Churchy Saturday

I spent Friday cleaning after Halloween hijinx and then de-Halloween’ing. I managed to get it all done and it feels so good. I put up thanksgiving and decided I need a few more thanksgiving things. 

Saturday started with a run and then I made rice crispy treats for the Evans baptism. Adi came with Matt and I and it was sweet to be with our ward family and newest neighbors. 

Matt and I were itching to get to these crazy leaves, but first, a wedding!

Lilton and Kimmy’s wedding was at 2 and Matt and I offered the prayers, so we dropped Delaney off at ballet and the wedding was really lovely. They are such a cute couple and we’re so excited for them. Lilton had a good number of missionary lessons in our family room and Matt baptized him, so it’s wonderful to see him progressing. 

Then the church Homecoming dance was at 6:30 and Matt was driving and chaperoning, so everyone came over at 5:30. 

Alecia had planned it all out that Josh would drop kids off and I would pick them up, but then Bishop Wiest asked if there was any way I could chaperone. It had already been a full day of church stuff and I have to admit I didn’t want to, but didn’t have a good reason, so I said yes. I sustain my bishop.

Then Josh and I were texting Saturday morning about how Chris was chaperoning and we didn’t want Iris to be left out of the kid car and have to go alone with her dad, so Matt was like “I’ll drive with Chris!” So long story short, Matt took my chaperoning spot and drove the jolly green giant up with these 5, and then Lily came home with them. 

Adi didn’t really want to go, even though she dances all the time at home. 🙄 We ordered them new dresses and they spent the afternoon getting pretty and then Chelsea was just as excited about pictures as I was, so it was perfect!

Aren’t they just the cutest? Love them and love seeing them all dolled up!

They reported back that there was only about 50 youth there, so that kind of stinks. 

I had told Matt to get everyone a treat on the way home, so they stopped at chicfila and Chris insisted on buying them, so that was sweet. I just want the kids to be unified and love spending time together and I’m not above bribery. 

Q in his uniform! I die!

I thought the kids could use a break from their seminary teacher, but alas, it wasn’t in the cards. At least he had a buddy to chat with all night. 

It ended up working out beautifully because Delaney and I had the best night together. First up was a frosted sugar cookie Dr. Pepper from sonic that I loved but Delaney said tasted like chemicals and then I couldn’t quite get that out of my head and tastebuds. Still good though. Sidenote - that also happened with goat cheese, which historically I have loved, but ever since we went to the pumpkin patch and pet the goats, who just happened to smell exactly like their delicious cheese, I can’t handle goat cheese anymore. My tastebuds are being crazy lately and I’m not a fan. 

Next stop was Dollar Tree for movie snacks and then Hobby Lobby for Halloween clearance, thanksgiving cuteness, and Christmas viral’ness. I’d seen several reels with some must have viral Christmas loot from Hobby Lobby, and then Delaney ended up finding a bunch of fun things for her room, including this amazing rhinestone cowgirl hat. 👇🏻 

Our last stop was Giant for seminary brekkie supplies and finally, home. We made up mega-couch and popped popcorn and ate our movie treats and had such a good night!

The homecoming crew got home and were like “mega-couch! Yessss!” and we all hopped on. Also, this was one of Laneys HL finds. It’s her money, so whatever. I bought a pack of those cute hats and she asked if she could have one for her guy. 

Special time aaaand I didn’t even fall asleep. 

It was a busy church, friend, service, family kind of Saturday. 🤍🦃🍿💒 

Halloween 2024

I prefer taking tenkor on the path behind the school because there’s less chance of running into other dogs and the mayhem that comes along with that. 

Alli brought me this new sody. I don’t think it tastes much different than a regular Coke Zero, but the different flavors are fun. 

Delaney’s 7th grade pictures. I’m looking forward to an end to the closed mouth smile era. I used to always buy school pics, but now I just get individuals when we get our family pictures. 

We hosted our annual pre-trick or treating dinner. It’s funny how through the years our LG group has grown and shrunk many times over. This year we’ve got 2 new families and everyone was able to come, which made for 32 people! Fun and crazy but unfortunately our hosting area is kind of small. So I worked all week to move all of our basement stuff from the formal dining room to the garage, just in case we needed to spread out that way (we didn’t). 

Thankfully it was warm warm warm and we were able to keep the sliding glass door open and all the kids ate outside. 

I made up the menu and prepped all day, then the girls helped when they got home. Frankie made the veggie tray skeleton. 

Adi made pizzas from scratch with ghosty cheese. Michelle brought over the beautiful Nutella tree. 

I made nachos and Frankie drew the sour cream spider web. 

Delaney helped set everything up and bake the taquitos and chicken nuggets and witch’s brew punch. 

Someday we’ll have a nice hosting backyard. In the meantime, we have this and lawn chairs. 

I didn’t have my phone most of the night, so of course this gem was in my camera roll. 

I had invited the sister missionaries because I figured it would be fun for them to pass out candy with us. It was fun to chat with them and I’m glad they weren’t just sitting in their apartment. Warm Halloween, friends, missionaries, it was wonderful. 

It was a weird Halloween in that Delaney was our only trick or treater. Frankie didn’t even get a costume, she just couldn’t decide. She picked little costumeish things from our stash for parties, but not anything new. Adi was a witch, but didn’t want to go trick or treating. They just watched a movie instead. 

This beauty came up in my memories and Delaney agreed to recreate it, so I sent it to Sarah and Ellie agreed too. I can’t believe these 2 were babies together and now their big girls, almost women. 

Thankfully Sarah got the shot while I was hostess-with-the-mostest’ing. Loved ‘em then, love ‘em now!

Misc.

Christian has family day on Friday where families can come see their soldiers fly. The boys are practicing wearing their earplugs in preparation to see and mostly to hear all the helicopters. 

Also Emmett had pajama day and wore his cute Halloween jams I got them when I visited. 😍 

Delaney has been experimenting with mascara and eyeliner and I am choosing all my battles lately, so I’ve been letting her. She’ll be 13 3 months from today, actually. We all laughed at her and I showed her a picture of Marilyn Manson during scriptures. 

Life from Frankie’s perspective. I look/am so old!

Lexi has been doing at home preschool with Carter and he was excited to learn my letter today. 

Also:

• I walked with Sarah and Ezra 
• We went to the dentist and the whole crew only had 1 cavity
• Matt was sick this morning so i pinch hit at seminary for him. We played jeopardy and then charades and there was lots of laughing and even a little learning. 
• Tenkor is here and she’s got the loose bowels and this is me every.time 🤢 
• We had a nice Tuesday night home evening 

Weekend

I decided I’m going to build our game closet by myself. I told Matt and he was like “I’ll do it.” But I explained to him that this is something I want to do for myself to see if I can. I found a video to copy and measured my space and painted some of the scratches in the closet and then had Matt check my measurements and then I was off to Lowe’s where it took way longer than I thought it would to find a board that a) was hardwood and b) was large enough to do all the cuts I needed. Like I needed 26” on one side and 19” on the other so I spent a long time figuring that out. I finally got an 8x4 that was perfect. And then I found the nicest little Lowe’s worker and he cut me 6 boards, 18 cleats, and 6 front edges. That also took forever and then i had to run (literally) to buy my paint and then run (literally) to the space car where I carefully pulled my sweater over my hands because splinters are 👎🏼 and then I ran to get Laney from dance. I’m excited! 

I’ve had some busy church weekends with trainings that needed prepping and studying - which was wonderful and I’m not complaining - but now those are done and I’m hoping to have time for my project this week. Though it is Halloween week and we are having people over, so maybe not. 

Perimenopause can suck an egg. 

And we cleaned the church Saturday morning and then Matt and I walked up to the ballot box where he dropped his vote off. It was windy and we’d just cleaned the church, mmmkay? But the fall colors are stunning and it’s been so nice and warmish cool and October has been the best!

Delaney had her first Nutcracker practice and then we finally got our date. This girl thinks big thoughts and has big feelings and is smart smart smart and we had some tough conversations that have got me freaking out and also trusting the Lord. She’s 12, she’s fine. And also I wish I just had an easy kid. Just 1. Just 1. 😩

The good news is that she tells me a lot. Not everything, but a lot. And I just love her to pieces. 

Saturday night we went to the Gravelle’s Halloween party. 

We sat down in the front room and there were several people in there but then everyone slowly migrated to the kitchen where the drinks were and we visited with Sarah and Tony and it was just us in there for a long time. It was definitely our least social party night there, but 🤷‍♀️



This morning I had stake council, went to the Capitol Wards primary program and RS, then we had their T&FH training council and that all went really well. Susanne and Heather and I visited after and then I talked to bubba on my way home. Frankie made Mac and cheese for dinner and now the girls are all at a fireside and we’re getting ready for the new week. 

The Glow Park

Alecia and I went walking Thursday morning and then I gave blood and then I took a nap. 🤗 At 4:30 we loaded up the jolly green giant and headed down to Richmond. 

Chantell and crew invited us to 4 things, none of which we felt we could do. But then as we talked more about it we decided we could have a tired Friday and meet them at Maymont Park. 

We talked in the car on the way down and all wished we weren’t going. And then on the way home we were all glad we’d gone. Always the way. 

We got milkshakes at Wawa on the way down and then got dinner from the food trucks at the park. Delaney got a pepperoni grilled cheese and tomato soup. I told her I didn’t want that because I have a really delicious tomato bisque recipe and I didn’t think I’d like their tomato soup, and sure enough, she didn’t like it. Thankfully Matt eats everything. Adi got Brunswick Stew, Frankie a shrimp basket, and Matt and I shared a Philly cheesesteak. 

My flower girl Delaney I and loved these floating poppies!

Maymont Park is kind of like Ann Marie Gardens, and they have this cool Glow event each year. 

It was really really beautiful. 

And this October's weather has been the best! It was just a tiny bit chilly, but not bad at all. 

Delaney and Adi are across the pond. 

We love spending time with the Virginia Rays, so glad Chantell always pushes!

The reflection on the water was stunning. 

Delaney loved this spot too. 

There was a fog machine and she’s always had a thing for fog machines. 

These girls love each other. 

D didn’t bring a coat so I texted Zoe and asked her to bring one, but then she just wore it around her waist the whole time. 🤷‍♀️

These glow swings were fun!

They swung around, but I am not about that life 

I just swung it like a regular swing. 

It was such a good night!

Almost 20 years with this guy. ❤️

After 9:00 the park was pretty empty so we had to enjoy it. 

You could make pictures with these little color sticks. 



And Dan and chantell got all pg-13 at the color wall. 

I guess Delaney walked with me most of the night? Or just requested a bunch of pictures. This is a very D heavy post. 

Matts camera is so nice!

Little mermaid grotto. 

And girls and their phones. 

Because Matt’s camera is better…



We stayed till 10 and got home at 11:30. The girls asked to skip seminary, but then when I woke them up everyone got up willingly. 

It will be an early Friday night for us, but totally worth it! 

This morning I got to go to Frankie’s classroom for a movie festival. The students made PSA’s and we got to watch and rate them, only we ran out of time so we won’t know how won until Monday. Frankie and her partner did Just Say No to Peer Pressure. ❤️