Our October

 Dad, Lindsee, and I went to a Celtic Thunder concert in Kansas City in early October.

Last year on Eric and I's 20th anniversary we bought a bunch of Mums to decorate the tables at our big anniversary party. After the party, Eric planted all of them along the west side of our house. This year they all came up, flowered, and were beautiful for our 21st wedding anniversary.

The freshmen, JV, and Varsity high school volleyball teams wore pink jerseys for a couple of their games in October to help recognize and bring awareness to Breast Cancer month and "PINK OUT" the gym/game.

Both girls rode on the volleyball float/trailer in the Homecoming parade. They threw some candy to onlookers and waved as they rode down the main street.

Dad, Lindsee, and Will came to visit us and we all spent a few hours at the Sedgwick County Zoo one morning.

Our three new chicks are growing.......

The girls went to the Homecoming dance with a few of their good friends from school. Eric and I bought them corsages to match their dresses. I helped them both fix their hair. Then they went to Ava's house for dinner before they all headed to the dance together.

Below, left to right, Phoebe, Sarah, Addi, Ava, and Emily.

October 13th marked two years without my Mom here on earth. I do not think it gets easier as time passes. But, what I do think is that maybe I am less sad, and can think more about happy moments and memories with my Mom, without crying. Recently, while subbing in a second grade classroom, a student arrived that morning and began to talk to me about his mom who had been sick. I talked to him for a few minutes before he looked directly at me and asked, "Do you have a mom?" It took me off-guard, made me smile for a second, and then I told him, "Yes, but she died a couple years ago." He looked down at the floor, paused a second, then said, "That is so sad." Our conversation ended there, on a sad note, but I wish I had told him about how great she was and how much she loved teaching and loved her students. Later that same day I shared the exchange that I had with that student with a friend who has also lost her mom. She told me she likes to think and reply to questions like that with the answer "Yes, but she just has a different zip code now." That made me smile too. She is right. My Mom has a different zip code now, but someday I'm going to move to that zip code too. I am so thankful for Jesus, salvation, grace, and the hope that I have of seeing my Mom and other believers who have died before me again in heaven someday. And, I like to think in happy times down here on earth, when something good has happened with me, or our kids, that my Mom can see these moments too, and that she is cheering and applauding those moments with us just from a different zip code.

Sarah had her picture taken for the top 10% wall at school.

The volleyball team had their last home games and Senior Night in mid-October. Sarah and I created her senior board to display with the other senior girls boards. We included pictures from all three of her high school sports, volleyball, basketball, and softball. She has some great memories from all three and has made some fantastic friendships from being involved in athletics while in high school.

Sarah had quite the cheering section for the games and senior presentations on Senior Night.

Below, left to right, SENIORS - Ava, Tilly, Morgan, Denton, Sarah, Dallas, and Emmi. Morgan and Denton were team managers this season.

Below, "SURPRISE!" COUSINS - Lily, Ana, Sarah, Will, Phoebe, and Silas. Lily and Ana's Great Great Grandpa Henry "Hank" Loger was a sibling/brother to Dora Loger Hastings, who was Sarah, Phoebe, Silas, and Will's Great Great Grandma.

Below, left to right, some of Sarah's cheering section - Nicole, Stacee, Matt, Silas, Addi, Lisa, Aleigha, Ana, Sarah, Eric, Lindsee, Will, Phoebe, and Popee.

Silas had his first middle school choir concert in mid-October. This year the 6th grade choir sounded pretty amazing! Silas is a great singer. He has a wonderful voice. There were times during the concert where I could pick out his voice and hear how strong of singer and leader he is among this choir.

Silas received a certificate of recognition and his middle school letter in academics for maintaining a 4.0 (all A's!) and being on the Academic Excellence Honor Roll.

Sarah was the only one in our family who dressed up for Halloween this year. She dressed as a Christmas elf. So cute! She was invited to dinner, games, and trick-or-treating with a few of her friends.