Mile Upon Mile

On Wednesday's drive home from Bryan's work party our van reached an important milestone. I reached my camera over and took a blurry picture to mark the 100,000 mile occasion.

Boo Bash 2024

A Long, Long Time Ago

Bryan's dad rediscovered this gem that Bryan edited together eighteen years ago. One thing that's interesting to me about this video is that Peter still has some of these mannerisms. And he still gets silly and goofy when he's tired. Somehow this simultaneously feels likes it was many years old and like it just happened.

Time is weird.

Peter is funny and entertaining, then and now.

And Bryan is still clever.

Do As I'm Doing

We had a dinnertime visit from Uncle Jordan, Aunt Leah, and the cousins tonight! They were on their way home from a trip and stopped to eat with us and to chat for a bit. I was so busy talking that I didn't take any pictures. Thankfully, Sophie borrowed my phone and took these of Zariah and Maverick. Legend was there too, but he was busy playing with Topher and didn't join in the picture taking.

Thanks for being such a fun cousin, Sophie. And thanks for visiting, Jordan and Leah!

Show 'Em How It's Done

After a few cold weeks, today is gloriously warm, a perfect 75 degrees. Topher and Sophie have been playing in the backyard essentially since getting home from school. Cooper, who had been doing homework, just went outside to play football with them. As Cooper was heading outside I heard Topher's voice drift in saying, "Watch and learn, Cooper!"

I guess Cooper's about to get schooled.

Candy Gathering

Tonight we went to our ward's Trunk or Treat. Topher dressed as Link from Legend of Zelda.

Sophie was Galinda from Wicked.

Phoebe was Elphaba (I forgot the green face paint on the kitchen table at home), also from Wicked.

Cooper was a cowboy.

And I dusted off my Professor McGonagall costume. I went without makeup and perched my glasses down on my nose to make myself look older.

Bryan got to decorate the van and hand out candy, as usual.

For the first time in many years, we didn't refuse the peanut candy. That still feels weird.

I thought (very briefly) about making all the costumes, but decided this was a good year to buy our costumes. Considering I found Sophie's and Phoebe's costumes this morning, I think that was a good choice.

This was the first of many candy-gathering activities we have planned for the next two weeks. We'll have waaaaaaay too much candy by the time October ends.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

A benefit of driving kids all the way to school in the morning is getting to see the sunrise. Photo credit goes to Sophie who asked for my phone while I drove.

Drip Drip Drop

A friend gave us an avocado tree seedling a few weeks ago. It's been sitting on the deck in the pot she delivered it in. The night before last we had our first frost warning of the season, so I brought the little tree inside and set it on the bench at the kitchen table.

Yesterday, after Topher got home from school, he saw the plant in the kitchen. He loves watering it, so he filled up a cup and gave it a drink.

And that is how we discovered that the pot it lives in has holes.

The tree and pot have a new home on a beach towel.

It's True

Topher and Sophie both bore their testimonies in church on Sunday. Topher wrote his out on his drawing board and carried it up to the pulpit so he would remember what he wanted to say. He got halfway through and couldn't read his handwriting, but I was there to help him.

I'll write both what he wrote and what he said. It says:

I no the chrch is chure and ao hevinly fothr and Jesus is real in the nm of Jesus Christ amen

I know the church is true and Heavenly Father and Jesus are real. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Amen, Topher, amen.

Bon Appetit

Bryan made an amazing dinner tonight that I don't want to lose, especially because we want to make it again. He emailed the sauce components to me so he would remember what he'd added.

Sauté half a diced onion and 2 diced bell peppers in canola oil until cooked. Add two 12 oz kielbasa sausages, sliced into one inch pieces. Cook until the sausage is browned. Transfer onions, peppers, and sausage into a warming dish. To the drippings in the pan add:

• 1/2 cup OJ
• 1/2 cup cider
• 3 pinches salt
• 1/2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 TBSP yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp brown sugar

Cook sauce until it reduces. Add onions, peppers, and sausages into sauce. Toss to coat. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

We went the egg noodle route because it was quicker than rice. It was delicious!