Dear Friends and Family,

This week Robyn's preschool had a field trip guaranteed to keep Robyn on the straight and narrow.  Her preschool teacher's dad is that Utah county sheriff.  So we toured the county jail.  Imagine a group of 4 and 5 year olds with their moms walking through booking, seeing the "time-out" room for combative prisoners (the grate in the floor for their bathroom had them all grossed out), door slamming behind us and prisoners in booking cells trying to figure out where all these little kids came from.  Robyn loved learning that prisoners who got in trouble had to wear red and pink stripped jumpsuits and climbing all over the metal bunk-beds in an empty "unit".  But the highlight of the trip was meeting the k-9 unit and seeing the wildfire forest guys and climbing all over their humongous trucks.  I think all the guards and workers were so excited to be dealing with non-prisoners that they made the outing really special for these kids but I think all of them have decided they will never go there as adults.

Robyn's partners in crime - the tires on the fire trucks were bigger than them

We thought earlier this week that something had died in Spencer's room.  The smell was so strong one morning when we opened his door that we knew we weren't just dealing with bad hygiene issues.  So I spent the day wiping everything down and was pleasantly surprised to find his room pretty clean.  Till I moved his punching bag and found that Macho had decided it looked like a fire hydrant.  It must have been going on for awhile because the smell had really built up.  I tried our green machine, odor crystals etc but couldn't get rid of it.  So our nice carpet cleaning guy came back and put de-skunker all over.  It smells like bubble-gum in a really not good way.  Spencer has been sleeping in the basement ever since.  But today we opened his door and it wasn't too bad so I think we are back to normal.  And our cat is not on our good list right now.

Spencer (and a reluctant me) spent the week getting ready for his pow-wow on Saturday.  He had to build a rocket, a mouse house (he pushed for a bat house but the instructions lost me on the shopping list alone), write a report on a ferret and figure out 2 life cycles.  I think pow-wow instructors should hand out chocolate bars to all these little scouts and instruct them that they need to give the chocolate to their moms and give them a foot massage while they eat it to make up for all the scout homework they need to do.  But we did it and he had a great time at his pow-wow and his rocket worked (I was praying hard for that one!).

Spencer's mouse house - Grieslda this is the box the cinnamon rolls came in last year - the gift that just keeps on giving as I didn't want to drive to Home Depot for plywood

 Jeremy has been excited this week as his photo studio co-op has been coming together.  He did a tour with his perspective partners and it looks like it will work.  He also modeled again for a photo shoot for a gun manufacturer, along with Jason and Kelly.  (Kids thought it was great.  James Bond for a dad and another cousin and pizza night here)

Saturday was my annual girls' shopping day.  I love this tradition!  We all were neighbors in Orem and really only get to stay in touch with all of us a few times a year.  It amazes me to hear everyone's stories about their kids as we have all known each other for 10 years now.  We spent the day walking through toy stores, craft stores and eating and visiting.  Twelve hours just flies by.  The best part is that by the end of the day most of us have almost all our Christmas shopping done. 

We found plastic pants for Taylor this week.  Who knew they made them for adults?  The problem is that his waist is so narrow we need to take them in to do any good.  But between Taylor and Robyn (who still has accidents most nights) I am washing one to two loads of bedding every day.  That is not cool.  So I am hoping this does the trick. 

As the days get cold outside, I am taking more exercise classes at the Rec center and cleaning house.  Running or working outside don't have much appeal right now.  But there is a group of us who still run together on Saturday mornings and then take a yoga class at the rec center.  It is really fun to visit with everyone.  And thankfully there are a few really good runners in our group who do all the talking for the second half as I just gasp along.

Allison has decided to join church choir with me.  Watching her sit with another little girl who comes and carefully follow along with the music makes her seem so old.  Tonight we go to Priesthood preview with Spencer as he turns 12 in 4 months.  How on earth am I going to keep a straight face and not giggle or cry when he passes the sacrament?  Good thing Robyn is still little.  When I asked kids what they wanted for Christmas, Spencer didn't want a single toy and Allison only wanted a few.  So I am glad for Robyn whose eyes still get big when she finds a cool leaf on the ground and we all have to stop and ooh and aah for her.

I have been enjoying the prospect of hunkering down a bit.  Breaking out the fruitcake, cleaning out my craft supplies, reading the new shopaholic book.  Life seems to slow down a bit when it is dark and cold at night and I am enjoying the process.

Love, Heather

Macho not liking the neighbors dog playing with Rocky in our backyard

Robyn really likes reading about all her cousins on their blogs