Summing up September

Happy 2024!  Salt Lake is getting its first real snowfall, so it's finally feeling like winter around here.  Brooklyn and I went skiing up at Brighton yesterday.  While "bad" snow in Utah is still pretty good, there were plenty of exposed rocks, so this snow will help the resorts as well.

My final nursing semester at SLCC starts on Monday, so I'm trying to get as caught up as possible before then.  These next months are going to be really intense!  During first block I'll have a 100-hour clinical capstone experience with Labor and Delivery that is all night shifts.  While I'm very excited, it's definitely going to be a learning experience for this mama who loves her zzzzzs.  Life sure moves full speed!

Okay, so this batch of photos rounds out September.  

Thanks to Make-a-Wish, our family got some free tickets to FanX, formerly known as Comic Con.  We enjoyed dressing up in our Harry Potter best and discovering what all the excitement is about.

This R2D2 was pretty fantastic.

Equally exciting was our battle to get the golden egg from a balloon dragon and dark knight.  Annika got to wield the sword and shield.

Victory!  Well, almost.

"Why is it always you three?"

That same weekend we got to attend the Big Dig fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Hard hats and heavy machinery help us be happy!  Eila and Anders got to join the fun as well.

Honk honk!

Waiting for our turn with the diggers.

The bean bag toss is way more interesting from the top of a cherry picker.

These lucky kids even got to choose gifts to take home.  I love that Annika wanted the Duplo dump truck while Anders picked the friendship bracelet kit.  Add a bouncy house and the fun was complete.

Back at home, Annika made the most adorable paper kitten, complete with a bed, toy mouse, water, and food dish.

Homework and story time.

After years of hearing about our neighborhood's wonderful Ms. Jane Davis, Annika started taking sewing classes from her and made this accessory bag/hat.

Speaking of accessories, she also got neurolens glasses.  The hope is that they will help with her migraine headaches.

NomiAnn and Papa Kay came for a visit and hiked the Bonneville Shoreline Trail with us.

Next up, frisbee.  The Krakens were out full force in September.  Go Wheelers!

Down the street, the art fair at Wasatch Elementary was highly original.  When Annika said that they were going to do fish paintings, I hardly expected that they would paint real fish!

The creativity continued at home when Annika turned a giant box into a veterinary hospital with windows, curtains, and all.

Here is Jason with his co-workers touring a downtown skyscraper that is under construction.  Sometimes architecture has its perks!  There's Jason, Sam (whose wife is from Brazil), Soudabeh from Iran, and Zizheng from China.

Taking the elevator up the side of the building.

Pretty views of Salt Lake.

I had a birthday in September and requested my favorite dessert--homemade ice cream.  Violet helped churn it.

As always, lots of good things happened in our church congregation, in part due to our great Daddy Bishop.  Here we have the neighborhood working together to help clean up a ward member's yard.

Last Sunday somebody said that they want to be like Chuck Clark when they grow up.  Me too.

On the more entertaining side of things, here we are enjoying a backyard concert with our very own Peter Breinholt.

Putting on his uncle hat, Jason entertained Eila, Anders, and Annie one Saturday while I had a clinical.  From the looks of it, they had a splendid time!  Annika better be careful though--she might melt that hair!

Jason had to work a community engagement booth where they informed local residents about ASSIST's services.  From the looks of it, I think the kids had a GREAT time tagging along!

How's it hanging, Eila?

Just a six year-old boy and his fire hose.

Wrapping up with some of Jason's lovely drawings that I found on his photo-roll.  I adore his sketches!

It's raining men, Hallelujah!

I'm a little more concerned about this one.  Is it a commentary on our chilly north-facing home that may or may not provide refuge for a few mice?

Drafty walls or no, life is good. Plus, that really does bring us to the end of September.