Aug 22, 2010
Dear Family,
Even after a great lesson on Job today in Sunday School, I found it hard to keep smiling as my THIRD attempt at cream puffs still wouldn't puff today for dessert!! Since we adjust the recipe every time:  egg replacer, eggs, newer eggs, I think the barometric pressure may've affected us, as we had SUCH a windstorm blow through here most of the night--knocking our basketball standard clean over and propelling Spencer on his bike w/o pedaling! An appropriate night for wind though, as change is blowing in!
Tomorrow is our first day of school, and first day of JUNIOR HIGH for Maddie!

We had a grueling Open House at the school for her this week (there isn't a/c in the gym!!), and have had her schedule change 4 times since that night as they quickly try to create Algebra classes, etc. at a last minutes notice, and w/in all of the budget cuts (just ask Brian how he feels about the efficiency of government work!).  She's been shuffled in and out of PE, Chinese, Art, and is now registered for 2 sessions of the same class!!--Monday may be quite a headache for that poor counselor's office!! Thank goodness Maddie's as easy-going as she is!!--she's just happy to be able to open her locker (they have full-size ones--just like "Saved By the Bell"!).  The others are all excited to get started too, and I think will all do well.  Hopefully, we can get sweet Spencer away from all of his card games long enough to learn how to really read this year! Miss Hellewell (his teacher) may be a bit surprised after having Emily! They are both happy children, but QUITE a bit different!!

Brent and Spencer also started changing their gear for soccer uniforms this week, and are having a blast.  Spencer takes it so seriously, mentioning to his coach how good he is every time she's near ("I can even beat my brother sometimes, and he's a lot bigger'n me!" and yelling out to me, "Look Mom! I have my own space!!" Brent was happy to know a few kids on his team this year, and I'm just thrilled to have to sit outside for a few hours each week! Besides Maddie's Open House on Wed., we also had Spencer's first practice, YW, and a pres. mtg.! I woke up Thursday morning feeling free as a bird to have that night completed! The children were all pretty motivated this week in getting rooms straightened, and last-minute jobs done, that I took them to the county fair on Friday.  I think I've been more nervous than they were for school to start, and I wasn't sure we'd be ready in time, but we got a lot done in a few days, so that by Friday, I was glad to just have a fun outing.  We packed up lunch, and enjoyed one free carnival ride (w/ a "Read 10 Books" form filled out), watching the pie-eating contest (NONE of our names were drawn, and you'd think we have a pretty good chance!), seeing some ward members' fair entries, enjoying free pony rides (anne's first!) and a petting zoo, watching a dog water-jump competition, and visiting some baby tigers.  Anne's favorite was the balloon animals (wait in line for an hour, pop it in 10 minutes!), and she actually got scared at the pie-eating contest when their faces all came up covered in whipped cream--I don't know what she thought it was, but she cried at that, then didn't mind petting giant snakes!?! It was a sunny HOT day, but fun to be out and about. 

Last weekend we had a change in our schedule w/ a GREAT little visit from Mom, who came out at the last minute for Grandma Priday's 90th birthday, so we fit in a Bountiful temple session the first night she was here (after she played games w/ the kids all day), drove the scenic way to Mutual Dell for Grandma's party (way to change your number of decades Grandma!--what a legacy you've given us, not being afraid of changes of all shapes and sizes!), and took and even more scenic route home through the Alpine Loop, and hitting Temple Square (where we saw the 3D model of the SL Temple) on the way home.  We grabbed some sandwich stuff from our favorite German Deli there in SLC, and Brian and children ran into Elder Hales there on a date w/ his wife! Lucky the children (Maddie, Brent, and Spencer) were all getting out for a bathroom break to see him! I'd say it's fun living in UT where we can run into apostles like that (Brian also crossed the street right in front of Elder Scott a few weeks ago and waved), but we've run into 3 just this summer, and I think they were our first 3 in over 3 years of living here! I took Mom to the airport Sunday morning as Brian left for a Bishopric Training, and just felt so boosted to have such a good weekend, I didn't even cry! (until that night!).  We selfishly enjoyed having Mom to ourselves for so many hours straight!

AND, as a last note of change, Lucy hit 6 months last week, and is now enjoying rice cereal w/ various pureed fruit! As Brent says, "She is just so cute, when I see her, I want to almost EAT her!"

(at least we don't have to worry about Anne's enthusiasm for reading! She falls asleep in a pile of books on her bed and SPRANG out of her seat when I asked if she wanted to come to the "library" at church today--I think she may still be thinking I pulled one over on her!)
Hopefully, we'll all be more like Job this week, and endure well all of these changes--maybe I can even change those cream puffs ONE more time into success for FHE treats tomorrow! Love, the Duncan's