This month's pack meeting was the Rain Gutter Regatta. For those of you who don't know what that means, it is instead of the Pinewood Derby. The boys design, carve and paint their own boats and sails and then race their boats down two rain gutters placed side by side and filled with water. What makes them go? The boys blow "wind" into their sails. The boys loved it -- it was great pandemonium all around. A nice change from the Pinewood Derby.
Driving
Madeleine passed the written part of the Driver's Ed test, has her Learner's permit and is wanting to go driving all the time. All of you lucky parents who have been through the 40 hours of required driving will instantly be filled with empathy. Madeleine is our 4th child to learn to drive. I'm wondering if I have it in me to go through this 6 times? Hmmmm....... the best part of our current situation is that Phillip is over 21 and can take her driving -- I'm liking that! If you need any errands run, give us a call...
BYU Homecoming
We decided to take the kids to the Homecoming Spectacular this year down at the Marriott Center. I can't even remember the last time we went. It was fun for the kids to see all the different performing groups -- although I was disappointed that the ballroom dance team didn't perform. We got to see Tess down there with her roommates. She seems to be having a great time during this first semester of college. She had front row seats the next day to the football game and I spied on her the whole time with my binoculars -- I felt like I had to "check out" the guys she was sitting by. From across the stadium, it looked like she was sitting next to a couple of older men -- it turns out they were students who had sprayed some white spray paint into their hair!
Recitals and Concerts
Elliot performed some fun pieces in a fall percussion recital with several other students. He performed a marimba solo as well using 4 mallets. It is so fun to watch and listen to -- he did great! Elliot was also in the fall band concert and Madeleine was in the fall strings concert. This year Madeleine is playing the violin in one of the school quartets. This was their first performance. They were a little nervous, but they sounded great. It is sure fun to see all the lessons and practicing pay off.
The volleyball season came to a close with Waterford varsity team taking third place in State, and the Jr. Varsity team taking second place in Region. I took some video, but long ago gave up trying to take still shots. A professional photographer came to one of Madeleine's games, so now we have some fun action shots. I think it is easier to pay someone else to take the photos rather than buying the equipment and learning how to myself!
The "Shirley Saga" continues. Just when we thought Shirley was getting fairly close to going back to the Wellington, we found out that at the present time, she cannot re-apply for the Flex-care program that was paying for assisted living. So, she will have to remain in a nursing home for some number of months -- maybe for the rest of her life. Needless to say, this was heart breaking news for us and for her. After some tears and some anger (Shirley kept wanting to throw things!) we decided to move her to yet a different nursing home. This one is in Sandy and only 10 minutes from our house which will make it considerably easier to stop in and see her more often and to pick her up to take her places. Already we are much happier with the aides and the care she is receiving. We are praying that she can settle in there and be content. All prayers in her behalf are much appreciated. She did get her casts off and is waiting patiently to be fitted for some support braces that she can wear with her shoes.
Elder Brown
Loren is doing well and has now been out on his mission for nearly 9 months. He is in Weslaco, Texas and has a new companion -- Elder Putnam, whose middle name happens to be the same as Loren's (Berrett). He is probably a relative, but as yet, that hasn't been established. We can tell that he is learning so much from all these experiences and we are so grateful that he made this choice to go and serve the Lord. He is looking forward to the temperatures cooling down slightly in the months ahead.
Phillip
Phillip is living at home this semester and taking a poetry class at BYU one night a week. He is working full time at Meridian Title and managing to save quite a bit of money. It is really fun to have him here. He is very helpful around the house and makes a real effort to spend time with his siblings. He will make a great husband and father.
We had a fun Halloween this year. It is getting easier and easier as the kids are getting old enough to carve their own pumpkins and too old to need costumes. It has been fun all these years, but it is ok now, not to have to go trick-or-treating with the kids, but to be able to settle down with treats and a really scary movie. I know...I sound old. The truth is, I'm starting to feel old.
Phillip did his own design (of course) and I am sad to say, that as I was moving things around on the counter later, that I bumped his pumpkin and it fell onto the floor and broke into several pieces. I just want you all to know that I made such a valiant effort to save it, that I plunged my arm into the middle cactus (see the previous photo) turning my arm into a pin cushion of sorts. Also, madeleine spent a good little while putting his pumpkin together again (sounds like Humpty Dumpty...) but gosh darn it, when Phillip got home from work he did notice that something was wrong. He was very good about it -- I just felt bad that we didn't get a "before" photo. It is interesting to tell you however, that 2 different trick-or-treaters commented on our cool pumpkins -- "especially the middle one" which was Phillip's.