Joys of October

Hola--

It's October!  Yes!  I love this month.  New England has a few really beautiful months, and this is one of them.  The leaves have started to change, so as the month progresses the drive around town becomes brighter and more colorful.  It's truly wonderful.

Two weeks have gone by since the last post.  I'm thinking it has been more like two months.  It is fall, and every fall I am (Understatement Alert) a little overwhelmed.  They are all good things, mind you!  I just feel scattered.

PHONES.  This was a more painful and tedious process than we could have imagined, but we have a new family plan with phones for everybody.  (As my brother Kris would say, "Nice, Kari.  Welcome to the 90's.")  It is true we have always dragged our feet a little on the newest technology.  Why pay for the hype?  Just wait a few months/years and the prices come down.  We all have phones, I said.  NOT smart-phones, or the newest and fanciest version of whatever just came out from Apple.  Plain phones, no Internet on the phones.

We are ALL texting now, finally.  Some of us more than others, to be sure.  I think Kara -- 7th grade -- racked up 1000 in one week.  Please.  (Of course, I think she has more friends than all of the rest of us combined...?)

The catalyst that pushed us to finally get everybody phones, has been my own thinking: next year David will be in college and (pause)...will we EVER actually get a phone call from him?  Maybe not.  But we may be more likely to get a text from him.

So here we are.  We switched to AT&T--again, it was a nightmare, so I can't recommend them to anyone--because they had the best-priced family plan for us, with the corporate discount from HP.  And after hours and days of waiting on hold (you think I'm exaggerating but I'm really not), and occasionally talking to people, who had varied and different information they would make up...

(Happy Ending) Over the course of 2 weeks of agony, we finally talked to two different truly helpful people.  One of those people was appalled at our runaround story.  He went into the computer and gave us credit for 2 months of service on our account.  Yes.  I was floored.  Awesome!

IN OTHER NEWS.  A new mailbox post sits in our living room, to be hopefully installed this weekend.  I might have before/after photos next week.

SOCCER.  Kara's school team is doing quite well, and Kara is improving and really likes the game.

VOLLEYBALL.  This sport is such a highlight for Teresa.  She wishes it would last all year.  It does make for some loooooooooooong days, though, leaving the house for seminary at 6:00a.m., school, vball, and on game days home at 8p.m.  Homework, she is not so fond of.

PUMPKIN LAUNCHER.  The Young Men at church are in charge of the youth activity this week.  David has been building, along with other youth and leaders, a pumpkin launcher.  They will get into groups to design and decorate a pumpkin, then they will launch them outside.  Prizes will be given for creativity, design, distance, etc., etc.

TUTORING.  I finally have a schedule pretty well in place for my tutoring at school.  (Bonus: they even sent my time cards, after about a month, so I can get paid!)  They are such nice kids.  I have a really good job.

FIVE THINGS to be THANKFUL FOR.  To finish the post, off the top of my head:
1)  I am thankful for reliable transportation.
2)  For sweatshirts in the fall.
3)  For other adults who care about my kids, too.
4)  For sunshine breaking through the clouds.
5)  Comfortable, nice-looking shoes.  On sale.

Happy Week!  Kari