12 on the 12th--November Edition

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01. Now that I'm a working girl, my day always starts around 6:30am (give or take a few minutes depending on my snooze status).
02. Family scripture reading, we're in Jacob 5.
03. The ground was blanketed in gorgeous, frost-covered leaves.
04. Landon and I took a self-portrait before heading to school.
05. I feel like a ginormous 7th grader in a sea of pubescence while shuffling through the crowds between classes at school.
06. Landon's wonderful report card (and general greatness) had me in tears, especially since I was coming from a class where the kid sitting in front of me had 5 D's!
07. We just had to get a chocolate peanut butter shake from JCW's to celebrate his great achievement.
08. I was barely in the door before I had a load in the washer.
09. I wandered around scoping out good backgrounds before my photo-shoot family arrived.
10. As I was leaving the photo shoot, this gorgeous sunset caught my attention. I have been really smitten with sunsets lately and feel like they're a gift every time I see one.
11. Crystal, Amie and I got together (Michelle couldn't make it) to cut and file coupons. Crystal and I are total newbies and greatly appreciated (and used) Amie's expertise.
12. I finally headed off to bed at 12:51am!

**Did you do 12 on the 12th?
Can you believe it's already November?
Do you notice sunsets?**

Good Mail for Me and You Winners
17--Rebekah
5--April
16--Kelsie
11--Judy
1--Natasha

Comment Window Tidbit: Daylight Savings Time is messing with my head. I keep thinking it's so late and time to wind things down, but then I look at the clock and it's only 5:00pm!

Five for Friday--Bullet Point Edition

This week has been delightfully busy for me, the kind of busy that involves lots of friends and fun activities; not the chock-full of obligations want to disappear kind of busy (thankfully).

• We celebrated Randy's birthday.
• I had two visiting teaching appointments.
• Landon went to the High School Band Competition.

• I went to book club.
• We had Whitney's darling friend Madison here to play 3 times this week.
• Whitney and Madison went to Activity Days.

• Landon had his 2nd to last Flag Football game.
• I went to a Presidency Meeting.

• I had a great lunch with Brooke.
• I went to the dentist for the first time in 3 years! I watched 30Rock while they cleaned my teeth and ended up getting the giggles even though it was an episode I've seen at least 20 times. (Jack Meets Dennis from Season 1..."Technology is cyclical")

• Amie, Crystal and Michelle (aka "The Ladies") came over for a couponing tutorial from Amie while we cut out coupons.
• Our phone got disconnected (not by choice).
• I got the call (on my cell phone luckily) about a job interview with the School District.
• We went to an Elder's Quorum Social and experienced a chilly Fall night with the added delight of fireplace warmth.

• We had Bella and Tess sleep over, and they gave Whitney her birthday present (her birthday is the 18th) which involved squeals of delight from all 3 girls, plus Madison the next day.

• We spent a couple hours at the park with Crystal and her cute kids.
• Landon got up at 4:10am to go to the Temple with the youth and then had breakfast with them. He is such a champ and does this on his own (weekly) while we are sleeping. He's home before we're even up!
• My gimpy left heel split open, ouch!

• Landon, Whitney, Bella, Tess and I had dinner with my parents Thursday night at their house, then the girls stayed to sleep over.
• My mom told me I should let my hair go gray...what the?! I'm 39, can you imagine if I actually did that? I may as well just pack it in now and started looking for government subsided assisted living centers! (This advice probably stemmed from a money-saving mindset, but surely she can't be serious.)
  
• Landon and I went to Amie's house to hang out with them until 11:15pm.

I have been ridiculously close to tears for a few weeks now (that could be a result of going off Zoloft though) and we're still struggling financially, but I have felt strong spiritually, hopeful, active and very blessed. As always, I find that documenting the minutia of my life helps greatly in seeing the good around me and keeps me from dwelling on the ugly presents that have come my way.

**Does blogging your life help you feel better about things?
Did you do anything fun this week?
Do you cry very often?**