Thanksgiving

 We had dinner at our house....

 Afterwards the girls were looking at something on a phone....

 And this was the only one I got of my mom and Dad

 Austin was chilling and digesting in the "hobby" room.

(Formally known as our formal living room -now it holds our bikes, snowboards, piano both baby grand and electric and I believe Alex's air soft bb gun - oh and this one chair that Austin is sitting on!) 

We went to see "Rise of The Guardians" after our dinner/lunch. (We ate at 2 pm) And then we went to grandma's for a pie fest! 

 Comparing thumbs.....that's my brother Arron's ginormous thumb!)

Austin and Grandma.....

(Love this picture!)

Earlier that day we all wrote down one thing we were thankful for and then we put them in pot and pulled out one and had to talk about how our life would be without that particular thing.  Here is what everyone was thankful for.

James: Sleep

Wendy: Healthy Body

Kambree: Dating/Love

Austin: Mountains

Devree: Beds

Alex: Family

Rylee: Kidneys

"Your Mom Goes To College"

It's official.

I'm enrolled and registered for classes.

Gulp.

I met with my "academic adviser" who tried to flatter me by saying.  "You couldn't possibly be returning to school after 22 years, you only look 22 years old."

Please.

Whatever.

Then he "thinks" I need another English class, a communications class and math.

MATH!
WHAT???

Oh, and since it's been 22 years, I need to take a math placement test.

Oh my stars!!

And pending how I test will determine if I need one, two or THREE math classes.

Shoot me now.
 He also estimates that I need about 10 more credit hours to get my associates.
(Why in the world didn't I at least get my associates way back when? Oh yeah. I got married and put my hubby through school.)
I had to get all my transcripts resent to be matriculated - again because they're so very old.
I decided to just take the one class to start and wait to hear what the "official" verdict is on what I truly need to take instead of Mr. Academic A's estimate.  

At one point in our conversation I explained I wasn't returning to school to change my career - I just want to get an education. I sell real estate and love it.

Then he proceed to tell me HOW TO SELL REAL ESTATE.

Real?

Mr. Academic Adviser? How many houses have you sold?
(I wanted to say that but I didn't. I just sat there politely nodding my head.)

Finally when he started telling me to knock on doors and get listings in a certain area, I could stand it no further.

"I've been selling real estate for almost 13 years. All my business is word of mouth. I don't cold call, knock doors or do much marketing. I've been blessed. I have all the business I need but thanks for your suggestions."
I do realize it's this guys JOB to advise people but please, I am not an 18 year old freshman. And isn't he an ACADEMIC adviser - not an "I know everything adviser"? 

In my defense I explained that most my clients I pick up by either a referral or they know me - for example I recently bought my bike and the cute girl I bought it from called me afterwards and is looking to buy a house next spring. That's the way I work.

Upon hearing about my bike purchase he asked if I'd be interested in buying his wife's Honda Shadow?

As in motorcycle?

I had to explain that my bike was a road bike with pedals.

Then he said, "Oh that explains why you have such.....strong legs." 

Oh gosh. 

Yuck.

I know he was just trying to be nice but seriously? The leg comment was a little awkward. 

I was glad it was while we were on the way OUT of his office.
(Note to self: Request a different Academic Adviser next time.) 

So....two months and one week from today - I start class.
Yikes. 

My Austin has class at the same time and we're going to carpool.

How cool is that?
Maybe not so cool for Austin......

Bullet Update

• Oh my stars! What was I thinking??? I applied to go back to school next semester. Why? I'm not exactly sure. I would like to have a degree....but I don't know what in. I would like to better my mind, but I'm not sure my mind is up to par. Austin and I went to enroll today and tomorrow he's going to orientation and I'm going to talk to an academic adviser. My biggest fear is that they'll tell me I have to take a placement test and that my 69 credit hours I took 22 years ago will count for naught! Cross your fingers for me.
• Kambree is ready to submit her mission papers but wait! Who has re-entered her life? A young man by the name of Travis that she was head over heels for last year. Gulp. Timing is everything isn't it? We'll see where this all goes. She might be taking classes with Austin and I next semester too depending on everything. I mean, who knows when she'll leave and now, who knows if she'll even submit? Fun stuff - adult children. But sort of cool - at least for me -  going to school with my kids? Three of them technically since Devree is taking congruent classes from SLCC in high school.
• Did I mention Austin got a job? Yes! It's true. He's working with mentally challenged/disabled adult women. He does in home care. He helps them with their dinner, house cleaning, medicines, shopping, takes them to dinner etc. It's awesome to hear his stories and see how sweet he is with them. We met two of his clients this weekend. They were adorable. Well? One was adorable the other just talked and talked and never stopped taking. It's looking like we may have one or two clients join us for Thanksgiving this year. I love it!
• Alex made it through a whole week without complaining or talking about video games! Woot! We bought him a model airplane to celebrate. He and Rylee are going to play Jr Jazz next month and I'm signing him up for a wrestling clinic next year - if he likes it or not! If he goes TWO more weeks without complaining/sneaking/obsessing about video games we're going to get him another model. Rylee wanted to work for an incentive too, hers is to NOT CRY when doing math for two weeks!
• Grades: Devree was crushed when she got two -A's this term. She's had a 4.0 since 8th grade. I felt so bad for her. She really is a fabulous student. She's just spread so thin. Rylee got her 1st 4.0. Alex got three A's, one B-, two C+ and one C. He did it ! Nothing lower than a C! However he did get two N's in citizenship. (Needs improvement - next step down is a U! We've had U's in the past - thanks to Austin - based on attendance - but this was based on behavior. Next terms goal? NO N's! And nothing lower than a C!)
•  And lately, I've been posting on Facebook and thought I'd document some of my favorite posts: 
• Last night Rylee jokingly asked for a walk in closet for Christmas. Alex rolled his eyes and sarcastically asked "Like we can put motor on your closet so it can walk around???" Ha! A walking closet? Needless to say we had a vocabulary lesson on what a walk IN closet is. 
•  Last night at dinner, Devree shared that a friend of hers landed a job as a princess at Disney World. (Pretty cool huh?) I shared how that was one of the many things I thought of doing after high school too. I wanted to play Snow White to which my youngest child replied, "Mom, you would be good at playing......a WITCH now."
  Kambree's had a friend to dinner and he attempted to not spew his drink out his nose as he waited for my response to that great compliment. He just doesn't know me very well yet. I would be GREAT at playing a witch! (Preferably Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty or Mother Gothel from Tangled - before she ages!)
  Funny how most of Disney's Villains/Witches are my age. Maybe I still have a chance of landing a DL gig?
• Well? There's my update in bullets! 

October Wrap Up

Young Women's Volleyball

 Alex observing

 Kambree and Everett

Homecoming @ Snow

We went to see "Into The Woods" and found masks to try on:

Just hanging at home:

Dev's Choir Concert:

 CNA test - she passed with 93%

 Pizza Planet During Fall Break
(James, Dev & Ry were on a temple trip)

My new bike!

Ella

Trip to Snow to see Kambree perform during 1/2 time:

Stopped to check out Sheel's on the way home:

 Dev going to a costume party:

 Dev - one of many self portraits

 Pumpkin carving:

 Ry's Pumpkin:

Ella waiting for the kids to come home from school

Me on my bike

 Alex & Ry's Choir concert

 Answer to MAG

Trick or Treating....

Alex's pumpkin on the bottom....

After Trick or Treating....

And the bigger kids getting back from Trick or Treating!

Things I'm learning.....

I am amazed at the things I learn as a parent.

This week I learned that Christopher Columbus was a savage murderer and that we should not celebrate Columbus Day - based on Alex's report. (A report he had to write Friday night as a consequence of getting in trouble at school - when he was SUPPOSE to be writing this assignment.) 

I learned that despite how muscular and lean Alex is - and how he claims he is superior in strength to everyone - both Rylee and I can kick his can at a 3.37 minute exercise of intense squats. (Go girls!)

I learned that in order to kill a Zombie you have to stab him in his brain stem - according to Austin who was making a strategic plan about how he'd escape if Zombies happened to stormed Costco while we were shopping there this week.

I learned that my outwardly tough and perfectionist daughter, Devree - has a soft heart despite what she'd like everyone to believe. Devree is a 1st year drill member this year and has made it into EVERY competition dance (the only 1st year dancer who can say this - pretty dang impressive! ) and her bff - also a first year - didn't make it into one. She came home and cried. Cried for her friend.

And today as I watched the primary program - for the first time in 17 years I did not have a child in it - I thought back to my Kambree as a Sunbeam singing her heart out and waving for me to watch her from the front row at the sweet, tender age of three. 

Yesterday, we drove to Snow to watch her dance with Snow's drill team during football half time. She couldn't wave to me but she saw us there and smiled and I learned that it doesn't matter if she's three or twenty - I love watching and cheering  for her and she's just as cute and sweet now as she was then. (Even without wearing her little bear dress and big bow on her head.)

My eyes filled with tears today as I sat in the program. It makes me sad to think how fast life has moved and that it was just a blink or two when I was saddled with diaper bags, fishy crackers and quiet books in church. But my tears were not just sadness but tears of joy  because I am so dang proud of Kambree and the paths she's taken and the decisions she's making.. She's making some big decisions right now. Life changing decisions. One that may require me to give her up and cheer and watch from afar for quite a long time. Or at least 18 months and although I know in hind site, that is a blink - when it's looming in front of you, it seems like an eternity. Kambree, being my first born, has taught me the most and I am sure this next adventure will teach me even more. 

So I better hang on and the Zombies better watch out - I am learning new things every day!

How do I know he loves me?

I was heading out for a quick 10 miles on my new bike (that turned into 5 due to a work emergency),  it had been raining and cold since I brought her home on Monday and I've been so antsy to take her out. (She's beautiful by the way!)  It was ironic that twenty minutes after I brought her home I had flipped on the news while making dinner and the weather man announced that it was time to put the bikes away for the season. What? Seriously, I had her home for TWENTY MINUTES!
Anyway, the weather has not been cooperating. At. All.  Finally Wednesday afternoon the sun came up enough to dry the roads and I quickly threw on my bike clothes only to walk out to blue skies, sun and HAIL! Hail? Seriously? I returned to the house and worked on making dinner - still fully suited up for a ride - and waited for the hail to stop. It was sunshiny so it only took about 15 minutes. I go to leave again and Alex suggests that I wear  ALL the dirt bike protective gear - like the chest protector and rash guards!?
Me: "Really? All of it? I wear a helmet Alex."
Alex:  "But mom, you go so fast!"
Ahh.....despite the lectures, the lack of screens and the insistence of a higher level of personal hygiene - he does love me!