September

What a fun month!

 

Dad did virtual Reapercon with Dave, finished up the fiscal year at work, and went on his (sadly, unsuccessful) two week long elk hunt. Jeb went with him for the first week, and while they were thoroughly prepared as far as food, equipment, and shooting ability goes, they didn't really know how to actually find an elk, so those first six days were spent a bit haphazardly. Matthew came home for the sabbath and spent the day resting and researching. He went out alone for the final four days, and though he still didn't harvest an animal, he at least conversed with elk and laid eyes on elk. Despite the lack of meat for the freezer, we were all very happy to have him home when it was all over.

Grandma J came for a day, and Grandma Naomi was able to spend a long weekend with us. All the Redd Aunts came too, and we got to spend several days hanging out with extended family. It was the best! We also did archery at Jeb's a couple last times and continued our Thursday kid swap with Susan. There was a baby shower, a birthday party, and we even got to go to a Labor Day BBQ. Covid precautions are still in place, but they are relaxing some and it's been so nice to be a bit more social.

Hyrum has been able to chat with a couple of his friends over Google and they've been playing Clash of Clans online together. He also finally submitted to a haircut.

The weather this month was all over the place. One day it was 99 degrees, then two days later the high was in the 40's with wind that destroyed half our tomato plants. The majority of days have been perfectly lovely though. We've had chilly mornings, worthy of hot chocolate and toasty houses, sunny afternoons perfect for hours of make-believe in the backyard, and divine cool evenings just right for moonlit walks.

Covid stats:

World: 33.8M cases, 1.01M deaths

United States: 7.23M cases, 206K deaths

New Mexico: 29,157 cases, 875 deaths

Mission Prep:

Getting called as an early morning seminary teacher has definitely compelled me to increase the quantity and quality of my scripture study. I kind of feel like I did on my mission with all the different levels of study I've got going on. I read the Come, Follow Me lesson for myself, then again with Mercy, and often a third time with Abraham, then we review it as part of family scripture study. In addition to Come, Follow Me, I study the daily lessons the seminary students are doing, plus the teacher lesson as I prepare for our weekly class covering the scripture block. On top of that, I teach a Doctrinal Mastery lesson once a week, so I also study to prepare for that. I easily spend  about 90 minutes a day in the scriptures, which is amazing, but also quite a time commitment. Reading with the kids has been a real blessing. Mercy definitely has the gift of testimony and has a remarkable spiritual awareness at such a young age. I worry sometimes about Abraham and whether he'll be willing to stay diligent as he gets older, but when I read with him, I can tell he genuinely believes and his testimony is real despite his propensity to doubt himself. Hyrum is a rockstar and studies the Come, Follow Me lesson first thing every morning. He'll often listen in when I'm reading with the younger two and is really trying to learn and understand what the scriptures are teaching. This has been a time of spiritual growth for our family, for sure. As far as physical goals are concerned, I go for at least one walk every day. I'm cycling with some amount of frequency, mostly just for pleasure, and am just really focused on getting outside as much as possible. I'm feeling tired, and a bit overwhelmed with homeschool and seminary on top of my homemaking responsibilities and personal goals, but my eternal view is broad and I'm feeling positive and enthusiastic about my life as a whole.

Meals:

Clam chowder

Mac & cheese and chicken nuggets

Breakfast burritos

Chicken patty sandwiches

Hamburgers

Grandpa J's chili

Homemade sausages in buns

Papa John's pizza

Pasta and homemade sausages in red sauce

Crepes

Chicken nuggets and school lunch waffles

Redd Aunt party food

Leftovers

Smoked BBQ pork loin and mashed potatoes

Broccoli cheese soup

French onion tater tot casserole

Nachos

Chicken tenders and salad bar

I also made several different dehydrated meals and snacks for Matthew's hunt