General Conference October 2018
The following is my response to Mallerie's enthusiastic letter in regards to what she calls G-CON:
"Oh my goodness I love
your contagious enthusiasm! Fist pump baby! When President Nelson was speaking
about why we need to use the full name of the church, I said, "He is
throwing down right now." So we thought of you! And you were right about
two-hour church (except Elder Bednar would not only want me to focus on that),
which will give more time for family Gospel Study. This is going to really be
great I just feel it! We were all so excited about G-con coming up. Callie even
had a countdown chain in the dining room. During conference Dad looked over at
her on the couch and asked me, "Why does she have a cooler?" Then we
looked over and saw that she was dishing up ice cream. Gah, Callie! Graham
stayed busy by building an entire Titanic replica out of a kit. Gah, Graham! It
was such a beautiful conference that we just kept hanging gout in the basement
after it was over. Dad came back from a meeting and said, "No one wants to
leave the room eh?" It was all just so wonderful.
Kei was having a party that started at 7:30 on Saturday night. So me
and Ava and Callie drove to Lehi. We knew that we would be able to find a Stake Center easy peasy to watch it at. Sure enough, at 6 PM we pulled into a random
Stake Center and watched it with a bunch of strangers, and yet they were
sisters. Loved it all.
Afterward, Kei had a
Nerf war party. I was still in my skirt so I couldn’t play. But that’s OK
because I got to hold Jocelyn and Justin‘s baby boy Orien. He is only a week
old and just the sweetest thing. Laurie flew in from Hawaii and will spend a
couple weeks with Kei due any day.
Ava is my ministering
companion. She made the Goulding's chocolate chip cookie recipe and we took
some around to meet our sisters. One is a gal we have never met. She lives in a
sketchy apartment complex. We could hear a dog yapping on the other side of the
door and I said, "This is what it will be like on a mission. You will have
NO idea who is on the other side of that door or if they even want you
here." Thankfully the gal was really sweet. Who wouldn't be when someone
is offering a plate of scrumptious cookies?!"
Bike Ride down Provo Canyon October 13, 2018
On a Saturday we had our
annual bike ride down Provo Canyon with aunts, uncles and cousins. On University Avenue the brake on Callie’s
bike popped off. Matt tried to fix it for a while. Then I tried to ride the bike
without the brakes but it was scary!
Callie’s bike had a similar issue a couple of years ago so we did the same thing as we did then; she hopped on my bike with me! The only problem is, she is two years older so we really had to squish. At the end we both had sore tushies...but we made it! The canyon was a bit chilly but it was also a pretty ride.
Eli is taller than
Ava! Lindsey’s house looked gorgeous as usual. It made for a good day!
"The Date is Down!"
While at Macy's Matt and I told about our date from the night before while at Jordan Commons where we saw First Man. We were really looking forward too it, however it was a disappointment. We had a heck of a time finding which theatre our movie was in. At least we weren't on our own. We wandered around with another patron. Our seats were rather odd as well. I have never been to a theater that has a 4D seats. Every time the space shuttle would launch, my seat would rattle and that movie is basically one lift off after another. On our way up the stairs to the parking lot afterwards we could tell another couple was behind us. Not long after we started across the parking lot we heard a lot of scuffling behind us. We turned around to see an elderly couple who were BOTH on the ground. One was still rolling and here was popcorn scattered. What in the world? I wondered if one of them had had a stroke, but why were they both on the ground? We went on over to help them up. Apparently the husband had missed a step and as he fell, he brought his wife down with him. After we made sure they were okay, we parted ways and we started walking to the car. I started replaying the image of them both on the ground and I could feel a big belly laugh welling up. I clenched my teeth and said to Matt, "We have to hurry to the car or I am not going got make it." I barely did. I soon had tears down my cheeks as we re-counted what we had just experienced. Matt wondered, "Why were they rolling?" Oh man. If they had been hurt I know we wouldn't have been laughing but as it was, we couldn't stop. I had a hard time falling asleep that night because I kept replaying the scene and I would start laughing again. The movie, on the other hand, was quickly forgotten.
The BROTHER is Down!
Callie raked a pile of leaves one afternoon after school and desperately wanted Graham to come play outside with her. He just plain didn't feel like it. I felt he needed some fresh air and insisted he go out with her. Once outside he just laid on the grass. I watched as she struggled to pull him across the lawn and into the pile of leaves, "Graham!" I thought to myself, "Well doesn't that look fun."
The Brother is DRIVING!
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| October 29, 2018 |
Grayson has had his drivers permit since May but he never asks to go driving and I never remember he even has his permit. One day in the fall I asked him about it. He said, "I think of it but you are always busy." I said, "Yes, I will always be doing something. That is what a mother does! BUT if you ask me, we can go driving!" The next day he came to me and said, "Can we go driving?" YES. After a few circles in the church parking lot he drove around some neighboring streets. He really seemed to be getting the hang of it. However, when we were coming up to a stop sign and I suggested it was time to start breaking he informed me, "Oh, I don't know anything, I have never taken a class. I don't have Drivers Ed till text semester." I made sure my seatbelt was fastened nice and tight. Bless his heart for getting behind the wheel at all!
A Dinner Party and a Baby Blessing
We had G-ma Donna and Laurie
come over for a special dinner. It was originally supposed to be for all of
dad's siblings but those are the only two that showed. Anyway, This made it perfect for our family to all fit
around the table with Grandma and Laurie to chat. It was a fancy dinner of all our favorites. We started with appetizers of dipped bread in peach vinaigrette and caprese salad. For the main course we served potatoes au gratin, caramelized carrots and grilled steak. We toasted our sparkling cider and each torched our own creme brûlée before adding fresh black berries to the top. To finish off the night I passed around fresh mint. Laurie said, "This was a five course meal!" Laurie is loving being able to spend time with her two new
grandbaby boys. We went to Orien Wasson's baby blessing the following Sunday and got to meet new baby Danilo Cacique. Such sweetie pies.
Wait Until Dark October 15, 2018
Another date! This time we went with my sibling's and spouses. When I saw that Wait Until Dark was playing at the Hale in October I Skyped my sisters so see who might be interested in seeing it. I remember watching the Audrey Hepburn movie with Lindsey particularly. The date we decided on was Lindsey Taylor's actual birthday so it made for a fun birthday celebration. I thought we were leaving in plenty of time to the theatre and we even stopped at World Market in Park City to pick up a shelf. However, as I started getting texts from Jon and Cade that they were going to be peeling in at the last second I checked the time and realized that we were too! We all arrived at the same moment as we hustled into the theatre. The usher said, "Hurry along, they are ready to draw the curtain." Shafer and Lindsey were calmly waiting in their seats. Thankfully I had my own Mentos in my purse so I didn't have to wait in line at concessions. Sneaky.
The play was great and kept us on the edge of our seats, just like the movie. Just like it. Afterwards we went down to the front of the theatre for a better look and chat with some stagehands. They were gracious to answer our questions...our unconventional questions. Cade gave them their own round of applause. Lindsey Geertsen looked back to where she had been sitting and saw that her white sweater had shed all over the seat. It looked like a cat had been sitting there.
We enjoyed a Mexican fiesta afterwards! It's always more fun when you aren't the birthday girl....
October 22-29, 2018
The week ended up being one where I was at the school
3 days in a row, with Meet the Masters on Tuesday and vision screening on
Wednesday. I will admit I was somewhat intimidated to help with the screening
because I aint no nurse! It was easier than I thought though and some kids did in fact
seem to be blind a as a bat. I told the kids to cover one eye while they read
the chart. Then I asked them to cover the other eye and read the chart in
reverse. Only a few kids put BOTH hands over their eyes at the same time.
Callie's 4th grade class walked over the Mountain
Man Rendezvous on Thursday at Wasatch High School. I parked at a nearby church to walk with them. I was getting SO cold standing outside. My feet felt like duck flippers on the way back to
the car they were so frozen. I couldn't even walk straight. I was glad I didn't
have to walk the entire way. It took me forever to get my core temp back up at
home. I made a pumpkin steamer in the Blendtec, put on wool socks and heated a
rice sack. These field trips are going to be the death of me, but I did enjoy being with my Callie.
October Projects
I've wanted the hallway and mudroom to flow better with the house by bringing Touch of Almond into those two spaces for far too long. They were the last two rooms left to re-paint upstairs (yes for at least the third time). I didn't take a before shot of the hallway but I found this one from a few April Fools ago. Before and After:
I know, you can hardly tell a difference! Ha ha, I guess I can't blame Matt for finally having to be told, "Hey, I re-painted the hall!" In reality it is much brighter now. The hall was a doozy because I also had to repaint the ceiling.
While I was painting, someone came to the door that has the tendency to talk and talk. My shoulders slumped when the kids told me the door was for me (I'm the worst with a pop in)! As I rounded the corner I kept a wet paintbrush in my hand. It worked, "Oh I can see you are in the middle of something so I will be fast...." the caller said.
The mudroom walls show the change in paint color better... Before and After:
I enjoyed me some Kenny Chesney the day I painted the mudroom.
Details! The rug!!!
Geertsen's Halloween Party October 29, 2018
I brought a fold-up cardboard house from Michael's for the kids to color in the garage. Matt was dressed as a construction worker so I had him build it;) The kids' colored it a bit, played in it a bit and then kicked it all down till it ended up in the trash. I kind of figured that would happen.
Solly is a crack-up now that he has finally decided he is ready to talk. Eliza was dressed as "Smarty pants." She had Smarties taped all over her jeans. Solly was all over that! He kept coming and asking for more. He was dressed as a cowboy ninja (only because he insisted he wear his clompy cowboy boots), I asked Ashley, "Aren't Ninja's supposed to be able to silently sneak up on you??" Ha!
Raegan and Tyrell came dressed as Kristoff and Sven. I have never noticed how much Tyrell looks like Kristoff!
Romney and Austin came as Katniss and Peeta. They pulled that off as well!
I lamented
that I can only obsess over one costume in our family each year and this year it was AVA's costume.
People always tell her that she looks like Flo (from the Progressive Insurance commercials)
so we made her into Flo! She looked great. Ava worked the Haunted Train all month long, where she wore many different costumes. Callie watched Ava leave one day and right away knew she too wanted to dress as a tourist for Halloween. The boys pulled out their jerseys. They wear them all of the time so you could debate that they weren't even dressed up. I pulled on a witch hat (you might say that I didn't dress up either;)
Those Geerts always steal the show with their clever costumes. Lindsey was dressed as the galaxy. Her make-up
looked great and she had the Aurora Borealis spray painted into her hair. Well, I asked her if that is what it was and she said, "Sure!" (Matt made sure to show her pictures from the Universe presentation we had just attended in Flagstaff, which
I am sure she was very interested in.)
Lindsey could only obsess over her own costume so Eli came up with his clever costume and Zeke's painted face warmed my heart. I asked him, "Wow! Who painted your face?" He was proud to tell me, "I did!"
We spent part of our day getting ready for the party by making mini mummy dogs and mini cupcakes. The cupcakes turned out cute enough that it was assumed they were store-bought. Shafer asked, "Oh you made those? Well, I am going to have one then!"
Trunk or Treat! October 27, 2018
On Saturday while Matt took the boys to the BYU game, I took Callie to our ward's trunk-or-treat. I am
never thrilled to go to ward activities but once I am there and start
visiting with people, I am always glad I came. There was a lot of delicious
chili, cornbread and cobbler.
Ava had quite the night fall right into her lap. A friend's dad had extra tickets for the John Mayer concert at Vivent Smart Arena, which included dinner beforehand. They also were on the third row! She hasn't really been a fan of John (in her words, "He's old!") but now she really digs his music. Sigh, I think he is 40ish.
Oh DEER!!! October 30, 2018
Okay, this next story
is CRAZY. After President Nelson gave the charge to increase our temple attendance at the last conference, Matt and I discussed what was realistic for us. We decided on once a week. So on Tuesday Oct 30th we were
enjoying a beautiful ride down the canyon when out of NOWHERE a HUGE deer jumped RIGHT in front of the car. There wasn't time to scream or even react. The deer hit
and cracked the windshield before going over the top of the car. I looked through my rear-view mirror and saw the deer spinning off to the side of the road before coming to a stop. I was so relieved
to see that it was not moving. We pulled over and looked at the damage to the car. I
thought the deer had only hit the windshield but the front of the car was a mess! A
nice guy from Midway pulled over to see if we were all right. I thought
that was considerate of him. We weren't really sure what to do next so we decided to just
press on with our evening! The car was still running and we could still see out
of the windshield.... well, pretty much.
First we went to Sundance for a bowl of soup. Matt was lamenting over all the hassle of now having to fill out paperwork and get a rental car. I said, "I am just glad we are okay!" The guy in the
parking booth looked at the car rather interestingly. (He had on the coolest
Halloween hat. It was a chef's hat with a light inside that showed Ratatouille's
silhouette). Since we were not dressed up, our car was our costume.
The next day Matt took the car in and came home with a stinky rental car. I couldn't even drive it. He went back and exchanged it;) His company car was being repaired for the THIRD
time. He has been sideswiped, rear-ended and now this! It is the same guy
who has fixed it every time. When Matt brought the car in to him the
guy exclaimed, "You're baaack???" He said that we are very lucky the deer didn't come directly through the windshield (I
will chalk that up to the fact that we were headed to the temple.) Graham said,
"You guys should go to the temple every Tuesday." I like that. Temple
Tuesday it is.
All Hallows Eve October 31, 2018
I stood in the chilly air and waited for Callie to parade around the school in her costume. I was with some other moms and felt obligated to stay till their kids had also passed. I don't know why but I did. Callie made the cutest little tourist around. Callie said, "I thought it was warm in Hawaii, but it isn't."
Normally Matt does dinner on Wednesday night, but I wasn't sure he would make our traditional pre-trick-or-treat dinner so I texted him a photo and told him that he didn't need to worry a thing about it, "I've got chili and baked apples on the stove, and corn bread ready to go in the oven." The baked apples made the house smell divine.
This was the first
year Graham and Callie went out for tricks and treats without Matt chaperoning them. He's
getting burned out with that. We did Halloween SO low-key this year. I never
even put up the Halloween decorations. Callie finally put a spider and skeleton in her room on her own. It
was Ava who took the wind out of my sails. "Halloween decorations are so
stupid!" she told me one day. I had never thought of them that way, and
she has a point! Grayson went and played ball at the rec and Ava
attended a Halloween party in Midway. I asked her if she was going to dress up
and she said she wasn't sure. I talked her into it and did her hair and make-up
like FLO again. She makes the best Flo! BUT she said was the only person in costume. I didn't realize she hung out with such hippies.
While the babes were out on their own trick-or-treating, Matt and I watched The
Prisoner of Azkaban and handed out chips. We didn't have nearly as many
trick-or-treaters as in years past. We didn't even go through a whole case. That was fine with me. I had NO steam in me!!! I
literally didn't get off the couch the rest of the night and we finally just
put the box on the porch. When Graham and Callie got home they lined up their candy as we put on Coco (yes, another movie)!
Our low-key Halloween
was actually quite enjoyable. We are finding that the LESS we do for
holidays the MORE we enjoy them. Now...how to simplify Christmas...
