Luther Hill Invitational 2025

 It was kind of a last minute decision to fly to Iowa.  (For me, anything less than 6 weeks is super last minute, let's be honest.) So we bought our tickets a week and a half ago.  When your girl really wants you to come see her wrestle--and you possibly can--you go!  (Bonus that I had an unused companion fare to use before the end of Nov.) 

I'm blogging from the hotel lobby in Des Moines, so we aren't home yet.  But so far it's been a very smooth trip.  (I'm knocking on wood.)

We flew early Friday morning, so we got to go pick up Libby in Centerville and take her to a light dinner and on a Walmart run once we got in.

We drove back to Des Moines and I went to sleep while Derek streamed the SW playoff game, which they won at the last minute.  

Saturday we spent in the Blake Fieldhouse watching Libby's team in their first tournament of the season.  It went very smoothly (although the Flowrestling update texts were behind, so she ended up late to 2 of her matches...but she won both of those matches...)

She was worried about this transition to freestyle, and since they don't wrestle live in practice, she didn't really know how well she was doing.  But she's well matched for the girls that were there yesterday.  She won 2 matches pretty handily. She lost to the girl who took 2nd.  Then she lost her 4th match to a girl who punched her in the face and poked her in the eye.  But that was probably a winnable match if she hadn't been rattled (and ready to go to Olive Garden--so a little checked out.) 

Anyway, it felt like a great tournament for her to see that she can do this!  It's going to be a good season.

We are so glad we could be here with her.

My bestie Jen came down (over?) from MN to be with us for the afternoon/evening.

Derek drove Libby back to Centerville and Jen and I watched the World Series and got in a lot of awesome chatting about all the things (seminary being a main topic since we are both early morning seminary teachers.) It was such an exciting game (Derek was back in time to finish the game with us.)

I got to have breakfast with Jen before she left this morning.  She has the pictures of us.  So I'll have to add them later.

Here are some pics of our Libby time.  (It was so fun to see her!)

I finally read Gretchen Rubin's Secrets of Adulthood on the flight.  Loved this first quote (didn't crop this screenshot for some reason.) We did a pretty good job of this shift this weekend.  But Derek did debrief each match with her a little bit.  So happy to cheer on my Libby.  Hopefully we'll be able to stream most of her other matches this year. (Some, like yesterday will just be a scorecast, not streaming film.) 

Halloween 2025

Halloween 2025 turned out a bit different than our previous Halloweens.  No family costume, sadly.  

Our stake had stake conference on the night we usually do Trunk or Treat. The ward moved it to the Wednesday of Ben's last football game.  Then for actual Halloween, Derek and I flew to Iowa to watch Libby wrestle in her first tournament. So we didn't even dress up at all (unless you count wrestling parent as our costume.) 

Ben wanted to be 3 peas in a pod with 2 of his friends.  I had fun making their costumes.  

We also got to go to Maren's for the traditional pumpkin carving.  (Sarah had to stay home to catch up on HW--so I was just Derek, Ben and I.) 

Ben with Ren (pea-$$$), Parker (pea-nut) and Ben (lil-pea)

 Ben also got to dress out with the Varsity football team for their playoff game in Mt. Vernon.  So no trick or treating for him.  Sarah had a Halloween murder mystery party with her friends (Chunie came and provided cool adult supervision.)   I haven't heard how it went, or seen pictures yet.  But I hope it was awesome. 

Quite possibly my fav. Halloween event.  Maybe this will become a new tradition?

A Rough Tuesday (Warning--Stitches)

 On Tuesday I left early (my students have instrumental) and drove up to Kamiak to see Sarah compete against Mariner.  She was a JV diver and swimmer.  It was a fun meet, although she felt like she didn't do her best and was looking forward to the last 2 meets of the season so she could really turn it on.

We left and I dropped her at home so she and Ben could go to Rhinos and Derek and I headed out for a date.  We had just settled into a table when we got a call from wrestling that Sarah had split her forehead (well--more precisely someone's elbow split Sarah's forehead.)

We headed back and picked them up from practice.  It was a pretty good gash.  We had a phone consult with our friendly neighborhood YW president who is a surgical PA.  She had all the necessary items to stitch it up at her house--so we did a housecall for some stitches.

The stitching went well....then when the post op instructions were given, and Sarah realized her swim/dive season was over (since you can't submerge stitches) things got a little teary.  But so proud of this brave girl.  That was a big needle delivering the numbing.

And, today she went to seminary, school, and took the PSAT.  

Sarah is hard core.

It was a pretty good gash.  Some serious elbow on the fellow that landed on her after going up for a ball in their handball warm-up.  

So adorable! 

HBD Sarah!

 Sarah got to have a bunch of fun for her birthday. 

We had a big Norton gathering on the Sunday before her birthday.

The birthday girl! 

It was so fun to have Les and Margo here!  There was some epic peek a boo happening. 

The birthday haul!  She's getting prepped for a long airplane ride to Scotland! 

On her actual b-day, she got a serenade from the SW Admin.  Hilarious! 

Then she had a friend party!  She wanted salmon and rice w/the cheesecake bar (like last year) for dessert.  She mixed her choir friends with her school friends--and they got along great! So happy about her groups of friends! There was a big haul of presents between the two parties.  This girl is rolling in the spending money for Scotland! 

School Pics!

Here is our welder!  They did some official wrestling pics, but apparently we won't get those until some later date?  So here's her day to day at Indian Hills! 

My school pic.  I got new frames for this school year.  Libby helped me choose, and I think she made the right choice?  It's always a bad hair day for pictures for me.  Haha.  It was a seminary morning, so no fresh hair for me.  But I am feeling much calmer and better this year.  I've been able to spread out the wrestling prep. My class is much more manageable (in both size and behaviors.)  My teaching partner and I are in the flow.  I've even been able to keep working on getting my book out there in the world (I've send queries to 2 agents.)  I plan to query two+ a week until someone wants it.  Haha. 

Sarah is having a great school year.  She is loving having a reduced schedule with Running Start.  She chose regular physics instead of AP, so she has AP US history and AP Calculus as her only AP tests.  Her running start English class seems to be going well.  She was having a good swim and dive season (still JV for dive, but getting closer to having 6 dives).  Her season was cut short--see additional post re stitches!  So she's bummed.  But she's been doing a bunch of wrestling, loving choir, and overall is rocking this year.  

Ben is growing like a weed.  He's having a great year too.  He has a math class that's making him work way more than he wants to, his Japanese class is harder than last year, and he's got a back thing going right now that's causing a lot of pain.  He's starting PT on Friday, so hopefully he's ready for wrestling.  Lots of bumps and bruises this fall season.  

 Anyway, we are really having a good year overall.  Let's go!

Libby's new pet?

 Things seem to be going well in Centerville Iowa.  Libby made it through her midterms and the season has started.  She's leading a bible study?  I learned from google photos.  (Haven't gotten to ask about this yet.)  But yesterday she facetimed for a minute to show me the stray kitten she's picked up.  Not sure how that is going to work out, but at least the White family (the family from the branch that she coaches for) owns the vet clinic in town.  Maybe she can trade coaching for fixing this animal?  Maybe they'll watch it when she comes home for Christmas?  What dorm allows animals?  I guess they all have to know when it's an ESA?

It is pretty adorable!

Saying Goodbye to Ann

Ann is the adorable girl on my left in this picture.  She was a spunky, full of life little gal that I was so lucky to know.  As she grew up, her disabilities led to many struggles.  It was a blessing that she found a home at the Rainier House starting in 2020, a place that could help meet her needs and keep her safe.  

We never expected for a pulmonary embolism to take her so young.  She was still very full of life.  Listening to the tributes by her dad Brett, Clark, and her sister Emma yesterday was so beautiful.  When we sang the closing hymn, and I thought about the words, "God be with you till we meet again," I felt like they didn't quite fit the scenario.  Ann, in fact, in her true, healthy, beautiful self, is someone I haven't had the privilege to meet yet.  The Ann who struggled with bipolar, manic depression, and was developmentally delayed isn't the Ann I'll meet again.  That Ann got to leave her struggles in mortality.  We'll get to meet an Ann with all the radiance and joy of the Ann we knew in this life. But it will be an Ann who also has all her mental faculties.  Who will know and understand all the things that challenged her so much on this earth.  

While we are going to miss her--I know she's finding joy in what she loved here--and so much more.  I can't wait to meet you for real, Anner Banner.  

Homecoming 2025

 Ben was all excited to ask a girl to Homecoming.  We made the cutest poster.  But she told her friends she would say no if he asked (he was going to bring a bunch of the freshman team to her volleyball game to ask her).  So he was a bit bummed.  Then through the grapevine he also heard she was sad he didn't end up asking her.  Whatever I guess.  Her loss.  And he had a great time with his friends.  He did end up crowd surfing and losing his phone for a big chunk of the dance, but otherwise he had a good time. Dinner at Mazatlan, the dance, and then the Nile haunted house.

Ben has tall friends

Love this kid (Derek told him to take some funny ones for us since we couldn't be there.) 

Sarah got ready with her friends at Amelia's house. 
Then they went to Eden Garden Cafe for dinner.  She loved it.  She got banh mi and taro milk tea.  
Then they went to hang out at Amelia's house for some bananagrams.  Then they went to the dance, hit up Dicks for shakes and fries.  They finished the night watching a movie at Amelia's house.  (I need to thank Amelia's family for doing all that hosting!  

Sarah went to Edmonds Beach with her friends for pics.  They look so great!

Sarah found her dress for $20!  Adorable! 

These are a lot of the friends she went with last year.  I was sad I wasn't able to help them get ready this year since we were at the after party for Ann's funeral.