Our Thanksgiving tree this year: 

Me (helping Jack read the scriptures by whispering the words to him for him to repeat): "... for the space of three years

Jack:... for the species of three years...

Camille, reprimanding herself for something: ugh, I forgot the 'T'! Cammiiii-llle!

We wrote letters to Santa last night for family home evening, and Jack just drew all the trucks he wants for Christmas. It may be the most adorable letter to Santa I think I've ever seen! 

 It's been a busy couple of weeks. We were in the midst of November and Thanksgiving and fall and I was loving it.

This Thanksgiving week, I only did one day of school with the kids, on Monday. We took an extra day because we can! And also we didn't have as long of a fall break as public school, so I felt fully justified. It was nice to have most of the week off of school. The last couple of full weeks of school I've kind of struggled a little. Sawyer makes it really difficult because he's so needy when I have to do school. But I was also less patient with the girls. Brooke has taken to staying up late at night again (she was doing a lot better for several weeks, going to bed on time), and she fell apart every single day during school, saying it was too hard and crying and turning her brain off. And I had a hard time being a) sympathetic, and b) patient, because it seemed a problem of her own making. And Camille was constantly taking what I said out of context and yelling at me and getting upset for the littlest things... 

Anyway, I didn't really want to dwell on that. I'll just say the break from school was very nice and gave us all a needed refresher. We start back again on Monday for a few measly weeks before we break again for Christmas. 

I finished my Christmas shopping this week!!! I'm so happy about it. We had stuff in our gift box of things that I had bought for kids for past Christmas or birthday gifts that we didn't use. So I planned to use up a bunch of those, and then I ordered a few things to be sent, and then a went along a few times to get all the rest and I'm DONE! Even with parent gifts and gift exchange gift. Now I can relax and enjoy the season with my friends and family and go to all our parties and not be stressed and have to worry about Christmas shopping. 

Earlier this month, I was racking my brain trying to think of things to tell Daniel he could get me for Christmas. I did think of a few things. But I feel like I have everything I need and want, and I really want to do something generous this year for Christmas and spend some money on other people. Daniel makes pretty darn good money, I feel so blessed and so fortunate, and also something of guilt for having so much when SO many people have so little. I'm trying to think of what we could do and how we can be generous this year. 🤔 

I've been going to the temple every week this month. I felt inspired at stake conference, so I scheduled appointments to go every Friday this month (well, I missed that first Friday because that was the weekend of conference). It's been so nice. I'd like to try to keep doing it for December as well. My thought was that this was my gift to the Savior this year. ❤ It's also a gift to myself, though, because I love the peace I feel in the temple and I believe I have felt the spirit more this month because of my time in the temple. My hope is that the sacrifice of time and the being in the temple will invite the spirit into my life and the lives of my little family, and that we'll have God's power working in our lives. 

Thanksgiving was fun. Brooke had planned a Fall Festival for our family for that day, just like the one she did last year sometime in November. We colored leaves, bobbed for apples, and created hands turkeys. There were a couple other activities that some of us didn't get to (creating your own comic strip), but it was very fun and such a nice way to spend time together on Thanksgiving. She also made us chocolate cupcakes for a treat. I love that she wants to plan a little party for us every fall, it is the cutest thing ever. (Daniel won the apple bobbing this year, by the way. But even Jacky Boy bobbed for an apple and got one!)

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Gramma and Grampa Holbrook's house, which was just so fun. Everyone brought something to share (I made a massive batch of mashed potatoes and my artichoke pesto dip), and the food was delicious and it was so great to see everyone. Gramma had bought gingerbread house kits for all the grandkids, and after dinner they all got to work putting their houses together. I love this new tradition my mother in law started a couple of Thanksgivings ago! All the cousins get to do gingerbread houses together. 😍

The last couple of days have been chill and relaxing at home. We had planned to do a murder mystery dinner with some of our family the day after Thanksgiving. But Daniel woke up sick, and we decided to postpone it to later on in December. So we cleaned up the house, we decorated for Christmas while listening to Christmas music, and had a movie night with the kids instead. We watched the new animated Grinch, which Daniel and I thought mediocre, and had a picnic on the floor of takeout food. It was fun!  

Yesterday we just hung out at home, mostly. The girls and I did a tiny bit of shopping, and Daniel took them mountain biking in the afternoon. I spent a lot of time working on Sawyer's baby book and have made some good progress! I'd like to get it done in time to wrap it and put it under the Christmas tree. 

A couple of things to remember: 

• Every single school day, Jack comes upstairs to be with us, and draws the cutest, most detailed trucks on the white boards with dry erase markers. I love them so much. 

• Sawyer is starting to be quite the little trouble maker. He can push the stools around and climb up them onto the counter and get into things. The other day, he got chia seeds everywhere when he was putting the cashews in the chia jar. 🙄 Daniel put the stools in the basement for the time being, until he outgrows this mischievous phase. He's also very cute, though, walking and running around. He has the most adorable baby dance, and we just love to watch him. 

• Camille and Brooke have been spending soooo much time reading. Once we get done with school, they plop down on the couch with a pile of books each and read pretty much the whole afternoon. I think our weekly trips to the library are helping this -- there's no end to the new books they have to read. Sometimes, I tell them they have to go do something else. 😂😂 I'm all for reading and I love that they love to read so much, it's definitely what I want. But they need to do other things too! Play and run around and move their bodies. 

The other day, Jack and Camille were playing so well together, nearly the whole day. This is worth documentation, because they normally fight like cats and dogs. They made this huge elaborate fort, with the stools and pillows and blankets and a bunch of heavy stuff I had bought at Costco the night before. They made a huge mess of the family room, but I was just so happy they were playing so well together. Then I caught them reading together; Camille reading to Jack. ❤❤❤

Jack today: Mom, I'm taking my picture wall down because... because... because of covid. 😂😂😂

 Sawyer's been getting into all sorts of trouble lately. Just today, he dropped his lamb into Jack's bath this morning, dropped Camille's church shoes into the toilet, and tried to climb out of his crib when I put him down for a nap after church. He was kind of crying while he was supposed to be napping, but we just ignored him, thinking he'd calm down in a few minutes, which he did. But then we started hearing different noises: knocking on the door and little sounds from the busy board in his room. Daniel and I looked at each other and said, "did he climb out of his crib??"

Yes. Yes, he did. And gave himself a gnarly bloody nose in the process! He must have just tried to climb out, and ended up falling on his face. Poor little man! 

Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to him NOT to climb out of his crib again. 😬🤞🏼

 More things I don't want to forget:

• How Brooke has Raman noodles everyday for breakfast (when we have them), and makes them herself
• How Sawyer wants to eat my food all the time. He has a very sophisticated pallet. 😂🤩 He must wants to eat real food. He opens his mouth at me and says, "Aaaah!" (Translation: feed me some of that, mom.) He loves eating whatever I'm eating and he's so adorable about it, I can't resist sharing with him. 
• Today, as we were listening to religious music (it was the perfect Sunday evening. I was making breakfast burritos for dinner, Brooke was making an apple pie for dessert. The other three kids were sitting at the barstool watching Brooke and singing along to the music. And Daniel was in and out, doing random stuff and tidying up), Daniel told me to look over at Sawyer and he was moving his mouth like he was singing. And he was making little noise like he was singing. It was so cute. He is in such a fun stage!! 😍
• Brooke made her first pie today! An apple pie! It wasn't perfect -- the crust had several big cracks in it -- and I did help her a little bit and explain what to do, but she did it pretty much on her own, and it turned out so well! It was really yummy! 

• I simultaneously love and hate watching my kids grow up. It's both fun and sad. There are proud moments and moments of regret. It's such a strange thing, this juxtaposition and concurrence of opposites.

 Yesterday I had a glorious hour with just Sawyer. The other kids were at Sarah Frei's house. And he and I played and chased each other in the basement, and had snacks, and tickled, and it was so fun. Then, when I had to cook dinner, I put him on one of the tall stools, and played some fun music, and we both danced and he pretended to lip sync (because he saw me doing that) and we laughed. Man! It was a good time! He's a fun and delightful little squirt. 

He also kept putting Jack's Mickey Mouse hat on his head, and then trying to put it on my head. He was so adorable, and I had a lot of fun paying all the attention to him. 

 Things I don't want to forget: 

• How Jack calls the library "li-berry"
• The kids taught Sawyer how to raise his hand and say "me!" And it's the cutest thing ever. 
• Brooke zoning out of a conversation Camille and I were having, and then saying, "Wait, I missed that. What's going on?"
• Brooke and Camille spent almost the whole day reading books today. We went to the library yesterday, brought home a big haul of books, and now I have to tell them to stop reading and go do something else. 
• The kids love to do these conversation cards at dinner. Tonight I learned that Brooke, Camille and Jack all want to learn the guitar. 

Thoughts on a Sunday

 Stake Conference Notes:

President Bullpit:

•  Invitation to read and study all of President Nelson's talks since he became prophet and President of the church. 

Temple President: 

• Putting God first in our lives - every other aspect of our lives will be blessed. 
• God be most important influence in my life 
• It is because of and through Jesus Christ that we can have joy. He is the source of joy. 

Sister Singer: message to the youth

• The Lord has promised that he will raise up friends for us, if we need to leave the association of friends, he will not leave us alone
• As we move towards the temple, the Lord will refine and purify us. Go to the temple grounds and be close up the temple (with the kids, so they have a chance to be at the temple) 
• As we go to the temple, the Lord will be our teacher.

Other thoughts: 

• We started our Thanksgiving tree this week. Welllll... actually, I haven't gotten the actual tree up yet (I'm hoping to put it up today). But we've been adding leaves to our wall already. It's one of my very favorite traditions! I love seeing what we're all thankful for.
• I couldn't handle the Sawyer cuteness today at stake conference. The plaid shirt, yellow corduroy pants and missing one shoe, with striped socks showing. It was adorable. 

• Every time Brooke sees Daniel and I kissing, she goes, "awwwwww!" It's the cutest thing ever, and such a change from when I used to go "ewwwww" when my parents kissed.
• I'm loving fall! I love November fall. The air is crisp, but not too cold; the leaves are changing and beautiful and falling now; the mountains are capped with snow; and that sweet Christmas time feeling is starting to set in. ❤💚❤💚 No, I'm not decorating for Christmas yet. Or listening to Christmas music. I still have a lot of Thanksgiving yet to live this month. 😉 But I like the feeling that Christmas is right around the corner. Stores are decorated and playing Christmas music, and some of our neighbors already have their lights up. I won't do it myself. I'll just enjoy other people doing it. 😂
• We had daylight savings end today, so bring on a week of difficult sleeping for us all. 🙄

"Family naptime"

Edgar Allan Poe Murder Mystery Dinner

 Last night, Daniel and I hosted a murder mystery dinner with our friends. I worked quite a lot on it this last week. We were busy. But it turned out so good! Emily lent us her dark Halloween decorations so we could decorate. 

We had the Christensens, Freis, McCulloughs, and Perkins over for it. Emily came too. She was so good at staying in character. It was Edgar Allan Poe themed, and Daniel played Eddie Poe and had to wear a raven on his shoulder all night. We ordered crust club in for dinner, and most couples brought an appetizer to share. We had great company, great food, and it was a great time. 

It wasn't the best murder mystery night we've done. The storyline wasn't the best; it was confusing and there were weird twists. And there was so much going on. Anyway, it was still fun. 

Adult Session Stake Conference

President Harward:

• Faith in Jesus Christ is similar to muscle breaking down and building back stronger (or the opposite, atrophying) -- if we use it, it gets stronger
• Increasing your faith is the answer to all struggles and problems (quoted from president Nelson) 
• It takes faith to do all the things that we are already doing
• 3 things to strengthen faith: 1) stay on the covenant path -- attend temple, live your covenants; 2) study the words of scripture and of the modern day prophets; 3) pray often. 
• Applications for my own life: deeper study of the scriptures; attend the temple every month, or more often. As I strengthen my faith muscle, it gets bigger -- my faith grows stronger.
• Building muscle takes time and energy and effort. Atrophy happens when we do the opposite, but once it happens, it makes certain tasks more difficult. Take the time and energy to build faith. 

Elder Singer (Quorum of the 70)

• Brother Boyce Fitzgerald testimony-- miracles happen after we take the first step. Takes that first step of faith, and then miracles follow.
• A key to exercising faith -- live according to the promises the Lord gives. Live according to the promises the Lord gives in Patriarchal blessings. Power in living according to the promises. And watch your faith grow.
• Don't discount the work you are doing here where you are. 
• Get comfortable with the temple, with the feeling there. Take your children to the temple whenever you can. Go as often as you can. Think of the sacrifices you need to make to spend time with your children in the temple. Time in the temple. People change when they spend lots of time in the temple. 
• All temple ordinances flow and go together, so do all 3 back to back. 
• The temple is the house of the Lord. How does he conduct his work in the temple? If a mistake is made, does he yell? Does anyone yell? How do people behave? Dress? Converse with each other? 
• What is the Spirit teaching me? Lesson for me: the Savior loves and can save EVERYONE. 
• Our stake and youth need more power. Family history work is the antidote to pornography. 
• If we don't have a foundation built upon Christ and the temple, and invite power into our lives, we will not survive spiritually in the days to come. 
• The Lord will help you, even if you're awkward or clumsy -- it might make it easier for the Lord to work through you. His burden is light. We need to be yoked to the Savior and we need his power. 
• Go to work and save the people you love. Invite them. Prophesy to them. Make promises. Give them blessings. 

The Spirit was so strong in this meeting. Elder Singer spoke for a long while, and as he spoke it was so quiet. Everyone was just hanging on his every word. He entreated us to live worthy and plead with the Lord for more power in our daily lives. 

My big takeaway was that I need to get to the temple, soon and often. I'd like to make a goal, from now until Christmas, to go to the temple once a week. It's hard because temple here are so busy and you have to make appointments well in advance. But even if I can only do initiatories every time I go, it would be better than not going. It'll take some sacrifices for sure. But I've heard general authorities speaking about the importance of the temple so, so much lately. They're almost frantic for us to get to the temple. I need to make it happen. 

I've also been feeling lately that we're really winding up to the second coming. I think it's going to be soon. The way that prophets, apostles and other leaders have been talking the past few years makes me believe that more than ever. I want to be prepared. And I want my family and loved ones to be prepared too. I'll need to seek the guidance of the spirit to know how I can better do this.