September 19, 2010
Dear Family,
Life's moving along at nearly break-neck speeds these days, with the boys' soccer games Tues-Fri.  Both Spencer and Brent have scored a goal though, and most importantly, thoroughly enjoy it.  I've been forced to step up the organization with my dinner plans and time management--some days being more successful than others.  It is a fun stage though, and a beautiful time of year, so a lot lately, I'm just able to soak things up, and enjoy little moments like a night at the dinner table (albeit late from canning peaches all day), when everyone's chatting amiably, or when the children all gang up to clean the basement Sat. night for me since Maddie (whose week it was) is sick.  Just having a week of not breaking down or losing my temper also becomes a great victory, and all the flurry of activity makes it even more enjoyable to sit an hour at a soccer game, to go over reading w/ Spencer after school, or to take Anne to library storytime.
A few updates:
-Cosmo: visited the animal shelter for 5 days (it took us 3 days to decide she was really missing, and 2 of a weekend to wait 'til they opened).  It turns out our neighbors called her in, not realizing she was ours.  I was worried she'd disturbed their chickens, but we went over and patched things up--they said she was fine enough--they just thought it was a stray--*one more reason it doesn't do to be shy!! Anyway, after nearly having a breakdown at all the poor animals in the shelter and not positively identifying our own cat right away (that is, until I saw all the other cats), they gave her back to us for a price (good thing she started out free!).  Here she is w/ Em on some chairs I picked up from DI and repainted/covered.

-Maddie:  sang in a stake youth choir for our very first "Standards Night" and made her mom's heart flutter to see her sitting beautifully up there enjoying herself and full of so many good choices.  Brought to mind the scripture, "And if it so be that ye should labor all your days, and bring but one soul unto me...how great shall be your joy."  Seeing even one child's good choices and good direction with her life just filled me up, and made EVERYthing worthwhile (even after finding out about her upcoming orthodontia expenses!!).  She is even brave enough to play YW volleyball!
-Brent: pretty good forward on his co-ed soccer team, and even decent enough to (almost) answer the girls that say, "Good Game" on their way off the field.  He's wise enough to know which buttons to push on his guilt-ridden Mom, though she's getting wise to him, AND usually forgives him easily when reminded of the extremely soft spot he has for his little sisters.  He is SO good to help them, or hold them, or do whatever he can to keep them both from crying or being unhappy.
-Emily:  has learned (in between)"Heart and Soul" on the piano, thereby initiating her into the official book of piano players, and though she cries she will never tire of it, the rest of us fall asleep and wake up w/ that age-old melody ringing in our hearts and souls! She's also in love w/ Harry Potter now that she's on #3, and poor dear--since all the rest of us readers have been done a few years, she's a little alone and outdated in her adoration--we still love the books too, but we're not dying to all dress up as characters for Halloween this year, or name the cat Dumbledore.  It's as bad as Brian and me just getting into Seinfeld, now that there are 10 year old re-runs on at night, and bringing it into conversation like it's the funniest new thing to find an episode that applies to reallife!

-Spencer:  Emily said one day, "When I'm the spotlight in class, I'll say how many are in my family, and then say, 'The only sad thing is, one of my brothers doesn't live w/ us...... he's on another planet.'" It does often seem that way, but it's hard to mind since whatever planet he's on seems such a happy place!! Neighbors are always out talking to him, and it boggles Emily that he just happens to be at the right place to get a flashlight from one neighbor, a homemade fishing fly from another, etc., etc.  He strikes up conversations w/ the soccer refs during the games, thinks the hometeachers are there just to visit w/ him, and is so full of bubbly confidence and glee, that we don't mind TOO much that we have to ask him 14 times to put his pj's on or put his backpack away.  He's getting better with his reading, and of course is not at ALL worried that he's incapable in any way! It's so nice and refreshing to have a child so laidback--in his soccer picture, you may not be able to see, but he's wearing football cleats (all they had at DI that week) about 3 sizes too big, and often his uniform is still damp, coming out of the washer, but he just says it'll help him run faster and be cooler and better--ah, to live like he does!

-Anne: is in her 3rd week of runny nose/itchy skin, making me wonder what I ever thought I had figured out??!! I'm trying to be patient--esp. when her menu diary looked like this one week:
Sun-goldfish at nursery? (guess-since new leaders and we forgot her snack that week)
Tues-have bean burritos, and later realize there's milk in the tortillas
Wed-opens fridge by herself for the first time, and takes a HUGE bite out of a block of cheese
Fri-has popcorn, but mistakenly from Brian's secret stash that has butter (MILK)
Sun-realize AFTER her serving of fresh peach pie that the non-dairy whipped topping still has milk
Still, to have her runny nose jump in FULL FORCE after just one offense, and her skin look like it's never had a good day seems so merciless, and has me guessing as to whether there are other culprits we don't know about, and how on earth will I ever figure it out??? She's had a good milk-free week behind us now though, we visited the ENT (who was not surgery-happy like I was so worried he would be), and she is ACTING much better, so I hang onto hope, since what else can I do?

Our stake was challenged to read Joseph Smith-History monthly-esp. the first part, and as I did this last month, the personal application kept knocking me off my seat:  "it seemed impossible for [one] such as I to come to a conclusion" and asking "What is to be done?" and "If any of you lack wisdom..."  As much as I have wanted to just pray for her to be healed (she already loves the stories of Jesus healing the lepers (or the "owies")), I have felt directed enough to pray to know what to do and how to help her, and bit by bit, things come into focus.  Also the verse in JS-H, later on, where he says he must prove to be a "disturber to [the Adversary's] kingdom" b/c of all the opposition he faced "almost from infancy"--I can't help but think there must be reason to all of this for little Anne too.  As she carries her dolls all over, I felt a nudge the other day, that she is learning the art of nurturing in a pretty pronounced and sympathetic way for such a young one.  And speaking of dolls--who needs them?  As I was getting ready one morning, with her waiting on my bathroom counter, I noticed she was playing with the TOOTHBRUSHES as her babies!! She would rock them, let them "slide" down the sink, and even fed them a bottle of...handsoap! As she's started to cheer up the past few days, she's even taken to imitating her siblings knock-knock jokes.  Here's her version-
Anne:  knock-knock!
Me:  Who's there?
Anne: Apple Who?  (already cracking up-w/ a half-peek to make sure I got it too)

-Lucy: when she's not being loved by her adoring crowds (who now love to see her bounce in her saucer we bought off some soccer friends for a great deal), has learned to sit up by herself!! She loves eating solids, but her diapers are not so happy with the adjustments.  She is SOOO happy and fun, and I feel like giving her speeches of thanks for being so flexible and so patient and so EASY while her mom is so often pre-occupied!

-Brian:  just won a criminal case this week (and still walked away on great terms w/ the Brigham City prosecutor), stays busy w/ bishopric, keeps up on every political poll, still loves to play games w/ kids and go to as many soccer games as possible, and just cleaned out his shed this weekend!
-Charlotte: I had a blast attending a multi-stake music workshop all day last Saturday in Layton (yeah Dad, staying home to watch all the children w/o complaint!). I went to a little of everything--from organ to conducting to hymn-arranging.  Craig Jessop was there as a keynote speaker, and there were many other VERY talented folk! Most exciting too, is that I, for the first time since college, have a running partner!! Heidi across the street, finally agreed to go w/ me, so at 6 every morning, we put in our happy 2 miles, and the time FLIES now that I have someone to chat w/ as I go--since my aerobics class in on a hiatus, I was really waffling about what to do, so this last week has been a boost! Not only is it more enjoyable, but knowing I have to meet her AT 6:00 keeps me punctual, and not pushing everything up 10 or 15 minutes getting the kids ready.  Had a fun visit w/ G&G M this last week, and brought a few peaches home to can.
 Lots to be grateful for, and lots to enjoy.  Even the struggles help keep me facing the right direction, and paying attention to the right things (loved the Mormon Message "Voice of the Spirit" as I feel like that's my CONSTANT effort!)
Our thoughts are with so many of you we can't be near or see as often as we would love to.  Have a great week! Love, The Duncan's

the kids--after cleaning up the basement before we watched a movie together--they also put makeshift streamers in the windows and bendaroo decorations on the wall :)