Shout Out for LDS Conference Ideas

I always look forward to LDS conference weekend and it's almost here!  For years our family has chosen words such as "faith", "prayer", "love", etc.  to listen for during each session.  When the word is said everyone puts a tally in their conference notebook and gets a treat during a song or break for each word they hear.  My kids have loved it.  We even choose a bonus word like "rootbeer" or "zebra" that if said they get the entire bowl.  Sometimes this takes years, but it happens!  It has helped involvement and listening.  But we're open to new ideas and would love to hear if anyone out there have fun things they like to do for conference (other than listen and feel the spirit of course:).  Happy upcoming conference weekend!!

Boys Weekend!

Last weekend was cheerleading, this weekend LaCrosse- among other things!  Terrence had a big happy birthday and we spent that evening with his mom and her wonderful hospitality.  She's an amazing cook and he was well celebrated!

Conner's new love is LaCrosse.  He loves playing it and is getting pretty good.  We enjoy watching.

When you see stuff like this don't you always wonder, "What's the other guy look like?"

This is what the other guy looks like!  He is our nextdoor neighbor.  They're on the same LaCrosse team and had been playing earlier that day, but evidently it's a lot safer than playing night games in the yard.  These two conked heads while playing kick the can.  Conner came in and asked for a bandaid and paper towel.  Needless to say we spent the next two hours in the ER.  They were at church together the next day and got some pretty curious looks.  Boys weekends are different than girls weekends.  "And that's all I got to say about that."

I Love Fall!

We went to Southern Utah for the weekend.  It was beautiful Fall weather and Kacey was cheering for her colleges first game.  We had an adventerous Saturday  before the game.  It was such a beautiful day!

We stopped at the lake for a rock skipping contest...  We forgot to declare a winner.

There was a village at the top of the canyon.  I couldn't resist having the kids stand in front of this mountain man's truck that was decorated in honor of 9/11.

We smelled some great Bar-B-Que around the village and thought we'd stop for some lunch.  We followed our noses and found a little hut with a smoker out back.  The sign said, "Open at noon- closed when we run  out."  We walked to the counter and the first thing the girl said was, "We don't have chicken, Coke, or Sprite."  "Ok.  What do you have?"  "Smoked bar-b-que pork sandwiches and red cream soda". "That's what we'll have."  After 5 cream sodas they ran out, so we shared.  They were the best sandwiches, EVER.  I found myself wondering if that could work in life.  Hmmmm...  I'll be available at noon until my energy or patience wears out, whichever goes first, then you'll have to try again tomorrow.  Also, I don't have chicken, Sprite or Coke.  You'll have to have what I'm making or go without.  What they did they did well.  We'll be going back, but it will be close to  noon so we don't risk them running  out!  I wonder what they will or won't have next time?  (You may have noticed they didn't have tables either.)

Afterward we went back to town and found a farmers market where they sold earth treasures like polished rocks and chainsaw carved logs in the shape of bears (treasure is a generous word in this case).  There was also an RV out front with a local doomsday prophet who was predicting the end of the world... again.

Kacey's game was really fun.  It was novel cheering for a team that actually won!!  35-3 against San Diego.  It looks like Conner was the winner here though!

When we got home Kinsey came for a visit and was wearing a shirt from my alma mater.  I had to take a picture for proof.  I love family weekends.  This is a great time in life.

Traumatizing even after they leave...

Kacey will probably "Oh, mom" me for posting this... but here goes (she probably doesn't read this anyway). She had to be at her new college a couple of weeks early for cheer so Terrence and I dropped her off at the dorms and when we left she was pretty much the only one there in that huge place.  The drop off seemed good, all settled and off we went.  A few days later there was going to be a huge meteor shower and my remaining kids invited me to sleep out on the trampoline with them so we could all watch it.  I was extra tired and opted to sleep in my own bed.   Until... our phone rang at 1:50 am.  "Hello, this is the police.  We have a car registered to a Terrence and Deborah Savage.  We found it unlocked in a field with the keys in it."  I explained that's our daughter's car and we just dropped her off at college.  I asked if it was in a residential area thinking she was watching a video at a new found friends house and perhaps fell asleep.  My mind was racing.  They said, "No". Terrence called her cell phone.  No answer.  I gave the police her cell phone number.  No answer.  I asked them to please find her and call me.  I hung up and began to sob tears of trauma.  They were the kind of tears that hurt your eyes and felt like acid.  I went through one emotion- horror.  About 25 minutes later as Terrence was getting ready to leave and go help on the search the phone rang.  It was Kacey. "Hey what's up?"  "Where've you been?!"  "Watching the meteor shower with my new friends."  AHHHHHH!  A few days later I woke up looking like a platypus with fever blisters. Hmmmmmm... can you say STRESS?   Oh Kacey.  It's a good thing we love you so much.

First Day of School

Sam on her first day of high school.  The first few days were hard for her as she got the lay of the school and figuring out her classes.  Sam thought it would be cool if her sister took her to meet her teachers, so Kinsey took her to back to school night.  One week later and she's doing great now!  She talks mostly about English and lunch- those must be her favorites.

Jr. High is a breeze for Conner now that he's not a "sevie".  I took them individually to do their school shopping.  Conner didn't really care about the clothes.  Everything I picked was fine and got thrown in the bag (as long as he didn't have to try it on).  When it came to the hat though, it took over an hour and eight stores.  The brim had to be just right and the colors and the fit. We had fun shopping for his new hat and I had to tell myself it was important because it must be boys version of bling.  They aren't even allowed to wear hats to school so I'm not sure how this fell under "school shopping".  His favorite class is Foods... hmmmm.

Brooke loves school- always has.  She is always in love with her teachers and tells me all about what goes on and the stories her teachers tell.  So far this year- nearly daily- I hear they have a day coming up they dissect an elk heart.  There will be extras so they can cook them and make sandwiches with them and actually eat them.  She loves to tell people this and the more they say gross the cooler she thinks it is.  She had me take Koda, our border collie to school yesterday for show and tell.  Brooke loves school!!

Kacey brought a few clothes to school (this was one of many loads)...

Stocked up on a few groceries...

Got her dorm room put together...

and said Bye, Bye.  Terrence gave her a nice father's blessing before we left and we drove the 3 hours home talking about how nice it has been to have Kacey in our home.  She is on her college cheer squad and we're going to her first game soon.  Should be fun!

Kinsey's in her 3rd year of college now and has finally declared a major... ready?... she wants to do health and nutrition.  She'll be great at it but it's ironic because she comes from such a junk food loving family.  I may have to change my ways.  She is still working nearly full time as she goes through school and is doing a great job.  We're thrilled with how well she is doing and love watching her grow into a young adult.