Challenge

General Conference brought with it some challenges from President Nelson.  I am not one to bother with them usually.  Although I read my friend's blog and she was taking the Social Media challenge so I decided I could too. So I have been on a social media fast for I think 9 days now. I can't remember when I started but I think it was last Monday.

I have also been taking the Book of Mormon reading challenge to read the book before Dec 31. I started late and I was on vacation this weekend, but I am still trying to read it. I might not make it, but I might.

This is the reading schedule.  I should be on Chapter 22 and I'm only on chapter 12.  Got a few chapters to go to catch up, but I'm going to give it a try.

I just finished the social media challenge.  I think it has been 10 days.   I almost forgot that I could get on social media.  My niece announced that she got engaged so I wanted to see her pics she posted so that got me on tonight.  Anyway, I almost felt guilty getting on social media.  I didn't miss it much. but I am not on Social Media that much.  It kind of drives me crazy because its all these people posting only good things about their life and trips they take and places I am NOT even getting close to going.But I did what the prophet asked.  I think it was a good thing.  Now for the Book of Mormon challenge.

UPDATE:  Its now November 6....and I'm only on Oct 24 reading.  I'm 13 or so days BEHIND...Ugh.  but I'm still plugging along!

Choir Concert

Jack had his first choir concert tonight.  He is in the 7th grade choir.  I did wonder if he would even sing because he NEVER sang when he was in the Primary program.  I didn't think that he knew the songs.  He did surprise me and he did sing.  Good job.  I think choir is short lived.  Its not his favorite thing.

Nick was a trooper and came with me.  I do have to pay him to go with me.  When I got there, after I parked, Nick was talking to some girls in the foyer.  I guess the concert wasn't all bad for him. 

Hurricane Michael

Florida has been in the line to get Hurricane Michael.  Brooke said the students were sent home from school.  They sent her with 3 cases of Kind bars.  They sent them with all the out of state students.

It was a category 5 hurricane and was worst storm to hit in the gulf. Glad she was safe.

She wanted these shorts so I ordered them.  I sent them to my mother's house...it cost me 8.95 to send them to the wrong place...so I had to turn around and spend another 8.00 to ship them to her...grrr  Plus it took two weeks to get all that done.  Sometimes I'm surprised I have survived this long. 

She is really staying...

Brooke is still in Florida.  She decided she didn't like being without her car. We didn't know what to do with it, sell it, or just leave it.  We thought about driving it to Florida but it was too last minute if the car broke down on the road and we were delayed she would be late to school.  She decided to ship it to her.  It was suppose to be picked up on Wednesday night.  I rushed home from work, and tried to start it because we told them it was running.  The car didn't start.  Now what?  They were suppose to be there in 30 minutes.

I called Cory, the home teacher, and he came over and jumped the car for me.  I don't know how to jump a car (and I don't know what happened to the jumper cables).  He  said he could come over after work...Brooke called the driver and he said they were detained due to being stuck in a snow storm.  Yahoo.  So, I waited for Cory, and he jumped it and I took it to Autozone.  They tested the battery and sure enough, the battery came up bad.  Time for a new battery.

So 185.00 later she has a new battery.  I like it when it is a new battery, because it is an easy fix.  Autozone put the battery in and we were good to go.  Glad that they were delayed so we could get that fixed.

Finally they next day they came.  They were from Georgia.  It was a HUGE trailer thing on my little street  I'm sure my neighbors thought I was getting my car repossessed.  Which is really more my style...I have had my car repossessed so I know all about it.

It was pitch dark and I was afraid they would dump the car right off but they didn't  They took a ton of pictures and were very thorough.  Brooke has to have cash as payment when the car gets there around Sunday.

I took a few pictures to show what the car looked like.

I did load it up with her stuff that she couldn't take with her.  The rest of her clothes, blankets, hangers, cow costume so she can match her dad (haha...see other post) , and some food that I could send that would last to Florida.  This is the stuff she left I had to put in her car.

Brooke said she is kindof sad because it means she really won't be back in Utah for a while.  Nope.  I miss her.  Gotta follow your dream.

so true

My Summer of Loss

I have been feeling a bit of a loss lately...I typed that sentence in the Summer and never finished this post.  Now it is almost Oct and I still feel that way. It has been a time of loss.  My dad died.  He was 85 and it was past time for him to go.  He had lead a good life, and fought the fight as the old saying goes.  However, it is still a weird loss.  Hard to explain.  I even told him it was time to go the day the nurses said he probably would pass.  There is still this emptyness inside.  Your parents are the only people that really care what happens to you and are the first to step up and help you.  Even though he hasn't been much help over the last few years, he was help for a long long time.

Then a few weeks later, both of my girls left for college.  Abi left on a Friday, which I took her down to Dixie, and then the Sunday right after, I took Brooke to the airport for school in Florida.  Even though Brooke has left a few times, they haven't all left at the same time.  Andrew also went to school, but he hasn't been home since last year for more than a few days to stay.  But it is weird and lonely to have all of them gone. I come home from work and it is me.  Jack, Nick and me.  They are good, but it is certainly not like having all of them here.  I  bought this food at the store, and it is still there when I get home.  Cucumbers, Cottage cheese, apples Sweet Peppers, Stir Fry, Red Lobster leftovers, Cafe Rio are just like I left them.  Before they would all be gone in no time.  No one eats that kind of food but me now.  Nick and Jack haven't eaten a vegetable in years.

Then when school was getting ready to start, I had a loss for Summer.  Summer is always too short. This time, it seemed that Summer school went til July.  Then my dad died, we went to Bear Lake, then Football started and it seems like it is back to school.  I had a huge loss for my summer.

In a few days I am going to have another loss.  Although it will seem like a loss, it is a good thing and needed to happen for a LONG time.

Football 2018

Nick has been playing football.  This is his last year of Little League.  It has been an interesting year.

We played Cedar Valley which is about an hour away on the other side of Lehi.

We won.  Nick had a good game.  He played a bunch.  He was even the center for a while.  He is number 65.

Nick has been sick for over two weeks.  He was a trooper and went to school all but one day and missed football one day.  He had a horrible cough like so horrible I wondered if he had something worse than just a cough.  He was coughing so much he even tried the vicks on the feet at night remedy.  Finally when his ears hurt we went to the doc and he had an ear infection and got the good old amoxicillin that he started to feel better.  So this game he was back to his usual self. It showed because he had a great game.

He was one of the captains.  Wow. Would have thought it would be one of the favorites on the team.

Here he is being the center.  Its the best I got

Organized

In my quest for minimalism, I have getting rid of junk cleaning.  It is slow, mostly because I have a job and a family well, what is left of my family.  Down to two left at home.

Anyway, my girls left a totally gross bathroom when they left.  So, today I cleaned it, and cleaned under the sink and the drawers.  Not sure we have cleaned that area ever.

Here is an after pic of the under the sink area.  It doesn't look all that great, too much stuff still. but it is so much better.  I think I meant to get rid of those bags on the white bin.  I will have to go check again.

Actually I moved those bags and it now looks like this

And the wall looked like this.  

Now the wall looks like this.