17 November 2024
VOLUME 12 – NUMBER 582
Dad setting up Christmas lights
We got up on the roof this week and set up our Christmas lights for the first time in several years! It’s always a bit scary getting on the roof, but this time it was a little easier.
After setting up the lights, I went and spent some time with Hazel. We got some hot chocolate from Swig and just talked about life, now that we’re adults.
On Thursday, we had our weekly temple trip. This week we visited the Taylorsville Temple, and I was able to do confirmations for the first time, now that I have the Melchizedek priesthood. It was a very spiritual experience for me.
On Saturday, I went to my final region dance. I knew that I was too old for these things back in July, but I had a pretty good excuse to go to this one. Hazel asked me to go and hang out with her at the dance, so I decided to go. I had a really good time, and just had fun.
Monte setting up Christmas lights
Dad and the boys were setting up the Christmas lights, so me, Gloria, and Troy were prepping the lights so they would be ready to go when Dad put them on the house. We would take a plastic clip and connect one to each light. Then we handed the strings of lights out Gloria’s bedroom window, onto the garage roof, and then up to the higher roof.
We finished in about two-and-a-half hours, and Dad said that was an all-time record! He called Gloria and I the “bulb girls.” In the end, the lights looked so beautiful!
For youth night we had a stake activity that Monte helped plan (he is on the stake youth committee) It was about the four goals in the youth program. I was put in a group with Troy, Nash, Dylan, and Crew. The activities we did were so fun!
The first activity was for physical. We did Hungry Hippos. We had baskets and had to collect as many balloons as we could. After that, we moved on to the spiritual activity, which was a Jeopardy game.
Misha stealing Joanna’s chair
Then we played a hand squeezing game, which was our social activity. There were two teams, and my team lost, but it was ok because I had a lot of fun.
Last, we did the intellectual activity. It was a couch game. I got the names down pretty well, but it was such a big group, and I didn’t know most of the people, so it was so hard to remember what names were said.
We ended the activity with a devotional, and then we had food and talked with friends and went home.
On Saturday we celebrated Joanna’s Birthday. We had Wendy’s Biggie Bags for dinner, while we watched Moana.
Joanna’s birthday celebration
Then me and Monte went to the region dance. We met up with Hazel, and then I met up with Isabell Pei. We stuck together the whole dance.
I got asked to dance by Rylen Marsh. Then Nash joined our group. There was this one shy guy, and I asked Isabell If I should ask him to dance. She said I should, but I was so nervous. Then she pushed me to him, so I pretty much had no choice but to ask him.
It was awkward because Isabell was watching us, and when we weren’t talking, she interrupted us by saying, “This is when you guys are supposed to be talking.” I was hinting to her to leave us alone, but she did not!
I just started asking him questions. He was really shy, and he did not know what to talk about, so things got quiet at some points. Finally, the song ended. It was so awkward but I am glad I did it even though it was scary.
Then I rejoined my group, and I had a good rest of the dance. I am so glad I went, because it was the best region dance of the year.
Kai setting up Christmas lights
This week we put up the Christmas lights. I made sure that the lights are all working and that they were in straight lines across the floor.
I also have been doing a lot of school. I have already finished three classes: language arts, science, and social studies. All I have left is math and PE. I have 35 hours and I need 40 hours. My plan is to get at least 20 minutes of PE and two math assignments done each day, and I have been doing pretty good. I hope I get done with school early.
People have been also getting sick this week. I am hoping I don't get sick. Endia, Kai, and Joanna got sick, and then Quinn got sick unexpectedly. They said he was saying good night to Mom and suddenly threw up. I had to clean Mom and Dad’s bathroom.
Later that night Quinn threw up again. He missed his bowl and got it all over my bed, so I had to clean up again, and I had to sleep on the couch with a blanket.
It was also a long night because Max and Goose would not stop barking, so I had to keep letting them out in the middle of the night.
Troy and Quinn playing their game
I got sick earlier this week. It all started when my stomach began aching really bad during seminary. Throughout the class, I was going back and forth in and out of the bathroom. Every time I went into the bathroom I felt like I needed to barf.
Once seminary was finally over, I went home and threw up. The rest of the day, I laid on Mom's bed and watched a bunch of TV, throwing up every few hours.
Joanna's birthday was on Saturday, Happy Birthday Jo! We had Biggie Bags for dinner and watched Moana. After dinner we ate cupcakes and went to bed.
Joanna’s birthday celebration
We finally put the Christmas lights up. It only took a few hours. The one thing I did not enjoy was attaching the clips. We attached hundreds of them, and my thumbs were sore for a few days.
In seminary, I had the devotional. It was about how one of the first steps we take is baptism, and remembering what the promises we made to God are.
For our stake-wide activity this week, it was based on SIPS (spiritual, intellectual, physical, social). I really liked the activities they planned. On the Human Hungry Hippos one, when it was my turn I had my knees on the cart. I told them I was ready, and they yanked me super fast, so I fell off and face planted the floor! It was painful, but it was fun. My leg was hurting the rest of the time.
Also, most of us got sick this week. One day I woke up with a swollen face and lips. It looked like I got botox on my lips! Half of my face was numb and it went away after two days.
The only day I worked was on Saturday, but I worked 12 hours! I was so tired. I worked one eight-hour shift, went home, and then went back for a four-hour shift. I think I like working nights. It's really nice and chill.
Charlie on her second birthday
This week we celebrated Charlie’s second birthday! She loves Toy Story, particularly Buzz Lightyear, so that was the theme of her little party. I am not very good at baking, so I was thinking of just buying a cake, but my sister, Angie, volunteered to make a homemade one, so that was really nice.
She went above and beyond (or should I say, “to infinity and beyond”—ha ha!) and went all out with the cake decorating. I was really impressed with how it turned out, especially because she had only volunteered to make the cake the same day! Charlie loved the cake too and kept saying “Buzz!” when she saw it.
Charlie is such a fun little girl. She is funny, smart, silly, spunky, and a little firecracker. She has so much personality, and she definitely knows what she wants. We have loved watching her grow these past two years, and we love having her in our family.
Like Father, like daughter!
I got a new game this week, called Here to Slay. It’s a fun six-player game where you have to assemble a team of heroes. In order to win the game, you have to either kill three monsters or get six different heroes of a different class.
The different classes are the fighters, bards, thief's, wizards, guardians, and rangers. It’s a really fun game, but sadly I wasn’t able to win any of the games, I played Kai, and he won both, but hopefully the next time I play, I’ll be able to win.
Cougar holding Owen in one hand
Due to all the nausea and pregnancy symptoms that Endia is experiencing, she and Owen spent most of the week with Owen in West Jordan while I stayed here in Provo. Endia tells me that Owen has so much fun when he is there!
My original plan was to use this time by myself to get ahead in school, but the first night I had to come home early from work because I was throwing up. I was so terribly sick! I heard a lot of kids got sick in West Jordan, so I’ll apologize for that! I didn’t know that I was sick.
On Thursday, there was an alumni swim meet in Springville that I participated in. Even though it’s all for fun, I’m surprised at how nervous I still feel to compete. I attend this event every year, and I’ve consistently surprised myself and how good I still am at swimming.
This week I have re-committed to keeping a daily journal. I find that writing my thoughts down helps me think more clearly, and it continually brings me more peace. This was also the right week to start, especially after the heartbreaking loss that BYU faced on Saturday. OK.
Caleb with his MTC district (10/10/24)
On Saturday I went to my first BYU basketball and football games. They won the basketball game, but sadly they had their first loss of the season to Kansas University. It was cold, but it was still fun to get into the game and be there with some friends!
Braden hosted a movie night at his place on Tuesday. Monte, Kai, Ashton, and I were all able to join. This was a lot of fun, because my routine usually looks like schoolwork, classes, work, maybe eat—and then repeat, so just being able to relax and be with some people I love is great. I love hanging out with my brothers, they're a bunch of cool guys.
I got sick a couple times this week but I was able to rest it off. I'm not exactly where I want to be in school as far as being on top of it goes, but I'm still learning and enjoying it. I also had a routine doctor appointment this week at Huntsman. Mom went with me, and everything went well.
Work is enjoyable. I don't have missionaries to teach, so I spend my shifts studying, practicing, observing other teachers, and helping out in other classes. I do get a new district of missionaries to teach starting in December, which will sadly be my last, because I got news a couple of weeks ago that I won't be continuing at the MTC starting in January.
Caleb at BYU football game
From March through August, things were crazy-busy for MyPack Dog Training. We gave ourselves a $500 pay raise, and it felt so nice to be able to make payroll on time. Finally, we started to feel a little more secure about our little startup venture.
However, as September started, things began to slow down, and we’ve struggled to bring in enough revenue to keep us paid. It’s definitely better than last year, when we had no paychecks for over a month, but lately, we’ve been living off of the manna principle. That’s where I pray every day for Heavenly Father to help us earn money, and He does, but only a little at a time—just enough to survive.
Our paychecks may come several days late, and be split up into pieces and spread out, but they have come. Heavenly Father continues to take care of us.
However, as blessed as I feel, and as grateful as I am for all His help, I long for the day when our finances will be more secure. It’s been five years since we discontinued Lumin Publishing, and our finances have been a constant struggle since then.
Mom giving Joanna her presents