This was the week Richard went on a scuba diving trip, the boys played their piano concertos to an audience of two, and our tree erupted into every autumn color. Paige and Michael helped harvest the last apples before the frost. Mark took up baking again, and I started playing Christmas songs on my violin in earnest.
Favorite memory? The concerto performances.
Richard had an idea to visit his parents and cook them a Dutch oven dinner in Pine Valley, so he and Mark went down for a visit. Paige and Michael joined the fun, too. Looking at pictures of the event, I see the original plan evolved quite a bit. 
Last week we sold our old black 1999 Toyota Sienna. It sold immediately after we listed it, and the emotions caught us a little by surprise. I guess it symbolized the adventures of raising our kids. It was a hassle-free car, with very few repairs needed during the past 18 years we owned it. I gave it a good pat and said thank you before it left our house for the last time.
During the past few months we have sold the van, Richard’s car, and three trailers, but Timothy fills in the spaces with his hobby cars. One of these must go before the snow arrives.
A happy list today:
Negative Covid test results for a loved one
A sunflower in a vase beside my sink
My Christmas quilt is all quilted with gold swirls and I’ve attached the binding. It’s ready for hand sewing. This might be my favorite step.
New fabric on the pillows
Time spent in the Book of Mormon: I love that book.
Our kids have fun interests (classic cars, portraits, music composition, cooking, piano, woodworking, reading) and they are good company.
Richard is a good calculus tutor.
Rain is in the forecast.
My first issue of The Friend arrived today, after letting our subscription lapse for a few years after our kids left Primary. I have missed this church magazine!
I just watched the first episode of The Chosen series. I don’t think it’s very accurate but I really liked it, if for no other reason than it portrays biblical personalities as relatable people.
When Richard goes off on adventures, I stay home to fluff the flowers and pillows. This was our weekend.
This week, I am working on finishing a quilt and scanning certificates and awards for Timothy’s Sterling Scholar application. Most of us here are outmatched by assignments and work and concerns, but thankfully, Mark is not. I need to be more like Mark.
There aren’t enough batteries at our house. Maybe you can relate to that stalled little black car, just as I do this week.
This was a hike from Alta to Brighton, with encounters with high mountain lakes and spectacular views… or so these photos indicate. I dropped the family off in one canyon and picked them up in the other. They were smiling as I picked them up.
Our garage is like a scene from the movie, Cars, thanks to Tim, who continues to surprise us.
This week, I picked up a few things at the store to add to the “college set” of dishes and silverware passed down from Paige to Daniel. (Where did all the teaspoons go???) I can’t think of much I should do to help him, but the impulse is to think about details such as, “Oh, he is going to need some spices!” The truth is, he grew up long ago, in South America, and he can navigate the spice aisles in Provo, Utah just fine without me.
I remember this ache. I have felt it before. Each child’s imprint is different, so the the ache for each child has its own quality. It’s terrible and precious at the same time. I don’t know why I am not thinking about Covid-19 tonight. I suppose it could spoil university plans very quickly, but we’ll deal with whatever comes.
Tim and Mark are attending in-person classes at our high school. We hope school can continue at least long enough for them to get to know their teachers and for Timothy to be able to finish his armoire he had to abandon for five months in the school woodshop. The high school has a lot fewer students attending, as many opted for at-home learning. Attending school was the best option for us, and once we landed on that idea, I felt it was right. Tim and Mark seem really glad to be back in school.
I am not home alone on this first day of school. Richard is here, working from home, and Daniel has a few more days until he moves to Provo to begin BYU. Woot! We have been busy collecting things for his apartment while he wrangles his ever-evolving schedule.
When Paige was young, we would often do crafts to celebrate her birthday. I thought it would be fun to do something like that again. Mark and I set up an array of succulent plants and ordered lots of little woodland animals and buildings to populate the pots.
Squee! So cute.
And then Paige and I watched this movie. Happy day!