2024, October 28-November 3

It's really beginning to feel like fall -- just in time for winter storms. We enjoyed plenty of sun and fun as we celebrated Halloween and our loved ones who have passed away. 

On Monday morning, Hallie took this shot of Buckley Mountain from Smith's. We had rainy day schedule at school. 

Fergus does not like the rain, so he stayed inside. He also blessed Eliza with the touch of his paw. 

Kai was a cuddle bug too. 

Mike will be a poll worker next Tuesday. Hallie is a bit concerned given news of people burning cast ballots in drop-off ballot boxes. Pat Bagley of the Salt Lake Tribune has an opinion on the matter as well. 

Mike had an uncomfortable interaction with some kids near the local field playing unsupervised with BB or airsoft guns shooting at the local wildlife. He asked them to consider shooting at non-living targets, and one kid retorted, "You're not the boss of me!" Mike thus has unofficially graduated to a new middle-aged man status. Ugh. At least the sunset was pretty.  

Hallie is smiling here for some reason. She may have been cold as she is wearing her favorite Springville High School jacket in the house. 

Maybe it's because she and Landon and Kai went to The Human Bean! The dog is always up for a pup cup.

She continues holding down three part-time jobs. Working ticket sales at the high school keeps her off her feet and lets her see people. In this picture she was trying to convince her friends to come hang with her.

Here is Kai expressing his political opinion. One more week to go. Well, not really, but anyway. 

With fall comes actual leaf changes in the neighborhood. Yay!

On Halloween Eve, Eliza carved her Jack O'Lantern. She went with a My Neighbor Totoro theme. She found the image, drew it on the pumpkin, and did most of the scooping and carving herself. Nicely done!

Hallie got an early Halloween present in the form of a phone call from Deseret First Credit Union! She and Eliza had gone to an activity there a few weeks back, and Hallie had entered a drawing for unspecified prizes. Apparently one was a midnight blue Macbook Air! 

In the evening while she took E to TKD, Mike went to the library to participate in a Dia de los Muertos art activity where he made a sugar skull and remembered departed loved ones at the altar there. 

He even managed to get included in the library's Instagram story. 

Kai sure loves to play tug-of-war and fetch. We try to accommodate him with toys and time. 

Halloween meant costumes! 

Here are the five of us all decked out (Mike was a ghost, obviously. Ferg was kind enough to take the picture, ha ha). At the preschool Hallie and her high school students took 18 preschoolers trick-or-treating. It is a highlight for many of the teachers.

In the afternoon/evening, Landon and Eliza joined Jocie and friends at her house and carved pumpkins and went trick-or-treating. Hallie served up coffee drinks at Starbucks, and Mike handed out candy at home. 

Hallie handed out shots of themed drinks for the upcoming Wicked movie. 

Poor Kai didn't handle all the door knocking and bell ringing very well at the start, but he got lots of reassuring and pets. He was very happy when all his people finally got home. 

Eliza had a post-Halloween candy hangover on Friday. After doing some schoolwork with Mike, she fell asleep for some time afterward. 

With Hallie's new computer, Mike got renewed access to some drawing tools he has sorely missed since leaving his former employer. A couple of friends made these emblazonments (not everyone who draws heraldry is a native English speaker). 

Hallie had a little friend from preschool come visit her at Starbucks. 

On Saturday for Dia de los Muertos, Mike and Eliza went to the Orem Library to celebrate. Eliza made the corona she's wearing, and she participated in some baile folklorico. 

She got some tinsel in her hair too. The lady working with her admired how soft her hair was. 

Eliza also got a hand-painted porcelain sugar skull from Salsa Madre (holiday-themed gift-with-purchase).

While walking Kai in the drizzly late afternoon, Mike came across a flock of local blackbirds flocking between and among the trees. It was quite the surprise! 

Sunday started rainy and windy. Mike reveled in having that extra hour we get with the shift back to standard time.  Hallie spent most of her time on Sunday at Starbucks. Hallie definitely spends a lot of time there. Mike has an interview for another job this week after Election Day, and he'll find out whether he is moving on to the next interview round with the job he interviewed for last week in the next few days. He has moved on to the final background check with TSA. We hope that one of these jobs comes through just to give Hallie a well-deserved rest.