And just like that...fall fell into November

Like many others, I love this season. Fall brings an abrupt end to hot summer weather (thank heavens!) in favor of a bit more rain to lift my soul. There's never enough rain, of course, but more is always better. It also means the holiday season is in reach, and (this year), that my wild ride through the semester shows some promise of ending. I have never taught eight classes in one semester. I hope I never do it again. The intensity of this much work is hard to describe, and combined with another stressful situation that has my mind constantly ruminating, the result is a weird brain fog. 

But instead of dwelling on all that, let's relive October highlights!

October began as it always does with General Conference weekend, which I already wrote about here.

Next was our annual visit to Gardner Village to see the witches! Shulamith and I go every year, but this was the first time Eli, Amanda, and Jane joined, and it was double the fun:

Then came my birthday. The night before, a few of my favorite people went with me to the brand new Saratoga Springs Temple to do proxy sealings. Thank you so much, Shulamith, Eli, and Amanda! It was the best night. After quick food at Chipolte, we entered the temple, immediately stunned by its beauty. What a perfect "Birthday Eve" celebration, the best gift of all to be in the temple with these three:

The next night, my actual birthday, we went to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner with most of the family. This place fills me with nostalgia; I went to the Portland location dozens of times as a kid, a favorite of my parents and grandparents. This time, though, I bravely sat surrounded by Isaiah, Seth, and Mathew. If you know these three, you understand the twists and turns the conversation might take. For better or worse, they did not disappoint, and I laughed my way through spaghetti with clam sauce and garlic mizithra cheese, followed by Costco chocolate cake with spumoni ice cream. It was pretty much perfection. 

If that wasn't enough partying, the very next night was Eli and Amanda's annual Halloween bash. From mummy wraps to marshmallow tossing, pictures reveal it best:

(#twins)

(That one time Matt put Jane in a tree.)

 

And finally, Halloween! By this point, we were all tired, but ready to finish out the month in style. Shulamith and Eli both had serious activities going on at their respective elementary schools. This is Utah, after all. They LOVE Halloween here. Shulmith's kinder team chose a Peter Pan theme, and Shulamith was the cutest "Wendy" ever!

I crashed her party and helped one of her five parent volunteers with pumpkin volcanoes!  It was so cool, and her little babies loved it. 

Eli's third grade team went back in time to replicate the OG Snow White movie. Isn't Eli the handsomest of handsome princes in all history?

Halloween night felt anti-climactic after all this, but Shulamith's kids managed to gather pillowcases full of candy, while Jane made her first real attempt at trick-or-treating. Her comment on most of the houses we visited: "Spooky house!"

And just like that....fall fell into November. Let the Christmas music begin!