We started November as we always do..... decorating the tree. Unapologetically, we decorated for Christmas on November 1st this year. I totally would have decorated in mid-October if I could have.... but I need the help of my husband. And the first weekend in November is the weekend we do it.
This year was surprisingly SO easy. I ONLY got frustrated twice and it was at the very beginning. Everything just came together this year. I was being blessed, I just know it. I needed a stress free beginning to the season. And I got one.
Many ironers make light work
I am so happy when I stand back and look at everything.
And I hear Michael Buble in the background.
And smell Fresh Balsam burning
All of the senses ignited at the same time.
Sadies 2025 was on November 1st as well.
Peyton asked Landon Jones.
They had a great time, she was so happy when she was telling us all about the day.
We never saw her from 10:00 am to midnight.
They were busy playing and eating all day long.
I love her friends. They are such nice girls.
NO DRAMA, just total love and support for one another.
What more could you ask for in a group of teenage girls? 
And Landon was such a good, kind and fun date
On November 3rd, I had to have a Cardio-stress test with
an Eckogram and then I had to wear a heart monitor for 5 days.
The test was pretty intense for this 54 year old.
I had to have an IV where they added lipids or something to my heart while I ran on a treadmill.
I didn't think I would last through the entire test, but to my utter dismay,
I did.
I held out all the way to 100%, even though they were trying to get me to stop at 95%.
I was super proud of myself.
I would have posted a photo, but I was not well dressed during the test.
Good thing I am not vulnerable when it comes to being half-way naked in front of strangers.
OH WAIT.....
I AM.
Apparently you can't wear monitors with 700 wires coming out of them, while also having an IV with huge tubes coming out of it, while also having to do what they call a "stop, drop and roll" in the middle of a full sprint on a treadmill going 4 miles an hour at a 10% incline...
while also wearing a SHIRT
Three women were assisting with the testing.
One watched the monitor
One kept taking my blood pressure
and one was pushing the lipids and was ready to do the Echo.
Literally the worst of my nightmares.
I had to go to other places in my mind.
The tests came back as good as they could have.
They don't have any explanation as to why all of the sudden my heart is
racing like I just finished running a marathon, when in reality, I am only walking slowly
around TJMaxx.
They can't explain why I suddenly almost pass out while I am just
sitting at my desk at work.
According to the cardiologist, who I assume went to medical school, my heart is as healthy as a 30 year old heart.
And my cardiovascular health is that of a 20 year old.
Only I don't remember these things happening when I was in my 20s and 30s.
So what gives?
He diagnosed me with something called
SVT
and told me that my heart from time to time will experience spazzy electric malfunctions
that are random and uncontrollable and non life threatning
Annnnnnd.......
He ultimately told me to go live my life and be happy that I am so healthy.
And then he said the same words that my oncologist says to me every time
I go see her...
You are the healthiest patient I have.
Thanks for stopping by.
*** I just have to note that I have an Oncologist and now a Cardiologist***
That just isn't normal for someone who is supposed to be SO healthy.
On the 4th, 5th and 6th all of the managers at work had to attend a Leadership Offsite.
We spent 3 days reflecting, bonding and doing all kinds of horrible activities
designed to make people feel ridiculous, but are supposedly meant to help us to feel bonded.
I LOVE reflection. I love sitting around on a lovely couch in a lovely home
talking about what worked, how we improved and what we learned from the last year.
I love talking about what we can do to improve next year and what opportunites we will have to
grow and change in 2026.
I love bonding. As long as that is talking and sharing our feelings.
I don't love playing a competitive game that I will NEVER win,
but will undoubtably look foolish the entire time.
(While I am wearing a heart monitor, by the way).
Learning new things about people that I thought I knew really well already
is totally right up my alley
But...
Activities, games, anything physical where you have to stand up in front of a group and act like an idiot
I am NOT interested in AT ALL
Thank you very much.
Hiking up a steep, narrow, very high rock cliff, while my heart
is beating out of control and I am on the verge of passing out and going over the edge
of a really high mountain is not my idea of a good time.
Don't let my cheerful grin fool you.
This is me quietly celebrating that I am still alive
Riding E-Bikes through Zion
Oh. My. Gosh. Not. For. Me. At. All.
And I will NEVER freaking do that again in this lifetime.
It wasn't even like it was one of those experiences where you say....
I tried it, I conquered it and I am so proud of myself.
NO
I am worse for the experience. Because mental trauma is real. And I had it. And it's affects will be with me forever and ever. I was physically unable to even realize that I was in one of the most
breathtakingly beautiful places in the world.
I didn't even notice that.
I never looked up from the 5 feet of road that was directly in front of me for 4 hours.
Were there gorgeous cliffside mountains going up thousands of feet all around me?
What about fabulous trees with lovely fall foliage with virtuously every color of the rainbow?
Beautiful blue skies with white puffy clouds?
Temperatures hovering between 68 and 70?
The sounds of rushing streams of crystal clear waters?
I. DON'T. EVEN. KNOW.
I can see that the magnificence of nature's display was totally lost on me.
I, instead had to be scared, terrified and darn near paralyzed in order to self protect and preserve my
very life. I was in fight or flight and since flight was not a possible option at this particular time, due to the fact that my ONLY way of getting out of this harrowing experience was ON THAT DEATH TRAP...
My only way out.... was through
You can't tell I am literally DYING on the inside in these pictures.
You can't tell I am literally DYING on the inside in these pictures.
I was totally DYING.
I had a death grip on the handle bars that was so tight, my shoulders ached for 3 days afterwards.
It was like I was riding a bucking bronco.
I had that little of control over that monstrosity.
It was out of control.
It had a mind of its own.
At one point, I was going 32 miles an hour.
I could see the lines of the road going by so fast and all I could think about is
if I crash, I am going to slide along this road for SO long before I come to a stop.
I almost went over the side of the mountain twice.
I crashed on one of the bridges and the only thing that saved me from getting seriously injured was the bridge itself. I ran into the railing on the side of the bridge so hard and then I fell to the left into the railing luckily.
And that is the only thing that saved me from not falling to the ground, which would have been so bad.
I only had an ankle injury from the pedal impailing me.
If I had leaned the other way when I started to fall and had NOT fallen into the protective railing on the bridge I would be in a cast right now.
The ride was 18 miles long and took us 4 hours with all the stops we would have to make
WHEN THE GIGANTIC SHUTTLE BUSSES WOULD COME UP BEHIND US AND WHIZ BY US
going what felt like 100 miles an hour and almost sideswipe us and kill us.
You know it's bad when I am like....
"I cannot wait until we get to the hike part of this stupid day with a 15 percent incline to a thousand foot cliff drop off that is wet and slippery.....
because that part of this day will be so much safer."
There was not one time in the 4 hours that I enjoyed myself because I was so stressed out.
When we got in the car to go home, all I wanted to do was cry.
I just wanted to sob uncontrollably for 30 minutes and let it all out.
But I couldn't. Or people would think I was a weirdo.
So I just had to hold it in
which caused more stress to go to my already aching shoulders and neck muscles.
Day 3 we met to talk about what is coming up in the next year
We broke out into smaller groups and discussed and brainstormed.
And of course, we played a few more games.
My goal in almost every game that we had to play is to be the first one out.
I purposely try to lose, so I can sit down and just watch and be
put out of my misery. It is a good strategy.
You would think we were praying. Not so.
Just total concentration.
I won $20 playing this game, so I won't be too hard on this one.
I was one of only 3 people who won cash over the 3 days, so this was a big deal
considering how non competitive I am and how horrible I am at games in general.
KK's 15th birthday was on the 5th.
They went to the temple with the Young Women
And late that night we celebrated her.
She is so sweet.
I think she liked our gifts and felt our love for her.
On one of the most beautiful and delightful overcast Saturdays of the month,
Rals and I
well mostly Rals
Okay all Rals
decided to do a little decorating to the hill in our backyard directly outside our family room window.
I get wild ideas sometimes
especially when I look out of the GIGANTIC window in that particular room and see this
We are better than this.
So I started dropping subtle hints like...
Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks and I would really be super Thankful if I could look out of the this window
on Thankgiving and see some lighted up plants
Well on this particular Saturday, thankfully... my lover started making motions like he
was going to do some work in the backyard near the hill.
He dug lots of holes
and it was really hard because in addition to it just being hard to dig holes
it is doubly hard to do so while trying not to fall and slide down the hill
I supervised
I told him where to dig
I handed him various tools
I was a strong source of encouragement
Then we headed over to the nursery, where I was on top of my game...
making all kinds of brilliant decisions... getting as much out of the
beforehand agreeed on budget
And two hours later before the rain began to fall
we had this...
It is a delightful sight to look at when you look out of our window
and it will be even better in the Spring/Summer time when everything is
blooming and doubled in size.
Can't wait
I don't really know how this activity unfolded
but...
My kids LOVE taking .5s
(Point 5s)
What is that?
I don't even know
It's a setting that you put your phone on
and then take pictures of your parents at incredibly close ranges.
It's a cruel game
There has never been one time in the history of .5s
where the person has not looked HORRIBLE!!
Well this day, Ryker took a really close up picture of his eyes in a .5
and then Peyton put the picture up to her face...
And it looked like this
SO FUNNY...
But then Raleigh put it up to his face
and it was uncanny
WE DIED LAUGHING
We have always thought Raleigh and Ryker looked alike
but this is incredible
I cannot believe that two months have passed by since my
last RS activity. That came up on me SO fast and I was not
emotionally prepared at all.
After 4 committee meetings going two hours each
we sort of had a plan.
I was a wreck to say the least and I had a meltdown
the night before.
It is just not my thing.
I am NOT good at it.
And I begged to get fired from this job.
In spite of all of the tears and gnashing of teeth,
it went fairly well and we had a great turnout
I am already stressing about January
I attended the temple with the RS girls.
We did initiatories.
I am getting really good at them and they hardly phase me.
Rals and I also cleaned one of the nights.
The coordinators were all from our old ward when we lived
in Washington and it was really fun to see them.
We had such a good time.
I really loved it and I am so glad that we were able to go and do that.
We wrapped up the month with Thanksgiving Festivities
We hosted at our house, but hardly contributed food-wise.
I made the mashed potatoes and Rals cooked rolls.
Mom and Dad worked for two days on the rest.
And it was SO good this year.
I think it could have been our best.
We had our traditional crepes in the morning
while we watched the Macy's Parade.
Mom and Dad and Russ and Gracie came over.
Some of us putted
Some played corn hole
Everyone ate way more than we should have
And we had areally good time together.
It was a very good day.
I cannot believe how fast November flew by.
This is NOT a month that I want to go fast.
I loved every day of this month and I am so sad to see it go.
The weather was perfect
The activities were so good.
Russ starts his new job on Monday.
It is a little strange to have my worlds collide.
But the staff is excited to have him start and I
think we are putting so many of our eggs in his basket.
Poor guy.
I got a very large end of year bonus this year and I am so
excited about that. That is always fun.
We had stake conference in November and the visiting
authority asked that the youth presidency members attend the 7:30 am
Leadership meeting.
Since all three kids are in presidencies, our whole family attended.
I wanted to get a good seat, so we left our house at 7:00.
We were the only car in the parking lot when we arrived.
Not even the Stake President was there.
So we sat in the truck with rain pouring down
in the semi-dark
and listened to my all time favorite Christmas song...
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
by Mannheim Steamroller
and I cried like I do every time I hear it.
I cry because it is a chance to reflect on the past year
and be so incredibly grateful that here we are... another year has passsed
and some sad things happened, but we are SO blessed
and we are happy.
And we love each other.
I hope December won't go as fast as November did...
but I know it will.
This IS the most wonderful time of the year.
Hands down
No doubt
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