Sunday November 1, 2015

Dear Cassidy -

Hi! How are you on this 1st day of November? Actually you'll read this on the 2nd day - but you know...

First thing...I did get your email from Lucy about the housing. Thank you very much for sending that! I got you all signed up and I'm sure you'll have a spot. I'll let you know when we hear anything. I also did get an email outlining the rules/conditions of us picking you up. I think it'd be allowed, so now it's really just a matter of me convincing dad that this is a fantastic idea. You know how it goes around here. I'll give it my best shot and I'll let you know as soon as a decision has been made.

How was your week with your new companion? I'm very anxious to hear all about that. And to know if you possibly got our next package? I tried to time that one a little better. Just wondering. Did you do anything for Halloween? Do they celebrate Halloween there?

How exciting that your mission president got to come to your district meeting! I love that! And I'm dying to know if you are speaking German ALL the time?! That's quite a challenge but think about how beneficial that could be for you.

So - as for us this week...

Monday I had a NAET appointment - just a checkup for my feet, etc. Dr. Joe's been doing a lot more chiropractic work with me than anything else. I always feel really good when I leave there. River opted out of gymnastics this day because she wasn't feeling well. She's been fighting a cold this week. Monday night I had the lesson for FHE. I wanted to do something short because we were also planning to carve pumpkins and do caramel apples. The lesson didn't go super good and I immediately felt grumpy. Sometimes - this being a mom business - it is hard to feel like I'm making enough difference in the lives of you kids. This feeling carried on to Tuesday and I was pretty sad. I decided I'd better get to the temple. I drove to the Payson temple that morning right after River left and it was closed! Of course. It's closed for the next 2 weeks for cleaning. So I didn't give up and was thankful we live so close to another temple. I went to Provo and enjoyed a session there. I needed that! I've felt a lot better after that day.

On Wednesday we had our ward Trunk or Treat/Chili party. It was fun and very well attended. So many people ask about you every time we're out in that kind of a setting. Oh, and I mailed your Christmas package this day, so Merry Christmas!

Thursday I went with Hadlie, Mr. Buck and the Journalism class on a field trip to SLC to the KSL broadcasting building. It was a really good, informative field trip. I was glad that Hadlie wanted me around, even though she didn't sit with me on the bus most of the time. We also went to Nancy's that afternoon to help with the horses and visit with her. She didn't have to be at the temple this week but called to see if we could just come down sometime to say hi. She's a sweet lady with us and I think she gets a little lonely so we're happy to go help and visit:)

On Friday I attended my very last Halloween parade at Spanish Oaks Elementary school. Can you believe I've been coming to that for 15 years???! River tried to talk me out of coming, but I insisted that I'd be finishing that tradition up very strong! After the parade I met Colten at the foot doctor for an appointment to check out the bottom of his right foot. Turns out he has a planter’s wart and got to have it shot with medicine to kill it. It looked like it hurt. He insists its fine. After that he headed out with dad to a Breaking Benjamin/Shinedown concert which they'll have to tell you about. The girls and I had Chick-fil-A (we have one now in Spanish Fork!) and then we went to visit my parents for a while. They seemed to be doing well.

Yesterday was Halloween. Nothing to crazy here. Hadlie and I went to Nancy's. Dad worked in the yard. Colten went to a service project and River got ready for her big last trick-or-treating day. She asked a while ago if she could just go with her friend Ella and their family for Halloween. So we let her do that. And I tried not to be too sad that her 6th grade year is soooo different then when you were her age. Halloween used to be really fun at our other house. Colten ended up going to a party at Heather's house. She's a friend that lives in Mapleton and has been inviting Colten to come to lots of things which is really fun because she'll plan fun stuff. Hadlie ended up having no plans so she and I watched a movie and dad answered the door to the 5 trick-or-treaters that we had. I'm not super sad that Halloween is over. I'll send you a picture of River. She was a nerd. And don't you think for one second that that costume didn't take hours of preparation or lots of $ to put together. Riv had some VERY specific ideas of what needed to happen there.

Today I attended the YSA ward council and their block of meetings. I sat with Abby and Dean, who are definitely a couple:) I talked with her a little in RS about it and they've been dating for about 6 weeks and she seems really happy. Still sort of funny, right?!

Well - that's about it for this week. Isn't changing your clocks back the worst though??? We just did it last night.

I hope you have a good week and know that we're thinking of you and praying for you every day!

I love you so much! Love - Mom