October

 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.

September

September is always a busy month with school revving up and normal routines finding their groove. It seems like Geoff's work picks up speed every fall too. And then we have TWO birthdays to celebrate in September! Thankfully all activities are in person, albeit masked, but we'll take it.

Tennie has two jobs this semester, one working as a T.A. for a Race & Ethnicity class and another working at the Bean Museum, both on campus. She walks 15 minutes from her little house south of campus to the bus, rides the bus to campus and is on campus all day long between classes, work and studying before heading back home on the bus at the end of the day. She LOVES Arabic most of all. Did I mention she writes articles for the BYU newspaper? Not all that the students write gets published, but we're waiting for any and all that do. It is fun to see her name in print.

Adele has a 25 minute walking commute to class. She nannies for a little boy on Friday mornings for a few hours, has picked up a few movie set gigs, which always provide long hours, takes pottery classes in Brooklyn on Sunday mornings that she got for trade by creating some social media films for the studio, and fits in concerts and museums and picnics with friends wherever she can. 

Ceci has some demanding classes mixed in with her fun ones this semester. She brought home this fun project from her ceramics class.

She is part of the Ethics Club (kind of like debate) and Enviro Club where she volunteered to help clean up Red Butte Gardens one day. She is doing a three-month film apprenticeship at a place called SkyHop, which provides some fun side projects. Her days are full and focused. Here she is with a film camera on her way to do some filming for a short project.

Cousins Kate & Eli were baptized early in September and we gathered with family to celebrate the occasion. We had a family birthday party for Geoff and Ceci later in the day at a park with games and cupcakes.

Geoff spent a week in LA for a YGL gathering, then came home for a celebratory birthday dinner for him with Ceci and his favorite pumpkin muffins.

He and I went on a weekend biking trip for his 50th birthday. He has wanted to bike the route from Boulder to Escalante for a long time, so we figured it was a great way to celebrate his good health and strength at 50.

We stayed in a little Bed & Breakfast in Boulder and fell in love with this little valley. How have I grown up in Utah, and lived her as an adult for almost 9 years, and not visited this part of Utah?! It is so beautiful. We woke up early on Geoff's actual birthday and he set off on the 25 mile ride.

And I have to include this picture to represent that Geoff is an animal whisperer. All animals love him, and wherever we go we stop to engage with dogs or cats or any living thing that is around (observing ant hills is not uncommon).

The ride didn't disappoint. It was breathtakingly beautiful. It had about 3-4 miles total of steep, advanced incline at three different points, but he made it feeling strong (and tired!) I drove the route, passing Geoff along the way, and in Escalante I rode my bike about 7 miles toward him until we met up and we rode the rest of the way together.

We stayed in a cute little place, relaxing most of the afternoon.

We drove the scenic rode back to Boulder where we visited a friend of Geoff's who has a home there and visited an indigenous village museum before heading home.

His family left all kinds of kind texts on his birthday:

Geoff is a very lovable person.

The next day we celebrated Ceci's birthday. She skipped school and slept in. We spent the afternoon in Sundance, Geoff made a treasure hunt full of riddles (Ceci loves riddles) and had yummy Indian food for dinner. It was a low key but great and beautiful day.

She received lots of love from family too. Here are the texts from Geoff's family (a tradition for everyone to say what they love about the birthday person...)

Nikki

Ian

Ingrid

The day after Ceci's birthday Geoff and I flew to Maine. Geoff is on the board of a company that owns a ski resort in a small town and they held a retreat for board members. We spent a few days in Rangeley, Maine, which was so charming. It was a bit drizzly the days we were there, but it was still amazing with the leaves at the beginning of their peak. Nothing like fall in New England. I miss it. One day we hiked to the top of the ski mountain and at the top you could see in all directions despite being in a cloud. It was amazing. I loved it there.

After the retreat we spent the weekend in Portland, Maine walking the streets of the old port and driving down the rugged coast a bit.

We heard about a beach were there is surfing (unexpected in Maine!), so of course we made a stop to check it out. One of us was really wishing to be out there...

We flew through New York to get home and I tried to reach out and touch Adele from a distance. It was hard to be so close and not see her.

And those were the biggest happenings in September. It was a great month.