Motley Memories from October

With school starting mid-September, it's taken until October to feel like "education" for our children was well underway.  Here are Annika and Eli showing some "All In" school spirit as Woods Cross Wolverines.

Don't forget your masks!  These guys mask-up all day at school, as well as during carpool.  It's not particularly comfortable, but oh-so important to slow the spread. 

Annika cracked us up when she came home with this illustration to show her work in math.

This drawing on the back of her homework was a bit more concerning.  According to Annie, the people are playing a game on the monster's teeth, and if they fall off, they have to pretend they are dead.

Most days she comes home with concrete evidence of recess fun.  Her shoes are filled with sand.

This school picture is too amazing to have retaken.  I think I bent the photo when I took the snapshot, so it's not quite as warped in real life, but still pretty close!  I love my winking, jack-o-lantern, klingon elf!

Eli's school picture is pretty great too.  I had no idea he'd worn the same shirt two years in a row!  His hair is definitely more styled as  fifth grader, but he loosened up a bit and unbuttoned his collar.

As for Brooklyn and Talia, they have been impressively dedicated with their zoom classes.  I don't have pictures of them engaging with their laptops, although maybe I should make an audio recording of Brooklyn's excitement when she gets her code to work.  She's discovered that while coding can be frustrating, it's extremely rewarding to work through the challenges and see the output in such a concrete way. She's also excited to have recently received her first college scholarship, thanks to her participation in Code to Success.

As for Talia, she's recently invested in some new blue-light-inhibiting glasses to help counteract all of the screen time.

Since Talia often has to submit a photograph as her "exit ticket" for art class, I have lots of pictures of her artistic progress.  Here she is painting Antelope Canyon.

The Oregon coast, followed by a waterfall.

Moving onto pastels.

This one might be my favorite.  It reminds so much of Talia and her dedication to the violin.

Finishing touch: the rain.

Talia still adores all things yarn.

She crocheted this cute little Halloween cat for the season.

Mostly though, she's in major Covie production mode.  (More on that later.)

As for Brooklyn, she's been fully engaged with cello.  Here she is participating in a virtual group masterclass, using a spaghetti noodle instead of a bow!

Meanwhile Annika and Eli enjoy the park outside.  They only get to play if the playground is empty, so it's a bit of a treat.

Besides cello, Brooklyn's other love is Ultimate Frisbee.  She has been so committed to practices and tournaments, often four days a week.  It's amazing to see the progress she and her teammates have made.

Talia likewise enjoys playing Middle School Ultimate.

I caught a few fun action shots during one of their games at Riverside.

Stretch!

Talia and her frisbee friends: Danyn and Beyah.

An extra bonus: our new bike rack and hitch make getting bikes home a cinch.

Speaking of biking, I dragged Talia to the top of City Creek Canyon with me one Wednesday.  Chilly, but great!

Bonfires are always a great way to warm up.  Here we are roasting dogs and mallows in Brianna and Justin's backyard.

Next up, Mabey's Pumpkin patch.  We popped over to West Jordan one Monday afternoon while Brooklyn was at orchestra.

Looking out over the Jordan River temple reminded me how much I miss going inside.  We have so much to be grateful for during this pandemic (with good health topping the list), but it's still hard.

Whenever I'm feeling anxious or discouraged, walks through the neighborhood help me center my thoughts.

Strolling through the cemetery always gives a better perspective.

Plus, who doesn't enjoy keeping company with a great-horned owl?

Thinking of the transience of life, this was the funeral service for Carol Ann Bergeson, a neighbor and friend.  While she is certainly missed, the outdoor memorial service with autumn leaves raining down was very healing. 

As bishop of our congregation, Jason has now presided over five funerals and a wedding over the past fifteen months.  This was from the marriage of Brett and Tammy Nielsen last spring.

On a less serious note, Harry Potter commandeered the Maersk train with a little help from Jason.

Meanwhile, I've been rediscovering the joy of puzzles--and the diversity of Utah.

Back to the pumpkin theme, we headed back to the BOOtanical Gardens with Brianna and Ruby.

'Tis the season for flu shots!  Many thanks to Aunt Callie for the tip.  Target will give you $5 in-store credit for each flu shot you get.

Last but not least, election season.  Even as one who limits my engagement with politics and the news,  it has been rough.  The divisiveness and animosity is alarming. Since this blog primarily houses happy memories, there's not a whole lot I want to say about it here except, please.

Make America kind again.