I may regret saying this when I am freezing cold in January, but at least so far…I really like experiencing true seasons instead of one eternal summer. Don’t get me wrong. I love Arizona. I really appreciate the beauty of the desert and nothing beats the smell when it rains. Not to mention the amazing monsoon storms… But, enough reminiscing. The true message was seasons. I like to smell the woodsmoke in the air on a crisp cold day. The kids are loving all the fallen leaves. If I was willing to sit outside all day long (which I am not), Jase would be perfectly content to crawl around in the leaves, hearing the swish as he makes a path on the lawn through the orange, red and brown leaves.

Though I did not take any pictures, we also had our first snow! The older girls had at least seen snow on the ground, but none of the kids had seen it falling, so you can imagine the excitement! When I noticed it snowing, I brought Jase to the window and opened the curtains so he could see the world outside. He stood on the couch watching it snow for several minutes. Well really, he bounced on the couch while watching it snow. When he gets excited, his little legs start moving. Then, when it was time for us to go meet the girls bus, he really thought the snow was fun. He could hold his little hand out and catch a snowflake! You see, everyday the girls ride the bus home from school. Kennady could ride it in the morning, but I am only comfortable with them riding the bus if they are together. So, our daily routine goes something like this: BJ takes Kennady to school in the morning before going into work, for which I am really thankful. Before I devised this system, he left for work and then 5 minutes later, I bundled all the kids up in coats, socks, shoes, etc. just to come home and unbundle them all again. So, this works much better. Then, after lunch, I drive Addy to school for afternoon kindergarten. Then, when the bus drops them off at 3:45, Brighton, Jase and I are there to meet them. The bus stop is only about a block away, but we like to get out of the house everyday and maybe I am a bit of a paranoid mom sometimes. Then the girls come in for an afternoon snack and homework time, before heading out to play in the yard in the few remaining minutes of sunlight they have. Meanwhile, ideally I get dinner in the oven during this time, taking advantage of the time they are outside playing. Then, at 5:05, BJ walks in the door and we all sit down for dinner. Then we all clean up dinner, get ready for bed, play and read together and start the nightly battle to get everyone in bed. The kids are not used to sharing rooms, so this has been (and continues to be) a bit of an adjustment at bedtime.
We are quickly getting initiated into our new ward. I have already received a call to serve in the Primary with the 10 year old class. This Sunday, the girls are singing in sacrament meeting and next Sunday, BJ and I are speaking. We have not spoken in church in over 8 years. So, I guess it is our turn. My topic is Strengthening Home and Family. I have only just started studying the topic and already I feel uplifted and motivated. I will be sure to share some of the quotes and insights I find as I study… Okay, goodnight.