So Long Frank Lloyd Wright

Yesterday we said goodbye to Wyatt, who flew off to much more fun at BYU again. We had a fun slow jam with him, and I'm not sure how we are going to live life without him--he helped out so much! It was wonderful and validating to have another adult stand witness to the roller coaster we are on right now and grin at me over the tops of two sixth grade heads.

Here are some of the best parts of the week:

- Eve and Griff are so close to starting the real part of football and cheerleading. It's totally tricky to go to 5 practices a week between the two right at dinner time, but it is wonderful to see them trying new things.

-Wyatt went with us to the temple Friday night. Heaven on earth.

-We had the first book club of the season! It felt so great to get back together with all those smart women and converse about the ideas in a book about a nurse in the Vietnam war.

-Alan and I biked to Briarwood for our last Back-to-School night there while Griffin was at football practice and Wyatt had taken Eve to her first private saxophone lesson with Dr. Note. Briarwood has excellent 6th grade teachers, none of whom I had met before this school year. They seem like really great people who are doing all the things to help our kids learn. They are doing fun things to help these oldest in the elementary kids feel like they are living a middle school life.

-I got to attend the baptism for David James, who has an adorable tatooed returned-missionary wife and a child almost ready to be born. He seems like he will be a great strength to our ward!

-The settlement for Joel's accident has been finalized. Phew! Just a few loose ends to wrap up.

I also asked to be released as an ordinance worker this week. I keep feeling like I need to save energy and attention for these middle school years for my kids and for the mostly new Communication Council I will be heading. I keep wondering if I should cry, like my mom did when she needed to be released from this calling, but instead I feel very peaceful about it, like it is the right thing to do even though I have loved serving there so much. I've been writing down what I have learned inside the temple, and feeling so very grateful that I have had this opportunity for the last almost two years. I know things now that make my life and my perspective so much better and more peaceful.

Football practice at sunset. I kept trying to get Griffin and his red cleats, but I never succeeded.

Eve as Candace from Phineas and Ferb

We hit Betty Rae's for FHE. Griffin thoroughly enjoyed it and was complimented on his technique.

Eve didn't really want to wear her cheer uniform to school and spent some time dithering about it, but it turned our okay. And she looked to cute!

We all loved walking to school with Wyatt!

Wyatt and I hit the Plaza together on Friday. He is a fun shopping buddy!

Eve modeling in the dressing room at Dick's.

Three bulldogs in the back of a Mazda 3.

Bumblebee working our sunflower

Fenty beautifying every place she graces

Eve's church hair today. There are now only 5 young women and 5 young men in our whole ward who come regularly. We are going to pray for more friends for our kids!