September

 Every month feels full and busy, but September really was exceptionally crazy. Matthew was out hunting most of the first half of the month. Abraham got quarantined from school for ten days in the middle of the month, and we spent the second half of the month attending church activities and trying to get back on top of YouTube. 

Hyrum and Dad went on an overnight YM campout, we were in charge of and performed in the ward chili cook-off and talent show, Hyrum and Dad participated in a multi-stake service project, Matthew and I spoke in the single adult branch, and we had a really good youth fireside about how to prepare for a mission. 

We had the Dotson's over for dinner one night and Matthew's cousin Joshua (who was helping the Barrios out with their Mold Busters business while they were on vacation) another night. The bishop had us over for dinner one night and we ended up hanging out there for five hours. We had brunch with Jeb and Hannah and they had us over for BBQ another night after Matthew spent the afternoon helping prep their outside counter top for cement. I went to a girls dessert night and went on walks with a couple different friends.

There were open houses for both the elementary and middle school kids, and running club started back up again. Once all the results from baseline testing were in, Mercy got placed in the enrichment program for ELA, Abraham got in enrichment for math and critical thinking, and Hyrum got moved up into the accelerated math class. Abraham and Hyrum switched bedrooms, Abraham enjoyed going to the skate park a number of times, Mercy sewed a doll for Olivia's birthday, and Hyrum started selling candy and jewelry on the curb after school.

 We published a YouTube video on DIY moulding and have a Viking shield video scheduled to post tomorrow, plus, I also got started on our Full Draw video. I did A LOT of editing this month. To add even more excitement to our lives, we got rear-ended on our way to church last week. It's been quite a month and I have to confess that I'm ready to move on to the different kind of crazy that the last quarter of the year entails.

Goals:

The second doctor I saw seemed much more helpful and interested in helping me. After the CT scan came back all clear, he concluded that the hip pain is likely a side effect of the birth control I started taking back in April, so he told me to stop taking it and see what happened. The pain has perhaps decreased some in intensity, but certainly hasn't gone away, but what has gone away are all the wonderful things that the birth control helped with (particularly taking away my headaches). My baseline headache has returned and I had a couple incapacitating ones that have made functioning like a productive, normal person difficult. All that to say, getting back into exercising has been difficult. I've been cycling a couple times a week though, and walking Mabel at least gets me moving so that's something. Hyrum has started trying to get a bit of exercise in before school, which he's enjoyed. Abraham and Hyrum both had a boost in their music as they practiced for the talent show, but once that was over their enthusiasm waned. Mercy is still trying to pass level 6 in Musiah and wailing and anger are regular parts of her daily practice. Abraham and Mercy have both started requesting that I join them for their morning scripture study and they both ask meaningful questions and have good insights. It's really hard for them to have many goals with school taking up so much of their time.

Meals:

Ravioli with sundried tomato pesto

Pancakes

Hot dogs

Fruit smoothies and taquitos

Potato soup with homemade bread

Shrimp scampi with garlic bread and salad

Leftovers

Elk stroganoff

Crepes and sausage

Coconut basil curry

Salad and carrot soup

Hamburgers and fries

Funeral potatoes (brought to the Bishop Brown's)

Corned elk tongue sandwiches

Catfish po boys

Pizza

BBQ at Jeb Brown's

Tomato basil chicken and pasta

Chicken patty sandwiches

Quesadillas

Treats:

Cinnamon rolls (for seminary)

Donuts

Monkey bread

Chocolate souffle

Banana bread

Gluten free banana muffins (for seminary)

Orange tart

Blondies

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (for seminary)

Macarons