Welcome October

Doesn't that look like fun? 
This was taken this evening at a family dinner with a couple of my siblings and my parents.  We spent the weekend being richly fed with General Conference.  Is there anything more glorious than Conference weekend in October?  I think not.

You know what wasn't much fun?  A basement flood the morning after we arrived home.  Our neighbor's secondary water control valve thing-a-ma-jig got messed up and flowed freely to fill our basement window wells and spill in through Clark's basement window. 
Honestly, it was a pain, but no real harm done.  Frankly, we don't own much (if anything) of value downstairs.  We dried things out with a couple of fans and the neighbors arranged to shampoo our rugs and carpet remnants. 
And in good news... it did force Clark to clean out his room.  I'd been after him for a while to do that, albeit unsuccessfuly.  If it takes a flood, then I'll take it!

Elinor, Cannon, and Faith were super helpers in bailing out the window wells.  So much for getting back into school our first day back.  Oh well, life happens.

Friday evening we went to a mission reunion for Abe's England, London mission.  His mission president and his wife-- President and Sister Steele are such kind, loving people.  As Clark approaches mission age, I am praying he will have a mission president whom he loves and respects as much as Abe does the Steeles.

Even I, who wasn't in the mission and didn't even serve a mission, was moved to tears by their loving words.

Our FIRST Lego League team was back at it this week and our mentors took a wack at the team building activity.

My chuckle moment of the week is when I came home from running and errand and George came out to ask me if his face looked like this dinosaur... because the kids said it did.  

Homeschool bullying.

For Young Women's this week Bethany's class had a chalk fight.   I LOATHE chalk dust, so I don't know that I can think of a more disturbing way to spend an evening.  Well, I probably could think of something worse, but chalk dust all over my body makes me cringe with disgust.

  Oh, the HORROR!

Greta is a good break from school work and Elinor is wonderful helper with Greta.

Faith had her first of three cross country meets this past Thursday.  Without boring you with the details, she caught a ride with neighbors to get their in time.  I thought I could make it in time for her race, but I didn't.  

Sadly, I drove 40 minutes in traffic to arrive just after she finished.  At least she knows we tried.  And we tried really hard.

Fortunately, the Johansens were there cheering her one.  Kara, whom Faith adores is one of the coaches.  Faith has really enjoyed it thus far.  I'll have to plan things better next time so I can see her race.