September 2017

Lets review September!
First weekend in September we celebrated the baptism and birthday of Travis Alan Carpenter, a fine and handsome young man and the middle child of Heidi and Gabe. Gabe treated the whole family to Dominos pizzas and made sure to bring a gluten free one for me! :) We love Travis.

I was on a mission this month to help my parents find a more suitable home for them and my Grandma Rappleye in a closer location to me so I can help them more and Grandma can be closer to other family members. We've been looking and thinking about it for 6 months and I decided it was time to really move my feet, even if it was only to tread water, so I looked for properties every morning, sent potential homes to Jared to review, and set up showings on the weekends for my parents to look at the ones Jared filtered out. My parents worked hard at cleaning out their home and getting it ready to list, as buying a home is contingent on the sell of theirs. I went to Eagle mountain to be with my friend Cami Turpin who was taking professional pictures of mom and dad's house for the listing, and one the way home the moon was red. Lots of fires around the world made for some crazy haze around here. Anyway, we may have a potential buyer and do have a home we are trying to negotiate on, so pray it will work out!

We celebrated at the Snows for Katherine who is expecting a baby girl in October. She had an adorable pink bubble/balloon theme because she is "about to pop." Those Snow girls really know how to put on a party.

OK so a major change happened this month for Savanna. For reasons I can't enumerate on a blog, she decided that she needed to change high schools, having a pretty powerful spiritual experience that is what she needed to truly heal. We tried to transfer her from PG to Timpanogos High. However, they had just implemented a policy that they were not accepting any more transfers unless it was an emergency and turned us away. After some prayer and thought and input from Savanna, we decided to try Liahona Academy, an LDS based private school with a theater arts emphasis in Pleasant Grove. We had to unenroll her, register her at Liahona, get a schedule figured out, buy new books, meet with the assistant principle, go to a parent meeting, and spend lots of money on the tuition and extracurricular things like Shakespeare student contest (where Savanna happens to be at this moment in Cedar City) and youth conference at Sundance. It was a lot of change for me, and Jared is freaking out a little at all the money slipping through our fingers over this transition. I may have to find a full time job next year to supplement the cost, but my Savanna is worth it! A smaller, more structured, LDS focused environment that gives her motivation to go (she loves theater arts) may be the only way to keep her in high school til graduation.
Savanna also has been keeping her three times a week chiropractor appointments all month to adjust her neck and that is no small feat since its a long drive to south orem in rush our traffic. She likes me to come sometimes and keep her company while on the traction machine.

Savanna's science project

 I was feeling particularly strong one day and decided to watch my sister's kids Penny and Jamin while she went to the doctor. Ha ha, just kidding, Holly happened to ask if I could and its a pleasure to watch my nieces and nephews. I got to watch Heidi's cute kids a couple days this month as well. Its fun to have some play time once in a while. Sometimes I make it harder than it needs to be by insisting on walking the kids in the hot sun in the wagon to pick up weston from school, we were all a bit heat-stroked after that.

I get to participate in all the Relief Society functions because of my calling as 2nd counselor, and this month we had a Thrilling Thursday full of craft/take away activities. I got to make the signs for each station. Was a busy week but a satisfactory turn out and success.

Jared and I have struggled this month with parenting stress and trying to make something work for all stake holders in my parents potential move. But we have pulled through and are still very in love. :) We continue to work on our "hobbies." He built himself a work bench and then made some porch chairs. I'm took a selfie on one to model his completed project, sitting on the work bench.
My aunt Linda Whiteley encouraged me to come to her art class with Dan Wilson, and for two hours I learned how to sketch again. I used to sketch all the time 19 years ago, so it was fun to bring my artistic hand to life again. I've been trying to practice when I can so I can be better at the next art class in October. I added a few pictures of sketches I made.

Fiora is doing well in math so far this year, which is a huge relief because she seriously struggled in math in 8th grade. She is making the effort to stay after with the teacher and get help until she understands it and its paying off, she got her first perfect score on a math test in like 5 years! She is being responsible about homework and helps with chores and animals. She loves to spend time with friends too. Her best friend lately is Lucy her cousin, and I got to take them to the general womens session of conference up in Salt Lake. It was rainy and cold but fun to be among so many sisters in the big conference center.

Jared bought me a eskimo coat that covers me head to toe since I'm always cold Sep-May

 Weston is doing well in school also, has all A's except one A- in US history right now. Its working out well for him to have a release time on B days so he can come home early and have homework time before hitting the gym for 4 1/2 hours. He doesn't have gym on Tuesdays which gives him more of a break during the week, but that means he has gym on saturdays, which also means he misses a lot of gym on weekends when his dad takes him on father/son or scout campouts, but they had a great time in Payson lakes last weekend. While we went to SLC for womens conf, Jared and Weston went to JCW's for a burger. Those two love to watch AGT and BYU football together as well.

We had a bishopric change in our ward and the sister in the RS wanted to have a "thankyou bishop Morris/welcome Bishop Montoya" social after church the sunday of the change. The RS president was out of town so everyone was coming to me for the OK and preparations to make it happen, which was interesting, but since it was an informal munch and mingle it worked out fine without too much stress. Actually we got a lot of positive feedback from ward members that we should do this after church more often.

Jared keeps busy with work and comes home late a lot, but he always makes time for his Young Men's calling. This month was temple month so the youth had a fireside one week, went to the temple to do baptisms another week, and walked to the temple the last week. We all gathered at the temple to reinforce the idea that families are forever if we make and keep our temple covenants.  Thankfully Savanna was willing to come so our family could be together at the temple that night! Love them.

August 2017

August started with a trauma. While my parents were enjoying their summer trip to England, their dog Ozzie slipped a disc in his spine and his bottom half was paralyzed so he couldn't pee/poop or walk on his bag legs. Of course we had to take him to the Pet ER to find this out, all we knew was he was in pain, trembling and not eating or eliminating. It was a 3700 dollar surgery to fix so my parents had to put him down, which was a very sad day. I happened to be there to help with Grandma, so I had the privilege of taking him to the ER with Joseph and holding him during his last moments. Ozzie was a good dog, we had a little memorial service in the back yard later. Ozzie was Justin's dog first, so he shared some cute pictures of Dextin and Ozzie as a puppy 6 years ago.

Ashlyn Snow and Santiago Ramirez were married August 5. They are our current tenants in our basement apartment as well which is great, we love having them in our ward. We had a lovely summer day wedding and Ashlyn looked just beautiful.

The next morning my niece Lexi Schauers was baptized so we had even more fun Schauers family time! Ava her sister was my little buddy at the reception and remembered me the next day. She is a riot.

By the way my parents had a GREAT time in England and its been mass chaos ever since they got home so they probably wish they were still there. Mom bought me a puzzle which I immediately put together, twas so fun so Kynsie and I traded and I did her puzzle too. Jared finished his woodworking project for our porch.It turned out lovely and we have spend some nice summer evenings sitting in it,which I will miss greatly when it gets too cold.

Weston has been into card throwing this month, he goes through these phases where he wants to master some skill and puts all his energies into it, so yeah he has learned how to throw playing cards at top speeds so they can slice through glass and such. He threw a card at one point and missed his foam target, it flew clear across the kitchen and hit Savanna in the cheek and broke the skin! He is literally going to "shoot someone's eye out."

My aunt Betty Ann and Uncle Steve dropped by one afternoon to give us a gift from Rachelle Wilkinson, personalized water mugs! It was so awesome to have a visit and get a gift as well. Betty Ann lives in Cypress, just outside of Houston so she had to live through Hurricane Harvey and her house was inches from being flooded, thankfully stayed dry, but so many down there were not so lucky. We were praying for Houston!

Fiora asked me one morning if I would like to hike to the G with her, and I said YES even though it was looking kind of stormy outside. We had a fabulous time, it wasn't too hard and the lightening and thunder and wind made it feel even more adventurous. There was not a soul besides us on that hike, which is very rare around busy Utah Valley these days anywhere you go. Fun memory.

Wendy and I got to see Dry Bar comedy one night because Jared had a young men's activity conflict. It was super fun and I super LOVE my Wendy friend. Fiora is doing well, my little flower child that she is. She seems to be happy in 9th grade so far, has been working hard in math and as a result got her first 100% on a test, which has boosted her confidence in it some. She ran for Choir class president too and we see how that turned out this week. She is a beautiful delightful girl who loves to give hugs and say she loves you, but is a little too much on her phone. ;/

  

 Jared spent 6 days over the course of two weekends at Woodbadge, adult scout camp. His troupe was the Bobwhites, ha ha. He learned a lot of great things and had a good time, but that was a huge commitment.  What a committed young mens leader he is, trying his best to be a good example and leader. Jared still loves his dog and Weston does too so I'm glad we have him.

Kaizlee Williams and Suzette Carpenter turned 1 this August so we all went to Neptune park to celebrate. I love having an excuse to play with my nieces and nephews! Heidi and Gabe ran a half marathon that morning and were still excited to party, I would have been at home dead like a truck ran over me.

 

There was a solar eclipse this month too. Of course my phone doesn't capture it but if you look close to the left you can see a tiny reflection kick back of what the sun looked like. The coolest part was how dim and cool it was outside.

 

Then there was the first day of school August 22nd. Savanna started 11th, Fiora 9th, and Weston 8th. So its back to get up early to make breakfast and run carpool, but not much different for me who has always gotten up early. Jared allowed me to buy the girls a back to school gift, birth gem stone rings to remember who they are and that we love them and are glad they were born. Jared always wants in on the back to school photos, its hilarious. The dog and cat got photos too though they are not going anywhere but hovering around my legs at home.

 

My brother Jesse and his wife Kelsy Barrett had their third baby and first daughter on August 24th, Everlight Field Barrett. I got to have a sleep over with Knightly and Bourne at my house while the birthing was happening. It was so fun to have them over, but let me tell you the older you get the more scattered your brain is when you have toddlers around all day! Somehow their needs managed to be met but I lost a few items along the way. Everlight is just as cute and precious as her big brothers!

Savanna got bangs, she looks very cute in them. She continues to bless us and challenge us every day. Sav goes to the chiropractor three times a week to fix her forward neck issue, and is still on psychotropic medication, but nonetheless still has some emotional problems and faith crisis. After having another "I feel too sick to go to school" episode, all the environmental issues came out, and she has decided that her current friends are not the best influence, she needed to divorce one of them in particular, and she was having bad memories at PG high so we transferred her to Liahona academy. Jared is still somewhat against this idea but I have hopes it will be a good thing for her, we will see. She starts next week. We really love Savanna and feel so heartbroken that this year has been so difficult for her.