Halloween

Halloween is celebrated all week long at our house.  

With John's birthday, Nate's birthday and Halloween all happening at the same time, we have no choice but to stretch the fun out in any way we can.  

Halloween night was a little different for us this year.  

Nate went trick or treating with friends.

Jessica participated in a food drive with other student council members.

Sam went to a party, and Abby did too.

John and I sat in the front room and answered the door for all 350 trick or treaters that came by.

I'll admit, we felt a bit of nostalgia for Halloweens past as we remembered how it felt to be the ones out with young kids.   

It was a quiet night, but it was nice.

Around 9:00 pm, Grandpa came by for some late-night food and birthday cake.    

After snacking on mini chocolate bars, chips, and candy, none of us really needed cake, but it just wouldn't have felt right to end the day without singing to John and expressing our love for him.  

He's kinda a big deal to us.

I think John should feel flattered that we all chose to dress up on his birthday. we certainly don't do this for anyone else's! ;)

Waterton Fall Walk

We woke up on Thanksgiving day still feeling full from our previous feasting.  

After our company left, Jessica and I considered the cool, quiet day ahead of us and knew there was only one thing we both wanted to do.  

We found a trail in Waterton and attempted to walk off a bit of the turkey dinner we'd so enjoyed.

The colors were stunning.

The temperature was warm.

The park was empty.

We listened to the geese and ducks, watched a bear grazing on a hill (no doubt feasting on whatever was left on the ground before going to sleep for the winter), and paid extra attention to the beauty that comes with the changing of a season.  

I'm convinced that, for me, gratitude is most easily felt when walking in the woods.

Thanksgiving - it was legit

One of my FAVORITE Holidays of the year will always be Thanksgiving. 

I love the crispy colored leaves outside, the chill in the air, the sound of Canadian geese migrating south, the promise of Turkey dinners, time off from work and visits from family.  

This year we invited Rachel, Brent, Ben and Kat down and it made for a great day.  

The fun started when Brent and Rachel showed up in their brand new TESLA!

Say what?

John was beside himself.  

Brent took John and I for a drive out of town so we could both take a turn behind the wheel.  My stomach turned a bit when we tried going 0-100 as fast as possible.  

It is a legit, crazy cool car.  

For the rest of the day (and the one after) whenever I couldn't find John I would go out into the garage and sure enough - there he'd be. 

Just standing there.   Watching it charge.

Ever heard of a charcuterie board?  

It too was legit. 

Crackers, bread, chips, sausage and salami's, cheeses, fruits, oils, and jellies...

It all went along splendidly with the Turkey, stuffing, vegetables, gravy, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.  

One day (and twenty pounds) later we said goodbye to our company, thankful for their visit and determined to enjoy family and our many blessings more.  

This life is legit.  

We are so thankful for all it has brought our way!

A Summer of Yard work -

I have been reflecting today on this place we get to call home. 
We have been here for 5 months now.  Almost half a year.  

When we purchased the home, there was snow on the ground.  By June, the snow was gone, but a healthy field of weeds had taken it's place.  The garden was abundant with weeds and really, the entire back yard seemed to be made up of them.  The grass that did exist was spotted, sparse and on the verge of being completely choked out.  

The size of this yard was a blessing, but we knew we had our work cut out for us.  

Within a week of moving in - we set to work.  

We started on our hands and knees, pulling up each tangly little plant, trying to get the roots too.

I know this yard looks like it is green and lush , but it is ALL weed!   

Like - 80% lush and thriving weed!

It didn't take long to see that if we went about it this way, it would take weeks, maybe even months. 

It was time to bring out the big gun - Grandpa's rototiller. 

We really debated taking the tiller to the remaining remnants of a lawn, but the hope was that if we could tear up the earth and knock the weeds down and then plant new grass, that might give our backyard a fighting chance.

So, we tore up the garden and the lawn.  Planted grass seed.  And then covered it all with a layer of lawn clippings which turned out to be an awesome move.  (Yay, John!)   Within days we saw beautiful, bright green cross poking up through the matted covering.  

It was the most hopeful sight!!!

We had been excited about this little shed that sat at the back corner of our yard.  The previous owners had used it to store their lawnmower etc, but we turned it into a little lounge area for a while, affectionately called The Swamp.  

We tried to make it useful, but as we watched our lawn start to grow, we knew we wanted more SPACE, so this thing just had to go!  

Crazy what a difference that made.  Removing that shed opened up our view and made our yard feel that much bigger!

(John took a break from all the watering to build a new gate for us on one side of the house.  

The goal is to one day be able to update our entire fence!

We are so glad we did not give up on this lawn.  We feel confident that with some extra seeding in the spring, a little bit of love, and a whole lot of vision - we will be able to turn this yard into a real oasis.  It is going to take some time, but we are super excited! 

Sometimes it takes a Storm

This past weekend we were blessed with the biggest, most bestest gift EVER!  

As Thursday approached, we began hearing about a massive snowstorm headed our way.  An unprecedented snowstorm.   A snowstorm of the decade. 

John, Sam, and Abby had to travel to Medicine Hat for a tournament, but regardless of that - I still prayed, crossed my fingers and hoped that this would be a time when the weatherman would be right.

I was not disappointed. 

On Friday evening Jessica, Nate and I cleaned the house, gassed up our vehicles and filled our fridge with groceries.  After a quick trip to the pool to warm ourselves in the hot tub, we returned home for a late-night of watching M*A*S*H together, more than ready to settle in for a few days of storm.  (For the record, a clean house, good food, and great television are all you need to survive a major weather event.)  

The snow started coming down late Friday night and did not stop until Monday morning.

By Sunday evening we had already received 2.6 feet of snow.  Church was canceled.  The school was canceled on Monday.  It was AMAZING!

We spent those two days reading, journaling (hence this post), preparing Moroni's Quest notes, watching TV, napping, and playing games together. 

It was a forced R&R and I loved every minute of it!

The novelty wore off a little bit when it was time to shovel our driveway and Grandpas, but even that couldn't entirely dampen the magic of this snowfall. 

I recently stopped by to visit my Aunt and Uncle. 

This beautiful tree stood at the edge of their driveway.

I'd never noticed it before, but on this day, it was so striking.  

My Uncle George explained that it was a tree given to them by my in-laws (Max and Marilyn) years ago.  He said it is normally very ugly and unassuming.  "The wrong tree, planted for the right reasons."  Every year though, for a brief moment, it bursts forth in incredible color grandeur.  Then he is reminded of how great it is and recommits to appreciate it's beauty.  

He actually wrote a poem about it and gave me a copy of it to share with Max. 

I thought it interesting that just has his poem declared, it is not a tree I had ever noticed before.  

On this day though, when viewed against the background of deep green and stark white, it stood out in the most majestic way. 

Sometimes it takes a storm...

Elk Watching - an annual tradition

Every year since moving here, and I do mean every year, we have gone to watch the elk in Waterton.  It is my absolute favorite time of the year.   It is a busy time of year, but it is always a priority to find an evening to enjoy the autumn colors and watch these fascinating animals.  

They always gather as the sun goes down, in the field just below Vimy.

We cheer for the bulls as they fight for their herd, we listen to the eerie bugling and we watch the sun go down.  

This year it was only Jess, Nate and I who were able to go out to Waterton and I am not sure how I feel about that little change in our tradition, but I will take what I can get.  

Here's to crisp, cool, autumn evenings. 

September happenings

Oh man, September was a wild month.  

Every time I look out the window and see those crisp autumn leaves I am reminded that change is okay.  Change is okay.  Change is okay. 

The preparations for Moroni's Quest have officially begun.  We are hoping that this is an event that the whole stake will feel a part of.  A few weeks ago we launched our stake wide Book of Mormon reading challenge and introduced the theme for Quest, and really for this year of preparation.  

The theme is "Power to Know," based on Moroni 10:5.  

The hope is that this will be a year of power for anyone of us who seek to know and see truth.  

In that regard, I hope it is a year of change for many, myself included.

A few weeks back we got a message from Brother Paulson asking if we could come in and visit with the Stake Presidency.  Knowing that our Bishopric was due to change, John felt fairly certain that he would be called into the new bishopric.   I felt torn and truly struggled to embrace this new change.  He hadn't even been called to anything yet and I was already fretting about how this would affect our calling with Quest, as we would surely be getting released.  

Turns out we were both right and wrong.  

John was called into the new bishopric, but we were not released from our Quest responsibilities.

I'd taken my books and notes to turn over and everything!  haha

John was called to serve as a 2nd Counselor. 

Our Bishop is our next-door neighbor, Kelly Bielert, and the 1st Counsellor is John's friend Jamie Atwood.  Executive Secretary is Norm Watson and Ward Clerk is Mike Despain.

I have moments where I wonder how we will handle everything on our plate, but then I remember that change is good, right?  

John will get a lot of fulfillment out of this particular calling, I am sure.  

September was a month of harvest.  

(I love it when the seasons change, and autumn is my favorite season of all!)   

We didn't move into this house early enough in the spring to plant a garden of our own, but we were able to help tend another garden, which provided us with delicious deliveries like this, every now and then.  

One Sunday afternoon, I was delighted to notice that everything we were eating had been homegrown.  Everything.  Cucumber and tomato salad... creamed potatoes, carrots, and peas...chard...even our fried fish had been previously caught by Jessica!   

How organic of us!

I felt encouraged and enabled as I considered that we could live off the land if we had to....so long as we had a fishing license and other people's gardens to creep through that is. 

 Yes, we would be just fine!  haha

Every year I care a little bit less about Halloween.  I have so much fun handing out candy and I love the excitement in the air, but finding costumes for six people is a challenge of epic proportion. 

Luckily,  I've discovered it is so so SO much easier to just buy them online.  

It is so not as affordable as my former ways, but I give the kids five minutes online, place the order and voila - I'm back to loving Halloween.

Nathan's costume arrived this week.   Need I say more?

With September comes Volleyball.  And a LOT of it! 

This year Abby, Sam, and Jess each made their teams.

That means practices every day of the week, games 3-4 times a week, and tournaments a few weekends a month. 

It's been fun to watch them all excel and strengthen friendships.

Last week Nate, Jess and I went out to Waterton with one plan and one plan only - to enjoy our annual horseback ride!  

Jess and I don't like to let a season end without getting our ride in and this time Nate said he wanted to try it too.  Nathan has never even sat on a horse, let alone ridden on one, and as the time to leave for Waterton neared, he grew increasingly anxious about it.   

We promised him that if he would just "sit" on a horse, we would let him call the shots from thereon.  If he wanted to ride, we would ride.  If he didn't want to, we wouldn't.   Jess and I were definitely crossing our fingers and hoping that he would feel comfortable enough and we were THRILLED when he gave a crooked little smile and a cautious thumbs-up. 

What a beautiful afternoon it was! 

The stables were at a different location this year (while a new permanent facility is being built) and we LOVED that our guide took us on a new trail this year.  It's always interesting to me how interesting a place can be when seen from a different angle.  

We went home that night feeling content and happy to have enjoyed such a lovely fall day.  

There is a slight chill in the air.

Things are slowing down.

Leaves are turning.

The days are shorter.

Change is good.  

Change is good. 

Walk by the creek - Family photos take 2

Because my kids were so helpful and willing to let me take their pics on the first day of school - I had to try again.   I can't say they were any more willing, but...

For the love of Betsy - just smile!

This summer was full of adventure and growth.
We spent a lot of our time settling into our new home which has proved to be one of my favorite adventures so far.  

It felt particularly fulfilling to take some back to school photos in front of a home that is our very own.  Though I can only speak for myself.  My kids, for some reason, don't find much fulfillment in back to school photos.  

Their lack of appreciation for the "Family Photo process" was made evident in the sheer quantity of ridiculously uncooperative poses they offered up.   

Sigh..."Smile at the camera" seems like such a simple request.  

That time John fell on a dam stick - (Graphic Content)

At this very moment, on September 29, we are experiencing an unprecedented snowstorm.  Church was canceled today, school is canceled for tomorrow... we are literally snowed in!

What better way to spend a snow day than to update this little online journal with some of the biggest happenings of this past month.  To do that, I will have to go way back to the last few days of summer.  Back when the days were still long, the weather was warm, and the biggest worry on my mind was how we would possibly spend the last three days of summer. 

We knew we couldn't let school begin without doing a "dessert run."  Inspired by John's brother Jordan, this entails visiting a restaurant of choice with intentions to only enjoy dessert.   We decided to order every dessert on the menu and what fun it was!  We just sampled each one and tried our very best to pick a favorite.  While we stuffed our content faces full of chocolate, mouse, and cheesecake we each took turns and shared highlights from our summer.  It was such a fun way to cap off a truly incredible summer.  We may just have to make dessert runs an end of summer tradition!

The kids really loved learning how to shoot this summer.   We snuck out to Beazer one evening so the kids could take another crack at it.  I'll proudly admit that I reached further targets with ease and totally held my own if I do say so myself;)   Nate was super proud of himself.  Grandpa was nursing a sore shoulder due to an injury and didn't shoot, but he normally has the sharpest eye of anyone!   We stayed out until dark.   What a special place that land on Beazer is.  We sure felt grateful to my Uncle George for letting us spend some time on it this summer.  

There is no way we would end summer without venturing out on one last fishing trip.  

Well, first we attempted to do a hike together.  

We drove south, entered the U.S through the Chief Mountain border, and (after being warned about active bear activity) reached the start of the Belly River trail full of hope and anticipation.   We took one look at the sign posted at the head of the trail (you know the sign that indicated that it would be a 20 km hike in total) and decided that we would skip the hike and go straight to fishing!

So much for good intentions;)

The silver lining though (because there always is one) is that we were in territory completely new to us.  We've never explored the Belly River before.  We LOVED it!  

We found a great spot to stop and fish and enjoy the view. 

We stopped around noon to have lunch.  It may have just been my imagination playing tricks on me, but that last picnic of the summer seemed yummier and tastier than any other.  

 The fishing wasn't great, but the company and the scenery were!

As we were headed home my cousin's wife Shannon texted to let me know that she and her kids were out at Beazer and that we were welcome to join them, if we wanted.  It took John all of twenty seconds to respond.   He's grown quite attached to Lee Creek this summer as the fishing there has been good to him this summer;) 

Here is where this post gets a little graphic.   (And believe me, it does get graphic.)

While Shannon and I were visiting, John and Sam had walked further along the creek in search of an ideal fishing spot.  Around the bend and up, just a way was a beaver dam which hovered over a deep pool that had made for great fishing in the past.  

I was really enjoying my visit with Shannon when Sam came running back to us and reported that we had to leave, because "Dad had hurt himself."   He had apparently been standing on the dam, when he slipped, landing on a branch and slicing his calve wide open.  A second or two later, John appeared through the trees, hobbling for sure, but moving in a way that clearly showed he was in pain and feeling no small amount of concern.  

One look at his leg and I knew our end of summer party was officially done.  

 John was a trooper.   I drove him straight to the emergency and left him there while the kids and I returned home and cleaned up.  John's leg had fragments of wood in it that needed to be picked out and 10 stitches were required to patch him up.   He rested for the rest of the evening, no doubt wondering how he was possibly going to navigate through the first day of school AND volleyball tryouts with a leg this sore.

If he only knew how sore it was actually going to get.  

This accident happened on Monday.  By Wednesday his leg had doubled in size, he could hardly bend his knee, he was flaming red from his ankle all the way up to his knee and he'd resorted to moving around the school in a wheelchair that he had found in the staff room.   

By Wednesday night we knew we had an infection on our hands. 

Well...in his leg, but...you know what I meant.

Back to the emergency, he went, though he probably should have gone in much sooner.  He was put on IV antibiotics and for the better part of a week had to go in once a day for treatment.  

About a week ago, things finally stabilized to the point that he could get his stitches out and move normally again.  

What an ordeal for him.

Definitely an eventful end to a few adventurous final days of summer.  

And just so that last picture doesn't stay fresh in your mind, here is a lovelier image to remind us of all the much more beautiful summer moments we were blessed to enjoy before John fell on that dam stick!    

(John roles his eyes every time I try to be puny about that, but it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up;)

HAPPY END OF SUMMER!

Summer Snippets

A few pics from my iPhone that really made me happy this summer:

Summer drives always bless us with amazing colors!

Nate and I snuck off to have Bacon Maple Waffles in Waterton one morning.  We felt a little bit deceitful as we didn't tell the others where we were going.  (We chased our guilt down with some maple syrup and all was well;) 

Nate has had such fun with friends this summer.  S'mores, swimming, and Minecraft.  That about sums up their summer experience;)

Sam has IMPRESSED me with his growth, his increased work ethic and really just his overall likeability.  When did he get to be so fun?

Nate has made my heart melt.  He made it almost through the summer without getting a haircut, but John isn't one to let it get too long;)   Isn't Nate scrumptious?!!

Jess walked every dog she could get her hands on this summer, but no dog was loved more than Nala.   We've noticed grasshoppers this summer more than ever before.  I love grasshoppers! 

 Jess also spent a bit of time visiting with her hero Linda B, who is not well.   They have this little jar that they use to share notes, treats, and other pick me ups with each other.  

Oh that Linda is a special one!

We've managed to squeeze in a few canning projects.  This year I made raspberry jam and pickles, and I hope to do tomato soup next month!

I think it is safe to say that I have had my fair share of ice cream, though I've not enjoyed anything other than tiger.  Is there a better flavor out there?   I wouldn't know it! ;)

I also received an acceptance letter to attend the University of Calgary in the spring of 2020. 

I'd applied way back in December with hopes of starting this past June.  As April approached I began phoning and emailing as I hadn't heard anything.  I was always assured that I would get in just fine, but word of acceptance never came.  I tried to be disappointed but truth be told, this has been a crazy year and this next fall/winter look slightly overwhelming too.   In my heart, I knew it wasn't the right time.  There was definitely some relief mixed in with that frustration of not being accepted.

I was delighted though when I received word that (even though they don't know why my application for this year was missed) they will happily accept me in advance for NEXT year. 

 I will begin in July 2002.

What?  That is PERFECT!  

It gives me the chance to get through some big things this year.  ( A possible surgery, Quest..etc)

It kind of has me thinking that God knows what we need.  His timing is better than any others.

This summer was definitely one for the books and it looks like next year will be too!

A Payne- full night

We are definitely feeling the need to soak up every last summer night. 

John and I head back to work this week and the kids all start attending early next week.  

Why????!!!!!!

One evening last week we drove out to Payne lake for a bit of fishing/paddle boarding.  

I read a book while the kids played.

We stayed out until the very last minute possible.  

It was so calm.  So perfect.

It wasn't until we had gotten home that I noticed I was missing the cash I'd had in my pocket.  If it were just a small amount, I would not have been too bothered, but it was a hundred dollar bill I was missing and I just knew it could only have fallen out while at Payne.  

So...at 11:00 at night John and I decided to drive back out in hopes of finding it. 

This was incredibly frustrating.  It was dark.  We weren't certain the money would even be there. 

 We were so tired!  

While we drove out, John reassured me that this could have happened to anyone and we got some alone time to talk.  It was so nice to just talk.   We've never been out at the lake that late at night before, it was so cool!   The black water looked so perfectly still and eerie, the campers had all gone to bed and without town lights, we couldn't help but notice how full of stars the sky actually was.  

We stood on the dock for a while and stared.  And listened.  

We weren't staring at anything particular, and we were listening to the sound of absolutely nothing but it felt as though there was so much to take in!   Is that weird?   

We got back in the van and headed for home feeling particularly grateful for the turn of events that gave us that late-night visit out to the lake.  

 Oh yeah...we totally found the cash we'd thought we needed.  

~Turns out - that really wasn't the valuable part of the drive out at all~