2022, November 14-20

Where'd fall go? Where'd the week go? We did so much in such a hurry that we forgot to get photos of it all.

Mike and Hallie have taken to doing a date while Eliza is working at horseback riding. This week's date was to head to Target to pick up an order Hallie had placed for the ward service project. Everything went well and uneventfully. Mike took Landon to taekwondo, and Hallie picked up Eliza at the barn. Hallie had to cut the date short early to go get a mammogram.

Tuesday morning, however, Hallie realized not all of our order was in our bags. After several attempts at contacting Target with no luck, Hallie and Eliza headed back to Target to go get the rest of the order. On the way back, a giant rock hit the windshield. Thank heavens it was only chip, something we can get repaired for half of what we paid for the service project items. The girls got what they needed from Target and headed back to Springville to pick up Landon from school. Later in the evening Hallie had two cavities filled. She was numbed all the way to her eyelid. Definitely a weird sensation, Hallie reports.

Wednesday was back to back work and errands, and no one was happier to be home by the end of the day than Hallie. 

Here are some pics of Landon sparring at taekwondo, He's enjoying it all, and he's already learning that you can't judge an opponent by his belt color.

Fergus and Eliza have taken to using a portable space heater downstairs. Mom put the nix on it when Eliza started using it in place of wearing warm clothing.

About a month ago, Mike woke up unable to close his jaw fully after sleeping hard on his face (maybe?). When he went to the dentist a couple of weeks later, he was referred to a maxillofacial surgeon for a consult. Here's the view from the office. Not bad! 

Turns out that due to TMJ inflammation, he needs to go on a soft foods regimen so that the inflammation can go down and the joints can realign. For a month. Right before Thanksgiving. Sigh.  

"Feeling cute, might delete l8r."

Eliza did some more dissections for science this week. 

Fergus likes laps, just in case you haven't noticed. 

On Thursday, Hallie worked and helped put on the SEP dinner for Landon's school. The PTA feeds the teachers and staff so they don't need to leave in the brief amount of the time from the end of the school day until conferences start. Since Mike is the book smart parent in the family, Dad and Landon attended Landon's SEPs. We have (mostly) dialed in what he needs to do to succeed at school. 

Meanwhile, after Eliza's riding practice, there was an accident with a system to keep the water troughs from icing over, and Afton's horse Chase passed away. Eliza was there along with some of the other riders, and it was pretty upsetting for everyone involved. On Saturday, Afton held a memorial for Chase, which Eliza attended with the other girls and their families. 

On Friday, everyone had places to be in the morning and afternoon. Mike was nice enough to pick up Eliza and her fellow carpool friends while Hallie headed to a podiatry appointment. Eliza went to her friend Lexi's (new) house for a few hours, and they had a lot of fun! Once Hallie was finished with her appointment, which included a new pair of orthotics (2 weeks seems long), the four of us drove to Salem to eat yummy ramen (Fatty Tuna food truck) and breakfast burrito/tacos (Street Tacos Tarricaso). Food from both trucks was really yummy. Hallie chickened out of waiting for the rest of the family for their food--it was cold!

On Sunday, Mike attended a concert at the Springville Museum of Art by a new group called the Copper Kettle Band, formed (at least in part) by (some former) members of the BYU Mountain Strings. We're grateful for local opportunities to participate in culture.