Week 44 Oct 27-31 Halloween

This week: Halloween, temple, 

Josh: appreciating steph for making things fun

Steph: Best days of my life, library fun, PTA changes, AI videos

Michael: School, pickleball, therapy, AI

Madi: friends, Max, classes, Halloween

Camryn: note from Jack, Halloween, Suzanne, boogram from Grace?

Madi

Madi

I love the library.  When I'm there I daydream about bringing in a bed on wheels and living here for a month, spending an afternoon in each aisle, and just reading to my heart's content.  When I went upstairs looking for the kids and happened upon, my heart melted.  I'm glad they love the library as much as I do :)

Josh loves pushing buttons and certainly enjoyed sending me this pic with a cheeky caption. :)

Madi: Costume

Will: class party

Camryn and Madi decided on m&m's early on, thank goodness.  We bought shirts from Hobby Lobby, made the m's at the library makerspace--thank goodness for them!  We had bows in our hair and little dots of face paint.  Was a cute costume to put together and Camryn enjoyed planning it with Suzanne Vellinga.

Steph: Costumes.  I picked up a "Zorro" set off of marketplace for Michael.  Thank goodness they offered me the shirt after I had already gotten back in my car!  It saved the day.  Will was the mastermind behind the boys' secret agent costumes.  He really wanted his suit to be black, and his old suit was almost too small.  So a late-night trip to Target and a couple of online orders did the trick :). His briefcase is my art folio, he's wearing my sunglasses, and a black BT headphone for an ear piece.  Westley wore Will's old Sunday suit, the ear peace, Josh's sunglasses and my clarinet case for briefcase.  

Caught up with some neighborhood friends.  MJ, Lillian and a few others crossed our path for a few minutes.

In one of the cul-de-sacs on 1100 E, the one with lots of decorations, I was watching Westley run from house to house, saw my girls chatting and giggling in their matching costumes, I knew that Michael had taken off with Taylor and Jake, and Josh and I were talking and walking together.  A great sense of peace came over me.  The kids are happy in this moment.  I'm enjoying being in awe of them with Josh at my side.  We stopped at President Perry's house and he gave Josh a hug.  My heart was full.  A lot of work was put it into this moment, they don't just happen.  This happiness was built.  I love these people and I'm proud of my handiwork :)

Steph: 

Westley is coming into his own!  Josh and I talk often lately about how much he is changing and how his personality is developing.  This year he was very opinionated about what he wanted to be for Halloween.  I went through so many costumes with him.  First it was chicken jockey, then stick man, then secret agent, then back to stick man, etc.  When it came down to it, we couldn't find the costumes he wanted so he went with secret agent.  I searched for a couple of weeks for briefcases, asking around on groupme, family, etc, but nothing.  Finally we settled on a my art folio for Will and my clarinet case for Westley.  It was so perfect.  From the moment we began trick or treating, Westley was running from house to house, briefcase flying at his side!  Then when he would get the candy, he would stop and carefully place it in his briefcase, and then he was off running again!  Josh and I were laughing and admiring him all night.  In the end I think he was thrilled with how his costume turned out, so I'm thrilled too :)

Madi decided to categorize her candy and of course Camryn was no far behind.  I'll have them insert their pie charts below:

Michael AI videos and summit prep

Week 43 Oct 20-27

 

CAMRYN LOVES PHOTOBOMBING

WESTLEY GETS 💵 FOR READING OUT SCRIPTURES

RANDOM PEOPLE DRESSING UP

SELFIE

I am a genius so krispy kreme gave me doughnuts.

                                               I got 6 3s and 6 2s so that proves that I am the smartest.

I GOT FREEEEEE

FOR GETTING ALL As WHICH WAS MEH PRETTY EASY

Michael taking a nap when I went to pick him up from Timp to drive him to Mtech.

We bought our house October 29, 2022.  Every October I fall in love again with the beautiful leaves around our home.  I love the glow it puts over everything :)

Pablo Sáinz Villegas and friends guitar concert.

Orchard Family Hike!

We did Riddler Road Rally!  It was fun but the driving scared me.  We took 4th!

I loved how shiny and wavy my hair turned out this day!

                                               I dont no what I was doing in this picture

                                                I stact my bean bags to make a tower it was cool

This is me neglecting Westley's soccer game.

Week 37 Sept 6-13: Charlie Kirk, Service Project

This week: 

Fam: Charlie Kirk is assassinated at UVU

Steph: Service Project at Orchard/Canyon View

(Written Nov 2025.)  I saw a few headlines about Charlie coming to UVU to speak.  I didn't know who he was, so I didn't bother reading the articles.  I was in a PTA mtg when I got a msg that Michael's school, Mtech, was on lockdown.  I stayed calm and pushed the panic down.  Probably not anything.  And then a msg from Dallin on Honeycomb saying Charlie had been shot.  My first reaction--he'll be fine.  80% of people survive being shot, this was probably some idiot who was a terrible shot, there will be a lot of drama, and then this will all go away.  Then the principal and vice principal had to leave the meeting. I began to see the messages and articles.  I talked to Holli on the phone, and then Ryan.  Everyone in shock.  This is a beloved person, and an inportant figure.  I'm on the phone with Ryan when he tells me that Trump tweeted that Charlie had died.  I see news stations all over the world reporting about Orem UT and realize how big this is.  For the next few weeks this feels huge.  Memorials, conspiracies, there is no place on social media that isn't covering Charlie, memorials at Timp Hospital where he died, memorials at UVU, memorials written on cars, and tshirts and backpacks at school.  It feels a surreal.  Ryan McBride assigned to his case.  Tyler Robinson.  Dairy Queen photo.  Candace Owens.  Erik Kirk.  Conspiracy theories.  

We still know very little about what happened, and we don't know how much to trust the FBI.

The service project was... incredibly stressful.  It was nice to do something to serve the day after Charlie died, and 2 weeks before Max would die.  But it was a difficult few weeks and hours to get through.  I think I'm glad?  But I would have done it very differently if I could do over again.