October 2025

 The 1st-5th Summary: The first day of October was picture day at AES, and thanks to Evan's sternness, Thomas and James wore the shirts I picked out for them. Both of their photos turned out great with no need for retakes! BethAnn helped the boys get ready for school and drove them there because Evan and I were working on my early bull tag. We went to Call Canyon (Renee was with grandma the whole time) in the dark, hiked all the way up in time for the light to catch us, and looked until we were sure we'd see anything and everything we would see, which turned out to be a whole lot of nothing. We came out about 10:30, and Evan went back to school. He came right back home a few hours later and told me he needed to go up to South End and help Garrett haul his buck out. He was gone by 1:30 and got home about 15 minutes after James's first flag football game started. On the 2nd, we went hunting in the evening (BethAnn helped the kids with dinner and bedtime), this time on the 80, and I dropped a 5-point in one shot at 400 yards right at dusk. Dallin, Ben, and Ethan all hiked up and helped finish cutting up the animal, then hauled it out. I hiked out with the gun, and we were home by 9:30. My hunting season is officially over, and it only started 36 hours ago! Renee and I visited Terynn on Friday morning, and it was raining all morning, as it likes to do in the fall. Gratefully, we did not get rain in the late afternoon/evening, so we could take the kids to the SVHS homecoming game against Powell. The game was packed as always, we sat behind Allen and Kristen, and the boys spent the majority of the time we were there running around with their friends. When we were getting burgers from the tailgate, I dropped one, and it fell on the back of Renee's head and down her back! I had an extra outfit, luckily, but her hair was crusty and smelled like mustard. We only stayed until about the middle of the 3rd quarter because the Braves were absolutely sweeping the game. It's fun to have a program so strong that they subsequently have so many victorious seasons in a row. Saturday and Sunday, we watched General Conference. Thomas was sick on Saturday, and Evan spent Sunday sick in bed. He still wasn't feeling great on Monday, but went to work anyhow.

6th-12th Summary: Boys had music class on Monday, and got football photos on Wednesday before their games. On Thursday, I took the kids to the Ward Harvest Party while Evan hung out with Renee at home. He hasn't been to this particular ward party in years because he doesn't like chili, and it's the annual chili cook-off. This year, for the first time I can remember, they had a few other soup options, but he still didn't feel like he missed out. We sat next to the Mavys, and the boys had a blast playing with their friends. On Friday, there was no school, and we ended up at the Simpson's house for dinner and to watch the broadcast of the Braves vs Cody Broncs game. On Saturday, Evan insulated a house in Etna, and I took the boys to a dinner/movie party at Becky's house that evening. She has Netflix and offered to screen the super popular K-Pop Demon Hunters movie for mine and the Rose kids. Bring on all the soundtrack requests and singing now that the boys saw it! On Sunday, it was Covey's baby blessing, so we went to church in Afton at 10:30, then had Chipotle at Ben and Elise's house afterward. Renee did not want to sit still in the chapel area, so she and I spent a lot of time roaming the halls instead. The kids thrived playing in the basement with their cousins after lunch.

13th-19th Summary: Super typical week... just going with the flow. Football was cancelled due to wind/rain.

20th - 26th Summary: The dogs were groomed on Monday, and Thomas only had a makeup football game after music class. They decided to let the kinders miss the previously cancelled game. We had football again on Wednesday. James's practices are 30 minutes before his games, and Thomas's are during James's games (so convenient and way nicer than having them on a separate night, but you can kind of tell that the other teams practice way more), so we are done within an hour and a half, which is so nice! Kannon Gillies was blessed on Sunday, and we were going to drive over to Baggs for the ordinance, but we ended up staying home because James puked at 2 in the morning on Saturday. He quit being sick mid-afternoon on Saturday, but we decided it was best we hadn't gone so no one else would get whatever he had.

27th-31st Summary: On Monday, I watched Evie and Winnie for a couple of hours while Becky went to a work meeting. I also went to the monthly parents' LPM class with the boys. On Tuesday, I finally cancelled our PO Box, so now all of our mail will come to the mailbox. The boys had their last football game on Wednesday, and Dale, BethAnn, and Ethan all came to watch. On Thursday, Evan left at 6:45 a.m. to head over to Pinedale with Justin and Ethan for the weekend to work on insulating Mitch Onkes's house. They were gone until Saturday at 7, and got a lot done. On Halloween, Renee started puking around 2:30, and I freaked out! I put a bucket bib on her and tried to give her simple foods. I called BethAnn, and she was kind enough to come over and watch BethAnn while I took the boys to the Grover trunk or treat, Jill and Terry's, a few houses in Ben and Elise's cul-de-sac, and Kayleen's. They were absolutely thrilled with all the candy they collected, and Renee did well with Grandma. I put Renee to bed that night, and she had no further puking incidents and woke up feeling fine. What a relief!