God is in the details

The week started off with a crash. Claire was driving and a kid Elijah's age merged unrighteously. He insisted that it was her fault and even showed the cop footage from his dashcam, which was incriminating for him.

The girls and I talked about even though it was a bad experience, God was in the details. A crash at 70 mph with minimal damage and no injuries is a miracle. A doctor stopped right after the crash to make sure they were ok. He and the girls were both on the way to church. They exchanged numbers. When we were sitting in stake conference later, Claire whispered to me, 

"Mom," he wrote 'Praise Jesus' everyone is ok.' How do I respond to that?"

Me: "You respond, 'Praise Jesus' and you bear your testimony."

Which is exactly what she did, and he loved it.

Golden Knights game

Homecoming celebration for Claire started off strong 

with 2 dozen seniors carving pumpkins in our backyard.

The kids didn't have school on Friday. Iris and I went to the library a few times. Sybil, Miss Independent, scootered to the park, to her friend's house, to the store, and told me she'd be back by 4,

 

Stress twitch

This past week I developed a tiny muscle twitch under my left eye. It spasms every few minutes. I looked up what could cause it and my conclusion was stress and sleep deprivation. So every few minutes I have a little reminder of my current circumstances. But this week has been sandwiched by 2 weekends of spiritual feasts. Last weekend we went to General Conference and yesterday I had 4 hours of Stake Conference meetings. Yesterday I also had to drive kids everywhere and finish writing a 20 page case study. David is in NOLA visiting Abuelo who is being put on hospice. Despite (and because of) all of this, I know that God is in the details of my life. 

Sea Camp at Catalina Island

Sybil has been looking forward to this for a year. She had to earn half of the money to go there, which she did mainly by devouring books over the summer.

She said that while we were in Utah, if people asked us where she was, we could tell them that she was inside a squid because she was going to dissect it and then put her finger inside of it. It's technically also inside of her--she told me that she ate the eye.

I was giving Sybil an arm massage. I asked her if she stole Claire's razor to shave her arms.

Sybil: "No, I used a pocket knife," which I knew was true because she was cutting off her eyebrows with the same knife the day before.

In Utah, Claire and Iris met up with the friends they made at HXP last summer. 

We also had a quick cousin visit. 

This was after Sunday evening hot-tubbing.

They included Porfirio in the prayer circle. 

Jon's office in the Missionary Central Office

Nice view of the SLC temple (still under construction)

Meeting Bonnie Cordon at the GA cafeteria between sessions on Saturday. She was so wonderful with the teenagers. My favorite part was when Max introduced himself as Esie's sister.

Conference was so wonderful.

This is a walk with the pup a few weeks ago. It's so beautiful here. 

I'm going to try to sneak back to that place right now before church starts and before the kids wake up.

Last night we had a Noche de la Hispanidad at church. 

There were over 400 people there! I made Abuelo's favorite Cuban dessert: pastelitos de guayaba. 

Iris danced in a Mexican vaquero number.

Sybil was in a dance also: 

Yesterday, after getting spanked by a Mexican soccer team, Sybil said, "Mexicans are tough!"

Me: "What makes you say that?"

Sybil, "Just look at that soccer team and their parents and Olga, Tia Macu, and Abuela."

I'm quite confident that Abuela rolled over in her grave when Sybil called her a Mexican.

Iris went on a quick stake camping trip.

This picture cracked me up. There's a row of kids sitting in the water.

And there's a white ghost on the end.

Wait, that's not a ghost, that's Iris! 

She said she got a lot of "white jokes," like when the stake leaders made popcorn with flavoring on it. Someone said, "Only white people eat that kind of food!" and then handed it to her.

The girls double-dip with church activities. 

This is a picture from the "white" ward activity: painting with Bob Ross:

The benefit of Claire working at a dental office:

Her earring hole closed, so they took her in the back and pierced it using sterile technique.

Omakase

A 10 course meal; It was the most beautiful food I have eaten and cost as much as a nice couch.

I often find artistic collections on my phone by a 10-year old.

 

Iris hosted a tea party this week.

She was also named Student of the Month. Her Environmental Science teacher nominated her and wrote this: "Iris has shown so much excitement for both class and FFA. She's been a leader and volunteers regularly for assignments. She's an exemplar of what our program hopes to achieve."

A few other tidbits:

David wrote his family that he never feels as rich as when he goes grocery shopping without me. That's why we have 8 ice cream flavors in only one of our freezers! EIGHT! I'm afraid to check the bigger, outdoor freezer.

Claire was upgraded from sterile tech to surgery assistant during her 12-hour shift yesterday. Knowing she gets queazy with blood, I told her to make sure she didn't lock her knees during the procedures. She was bouncing the whole time as she pulled teeth out of bloody mouths.

Sybil promised me this week that she would never get mad at me again. I'll tattoo that quote somewhere special.

David= one year older

Not many pictures this week, but so much going on. One of David's many strengths (and one of my many weaknesses) is celebration and gathering. This is one of the many bday celebrations, which aren't done yet since he still has to buy his extravagant present.

We had people from the English ward, Spanish ward, work, and political worlds:

Last night we got back from Sybil's soccer tournament in Flagstaff. We still don't do sports on Sunday, which is seen as controversial by some, but I like to think about Clayton Christensen's quote: “It's easier to hold to your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold to them 98% of the time.” 

This was the second time we went to AZ this week. David and I made a quick flight out on Tuesday for Max's first time through the temple. We sat around my parent's table afterwards and talked about a few salacious things like it's a good thing David didn't send a picture of himself in the Borat bathing suit while Jon was meeting with the prophet, although Hunt was a proud beneficiary of that picture. 

My favorite part of the night was lying next to my dad on his bed and rubbing his arm. It was sacred.

     Claire is busy! I read one of her college essays this week. It mentioned her fainting in an ICU a year ago as she watched an IV being placed on her best friend. And now trying to reconcile her queasiness with blood and her new job in a dental office. She also works in a law firm, has 4 AP classes, rows, and tries to have a social life. 

     Iris went on our trip to flagstaff yesterday. It was 8 hours round-trip and worth it for her due to the honey comb candy from the Candy Shoppe and her solitary forrest hike.

     Sybil scooters to school extra early these days. She stops at a friend's house and I'm pretty sure they doorbell ditch a boy every morning.

    This week I started my last semester of NP school. I will continue at the Health District and one other primary care clinic.

 

NOLA

We didn't make it to NOLA this summer, but we spent Labor Day weekend for a 

SUPER secret 50th wedding anniversary

Tulane tour: Claire liked the neuroscience program, 

but as soon as she heard about 3 years in dorms and no cars, she lost interest.

Family prayers

Family yard work

getting ready for the big celebration

Abuelo was hesitant to come, saying that 97 year olds don't attend social functions.

I asked him this night if he was happy he came. 

He said it got old sitting in front of the TV for 12 hours a day. Poor guy used to love reading, it was one of the joys of his life, but his vision has diminished significantly.

Sal's Snowballs 

since that wasn't enough sugar, David took kids to get beignets after

Girl time!

population density overload!

We played kahoot, created by the kids with family trivia and random pictures

2 runs by Pontchartrain and 1 in Audubon

The teenagers hung out at the Ortiz house.

One by one, they retreated to the bathroom to see how long it would take for Napoleon to notice.

Pandora's Snoballs

Abuelo got to talk to Elijah on Labor Day.

Pop and GG offered words of wisdom before we left. 

Pop said, "Remember, the only thing you take when you leave this life is the knowledge you have acquired."

"And your crack addiction," came from the peanut gallery. 

(I couldn't help it.)

A fur-dryer

Donuts with Grownups at school with Masha and Sybil.

One of them was happy I came.