Catching Up

Is it October already? When did THAT happen? Let me just stop right here and admit that I've been sleepwalking for the better part of a month. If I don't type up some of our Saunders happenings immediately, they just might slip from my mind altogether.

Rick

Rick, well, he's a narcoleptic now. No, wait! He is nocturnal. His shifts at the hospital have generally been from 10:00 pm to 8:00 am, though it can be longer when the patients back up. What this means for him, is that he is constantly trying to catch up on sleep throughout the day. The guy can fall asleep in mere seconds... if the sun is out. Unfortunately, sleep eludes him at night, when he actually has time off.

When he's not sleeping, or working, he's been growing grass. After a long summer of slowly installing the sprinkler system, he's now able to enjoy "the fruits", so to speak. Our grass is coming in quickly and greenly (just made that up). I'll post a picture soon. Next up: planting bulbs for the spring.

Audrey

I too have sleep issues due to my new calling (see my new blog http://www.sisterseminary.blogspot.com/ for more details). I've gone through a great deal of growing pains as I've tried to adapt to this huge responsibility, but I'm optimistic that I'll see the light soon. I haven't touched my bike since my ride in Cali, but I've stayed somewhat energized by teaching classes at the Y. This little job has turned out to be a HUGE blessing for me. I'm sooooo glad I still have room in my schedule for it.

My house has suffered terribly in the past few months, I'm afraid. I keep thinking that I need to find a wife to do all the cooking and cleaning around here. All the motivation I felt early in the summer to decorate has long since left me. I think I need some house guests to come so it will force me to git 'er done. HINT-HINT!

Jacob

This guy is on fire right now. He absolutely LOVES junior high! Much of his time is taken up with extra-curricular activities and homework. He's learning to play the cello and the flute. He also participates on the student council at school. I can really see his confidence growing. Next month he will turn 12 and receive the Aaronic Priesthood. He's really excited about taking that step and serving with the young men. He can't wait to pass the sacrament, which is why we're going through with his ordination right away, instead of waiting until our trip to Arizona. I'm proud of his choice. I can hardly believe I'll be the mother of a 12-year old!

Emma

Those readers who've met our dear Emmy know what a personality she has. Well, she has personality plus these days. I tell ya, that girl is a character! She really has her own mind about things. Some might say she's an independent spirit. She's working on finding her own style when it comes to fashion, decorating, and living in general. We often find her crafting up a storm with found items from around the house. Currently, she has a GIANT Barbie house in her room made from a collection of cardboard boxes, paper, and all manner of junk. It really is something. She also constructed an oven, microwave, and refrigerator (complete with realistic-looking food). It's all I can do not to go in her room with a big Hefty bag...Emma and I are currently satisfying her crafty cravings by frequent shopping trips to the new Hobby Lobby in town. It's huge AND they accept coupons. We could spend hours there!

Shelby

Yes, I'm writing about our family dog. Animal haters can stop reading here.

Shelby continues to be a joy in our family. She's been with us through thick and thin over the past 12 years. We believe she is showing signs of slowing down, but we try not to think about it too much. To us, she's still the baby of the family. We still can't get over how lucky we were to find such a sweet little mut, especially when we see some of the other options out there (the only thing we don't love about our neighborhood is that our backyard neighbors have 4 yappy dogs). Poor Shelby can't even have her morning constitutional in peace! Fortunately, she does not stoop to their level. She simply ignores them.

Her days mainly consist of following me around the house and taking drives to pick up kids from school. The last time I took her on a walk, it just about did her in. We keep our strolls brief now, just to the bus stop and back. She's so good about this little ritual that I don't even have to put her on a leash. She just trots happily by my side and greets the school kids with a wag-lick combo. She's quite beloved.

Conference

I'd just like to mention that I thoroughly enjoyed General Conference this weekend. I took notes on all the sessions, which helped me focus and remember the messages past a 24-hour period. The messages by Elder Holland and President Monson were especially touching, though the whole weekend was like a spiritual shot in the arm. So much great stuff! I can't wait to use some of the messages in seminary!

Emergency Preparedness

One of my friends has the ingenious tradition of rotating/updating their 72-hour kits every time conference rolls around. We've decided to follow their example. Since we no longer have operable kits, we had an FHE this evening to get the ball rolling. We made quite a shopping list, and spent a good hour looking for good deals on MREs and such online. Those suckers are not cheap! One good find I want to share was a special deal through Costco right now. We just purchased the 1-yr supply of food by Thrive for $799, including shipping. I think this will be a good supplement to the storage we already have (which I need to inventory again). My next step is to tackle the challenge of water storage. Any thoughts you readers have on this issue would be greatly appreciated.