Family visits and other October happenings

We had a busy October!

Ben had a fall league basketball game on Oct. 2.

And he went to the homecoming dance on Oct. 4.

Max came up from BYU to go to a session of October general conference with me, JB and Ben. That's always a busy few days for me but I'm grateful we each get tickets for one session or the opportunity to watch with our family.

Max sent us this picture of playing football with friends at BYU.

Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 11-12, I was assigned to go to Elko, Nevada, for the dedication of the new temple there. It's a three-hour drive west from Salt Lake City and a beautiful temple. Here are the two stories I wrote with my coworker that I was training:
Elko Nevada Temple set for dedication, bringing blessings to Saints across northeastern Nevada
Elder Stevenson dedicates Elko Nevada Temple during apostolic interregnum

The weekend of Oct. 17-19 I was in Las Vegas for another Church News assignment and got to see my niece, Hermana Richards, who is serving in the west mission! (Here is that story I did)

While I was in Las Vegas, the Robertsons invited cousins over for an outdoor movie and they had a blast. I was so grateful for this!

That weekend was also school fall break and JB took the kids down to Provo to see Max.

On Oct. 23, JB and I drove down to BYU where I interviewed BYU President Shane Reese and Vice President Keith Vorkink for the Church News podcast about the 150th anniversary of BYU (listen here). Afterward, we took Max to lunch.

JB and Papa enjoyed a Utah home game on Oct. 24 vs Houston.

JB's sister had a new baby and we got to meet him when she came down from Idaho. He is so sweet.

The Primary presentation was Sunday, Oct. 26. I am in the Primary presidency so I was up on the stand so I saw the back of Millie's head and here is a sneak picture from JB as she gave her part.

And we had cookies afterward in a little reception!

James had an orchestra concert at Hillside during the month.

Millie and I attended a Relief Society activity where we made cinnamon rolls

Nona and Papa drove through Utah County and took Max out to eat. They also went to Costco and stuffed his apartment fridge and cupboards and I am so grateful.

James and Andrew's football seasons

Football started over the summer for James and Andrew and lasted through mid-October. 

Andrew, starting 9th grade in the fall, got up super early almost every day of the summer and rode his bike over to the high school to practice with the high schoolers without complaining.

Here's James's practices started a little later in the summer and were in the evenings. Here he is on Aug. 11 practicing at the high school field; other days he was at the middle school.

Which, by the way, James was going to start at middle school in the fall as a 7th grader!

The football kickoff dinner/luau was Aug. 9.

 Here are a couple pictures JB got of Andrew. 

We sat in the stands around 4 p.m. many Thursdays for the high school JV games. S

ometimes I was coming straight from work and still in a dress (Thursdays I am in the office, the other days I work from home with flexible hours). Millie has earbuds in below as she listens to an audiobook. She did a lot of that during the season.

And we spent a lot of time on the sidelines of fields around the Salt Lake Valley on Saturdays for James's games.

During this particular game, James's team had a chance to play on the main field. He was upset about something — dropping a catch or missing a tackle I think — and Andrew ran down from the stands to comfort him.

My brother Peter is a ref for the youth league and one Saturday he was at working at our game.

The had black and white jerseys and also yellow jerseys for a game or two.

More book listening for Mille. Andrew loved to sit by her and try to tease her.

The day after Max got home from his mission, James had a game up in Summit County and he came with us and we kept staring at him, happy to have him back with us. Here he was playing catch with Andrew.

During the season, Millie had a cheer camp with the high school cheerleaders, and the group performed at halftime of a Friday night varsity game.

Andrew dressed according to the student section theme for that night.

Seems like we have gone from being basketball parents to learning how to be football parents!