Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Another Week Rolls By...

We are smack into basketball now.  Most nights we have a quick dinner at 4:30, head up to the school and usually not home until 9:30.  It's a long night.  Blake and Leah are both playing this year.  We start games next Wednesday.  Lucky us, our first one is a home game.  Friday was our annual chocolate making day with the in-laws.  Amber and her family were not feeling well.  Amber came for a bit until Myrna sent her home to rest.  I was a tad late and had to leave just before 6.  Lalainia also was not feeling well.  But Myrna, Rachel, and Lalainia got it all done.  It was long day for them.

We left early to help Dave set up for the Priest/Laurel Conference he was in charge of.  Saturday we left in the morning and went to the ski swap.  Blake had outgrown all his ski stuff.  We were lucky to find skis, boots, and snowpants for him.  Dave then went to the stake center and we headed to the last home football game.  It was an excellent game.  They won and are playing in provincials this weekend.  Dave said the whole conference was so good.  Speakers were excellent, food was good and plentiful, kids were great, helped clean up, and the D.J. for the dance was really fantastic.  Leah had really tried to be able to go, even tho she has 5 months til she is a Laurel. :)  So now that Dave has talked about it, she is so excited to go to next years. Sunday was church and the relaxing for us, but Dave had another stake meeting, so headed back to the stake center, (it is an hour away from us).  He had his meeting a little earlier than usual, so that was nice.  Then we started right back into late night basketball and early morning seminary again.  This is not a week for sleeping.  But it is fun. 

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Remebrance Long Weekend

Everyone had a long weekend.  Thursday both schools had their Remembrance Day programs.  Blake did an excellent job in the band.  He has learned the trumpet fast.  I really tried hard to get a picture of him playing.  :) 

Snapped a quick picture when they were all done.  I thought I had time to watch until after the minute of silence with Blake and rush up to Leah's.  But when I arrived at the high school they were cleaning up.  I missed it.  They ended 15 mins early then they had planned.

I picked up Leah and we went over to her first physio appointment.  It was all so fascinating I forgot to get pictures.  They did a lot of measuring of her movement and range of motion.  And the way he explained things was interesting.  Leah was given exercises to do at home.  Basically simple.  Blake was saying how easy it all was, until he tried it.  With proper form they are harder then they seem.  She has faithfully been doing them.  Friday Dave had off.  We decided to run up to see Cora.  We are not sure we will see her until after New Year and so we wanted to take advantage. We started early in the morning to have more time with her.  The roads were so bad.  First 1/3 was black ice and tons of cars in the ditch. Second 1/3 had not even been plowed, last 1/3 was dry and nice.

We all went to lunch, saw her church and institute building.  Meet a few friends, got her a few clothing items and then came back home.  It was an almost 10 drive to see her for about 4.  Totally worth it.  Saturday Dave and I went to the community Remembrance Day program.  Part of it was a song with slide presentation.  The song was  'Soldiers Cry' Very excellent. Definitively look up if you haven't seen.  Probably the most moving song I have ever heard for Remembrance Day.  After we rushed back and got dressed warm to watch football.

One more game for us to watch.  Sunday was wonderful.  Relaxing with no where to be and nothing we had to do.  Monday Blake and Leah were still off school.  Blake stayed home and drew for hours.  I took Leah over to go to school with Emily.  She showed up in time for lunch, then Emily is in a cosmetology class and so Leah got a scalp treatment and her hair done.

Emily sent me this picture.

The last two are from Leah.

Emily did a great job.  Leah's hair looked really cute.  She then stayed for part of gym class.  Had a blast.  She got to see a lot of her friends and meet some new people. That evening was dinner, FHE, and relax.  It is so nice to have a break from all the rushing around sometimes.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

Halloween 2017

Another successful Halloween is behind us.  This year we had a few days of dress up.
Friday, Leah dressed up as a robber for her High School Monster Smash. 

That same night Cora and Maycie went as a ninja and pinata for their YSA dance.
After the dance they were asked to help finish filling a friends room with newspaper.  Absolutely full.  They had so much fun. 

Tuesday, actual Halloween, Blake was Jughead for his school party.  He kept explaining to all that no, he doesn't watch Riverdale, thinks that it is stupid, just Jughead from the original comics.  They had some fun activities at the school and a haunted house.  He said it was all kinda fun.  As soon as the kids got off their buses we headed to piano and then on to the Toone's.  We had a fast dinner, then Joe and Dave were off with Blake, Avery and Sophie for trick or treating.
Soon after they left, kids started arriving for Emily's party.  They all had a great time.  They watched a movie and went out to play some games in the dark.  Leah scared the boys and was proud of herself for that.  

After the games they came back in and just hung out and chatted until parents picked them up.  We did pretty good this year.  Got home a little after 11.  Emily had everyone bring some candy.  They just dumped it in the middle of the floor.  That is seriously all candy you see. It was a very successful, fun party.  
Cora sent us some pictures that night of her and Maycie at mission prep class.  Here is the picture and what she said about it.

On Facebook "Mission prep on Halloween didn’t stop this nice senior couple from doing their missionary work, they were an inspiration to us at institute. Bless Elder and Sister Calhoun on the rest of their mission."
And on Instagram "This is Elder and Sister Calhoun, they are our senior couple visiting Mission Prep today.  What cuties, this is their fourth mission and they are such an inspiration to the rest of us at Institute."
We were laughing so hard.  I sure miss her and her personality around everyday.  I am so glad she is loving YSA and her and Maycie do a lot of fun things.  When talking to her later she said that no on else dressed up for class, but they just owned it.  It was such a good costume that others were helping them up the stairs and into elevators.  I guess they really got into it.
Blake came home with 10lbs of candy, Joe weighed it.  It will certainly last him awhile.  He will bring out his bag after dinner and ask who wants what, and let us all pick a few treats. And he has been sending some in Dave's lunch. So that is it.  Another great Halloween.