November--Alex is home! Eric's birthday

The main events in November dealt with the fact that Alex completed his 2 year mission for our Church. Glen and I went and picked him up in Salt Lake and did a quick, mini tour of his mission.

The night we picked him up, we made a few visits in Salt Lake and spent the night with Jerome, a man who had worked with Alex and the missionaries. The next day we traveled to Rock Springs, Wyoming to do some more visiting. That evening, we traveled back to the Salt Lake area, spent the night at Jacob's, played games (I really liked Space Base), and headed home on Friday. Alex (and Eric) spoke in church that Sunday.

Glen, Eric, Alex, and I traveled to Mesa to visit Andrew, Heather, Henry, and Joy that week. Our visit included, as expected, lots of game playing and celebrating Eric and Joy's birthdays, but we also got to attend martial arts class with Henry and go through the Mesa Arizona Temple open house, one of which was really fun and the other of which was very cool. The Church had just finished a major renovation of the Mesa Temple and had an open house before it gets rededicated this next Sunday (12-12-21)

For Thanksgiving, the 4 of us went across the street to Alan and Debbie's house and had a wonderful afternoon there. (I believe I have a picture of this on some device. I will have to find it and add it to the post later)

Got our trees up and decorated. Made my Christmas cards. Life is good.

going out on visits in Salt Lake

thought it was going to snow on us in Rock Springs, but it didn't

the tradition continues with the styrofoam cup welcome home sign

Eric (30) blowing out his candle with his hands

Joy (4) enjoying her cake

we attended Henry's martial arts class workout to "earn our turkey"

Ex Libris with Eric, Andrew, Heather, and Alex (I love this game)

stopping for a burger at Middlegate on our way home from Mesa

red, silver, and gold this year

October-GC, Alex, Deb's visit, Homecoming, and Halloween

Eric, Glen, and I really enjoyed General Conference at the beginning of the month. We collected everyone's words for our tradition of eating a candy for each time our chosen words were said. Only this time, we were trying to be a bit healthier, so besides whoppers, skittles, and almond M&Ms, I also had fresh blueberries and pistachios. Turns out Glen started a no-sugar challenge for himself, so that worked out really well.

Our words this time around: Glen-sacrifice, Beth-focus, Andrew-quail, Heather-goal(s), Henry-Henry (ha! with President Henry B. Eyring there, he was sure to have his word chosen several times), Joy-Jesus (which was said so many times, we only took a treat for every 5 references), Eric-UFO, Ryan-listen, Angeles-balcony, Hannah-brother (because she misses Alex), Kaellen-care, Alex-remember, and Alex's companion Elder Rosengren-boat. As you can guess, some of the chosen words weren't referenced. But it's all in good fun, and it really helps me pay close attention. And, as always, Conference was amazingly awesome!

Alex turned 21 on the 10th. We pick him up from his mission on November 10th!

Alex on a P-day hike at the end of September

Glen and I started facilitating a emotional resilience group at church. The class runs for 10 weeks. I'm really loving it. The manual is online. Check it out!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/emotional-resilience-for-self-reliance

My childhood friend came to visit for a week!

I moved to Scituate, Massachusetts at the end of 4th grade. I met Deb in 5th grade. We became best friends when we had to work on a project together in 6th grade. I moved to Louisiana the summer after 7th grade. That summer, in 1975, Deb came to visit me. The next summer, in 1976, I went to visit her. (it was awesome being in Massachusetts for the 4th of July that year, celebrating our country's 200th birthday, by the way).

That was the last time we had seen each other. We wrote letters for years, and then lost contact for about 22 years. I had tried to find her from time to time and finally managed to do so at the beginning of this year. She flew out to see me this month.

We had a wonderful week together. My book club met the week she was here, so we went together (The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle). She also stamps, so we did a bit of that, and she joined me for a night with my stamping group. And geocaching is a new hobby of hers, so we did a bit of that. And we ate out. And we talked. And we just relaxed. It was great.

I am on the left under the globe, Debbie is on the bottom row, 3rd from the right

Deb and Beth, 10-22-2021

this geocaching gem was less than a mile from my house

It was Homecoming week the week that Deb was here. Glen dressed up every day, but I only got this one photo. Can you guess what the theme for the day was?

Halloween 2021--Eric as Van Gogh. I am justifying my having bought Remi, the shoulder pet (from the movie Ratatouille), when I was at Disneyland and I was dressed up as a cook for the church Trunk or Treat.

And here's a photo of Joy holding the Halloween card I made for her and Henry.