Letter to Emma

I haven't written to Emma in a while, and since I was updating her, I thought I would copy it over to here so I could update you, too.

We went to Emma Krumbee's last weekend and picked apples. We got a couple of pictures.

Things are busy, as usual. I'm seven weeks into the semester now, and the kids are in school and Katie is in dance class and a music class. White Christmas auditions were last week, and I'll be in the ensemble. It is an extremely talented group, and has a smaller cast than this group normally casts.

Aaron is busy with Bishopy things. He had a stillborn baby to hold a funeral for this month - an awful experience for everyone. He said he was slammed with confessions last Sunday and couldn't wrap his head around everything going on. I'm in the nursery, so I don't know what's going on in the ward, for the most part. Aaron left for Las Vegas yesterday. This is the first of five business trips over the next two months. Your letter came in the mail yesterday, so he won't get it for a couple of days.

Tristin is running on the Cross Country team this year. He is doing the 5K in just over 21 minutes. He is playing in the band, including the pep band this year. He thought he was going to find pep band boring and wouldn't believe me when I said it was really fun, but after he went for the first time he came home all excited about all the improv the drums get to do and how much more fun it is than regular band. Tristin was ordained a Priest this month, and is serving as the 1st Counselor in his quorum.

Brandon is getting to know Facebook. He turned 13 over the summer, and I think he was more excited about being allowed to get an account than anything else. I struggle a little to pry him away from it, but on nice days, like we had here yesterday, he does prefer to go outside and play. He will continue the sax this year, and he is getting pretty good at the piano, playing hymns in Priesthood sometimes, even. He is serving as the Deacon's quorum President.

William was ordained a Deacon this month. He prefers to read books over anything, including chores, homework, piano and flute practice, and is really good at hiding away in his room and making me forget he is here so he can get out of all of the above. He is a good boy, though. He is our thoughtful child when he isn't holed up in his room. He takes good care of Katie and is being a good influence on his new roommate, Aidan. Dallin and William decided to switch bedrooms last month, and it has worked out well.

Ben is struggling getting into the groove in middle school. He is finding out that they actually hold him responsible for homework, so I expect over the next couple of months he will become a little more organized. He will be starting the French Horn this week. He will also be growing up a little faster than he ought to soon, I think. His best friend's mom has leukemia and isn't doing well. You might remember the Olesen family from our ward; they are from Chile. Graciela felt like she had the flu for a few days and finally went into the doctor, where she was diagnosed within just a few minutes. It was unbelievable. Nicholas is their youngest son, and he and Ben were pretty glued at the hip all summer, when this suddenly happened. Now, he is going to be a big support for Nico as he goes through this.

Dallin is our mischievous child. He is constantly dragging things outside to build forts in our lilac trees or on the deck. If there are blankets, pieces of wood and stuffed animals outside, you can be pretty sure it was Dallin's idea. He has recently decided to test the waters of lying to me to get out of his homework, but I have caught on and now as soon as I figure it out he tells me he was just kidding. This would be the age of child I don't particularly like so much. However, he is still awfully cute, so maybe I'll survive. :-)

Aidan can sense frogs and insects in the yard and scoops them up when nobody else even knows they are there. He has always been very independent, and now he has a friend who moved in on the block behind us. He has a sister Katie's age, so the four of them are always playing together after school. Aidan will take Katie with him over there and bring her back. He is starting to be a little more responsible. He is also starting to read better. He is picking it up by word recognition, rather than through phonics, so I have a really hard time helping him, as I have never had a child learn that way before.

I already mentioned that Katie has some classes. We do Music Makers at church once a week, and she goes to dance class on Thursdays. She grins through the whole thing. She is just so thrilled to be in a class of her own and to learn to dance. She is really a joy. She is getting into clothes and has her favorite ways of doing things. She is a very happy child, and really easy for me, even though it is just the two of us at home this year.

Aaron and I have news. No, not that kind of news! We are going to Chile in February for his 15-year mission reunion. We bought the plane tickets, so it is official. Aaron is REALLY excited! I am going to try to cram in the Spanish after this semester, in hopes that I can get really comfortable with the language when I am there. I want to take the CLEP test to take care of a bunch of credits. I may graduate Spring semester, if I am able to pass out of enough. I am going to have to make some special arrangements with my professors when I register for next semester in order to go to Chile and miss a week and a half of class. Wouldn't you know it comes a month before Spring break!