Sweet Tooth

As everyone who is not currently in a coma knows, this year has been different for many reasons. Now the holiday season is nearly upon us and it will also look different. The mass gatherings and large parties are on hold for now and while there are definitely things I’m looking forward to, it is not going to be exactly like normal. With these serious thoughts in the forefront of my mind, I have found myself in need of some whimsy. We generally take turns choosing our weekly FHE treat, but when I told my kids I intended to highjack the treat for the rest of the month, they responded with enthusiasm. They know me well. 😁

This evening held our first October treat surprise. The enjoyment I had in creating it was equaled by the enjoyment my family had in seeing them. And the enjoyment we all had in eating them was enormous. The original idea used chocolate chip cookies, but I think tossing frosting on a chocolate chip cookie ruins both the cookie and the frosting. And as much as I enjoy food that looks fantastic, it has to taste good too. So I discovered a no-roll sugar cookie recipe and it was delicious. It will most definitely be making repeat appearances in our treat rotation.

Our fang-tastic Dracula dentures were only the first holiday themed surprise on the docket. I’m so looking forward to the others!

Five Reasons I Love My Kids

1.When family picture time comes around, they don’t roll their eyes, they get excited. 

2.If I suggest they do a picture wearing face masks to commemorate this year’s hottest fashion accessory, not only do they comply wholeheartedly, they spontaneously decide to do some very serious Kung Fu on Covid.

3.When they are not in front of the camera, every single one of them is behind a camera capturing shots like this:

Malia

 

Matthew

 

Daniel

4.Over lunch, we had a good discussion about general conference in which they all participated.

 
5.After being trapped in our house for half of this year, they still love each other…and mostly even still like each other. 😉

Strength in Numbers

After six long months of church at home, today we finally went back to church. In the spirit of complete honesty, I have loved having church at home. Our weekly SCONES has been so good for us. It has strengthened us and brought us closer together. The Spirit has been stronger in our home. We have had so many good discussions and we have all learned a lot and been uplifted. And with accommodations for Covid still rampant, I was a bit skeptical about how church in the building was going to be. I mean, only half the ward, intense focus on cleaning, completely different procedure for the sacrament, multiple cameras set up in order to broadcast for those who were not invited to be present this week or do not feel comfortable coming…there are a lot of differences. But one thing was the same. The Spirit was there. When we sang the opening hymn, I realized how much I’ve missed singing with the organ. Now, our ward is not fabulous at singing. The majority of the time it feels like the Estes family singers with a couple of additions. But you know what? It didn’t bother me. Whether or not others chose to sing, I was able to raise my voice. The opening hymn was “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” and I felt like it was chosen with inspiration. It is not a hymn that we sing often nowadays, but I love it. And the message is so perfectly fitted to the world we are living in. In the third verse there is a line that made me emotional as I sang, “We are not divided; All one body we: One in hope and doctrine, One in charity.” After such a long time being unable to meet, it was such a touching reminder of what a blessing it is to be able to gather as saints. We are stronger together and there are great blessings to be had in uniting with others who share our beliefs. There are still many challenges to be faced as the last days progress, but when we are united as families, relief societies, priesthood quorums, wards, and saints, we are all strengthened.

Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See his banners go!

At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory.
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthems raise.

Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the Saints have trod.
We are not divided;
All one body we:
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.

Onward, then, ye people;
Join our happy throng.
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the King.
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.

[Chorus]
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.

(“Onward, Christian Soldiers” Text: Sabine Baring-Gould)

The Smell of Autumn

Yesterday was pie filling. Today was applesauce. Next week is apple butter and maybe some apple jelly. I always associate the smell of apples, cinnamon and pumpkin with fall and the entire house smells deliciously of autumn.

Sentinel Strong

Despite the many changes in school routines due to Covid, our high school is doing everything it can to provide as normal a school experience as possible. One of those normal things is selecting students of the month and Sentinels of the month. Each month, ten students are selected as students of the month. They can be in any grade and are nominated by a teacher for being outstanding students in one way or another. The two Sentinels of the month are seniors who have excelled in a variety of ways and stand out for having a positive impact within their circles at the school. The entire faculty works together to select the Sentinels each month.

Last week Nathan got called down to the office and although he reacted to that news with trepidation, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was being honored as one of this school year’s first Sentinels of the Month and not being sent home to quarantine. The principal then proceeded to share with him one of the reasons he was selected. Over the summer, as Nathan was trying to figure out what his school schedule needed to look like, he emailed the physics teacher (whom he had never met) and basically asked her to change the period that AP Physics was taught so he could take the class. Apparently, it became widely known that Nathan has requested a change to the school master schedule so that he could take more math classes. And the school was able to comply which is not only pretty darn amazing but provided a great deal of entertainment value to the faculty. The whole thing made the principal laugh, but in a good way.

This morning Kevin and I were able to attend a small awards ceremony at the school. It was a light breakfast (sack lunch style in a nod to safely handling food in a Covid careful world) where each student was highlighted, given a nice certificate and presented with a 2020-2021 school pin. These particular pins are only given to students who are being honored in some way, so it is kind of a big deal. Nathan also received a small glass trophy (for lack of a better word). Each one of Nathan’s teachers wrote a paragraph about the impact he has had on the school and the reasons he stands out to them. Those comments were all printed on the back of Nathan’s award certificate and it was so fun to read about the person that he is at school. I’m so glad that despite his concerns about the possible implications of going to school in the middle of a pandemic Nathan has been a force for good in the school. It seems like there is not enough good to go around these days.

6 Months Gone

As of today, it has been exactly six months since everything shut down due to Covid. At that point, we all thought it would be a matter of weeks, maybe a month or so, until life got back to normal. But here we are, six months gone, and we are nowhere near normal. In fact, I firmly believe that life will never be just the way it was before. These kinds of worldwide events always leave their mark and I think the world we are left with afterwards will be changed in subtle ways.

My family has been changed in subtle ways as well. Our faith has been increased. Our relationships are stronger. We are more certain than ever that the Lord has a plan for us and knows things that we do not. And we know that he has our best interests in mind. If asked, I’m sure every one of us would say that we wish Covid had not become a thing. But if it hadn’t, would we be seeing these blessings in our lives? I’m not sure we would. In the church we have always been taught that one of the main reasons we were sent to earth was so that we could be tested. And we are also taught that adversity makes us stronger. I have seen that in the way my children respond to yet another cancellation or disappointment. I have seen it in their increased understanding of the scriptures we read. I have seen it in their attitudes towards our family scripture study and SCONES. I have seen it in their willingness to wear a mask and keep moving forward in their schooling despite the anxieties and restrictions involved.

In general, I think we are all doing the best we can to move forward and create our new normal. Kev is still working from home and while he was certain that he would never be able to work effectively from here, he has found a routine that works for him. Nathan is still working and has jumped back in to school with some trepidation, but also with the realization that some of the changes to his schedule that came about in large part due to Covid will bring him a great deal of joy. Daniel was embraced the complete rewriting of his life timeline and has jumped into college life with both feet and a great deal of enthusiasm. Matthew is learning to face his fears and has realized that his friends and his music spark joy in his heart. Malia is adjusting to altered school routines and finding that different is not always bad. As for me, I’m being reminded that it’s ok to show weakness and that I don’t have to be the strong one all the time. Well, that and I’ve picked up some great tips from binge watching “The Great British Baking Show.” (I can now make a very passable ciabatta. It has become one of my family’s favorites.)

Oh, and as a last hopeful note, my 94-year-old uncle and my similarly aged aunt who both tested positive for Covid a few weeks back are both well on the road to recovery. They are certainly made of tough stuff.

Giddyup!

 One of the many casualties of Covid are nearly all the experience gifts we gave our kids last Christmas. Tours, concerts, exhibits, rec centers…they were all canceled and closed. It has resulted in a lot of disappointments this year. But now that things have normalized a bit, Kevin’s mom was able to follow through on the experience gift she gave Malia. Amongst Kev’s extended family, there are quite a few that own and ride horses. His mom made arrangements with her brother-in-law to teach Malia a bit about horseback riding and take her for a ride. While it had originally been planned for spring, rescheduling it for the fall made Malia one happy cowgirl.

Kevin accompanied Malia as they traveled to the location where the actual riding would take place, and then Malia and Kev’s Uncle Don took off and had a grand old time perusing the hills on horseback. After their ride, they went back to Uncle Don’s house and Malia got to see his leatherwork. He makes his own saddles, and they are just beautiful.

It was such a fun day for Malia. I’m so grateful for all our family and their willingness to share such a memorable day with her. It will be one of those days that stands out in a good way, unlike the many less positive memorable days we’ve had this year.

He Knew

Anyone who has been watching the news knows that there are huge wildfires raging in Oregon right now. The plumes of smoke are massive enough that parts of the west coast are nearly as dark as night at midday. A million people have been displaced in the area of Salem, very close to where Daniel was assigned on his mission. Smoke has always been one of Daniel’s worst asthma triggers and the smoke is so bad right now that if he were in Oregon, he would be in dire straits. In his own words, shared with me this morning, he said, “The smoke would be killing me...literally.” I’m so grateful that Daniel is not in Oregon right now. He is extremely grateful as well. This morning the Lord gave me a bit of knowledge. It was like he was saying, “See? You didn’t know, but I did.” It was one of those moments when he helps me see his hand in our lives. We all acted in faith earlier this year when Daniel came home and now the Lord has given me just a glimpse of one of the reasons why he needed to come home.