It's Getting Cold

 Fall colors in Idaho are breathtaking.  We have been surrounded by the colors of fall for a couple of months now.  While every season has its beauty, I believe Fall is the most attention getting.  The leaves are almost all on the ground now.  I'm a little sad.  Winter here surrounds us with the look of dead things.  Snow can cover it all with its white beauty.  I hope it does this year.  

I decorated the house for Halloween, filling it with the colors of Fall and the happy spooks of the holiday.  We trunk or treated at the Church parking lot for the kids and I was happy to have given out all the candy that I bought.  I made the mistake of asking Layne to buy just a little more in case we had trick or treaters at home.  He came home with three huge bags of candy!  And we had absolutely not one trick or treater come to the house!  So my best laid plans for ridding us of all candy has gone terribly awry.  

Halloween was on a Sunday this year, which may partly explain why there were no kids out on Halloween night.  The folks here are pretty religious generally.  Angelica did go to a friend's party on the Saturday before Halloween.  She dressed as a policeman.  Here she is, looking very official (with Layne's pilot hat serving as a police hat--I wonder if it worked).

Fall brings the end of our garden, leaving us with a collection of produce that is almost but not quite ripe.  This year I decided to pick all the green tomatoes, lay them out on folding tables and see if they would ripen. Here is the crop.

Can you believe all those green tomatoes?  What is your guess...do you think they had a chance of turning red?  I'm happy to report that all but two of them ripened!  I turned their beautiful red bodies into 10 quarts of marinara sauce!  That was a successful experiment, wouldn't you say?

Happily, we video chat with Seth every week.  He is adjusting to life in New York, but, of course, he misses the unlimited amount of food here.  That boy must eat!  He finds the people there less friendly than here and that has given him pause.  But his companion is very outgoing and has set a good example for him.  He's learning to put himself out more.  So good for him!  Here are a couple of shots of him, one with his outgoing trainer and companion.

I'm grateful to be able to talk to him regularly.  I think he's going to wind up enjoying himself, once he gets used to missionary life in New York.

Son Reed asked me if I'd like to drive to Seattle with him and his boys for a weekend visit a couple of weeks ago.  I packed up and went.  So fun to spend a weekend with the Gendreaus while Reed and boys visited his son James.  It was Alex's birthday, so we all met up to celebrate it.  Alex turned four.  Just in case you may have forgotten, he is our great-grandson.  Here he is about to blow out his candles.

Son-in-law Chris is a pretty gifted photographer.  While we were there he set up a photo shoot for our two High School seniors, his daughter Peyton and Reed's son, Timothy.  Chris asked permission from a local hotel to take pictures in their beautiful lobby.  So we all met up there.  As he posed them, I followed behind, taking my own shots.  They were not as good as his, but here is an informal shot of Peyton and Timothy together.

The drive to and from Seattle is beautiful.  I especially loved the view on the trip home, as it had snowed, filling the trees with white snow tinsel.  I took a bunch of pictures as we drove by...I just couldn't resist.  Most didn't turn out well; the colors are dulled when shot through the car windows.  But here is a sample.

You just can't beat nature for beauty!

Our time in Seattle was lovely.  But it is always good to be home.  This coming week we will celebrate Thanksgiving.  The Reed and Dorothy family will be here and the Gendreau family as well.  It will be a lovely bunch and I'm excited for it.  My heart if full of gratitude for the wonderful life that has been mine.  I want to keep that feeling in my heart, for when I do, it brings peace and optimism with it.  In these troubled times, we could all use a little of that.

Days of Fall

 It is quite obvious that blogging isn't my passion at present.  Our solo summer was over with the return of Angelica in late August.  It was good to have her back.  Seth and Angelica are easy and fun to share a household with.  Seth didn't return to us until late September.  Both kids worked in Gerald and Frances' school and, I think, really benefited from it.  They both returned more mature and happier.  Their visit home was a great experience for them I think.

Angelica is now a senior and full of plans for making this her best ever year.  Seth returned to us eager to get ready for his mission.  He was called to the New York City, Chinese speaking mission, beginning October 4th.  We celebrated his 19th birthday October 2nd.  

Seth began at home MTC missionary training on Oct 4, which just happens to be the anniversary of my baptism, many years ago.  His zone was composed of all Chinese speaking missionaries, all from, and living in, Taiwan.  So his lessons online were in the evenings.  He enjoyed it, and especially bonded with his assigned companion.  He filled his days with gospel study and service.  I love that boy!

Angelica went to Eagle High's Homecoming dance with a cute boy from her "friend group."  Having a friend group is apparently a thing these days.  Her group is made up of girls and guys, and they mix and mingle, dating one another for various events.  Angelica and her friends pooled their dresses together and borrowed from one another.  Here she is in her borrowed dress.

Getting a young man ready for a mission takes a bit of effort.  We shopped with him, got him his temple clothing, and took him to the temple for his first time.  It was a special experience!  His first temple was the Boise Temple.  Here he is, just after our follow-up session in the Meridian Temple.

On October 3rd we took Seth to the Stake President's home, where he was set apart as a full-time missionary.  It was a sweet blessing, followed by a great conversation with President Ryrie.  Layne and Reed assisted with the blessing.

Our Mongolian foster daughter, Brynn Long, flew to Boise from Tucson to visit for a few days.  We loved having her!  She loves to cook, so she spent lots of time doing that for us.  Seth loved it!  It takes lots of food to maintain that boy and Brynn delivered!  We all loved her food and her sweet, loving manner.  She went out of her way to be here before Seth left.  Such a precious soul.  We love her!  We took a last minute selfie at the airport.  Boy does my hair look white!  I've decided to let the little bit of color I added to it grow out.  So I'll soon be a totally white haired woman.

Early last month my sister, Maryanne, called me to say that her husband, Bob, had to go in for emergency heart bypass surgery and would I please come right away to be with her while he was in the hospital.  I packed up and drove there the next morning with a prayer in my heart that Bob would do well with the surgery.  He did.  I'm so grateful.  I spent almost two weeks in Draper with Maryanne.  I love spending time with her, even though this was not the best situation.  Her Relief Society President was there just about every day, checking on her.  I was so impressed.  Bob came home a couple days after I left.  He was a little mentally muddled but on the mend.  Their three local sons took up the care needed, with the Relief Society filling in as needed.  Their household is now filled with family, doing what needs to be done while Bob heals.   Here is Maryanne, all spruced up for a hospital visit to Bob.  I think she looks beautiful!

 

Seth was full of the spirit of service during his MTC days.  It was great to have his help with many things.  His cousin Bruce has a special bond with him.  Here they are, right after Bruce's last soccer game of the season.  When Seth is at his games, he plays better!

Audrey came for Seth's last weekend.  It is always so sweet to have her with us.  She has such a magical way with people; her humor and gift of gab makes our time together uplifting and fun.  

Sunday, October 24th, was Seth's missionary farewell.  Both he and Angelica spoke.  Both of them seem to have a flair for speaking.  It was a great meeting.  That night Layne gave Seth a blessing.  Very early the next morning we took Seth to the airport for a 6 AM flight to Salt Lake.  Dorothy and Bruce met us there and his good buddy, Kye, came too.  It was hard to see him go.  As he gave us a final wave after going through security, we all felt the weight of two years of absence.  Layne's eyes filled with tears as we watched him go.  Layne wasn't alone.

Our farewell gang, masked as required in the airport:  Layne, Kye, Dorothy, me, Audrey, Bruce, Elder Galbraith, Angelica.

And now we must establish a new normal, without Seth.  The upside is that I don't have to prepare as much food, but there is a much bigger downside.  He will be so missed!  But I believe he is ready to serve the Lord in magical ways.  He arrived safely in New York the same day he left us.  So, his adventure begins!

We are adjusting to a smaller household at home.  Angelica is busy with dance lessons and working, as well as school.  We see her most during the weekends.  Her big, happy news is that she got her braces off!  She can't stop looking at those bright shiny teeth, and taking endless selfies of her new smile.

Our world is full of Fall and all its wonderful colors.  It is such fun to walk through the colorful trees and falling leaves.  How I wish it would last.  But the trees are beginning to look naked.  Soon the dreary look of winter will set in.  Here's hoping that snow will cover the deadness, and offer its own special beauty.