November happenings

 Another dream came true this month. Our dryer bit the dust, it served us well for 10 years. The washer was still doing amazingly well but we decided if we are getting a dryer might as well get a washer to match. Well, Jared did the deciding. He came home one day and surprised me with a home depot purchase, feeling a little glum because he just bought us a car, but this was a necessity as the tenants use the washer and dryer every week as well.  I have used them and they are great appliances and I am very grateful!!! Before and after shots below.

I was able to go to TWO social work conferences in november. The first was at BYU and was training on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th ed. that came out this year. I was able to see some friends from my social work program and learn lots of good stuff, eat lunch both days, and it only cost $15.  It was nice to catch up with one of my best friends and a most respected clinician Shannon Young. The other conference was a David Burns workshop on treating anxiety in Salt Lake City, I had to bring my own lunch, and it cost $269. Thankfully they gave me the option of working as an aide for the workshop so I got a $90 reduction on the cost, but I had to be there at 7:00 AM and stay to the end.  I loved every minute of it so I wouldn't have left early anyway, and I learned SO much that I am trying to implement this very week with my clients. My its a little scary to implement new techniques and push people a little harder, and to ask for feedback after every session to test whether I am being effective, but I have faith that with the Lord's help and the death of my ego it will make me a better qualified therapist. David Burns is actually one of my heroes, I read his book "Feeling Good" in 2005 when I was suffering from major depression and it helped me so much I decided to learn more, which spurred me onto school and counseling, and I've read it three times since, so I think he is brilliant. He has helped 35000 people overcome mood disorders and I can count on one hand how many I think I've helped! I don't ask for pictures with people very often, but I couldn't resist asking him to take a photo with me. He is very much into asking people to do things that are awkward to uncover hidden anxieties and cognitive distortions, so I was required to tickle his stomach in order to get a picture. 

My sister Karli Sue went off to school and got engaged!  She is marrying Grant Searcy on December 27th!! Woohoo! We are so happy for Karli Sue, and I love weddings in the family. She is an angel, and she found a very nice guy who loves her a lot. In fact they seem a little too "perfect", hope they know how to fight, ha ha. Time to celebrate! I will be throwing her a bridal shower next week and these are Holly's pictures I used for the invitation.

The pinewood derby for Weston and the YW in excellence events were held at the same time in different buildings, so I had to go to YW while Jared went to the derby. Weston had gone to Gunnison to have Grandpa Neil help to cut out his car, and he painted it himself and was very proud of it, but it didn't weigh enough so it got 3rd place every time and he was disappointed. Fiora wanted to make a car too for whatever reason and had a fun time running her car down the track after the scouts were done with it, and didn't care at all that it was slow. She is funny. Savanna's project for YW was 10 hours of temple work, and she made a display (the day of) and wasn't very happy with it so she didn't let me take a picture, but I took a picture of her with the temple print I bought for it. It auto rotated it the wrong way so its upside down. She had a disappointing night also, but hey, according to Burns we are only entitled to 5 good days a week anyway. That's Life!

The end of October

The end of October I was trying to finish up Christmas shopping and projects. Yes, I try to get it done by November because I have an aversion to crowded stores and expedited shipping in attempt to get it here in time. So all online purchases and things I can't just grab at Walmart I like to get before the busy holiday season begins. Thankfully my client load was light, (another reason to get it done early, November and December are my busiest months at work) and opportunities presented themselves to make this happen (i.e. Jesse and Kelsy who we have for Christmas this year wanted to go Christmas shopping on Halloween yeah!) Jared only made fun of me a couple times for having Christmas on the brain in October. I reached my goal and I am happy, which goal included painting furniture and making a craft for my girls to hang their earrings and jewelry on, I'm not a crafty/painty person and it took more time than I liked, but I did it and I'm proud.

I held a piano recital on October 25th, and it was a huge success! I've never had such a flawless recital. AND my cute students Ashley and Cole brought me flowers. It was a confirmation to me that I'm doing the right thing spending two afternoons every week giving lessons.

Halloween was more fun this year than in the past, maybe I just had a better attitude, or maybe my refusal to engage in a power struggle with Savanna had something to do with it (she likes to suck me into her dramatic indecision-making process in finding costume ideas and then composition of that decision which rarely ends in satisfaction on her part), anyway I dressed up like a fairy and enjoyed myself at Kali and Justin's family party and the trunk-or-treat with the ward this year. Savanna dressed up like Katniss from Hunger Games, she managed to find combat boots, a mocking jay pin, and a black jacket despite my refusal to buy her any such thing. Fiora was a cute vampire, although she may have been trying to go for the hot and intimidating look. Weston wanted to be Harry Potter, he has caught the Potter craze lately, but he couldn't find the round glasses that usually are kicking around the house and had to settle on being a ninja again. They scored lots of candy and Fiora has made herself sick on candy Nov 1st, and asked me to freeze the rest; whenever Jared sees a candy wrapper left out they have to give him a candy bar so Jared is scoring lots of candy too.

Jared and I have been humming and hawing over the idea of buying a smaller car for our family for the better part of this whole year. The Yukon has served us very well, but it is getting old and has high miles and is a gas guzzler, we like the extra space it offers but we really don't need extra space that often as a family of five. Jared found a decent deal on a 2008 Toyota Highlander this week of the make/model options we want, and it was in Cedar Hills so we could run up and look at it, and it was clean and never been owned by anyone but that lady, lower miles and in good shape, had the optional back seats to seat 7 if needed, and she accepted Jared's lower price offer, so we got it!  Jared was stressed, he doesn't like buying cars, such bad investments, but I was thrilled and I love it and he is happy that I'm happy, and now we just need to sell our gold beast. I am very thankful.

Weston was given the option by All American Gymnastics to sell popcorn as a fundraiser for his personal meet fees. I was all over this idea, and I offered to walk around the neighborhood Saturday to sell popcorn to people I felt would be willing and able, but I made him do all the talking. I even hid in the bushes sometimes. People were very generous, and probably couldn't resist such a handsome and brave 9 year old trying to earn money for his gym meets, most people he talked to bought at least one item. I was very grateful for the people in our ward! He was so happy coming home with $229 worth of sales. He was a little crushed however, when I informed him that half the money goes to the popcorn people and the other half goes to his gym meet fees. He thought half would go to the gym and half he would be able to keep himself! I felt so bad that he had that misconception, no wonder he was working so hard to make sales!  I tried to explain to him how much we pay for his gymnastics and how much Jared and I appreciate him working to earn some of the money for it, and he felt a little better, but still, bummer. I'll be buying him some popcorn, gets here before Christmas.