NO Slow NOvember

 Fall days are winding down.  Our nut trees did really well and it's like autumns easter egg hunt.  The school got pumpkins for the teacher raffle.  They had 3-4 Giant ones for Décor.  Mace won a porcupine for Halloween but they wouldn't let him take it on the bus cuz it might poke someone. When Preston picked it up after school they asked if we'd want the big ones too. Sure. We finally carved them up, froze some, canned some.  For boys activity days they racked leaves at the church.  I think faithful Bro. Peterson outworked them all.  At auction I got a box of crowns. Real ones probably from the ladies rodeo or pageant days. I feel so regal in them. My posture immediately changes. the worlds problems are instantly beneath me. Girl, somedays you just need to wear a crown. Be a queen.  I AM ROYAL. 

Katana started DRAMA CLUB. Its with the High School Theater Club and they let 5th and up participate. Practice was every Friday from 12-2 and as it got closer they got longer. Valeen Henderson and Bridget Rendon are both in our ward. One 5 Hr session we brought Penny home for a play date with Zara. This time they did the production  Princess What's-her-name. It's a fun mash up of fairytales that get messed up when a Princess looses her memory and goes in search of her identity while her prince accidentally saves other princess as he's searching for her.  Katana was cast as Whiney one of the 7 Dwarfs and Maleficent.  Preston said she'd been practicing her whiney character her whole life.  We youtubed how to make Maleficent horns from tin foil which turned out amazing.  She came out with a strong presence as the evil queen and sang said her part. "WHY wasn't I invited, when the child was given her name. You knew I was excited and now you only have yourself to blame. I could have given her power and riches to fill her purse. I was snubbed it made me sour and now all she gets from me is a curse!  NO  Yes the curse of death is upon her. When the princess has reached adulthood she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and her life will end immediately. (Exit with evil laugh.) "  Zara and I watched the dress rehearsal for the middle school Thursday.  Hatfield's, Kelly's, G. Amy's, Trujillo and Nathan all came for opening night.   Me and the kids went back Saturday also.  Preston will be introduced to these kinds of culture events by degrees.  Denali sent money for a flower.  Everyone was super proud of her. Best of all she had fun, made friends and grew in confidence. 

Kellys year for Thanksgiving.  We all broke Pams "only bring one pie" rule. There was lots of good food and fun.  After dinner we went to the church to play basketball and kickball with a giant dodgeball.   The highlight of the weekend was paintball.  Us girls had planned an epic entrance. We acquired camo cloths. We arranged to drive together and did our hair and faceprint on the way.  As we peeled into the parking lot we had the windows down blaring the cowboy whistling tumble weed wild west stand off song.  We looked bad-A.  Mace was so disappointed because it was 8+.  Malena hired the Mac's to watch Zara in the Van. Money makes it better.  Shooting with low air, from a distance and wearing several layers I still got some major bruises.  Shooting Marc was so satisfying and sought-after.  Shooting Axel was hard but eventually necessary.  Girls won the first game.  Rushing each other the boys ran right past Katana who just started hitting them from behind.  We lost almost  every other level but still had a blast.  Walking off the field was probably the most nerve racking.  The cousins finished out the ammo with a round of their own.  Pizza pie café and back to the big ARC.  At Malena's we did gnome crafts and Grandpa made his can stoves with the other kids.  It was a fun filled family weekend.  I love the quote from "The Crucible of Doubt" "Although not all family relations are idyllic, most are remarkably strong and a primary source for the individual's identity. Surely that is, in part a function of the cost individual's pay to make a relationship work. Love is a product of what we put into a relationship. We love our families because of how much we have invested in them. How many times we fought, argued, simmered and stewed but were forced back to the negotiation table by an unavoidable proximity and by a connection that transcended personal choice. We love that irritating brother and that infuriating sister because we couldn't simply walk away in a moment of frustration. We had to submit to the hard schooling of love because we couldn't transfer to another class with siblings more to our taste." 

R.S super Saturday  activity the week before Thanksgiving was a good kick off for the Holiday Season.   Usually they are these elaborate $10-$25 creations and I do one.   This year they tried to have all the crafts under $5.   I did like 50.  All my sisters, ministering ladies, teachers, bus driver.    I got patterns for the gnomes and the kids have made several at home.  Forgotten Carols did a live tour again for the first time in like 3 years. Preston refused to go which worked out cuz Zara was too little. I was concerned Mace wouldn't get it. They have some really neat backdrops, lighting and effects for the stage. "Mom is that a real angel?" Plus the songs are amazing and catchy. "Homeless" I needn't have worried. We all loved it. It was a little different with Michael McLean not being Uncle John. He had little video recordings so it was still special.  I was bawling at the end.  The spirit is there so strong every time. unity and love. We really can be "together forever someday."