decent General Conference weekend. I didn't pay attention as well as I should have, but I'm going to make a goal to reread all the talks this time. I've let that habit slip since being called to Primary, but I need to study the Gospel more than ever since I don't get a lesson on Sundays. The kids and I put together the treat bags for the Trunk or Treat.

Monday, I canned spaghetti sauce with Ana. Though she was late, the timing ended up perfect since I pulled the jars out right as I needed to leave. We decided to get our passports, so I had to pick up kids from the elementary school, run over to the county building, get pictures taken, pay all the fees by check (ugh, haha), and then run to the post office to mail off James's and mine while the county finished the ones for Joseph and Kenny. The plan is to go to Ecuador next summer, and I keep hearing horror stories about passports, so I'm feeling happy about getting them done. Honestly, there's never a good time to drag everyone to a 3:30 appointment anywhere, so I'm glad we got that out of the way.

Tuesday, I volunteered at the school and then canned spaghetti sauce and beets. I also finished the hot sauce. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed after dinner, so James and I went out to get some dessert and a fall candle. It helped cheer me up a bit.

Yesterday, we had a playdate with Navy and got flu shots after dinner. 

Today is packed too. I need to return the scooter that James used off and on for the past week. I have a presidency meeting to plan the Primary program, an orthodontist appointment, a ministering appointment, and sealings at the temple after dinner. A lady in my ward and I are related to the same person, though her relationship is by marriage, so we are going to get that sealing done along with some others.

I'm worried about a lot of stuff, but it helped yesterday when I collected all my notes, said a prayer, and typed up an outline for planning the Primary program. It's going to go fine. My biggest stress is thinking about driving Joseph to Orem next week for dental surgery. It'll be a long day, but it'll all work out. I really wish things would slow down a bit so I have a chance to get bored. That hasn't happened yet!