October passed by in a beautiful, fall blur. Wow, have we had a colorful, perfect fall!
Geoff's head is down with all kinds of big projects at work and hiring new people, and then he comes home and is a French tutor, essay editor or college application coach. He goes non-stop. His leadership team did get away for a couple days for a retreat at Powder Mountain with was aflame in yellows.
And we fit in some training rides for a mini triathlon later in the month, rain or shine.
I went to St. George to spend some days with my mom. I got to go on a hike with my brother Mitch and have some good conversation.
And watch Tag and Dooz in their flag football games and attend my nephew Dooz's choir concert, which was awesome.
Mitch and Joann hosted a gathering with my uncles Merrill and Reid and their wives, all of which I haven't seen in many years, and which included many hilarious stories. Geoff and Ceci drove down for the weekend and we got to see Dooz's tackle football game, gorgeous, sunny weather all the while.
We joined up with Geoff's sisters Erica, Em and Britt to do the mini triathlon. We were all at different levels of preparation and in-shapeness, so we weren't together. Geoff stuck with Ceci who hadn't trained at all but finished the whole thing, which was an amazing accomplishment. The early morning air was cool and the water was very, very cold, so that was the hardest part! I don't love water and don't run, so I did a unithon and a half, biking the bike portion and walking the run portion.
The rest of my month was very detailed and task oriented getting organized for an international trip coming up, doing a lot of Christmas prep, cleaning out and coordinating details for some new furniture and home goods as we try to do a light redecorating, and what seems like an endless list of home making details. There are so many titles in the professional vernacular such as Change Maker, Maker Space, etc., but we give so little attention to Home Maker, which, as my sister-in-law Emily recently said, "...is a full-time job if done well." While cleaning out pantries and setting up menus and creating systems to make life move efficiently at home, and moving laundry through and keeping bills paid and getting everyone where they need to be on time with permission slips signed and a snack and water bottle in tow does not get one nominated for any global leader societies or even cultural appreciation, but it should! I have come to appreciate my contribution to the lives of the people I love most. And it, lately, has been a full time job indeed! (Even though can't claim I'm even doing it well!)
One day I came out from the grocery store to this note on my car window:
This filled me with so much goodness. Someone is carrying around a sharpie and sticky pad in their car and spreading a little good cheer wherever they go, in a world where there seems to be an endless amount of contention and division and judgment. Hooray for spreading light!
We went to the Beyond Van Gogh exhibit with some of Geoff's siblings, which was phenomenal. So moving and beautiful. Van Gogh's life shows we sometimes underestimate our abilities and contribution and have no idea just how influential we are.
Halloween is strange with grown children. Kind of nice, really. And kind of boring too. Tennie threw a little Halloween party for friends on Halloween itself, so Ceci was gone. But thankfully she had to wear a costume to work, a movie character, and came out with this Margot Tenenbaum outfit on. She looked so good.
Overall a busy and great month that passed in a blink.
