One Month Later

It's been almost a month since we've written. October has brought light to the house. We've repainted some light fixtures and have had them down since we moved here.

One week ago Sweetheart put up two hallway lights and this week he put up the chandelier in the main room. We chose to use old style LED Edison bulbs. Other updates to the house are:

• The main entrance hallway and accent walls are painted.
  
• Half of the doors are painted on the main floor.
• A mirror was hung upstairs so we can see what we look like.
• The radon system has been put up.
• Electrical wires have been strung for a freezer outlet so we don't trip the ground fault circuit interrupt box and lose all the food in the freezer. The electrician will come on Saturday.
• We have 1 vinyl sign hung. Maybe not such a big deal, but the boys each were happy to see the sign and said that it has made them think of this house as our home.
• One flower bed is weeded and planted with bulbs. It only took Wendy 4 days to weed it.
  
• The floor underneath the washer and dryer is SUPER clean because the laundry soap lost its lid, fell onto the floor, and spilled. It was a giant nearly full Costco bottle of liquid soap. It is the cleanest house part of our house.
• Razor bladed the stove top to get it clean.
  
  Dirty
  
  Clean
• Work table completed
  
• All three cars and trailer secure in the garage

The boys had fall break and parent teacher conferences. We went to the Denver Natural History and Science Center one day. The rest of the break we played and worked at the house.

We did write letters to friends, make smoothies, and ate watermelon. The boys teachers have mentioned that they are both adapting well to a new environment and new school rules.

Hurricane

• starting to like his new school
  
• loves to rake leaves (and jump in the resulting pile!) since he never has had leaves before
• wants to prepare all breakfast meals
  
• has been creating his Halloween costume for a month. He is Benny from the Lego Movie- Spaceships! Spaceships! Spaceships! Spaceships! Spaceships! Spaceships!
  

Underfoot

Underfoot

• is trying to meet the reading challenge assigned to him at school. He has read 4 books in the last 2 weeks. The goal is to read 20 by the end of May 2017.
• loves to play the piano
  
• is using his initiative more and more to help around the house
• is learning how to cook
• carved pumpkins with his brother tonight
  

Family Happenings

• Fort Collins LDS Temple dedication
• Sweetheart bought Wendy a bike
  
• Took family pictures
  
• Pie Party preparations are underway 12 Nov 2016! We'd love to see you there!

Wendy

• Keeping the house together in spite of some chaos
• Starting to exercise again
• Excited to see plants in the spring

Sweetheart

• Dressed up as Envy for Halloween. Wendy was green. Green with Envy. Get it?
  
• Enjoying being able to breath
• Getting to know people at work

One of the fun things this week is that Sweetheart and I went to the temple. We saw a man that looked like my great-Uncle Jerry.

We asked the man if he knew Uncle Jerry. The man said, "That's my brother." We made a family connection. It was a lot of fun. You never know who you are going to run into.

***** 

This is what fall looks like with the moon still up.

Focus on the Joy

Grandpa Locey stayed with us through Tuesday. He helped Sweetheart with projects in the garage like moving the stairs into the house, discussing how to make the garage most efficient, and hanging lights.

We are grateful for the help he gave and the boost that it gave us in moving the cars into the garage. The projects have to get finished before the cars go in, but we are on our way.

For family home evening, Hurricane taught about how family is important and built a Lego home complete with a windmill and a Lego character for all of us including Grandpa. Grandpa left very early on Tuesday morning.

When the Denver Broncos win a game, the Kroger's grocery store gives a 60 cent donut to VIP card holders.

Underfoot learned this one morning on the way to school because we stopped by the grocery store.

The decision was made that the boys would trade off getting the free donut.

We ate on our backyard deck, and Hurricane said to Sweetheart, "Dad, you can breathe. We can eat outside again." This was a marvelous recognition by him that Sweetheart is healthier and able to breathe.

Painting touch up continues in the house. The big new is that we have put enough boxes away to have a clear area in the kitchen and family room area.

Before - August 2016

The furniture placement isn't final and will change a bunch of times before it finds a permanent spot. It shows we are making progress.

Now - October 2016

Now - October 2016

Focus on the Joy. This was one of many uplifting messages from our semi-annual LDS General Conference.

Russell M. Nelson taught about joy. - Talk here.

As a family, we took time to listen and learn from the messages on Saturday and Sunday. We have treats, focused family time, and a chance to be together.

Hurricane wanted to make a cake and took almost every treat to decorate the cake. Underfoot swam laps when we went to the pool between sessions.

He also played, but I thought it was funny that he wanted to swim laps. The time together is priceless.

Be Well!

*****

Sweetheart took at picture with his parents before Grandma Locey left.

 

 Robert D. Hales taught that when a child asks a question,

it is important to stop everything and teach. 

Talk here.

Dale G. Renlund taught about repentance.

He shared about how he lit a firecracker in the chapel,

felt horrible, and used the example as spring board for his talk.

Talk here. 

 Hurricane is ready to go to the pool. 

He swam with the hand paddles for a long time.

 

 We completed this puzzle.

It was 150 pieces.

We found this seeder on a walk we took.

It reminded me of fall, harvest, and Idaho.