Angels and Demons

This past week, Lacey has played soccer.....

And Tanner had his final game of Fall Baseball playing on the Green Machine.

This was his first time playing Fall Baseball because he played football the last two years and then soccer before that.  But he has officially retired from both soccer and football, so hopefully we'll have some more Fall ball seasons in the future!

After his final game of baseball on Wednesday, he headed to Gettysburg just two days later and spent the entire weekend at Gettysburg with his Boy Scout Troop.  He learned a lot and had a ton of fun.  Nice to be able to spend time on this hallowed ground.

While Tanner was learning about the angels and demons of the civil war, Riley was an angel back home going to the "Halloween Bash" with her Girl Scout troop.

Katelyn and Riley about to head into the party!

And Ella played soccer.  She LOVES soccer!  And she's actually quite good! Speedy, aggressive, competitive and actually knows how to play her position. She's fun to watch!

Go Neon Unicorns!

So, what have the parents been up to this week?

Well, I busted out my witch hat and enjoyed leading the book discussion for Tanner's class at the Middle School (without my hat) and was the Guest Reader at the Elementary school for Riley's class (with the hat!)

And Dave and I went to two different Halloween parties.

Dave is one of the armed robbers from Money Heist on Netflix.

And speaking of armed robbery...... this was the sad ending to our week.  It actually has nothing to do with armed robbery, but the transition seemed fitting!  Yesterday, while Dave was mowing the lawn, he heard a noise and looked up to see the back window of our van explode.  We have absolutely NO idea what caused it or how/why it happened. The van was literally just sitting inside our garage and the window just shattered!  Nothing hit it, the weather was normal..... so bizarre!  A Halloween mystery ghost!  It's always something.......

This is Us

Lacey.... got invited to a Halloween party at a friend's house.

Tanner went to his first Middle School Social (for band/music/orchestra members)

Harry, Tanner, Keith, Douglas, Sean, Benny

And had way too much fun at the photo booth!

Riley (and a couple other members of her select soccer team) served as "ball girls" for the HS Championship soccer game and made the local paper!

And she did the Compassion Experience with her Girl Scout Troop

Troop 1131

And Ella and I went to her school's Fall Festival

And I've been spending time with my sweet Karen.  She is my dear, dear friend.  She was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer on July 18th.  So it has been exactly 3 months now.  She is in remarkably good spirits and she has lots of cheerleaders!  She can't be left alone right now and has significant mobility issues (after major back surgery to remove tumors from her spine), so whenever I can, I go over in the morning at 5:30.  We have lots of good talks and laughs and I 💜 her so much!

And Dave and I went to Old Stein Inn for our annual Oktoberfest traditional dinner with our neighbors/friends.

Trish and I

We sat out in the Biergarten and listened to all the German music while we ate.

We had sausages and sauerkraut, bavarian pretzels, potato pancakes and applesauce, and wienerschnitzel.

Prost! 

Bad Kitty

Our elementary school encourages the kids to create "character pumpkins" every October.  They have to be designed out of fake pumpkins and they have to be a book character.  They are then put on display in the Media Center of the school along with the book which stars the character.

It is totally optional and there is no extra credit or anything.  It's just "for fun."  So I say (as a working mother of four who has about 50,000 things on my plate all day long every single day), why do it?  I paid it no mind whatsoever.  BUT..... my Riley J wanted to do it SO bad and kept bringing it up to me over and over again.  So I spent the last few evening traipsing over town picking up various materials for her pumpkin, looking up ideas online, etc and then got up extra early before work this morning to help her finish "Bad Kitty".

The things we do for our kids...... good thing she's cute ;)

And so is "Bad Kitty" 😸

Middle School Pics

We just got the proofs back from Lacey and Tanner's Middle School Pictures.....

Lovely Lacey

7th Grade

Talented Tanner

6th Grade

Saying Goodbye to Janice

We had such an interesting experience this weekend.  Our family has known Janice Wilson for many years.  Dave grew up with her and has known her for most of his life.  She and her husband go to our church, so we see them every week.  I served in Primary with her for several years and she was Riley's primary teacher.  She was recently diagnosed with a recurrence of uterine cancer.  And it came back with such a vengeance that she was admitted to hospice almost immediately upon diagnosis. It was everywhere and there was nothing they could do.

I went to visit her in hospice on Wednesday and again on Friday.  I had sweet talks with her husband Mark and daughter Jennifer.  I held her hand, I stroked her hair and I talked to her, even though her eyes were closed and she didn't speak back. 

Riley kept asking to see her since she had been her Primary teacher.  But every time I went to visit Janice, Riley was at school or I was on my way to or from work.  Over dinner Friday night, I brought up that I had gone to see Janice again.  Riley again asked when she could go see her.  After dinner, I mentioned to Dave that I didn't think Janice had much time left and suggested he bring Riley to see her.  So he did.  A while later, Riley comes running into the house crying and running into my arms, crying "She passed!"  I said "She passed?  While you were with her?"  She nodded and kept crying.  I comforted her the best I could and it led to one of the sweetest conversations we've ever had.  While I was holding her in my arms, I said that for most of us, there is only a handful of times that we will ever witness someone entering this world or leaving it.  She had just experienced one of those times and what a privilege to have been able to comfort sweet Janice in her final moments on earth.  I asked her if she held her hand.  She said she did.  I asked her if she talked to her.  She said she did.  Then I said to Riley that she had given her such a peaceful way to go.... holding the hand of a child.

After I knew Riley was okay, I got the whole story from Dave.  He said that when he and Riley got there, the family had literally just stepped out of the room to eat dinner in a room across the hall.  So, they were in the room with Janice without any family in there with them.  And, while there, Dave noticed that Janice was no longer breathing.  He quickly went down the hall and alerted the nursing staff and then went to where the family was eating dinner and told them they needed to come quickly, that he though Janice had just passed.  The family came running to the room and so did the medical staff.  It all happened so quickly, but sure enough, they confirmed her death.

So, Dave was the one to inform the family of her death.  And Riley was the last one to touch her while she was alive.

And tonight, we went to her viewing.  This experience has been one that has bonded us with Janice's husband and children.  And one that has really turned into a meaningful, positive life lesson for Riley in particular, but for all of our kids and we have discussed this.  

Janice was 66 years old.  She is survived by a loving husband, three children and three grandchildren, with one on the way.  She passed within just a couple weeks of diagnosis.  She was a good person and no doubt is experiencing a sweet reunion with friends and family and her Maker on the other side.

Rest in Peace, sweet Janice!

Assateague

Assateague Island is known for its sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests, coastal bays..... and wild horses!  They are often referred to as the "Chincoteague" ponies, made famous by Marguerite Henry's book, Misty of Chincoteague. 

Tanner was lucky enough to spend the entire weekend with his Boy Scout Troop here!

They also attended the seafood festival, which Tanner said was his favorite part!  Although apparently his Troop leader caught him off guard for this pic ;)

And they walked on the boardwalk.

I gave Tanner money to buy food if needed..... he ended up buying this obnoxiously loud plastic chicken instead! 😏

And they did a huge bonfire on the beach. 

Tanner said he had a GREAT time! He is hard at work trying to advance from Tenderfood to Second Class Scout!

Sidenote.... while T was away, we got a surprise visit from our awesome nieces Jacque and Becky who were home from college for Fall Break!  So fun to see them again!