Dear family and friends,

There is nothing like a week of events getting cancelled and being able to get up in the morning to sunshine to make you feel like you are living a life of ease.  Really it isn't but it sure feels nice to have things slow down and to be given the gift of unexpected pockets of time where nothing has to be done.  It was good timing as I caught a cold this week.  Me and my squeaky voice appreciated some down time.

I have been busy destroying our living room with Christmas projects.  I have resisted turning on Christmas music although Robyn has shown no such restraint.  But it has been fun to break out some gift giving projects.  They won't look as nice but they will be full of love and even a little blood - who knew needles could be so sharp?  Robyn seems to have cut the Christmas bug a little early.  She has been busy decorating our house along with her friends for Santa.  We have a pile of letters from all her friends piled next to our fireplace.  And her room has been decorated with snow flakes.  Add in the fact that at school they have been working on their Christmas program which means afternoons consist of her and friends singing Holly Jolly Christmas at the top of their lungs, complete with dance moves.

Robyn, Allison and I enjoyed a girls' day out on Saturday.  We went to see Disney on Ice up in Salt Lake.  I was quite impressed.  Trust Disney to put on a good show.  Then afterwards we went to lunch and walked through the first snow fall of the season to get some hot chocolate and look at what books they would like for Christmas.

We had a great girly time.  Robyn yelled out to Snow White not to eat the apple and couldn't understand why she didn't listen.  Robyn is learning the benefits of being the youngest child.  This week we went out to lunch with Jeremy after running our last legal errand for Lauri's estate (YEAH!!!).  It felt like we were playing hookey from real life.

Allison won her class spelling bee and has been busy studying her list of words to represent her class at the school spelling bee.  This morning she surprised Robyn and Spencer with breakfast in bed - hot chocolate and bagels.  What a nice sister.  She still loves our Friday night tradition of pizza and movie night.  This is what our living room has looked like the past two weeks:
This Friday the girls with a reluctant Spencer in the back ground watched Annie.  Robyn ran to get her tap shoes on for the closing scene so she could dance with Annie.  Then we are mean parents who kick everyone upstairs so we can watch the grown-up movie. 

Taylor continues to improve a little bit at a time.  Jeremy has figured out a way to make him walk.  It doesn't look pretty but it sure works.  He has a snotty nose right now, which means everytime he sneezes we make a mad dash for the tissue box.
Taylor has a girlfriend at school.  She is a super high energy autistic girl and rides the bus with Taylor.  She is also a gifted thief.  Taylor has been loosing all his sweatshirts that he brings to school lately.  Then we discovered that she has been stashing them in her room.  She walks off the bus, whips his sweatshirt off the back of his wheelchair, stuffs it under her shirt and then puts in her secret spot.  I thought it was hilarious when I found out.  With the girls being gone Saturday the boys enjoyed a day in front of the fireplace with football games playing.  They all loved it.
I took all the kids in to get their flu shots this week.  They had run out of the mist option which meant Robyn spent the afternoon crying about the shot that was coming.  Spencer volunteered to man up and take his first and didn't flinch so Robyn could do no less.  Thank goodness for big brothers.  While there Spencer got all the warts on his arm burnt off.  I hate warts.  To make-up for all the pain, of course we had to go out for ice cream afterwards.  Spencer was excited to learn at the doctor that he is now 5 foot 6 1/4 inches (can't forget that 1/4!)  and 133 pounds.  I just have to laugh because he is such a little kid still - just in a big body.  Then we also went shoe shopping this weekend and had to buy him size 12 shoes!!  They are like little boats.  I hope his height will match his shoe length.  Saturday morning since he didn't have to be anywhere we let him just sleep in.  We figured since he was out by 9 the night before, how long could he go?  10:45!  He must be growing.
Growing pains are kicking in - and I don't mean the physical kind.  This week he managed to break our camera that I have used for a few years.  It only took him a few months.  So having to re-learn how to take care of things.  Then you throw in all the homework not being turned in on the right day and there have definitely been some learning moments going on.  Last Sunday he broke the nose piece of his glasses.  We had the Hall clan over for dinner, one of my favorite traditions.  We all thought it would be funny if we just put some tape around the nose piece to make his glasses work.  He didn't think that was very funny.  He had a court of honor this week and got 4 merit badges.  He is going to be the troop historian to get his leadership requirement done.  Of course he is excited to photograph all the scouting events.

Krispey Kremes from last week's doughnuts for A's run

You might be wondering about our mouse.  Yep, its still running rampant.  Our kitchen has never been cleaner as I keep finding mouse droppings  and break out the disinfectant.  We have come close to catching it but have learned that it is VERY, VERY fast.  And that it can squeeze through those little air intake vents without any problems or climb up into our oven and disappear.  Very irritating but almost comical.

Jeremy tries to balance everything out and fit in some relaxing time when possible.  It truly is a constant juggling act for him.  But we did get to watch two movies together this week which felt wickedly self-indulgent.  Nothing like rain and cold to make you want to lay on the couch with a blanket and a good movie.

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall and the sunshine in the morning,  Heather