October 2014

The Winner is… Mom and Dad. Usually Hannah is the first to get her newsletter info in, but this month it was Mom, and without any reminders!

Dad and Mom

Heeheee!! I'm thinking I'm going to be the first one to get this in this month! I need to do it while I'm thinking about it as the next two days are kind of crazy. Your dad is taking the young men to Nashville on Friday for a fireside with the BYU football players who'll be down to play the following day...he and I have tickets for that game!!! I'm pretty excited!

Our month has been incredibly busy. Somehow I thought that when all you guys had left home life would be "easy" and "carefree". It's so not! However, I'm fully aware that in comparison to the lives, schedules, pressures, and complications you all face each day, my life really is easy! I promise, your day is coming when you'll have a chance to breathe and enough sleep! Just ENDURE till then, ok?!!

The first week of October I spent in Sevierville, TN (down near Dollywood and the Smokies) with three friends from my biggest loser club. Tricia had come from Savannah, GA, Gina had come from Illinois, and Cathy flew in from Canada. I had the opportunity to meet some friends from the club when I had been in Salt Lake a few years ago and it was so fun. It was just as amazing to meet these guys and spend the week with them. Tricia and I hiked and visited the Smokies (Rachel and Mary will know just what we did ;) and no, we didn't see any deer! Lol!), we went to Dollywood (again, Rachel and Mary will relate ;), and THEY rode the Ferris wheel ( and no! I didn't ride it - that giant one!!!). But mostly we spent time laughing and enjoying our time together. We did play Apples to Apples, they had never played it, and we had a blast!

I actually enrolled in BYU's organ class...their regular class for beginning organists. I had been working through the BYU course that had 12 lessons for beginning organists to learn for church. It is similar, but this one is way more in depth and I'm really enjoying it. They require about 6 hours of practice a week at the organ and then the regular course work and reading. That, plus my regular practice for meetings, means that I'm at the organ about 2-3 hours a day. It is a challenge but I'm grateful for the opportunity. Your dad is so good to support me in this. He's the one that got me my organ shoes for Christmas and he's the one that comes and sits at the church with me in the evening if I have to go then. His support is truly appreciated. He keeps telling me to get an organ teacher but I don't know about that...kind of wondering what my goals are there...wondering if I'd rather have organ lessons or piano lessons...or if I just like my freedom! Lol

Obviously we both thoroughly enjoyed general conference. I hope you all were able to take advantage of it. I was thinking that we have five different time zones represented in our family and what hurdles those time zones create for you to be able to listen, especially with young families. Your Dad got the pies and ice cream for our buildings' Priesthood broadcast and had the young men help him. He really, really, really enjoyed President Monson's talk to the Priesthood and spent the next few days working on putting the movie about the Bismarck and President Monson's talk onto a DVD. He had the young men and their fathers come over and watch it together and had pizza. He enjoyed their time and hopes that the ym did too.

I had an eye dr. appointment with my opthamalogist. It was a regular 6 month check that has been going on since my cataract surgeries. Principally they measure the pressures inside my globes. They have been high for as long as I can remember...even in El Centro. The danger is that it could be glaucoma and could cause blindness. Dr. Dahl really believes that the probability is that it's the thickness of my corneas, but there was a slight variation in the pressures and he's prescribed lumigan drops for the treatment of glaucoma just to be sure. Supposedly the risks are minimal with the drops (my eye lashes could grow very thick and long - oh darn! Lol!) but if he were wrong, the damage is irreversible. I mention this just because there are obvious genetic potentials for you and your kids.

Over Veterans Day weekend your Aunt Marsha and Uncle Blair came up for a visit. Obviously that meant that we had the opportunity to see more of your Uncle Bob too. Unfortunately that particular weekend was the weekend that Noah should have launched the ark around here! It didn't just rain, it poured and poured all weekend until Monday morning. One of the things that your Dad had wanted to do was work at the cemetery on your Grandma's grave. We did that on Monday! We also had Chinese (in honor of Joey, Felicia, Janna, John, and your Uncle LeRoy and Aunt Jeanie who were here for Grandma's funeral). Truly, we had so much fun and it doesn't take much for us to enjoy ourselves! Lol.

Your Dad has had his own series of medical appointments...we've been to Sevierville, Mountain Home VA (near the North Carolina border) and local drs as well as had a sleep study done again. When you add physical therapy, lab appts., and training appointments you can see that much of his time is spent coming and going and sitting in waiting rooms. However, he's doing remarkably well right now, especially considering it is autumn and how much seasonal changes affect him.

Most of you know I also accepted another responsibility as R.S. Meeting Coordinator. Your Dad just laughs and laughs...says it's because I wasn't attending! *snicker snicker*. Sadly, he might be right! It is occupying much of my unoccupied mind and if you see or hear or think of anything that would help...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell me! Lol!

And, just as a heads up...there is a young man in our ward who has been having a problem or two. We may provide a safe haven for him for a few months until legal and cps issues have been resolved. It is just a possibility at this time but we want you to be aware of it, nevertheless. There is nothing certain, but if the need arises, it could happen at any time. If someone answers our phones, and you don't know who it is...it may be this young man.

Well - see? I actually am getting this out! Yea!!! I'm wishing all of our October birthdays - Rachel, Emmett, and Ivy - happy birthday! And wishing we were all able to be together for cake and ice cream! I sure miss each of you. And, I can't tell you how grateful I am for the videos, pics, and phone calls you send our way...each of you are precious to us and it blesses our lives. And Hannah and Carlie - that goes double for you! I know we may not be on your radar as much as your own parents - but we soooo appreciate your efforts to always include us - and besides - we feel like you're every bit our daughters! And, Cherstin, Felicia, Wanda, and Desi - I know your parents-in-law appreciate your efforts too! Thanks so much to all of you! We love you with all our hearts! And...Gideon, Glory, Scarlett, Joseph, Bekah, Rachel, Mary, Ben, and Sam - anything you can send our way would be adored! Love, Mom and Dad aka Grandma and Grandpa

Wanda and Robert

We had a great time camping in Nauvoo. Remember that heat wave? We must be jinxed because we were there for a surprise cold snap. Man it was FREEZING.

Robert is getting a handle on his Branch President commitments and I’m finally figuring out how Pathway fits into my daily routine. Joseph and Rebekah both have college applications in and we’re awaiting news from the college fronts. Rachel just got a third quarter of straight A’s. Mary and Ben are enjoying goofing off during school time. Ben, Sam, and Ruth are FINALLY done with soccer, so hopefully our weekends will be freeing up. Moroni and Adam just jointly purchased Skylander Trap Team with birthday money and are having a lot of fun playing together. Hyrum has resorted to taking his diaper off whenever he’s dirty or wet, so the therapists are trying to convince me it’s time to potty train him. Joshua is learning new words every day. His favorite words are bottle, shoes, backpack, ball and marble (which sounds like ball-ball). We had a lot of fun at our branch’s trunk or treat, and Robert and I even won the chili cook off. Here’s to November.

Joey and Carlie

October has been busy… The Stake Young Men’s sponsored a Daddy Daughter Date. Joey and the girls had a lot of fun.

Joey had a quarterly motorcycle safety ride for work. It was only a small 60 mile round trip ride down to Big Sur. Scarlett tagged along on her first real ride. Carlie and Joey took most of the same ride a few days later down to the Bixby Bridge on Hwy 1, Pacific Coast Highway.

Carlie and Joey took another trip down to Big Sur to the Point Sur Lighthouse for a Halloween ghost tour.

Carlie, Gideon and Scarlett went to Sacramento to volunteer at a Spartan Race to earn a free race. Gideon spent the day picking up trash and Carlie and Scarlett worked The Biggest Loser Run/Walk done in conjunction with the Spartan Race. They worked with Pam from Season 14 Biggest Loser.

They then drove from Sacramento to the LA area for Carlie’s cousin’s mission farewell.

Gideon finally got off his tale and got his permit.

And took his first driving lesson.

Glory got to stick the month out at home, not motorcycle ride, no Spartan Race or trip to LA… She’s been a big help around the house though. October is, of course, Halloween. Glory used her own babysitting money to come up with a lion costume.

All the kids did some trick or treating, but it didn’t last long because it was pouring rain.

Philip and Hannah

Wow, October is over with already. Not much to report from our family. Philip is still working. Despite his great efforts at trying to win a million dollars by playing Monopoly at McDonalds all month, the only things we won were some RedBox rentals and some free food. Sorry Phil, maybe next year.

We had parent teacher conferences at the beginning of the month. William is doing awesome in school. He absolutely loves his teacher and all the things he is learning. Orion still hates school. He even tells his teacher on a daily basis that he hates school. That being said, he is also doing well academically. Really well. If we could just get him to stop bugging his neighbors and stop swinging on the bathroom stall doors, he would be a model student.

Oliver is potty trained!!

Winston is diaper trained!

I got to go to Time Out for Women in Madison earlier this month. That was a lot of fun and I am so thankful that Phil was willing to stay home all weekend with the boys and let me have that time! Halloween was fun. The kids all chose easy costumes, and Philip just used one that he already had, so I didn't spend a lot of time at the sewing machine last minute putting together costumes.

Mike and Desi

October was a pretty busy month for us. Mike stayed at work several nights which made for long nights being with kids by myself. I guess I shouldn't complain because at least it means work is steady. Soccer ended this month too. I am always glad for a break from soccer practices and busy Saturday's. Emily and Mordecai really enjoyed playing and Mordecai will continue with indoor soccer during the fall. October of course brought trunk-or-treats and Halloween. For the trunk-or-treat Emily and Mordecai both invited friends and their families and to our surprise both came. That made it just a bit complicated trying to care for out-of-control Ruby and Ivy tantrums and two non-member families. There were also school parties which made it chaotic for me because I am the room parent for Mordecai's class who coordinates all that stuff. Halloween costumes this year were as follows: Emily was a fairy, Mordecai was Harry Potter, Ruby went as Doc McStuffins, and Ivy would not wear a costume. The Kids had a blast at the trunk-or-treat as well as trick-or-treating in our neighborhood on Halloween. It was odd that on a Friday night for Halloween the number of kids out trick-or-treating was on the low side.

I also taught as lead student for our Pathway program the 30th.

Excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

Dan and Cherstin

We are pretty boring. Dan’s been gone a lot for scouts or YM so we've hung out at home quite a bit. I'm at the point where it's not worth it to haul all of the kids out when they're so happy to stay at home and play with friends on the street.

Our days are getting shorter. The sun sets around 4:45; rises around 8:30. We are predicted to have a warmer winter than typical, which would be nice. We still have snow and ice on the ground from a few weeks ago. It doesn't melt because the sun never really reaches those areas.

We took a school break two weeks ago and it was awesome to be able to sleep in and get stuff done.

The kids all loved Halloween. They did not love trick or treating in the dark and freezing.

Abby is continuing her avid reading. This month she's finished up 101 Dalmatians, a biography on Pocahontas, more Harry Potter, on and on. I am happy we can claim books for her school stipend!

Emmett is up to his normal stuff. He is moving past his wave of obstinate, which we are ALL grateful for. His schoolwork is done quickly so he can play all day long.

Ellie is still a princess. She is starting to try and sneak things so we are combatting that. I also have to constantly remind her that she can't go outside in just a sleeveless dress. And when she does slip out like that, she whines incessantly about being cold. You'd think she'd learn...

Hyrum is getting better at the potty. Hallelujah! He is less messy when wiping, and only forgets to put his underwear back on about once a day. He is still obsessed with games. And asks to pull out a board game at least fourteen times an hour.

Enzo is still super clingy. He must sit on me with his hands in my hair to not be whining. He learned a couple of words recently: choo choo, sh, and drink. He's not very verbally expressive, which has me a bit concerned. I'm probably just being paranoid.

Tom and Felicia

Nothing much to report here in the Bibber household! Noah, still isn't walking. :/ But he's getting better about cruising and stuff...when he feels like it. He had his 15 month well baby visit on the 29th and he has moved up to the 5th percentile for weight. I thought our pediatrician was going to pass out, she was so excited. This was really the first visit we had where she didn't raise some sort of concern. We celebrated Halloween--Noah was Pigpen from Peanuts and Tom was Linus but no one really got it. Sad day! Other than that we're just looking forward to seeing family in Denver for Thanksgiving.