Even though my children are getting older, the involved parenting is still going on. Brian and I were able to bring Spencer for a fall festival for his school. It was about 2 and a half hours of us being with him and walking in public and car rides, but he did great and there were no behaviors. I went to a meeting for him and was happy to hear the report on how well he is doing. He is gaining more independence and learning new skills in his new placement. Last Sunday, we went and rode around with him like we do almost weekly and he took some time to warm up to us. By the middle of the ride he was giggling and smiling and singing and moving back and forth., I even got to give him a kiss on the cheek and a hug on the way into Chevron to get popsicles. It is hard to have him away, but hearing how he is doing well makes it all worth it. I do have quite a bit of responsibility for his decisions and commitments which I like. It keeps me in the know.
In Woung Women's I've had the opportunity to go to pumpkin farm with the youth and we've made bath bombs and I even chaperoned a youth multi stake dance. My highlights were being mistaken for a youth trying to get into the kitchen and dancing along with some girls into the ward to a song from my generation. This calling keeps me young. I did attend a stake leadership meeting and like the simplifying ways the church is going. If only we can implement it all effectively, which I will definitely be an advocate for. I feel we are asked to be more Christlike and to serve others. It is more practical for daily life. I want to work hard and be a good example and I have plenty of opportunity for that with Celia and Joe home.
It looks like Joseph will be moving to a more independent school approach with blended online and in class curriculum. I feel the weight of trying to teach him to study and manage his time, yet he is choosing this path and he usually does better when something is his idea, even if it is difficult and stretching. I am crossing my fingers and praying and working like crazy to help him to be successful and educated. I am glad he has his little transporter job to take boys to school from the seminary building. It gets him to seminary and up and out of the house early doing his responsibility which I recognize and appreciate.
Celia is growing a lot. She had to go to the insta care from a screen projector screen falling on her finger at school. She was brave and it wasn't broken. She has had trouble with her springs in her mouth from orthodontia and gums getting in the way and her tongue needing to be retrained to not push on her bottom teeth, but she is a trooper. We went to the Doctor recently after that and she is 5'5 and a half. She is growing like a weed. I had been advocating for her at school and she has done a math assignment at home to measure a Frankenstein. She has a great teacher that softened the assessment heavy curriculum with projects that test their math ability, Celia has been changing so much, her likes and her favorites and how she spends her time changes daily. Celia is wanting to be more independent too. She stayed at home ( wouldn't even let the grandparents come in and visit) and chilled while Brian and I got to go to Napa for Celine's Forty birthday picnic.
It was 89 degrees out, but we were blessed to be dressed in layers and to have avoided accident and injury on the way there. I had half a piece of cake and although it was very fancy, I shall not partake again. That is way too much sugar for me and my health deteriorated right after I ate it. Happily, on the way home I was able to get some protein (salmon at Outback) and it helped the whole situation tremendously. I'm glad my health is good. I really don't have much to complain about and it is nice that avoiding certain things helps me so much. I'm excited for my three month mark from when I checked my sugar last. I want to check again, I'm sure I will be way within the normal range and no where near the pre-diabetic range ( which is even far from the diabetic range). I've enjoyed walking more and making better food choices and feel great.
I'm excited for the holidays. Halloween was fun at the grandparents with my friend and family. Celia went trick or treating with me around my folks house and we had a great time. I was given candy too which I gave away. It was a great night. Celia had three costumes all together. One unicorn one she wore to the junior high social and the trunk or treat, a Griffindor costume for spirit day at John Adams, and an owl on Halloween night since it was colder out. We carved our pumpkins right before trick or theaters came, but weren't late, it counted.:) The patterns were tricky, but we had a good time.
Emmy planned and executed a great birthday yesterday. I'm so glad she went and got a carmel apple after school and going by the mental hospital that she volunteers at. She visited puppies and went to Outback Steakhouse and a concert in Salt Lake. She sure knows how to have fun. I am so proud of her and all her endeavors with taking the GRE soon, applying for work, and studying for all her classes. It is so nice to learn to juggle life's demands and our own well being. Balance is everything yet the Lord helps so much when we do things that improve the lives of others.
I feel so blessed that all my needs are met time and time again. I do try hard and pray so much and the Lord helps me out. I have enjoyed attending the temple more and the peace and inspiration I receive when I am there. It seems counter intuitive to loose your life in service, yet I see that it brings fulfillment and blessings. It also brings growth that would otherwise be very difficult to find because we wouldn't choose the harder way.
I felt I should visit my folks yesterday and I went by and we had such a great time talking and going shopping. It really put me in a good mood. I even found 2 dozen red roses,(the last ones) for two dollars at the thrift store we went to. They smell and look amazing and it was perfect to have around to celebrate Emmy's 22nd birthday. I took the picture of 22 of them and sent it to her so she could see the beauty and the number of developing flowers bvlooming so nicely, like her! I'm happy to blog and remember all the wonderful things in my life and not dwell on the less positive things that come. Our fridge after a year is finally working, yay. Things do work out working and waiting is how we do it.
