Dear Friends and Family,

Jeremy has told me that is doesn't really count as a holiday but I think daylight savings time ranks right up there.  Sleep in for an extra hour and no longer have to wake up before the sun.  Cause for celebration in my book!

This week was a rather emotional one in our neighborhood.  The week started off great.  Robyn and I went to a friends' house who was hosting a brunch for her birthday.  I thought it was a brilliant way to celebrate a birthday rather than waiting around for someone else to celebrate for you.  Tuesday Robyn had a birthday party to go to, Allison and Spencer loved scouts and activity days.  Allison and I went out for a late night girls shopping trip for new clothes.  I was not sure whether to laugh or cry as Allison would preen in front of the dressing room mirror and asking me if I thought she needed a bra yet.  When did she get this old?

Then Tuesday night Jeremy woke me up at 1:30 to tell me that after I had fallen asleep he had been called to go the hospital.  A neighbor's 17 year old son was found an hour after getting home from YM, dead in the hallway of his home.  Jeremy was there as despite their efforts at the hospital to revive him, they could not bring him back.  Jeremy was up for most of the night after that.  The next night was our ward temple night.  Many of the youth and their parents were at the candle-light vigil at the high school so our numbers were small.  But it was a good reminder to me about the purpose of our family and our life here on earth.  Only a few weeks earlier our friend's 13 year old daughter in Orem was killed while waiting at the school bus stop by another 13 year old girl thinking she could drive.  Jeremy was quite involved in the fund-raising efforts for that family (the dad had died 5 years earlier in a car crash and a ponzi scheme con man had taken all the insurance money).  So it is no wonder when we told our kids what had happened that Robyn asked if all teenagers died.

So funeral plans dominated our week and our thoughts a bit.  Jeremy went over to stay at the house during the funeral and the viewing.  Our neighbor kids joined us for movie night while they went to the viewing.  Kids and I spent Saturday at the funeral.  So we have had lots of deep talks this week about what is important in life.  And to top if off with a Fast Sunday full of people testifying just really brought it home.

But we did have one night of fun.  Jeremy and I were able to go out Saturday night.  Jeremy patiently trolled through Ikea and Walmart with me looking for girls' Christmas presents, we had a great meal at Walmart and then watched Knight and Day which we really enjoyed.

Combined with all the other events of the week, Jeremy has been busy visiting all the elders in our ward.  Home-teaching numbers have been struggling for a while so they are busy committing people to make a big push in November.

Spencer spent a day at junior achievement city up in SLC on a field-trip.  It is where the 6th graders act out a town's economy.  Spencer was a bank manager which he thought was very cool.

Last week was full of sunshine and warmth, one last hurrah before the snow hits.  I hacked away at bushes, trees and pulled out our garden.  Robyn ran around on her bike whenever possible usually in some glamorous outfit.  I opened up windows whenever possible to get rid of some of the funk that pervades our house.  And I found a new series I am enjoying called The Dresden Files.  So lots of good this week along with the sad.

Love to you all, Heather