Yep, I’m catching up!

We started off October with a brand new fifteen year old:

Who luckily had planned out her bday to a “t” so we could just follow directions to help her celebrate.

HA!

See that boy over there on the counter over there below?

Yes, Max & Abby came to town to surprise her (which I posted a video of back on that bday post, man alive was she ever excited!)

They also got to be here for a tournament for Claire:

A tournament that had a pretty happy ending:)

…and pickleball among other things.

Meanwhile, Grace continued shining her light over in Texas:

I haven’t done so well at my “Missionary Mondays” lately, so here are a few pictures:

…mixed in with a cinnamon roll picture because we can’t of course, forget Conference Weekend:

We got to take a little trip over to Newport for Fall Break:

(All about Fall Break back over HERE.)

I did another devotional for Come Follow Me app all about “effectual doors” and my thoughts on this scripture:

Lots of thoughts about “effectual doors” back HERE.

Elle and I read this book in preparation for her first visit to the temple:

Lots of thinking about and prepping for that special experience that was coming up in November.

Post bday gifts dropped off for Lu…she wasn’t too sad about extending her bday!

Cello practice:

I’m not so hot at this, and I’m still scratchy as can be, but I’m progressing.

I think. At least a little!

Lots of volleyball:

Along with the Homecoming parade:

Lu and I went on a little date to see Dear Evan Hansen.

For some reason she was head-over-heels in love with that music soundtrack (not even sure how she found it), and she could not wait until it came to movie theaters. And then we almost missed it because life kept getting in the way.

BUT we made it by the skin of our teeth before it left the theaters and man alive, I love being with that girl of mine.

We got to have a weekend away in the mountains with our good friends:

All about that crazy back-and-forth in conjunction with Homecoming and other things back HERE.

Homecoming for Claire with all the details back HERE.

Goodbye to friends:

Hello Utah Fall.

I ran straight from that weekend back and forth to the mountains right up to Utah for my annual Fall sisters hike to experience the beauty of nature and the beauty of art:

(and the beauty of sisterhood, of course!)

And FAMILYhood. I loved that we got to gather with these guys up in Utah as well:

A recap on that Utah trip is HERE.

Gotta at least include these big kids here in October…minus Carson who we also love:

Read this awesome book The Book of Longings:

Talked all about that back HERE, but here are some excerpts I loved:

SO much to think about, right?

On to planning and sending out Elle’s sealing invites:

Lots of dinners dropped off to friends who needed a little lift in October:

Lucy WON the most creative pumpkin of all at her Young Women activity!

HA! That was after she picked off a bunch of the paint.

Claire got a swollen eye randomly:

And then, just like that, it was Claire’s “senior night” for volleyball.

The link to senior night is HERE.

I got to work at the temple:

…which I talked more about a couple posts ago.

I was MISSING the old days when we actually did Halloween crafts, so Lu and I got Halloween-creative to send some packages to the big kids.

More Grace. I love.

Dave and I got busy bulking up our food storage:

Claire took the ACT and I adored my flowers from senior night:

We went to “Poetry Night” at our neighbor’s again.

I LOVE that she does this. Claire and I re-memorized D&C 88:119 for that night:

Volleyball, volleyball and more volleyball:

Meanwhile Lucy was working to try out for the basketball team. She invited a friend over to help her a few times, so so sweet…and so much worry for the mama on this one..

Claire made some wing-dingers in her clay class at school:

I read this book, super interesting:

Trunk-or-treat night with our church congregation:

The sweetest note from Abby that was so teeny I had to take a picture:

Ha! Love that girl!

I did another devotional, but I can’t link because I’m out of time! I’ll come back later today to link:

SO much work on colleges and volleyball recruiting with this girl:

Which turned into this trip that I will also come back and link later (Or put in “NYC” in the search bar and it will come up if you’re interested in more). Ok, I’m back, that link is HERE.

Our flight was canceled en route home on Halloween which was a fiasco in and of itself.

But we made it.

Posts with more details on October happenings:

Lucy’s birthday

Max & Abby’s visit

Fall Break 2021

Opening “effectual doors”

Legacies in the mountains

Homecoming Dance for Claire

Bulk Food Storage

Fall hiking in Utah

Claire’s volleyball “senior night”

Volleyball recruiting trip in NYC

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7 Comments

  1. I’d love a post/advice with pictures about food storage. Also where you buy ? A topic I’m super interested in. Thanks.

  2. Thank you for the light you share!! What book did you and Elle read in preparation for her temple covenants? Thank you!!!

  3. I love your blog for a lot of reasons, but over the last few years I love seeing you all going and doing. We’re still pretty locked down here on the east coast so it’s lovely to see a less-covid-y climate and all those smiling (maskless) faces. I can’t wait until we get to that stage … maybe by summer.

  4. Shawni, I love seeing your posts that include your siblings. I’m the third of 10 kids.
    I wish I could pick your brain about many big family topics, like keeping in touch regularly and the occasional conflicts that can arise. Really all things adult sibling related. I think growing up with more than 3 or 4 siblings is a subculture in itself. I’m finding it hard to navigate as a mom with my own growing family. We are all about 10 years behind you. Maybe you and your husband could write a post coming from your experiences. Or do you have any resources you’d recommend?

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