Homecoming

 So.... Josh is having a busy time!  He turned 16 in September, and started his Driver's Ed class in October, and in mid October, he went to Homecoming.  Which, I realized, was his very first date.  My baby boy is growing up!

He went with a great girl from church, and it was more a friendly date than a date-date.  She wanted to go to the dance, but needed a date.  Josh was happy to be the date.  I think it was a good experience for them both.  Joshua said he had a fantastic time and had a blast at the dance.

Slightly awkward since they are not actually dating. 

But they agreed to do a "James Bond" pose for me!

Quilting again

 I got my fabrics out and set up my sewing machine and finally got some sewing done.  Ahhhh....  I do love sewing!

I thin stripped this one because the batting needed to be sewn every 2-4 inches.  It came out pretty cute, even with the odd colors.

And the backing is this adorable cotton Japanese themed print.  I love it! 

And this one I absolutely adore.  The colors are bright and fabulous! It is kimono on flannel, with no batting, so it is super soft and lightweight. It just went to a gal in the Branch who is having a baby in the next few weeks.

My little friend Taylor picked out these colors and I have hanging onto it and finally sat down and put it together.

The back is the sparkly butterflies.  Very cute, but it is not as soft.

The girls had a YW activity that involved sewing.  They asked if I would stay and help, so I did.  And I learned to make a fabric banner.

So cute and so easy!!

Levi

 Levi loves to go in the car.  He always looks so sad when he can't come.  So he is thrilled that each afternoon he gets to go out and pick up the kids from school.

He really likes to ride with his head out the window, sniffing all the smells.

Isn't he cute?  He's watching for the kids. 

There is even a teacher who has to come over and pet him when we get to the pick up line.  He is quite popular! 

This is how Levi spent General Conference. 

The girls gave him a stuffed animal.  This is what Levi did with it! 

 Snuggling with Marian.

Suddenly a noise is heard! 

And Levi must go investigate!

Finally!

 After way too much waiting and drama, Josh had his orthodontist appointment.  They said it was just to discuss the treatment plan and that nothing was going to be put on that day.  However, the ortho said they had time and he could go ahead and put the top braces on right now.  I said do it.  Josh was not pleased.  But he got his braces on finally and I was happy.  Josh was disgruntled that he did not get a week to say goodbye to the foods he can't say for another year or two.

He has adjusted well.  Much less complaining than I expected.  They put the top braces on to help pull his teeth out, to give them enough room to put braces on the bottom teeth.  They need to pull the teeth outward and move them a little to give the eyeteeth some space to come out.  Once there is room, if the eyeteeth do not come out on their own, then they will have to have some assistance.  So that's what is happening with his teeth.

Going out for ice cream

 They have an ice cream place here.  Or maybe it is frozen yogurt?  It is the kind where you put however much yumminess in a bowl as you want, and then you add toppings and you pay by weight.  We went a few weeks ago.  Dan dropped the big kids off at the chapel for Wednesday night activities and we took Delaney and Rylee out to get ice cream.  It was a success.

Being Japan, they had flavors like cheesecake and melon.  The melon was delicious, by the way.  The sour cherry.... not so much.

Last Birthday!

 Dan also had a birthday! It is a busy month here for us.

He requested Jello Poke Cake, and it was delicious.

It was devoured, as you can see. 

Loving his new BYU socks.

And being goofy with Josh with their "cool" shirts.  And i don't know why this makes Josh look taller than Dan, but Joshua thinks it is awesome!

Rylee's Birthday

 My baby has turned 8. I can't believe it!  She is funny and sassy and incredibly indecisive.  She is a good worker at school and is a sweet little sister.  She wanted Cinnamon rolls for breakfast, chicken enchiladas for dinner and a white cake with purple frosting. She is a smart, silly girl and I love her!

Stuff that doesn't rate it's own post

 Rylee had to do a project and give a presentation.  She made this to give an example of Rural.she was so cute.  She had a vision and I was just there to wild the glue gun and spray paint.  

Typhoon Talim sideswiped us and this is what it looked like in the beginning.  Then there was sideways rain and lots of wind.   

During the worst of it, Dan went to the Kid's Back to School night while I was off picking up my cousin at the airport.  This is the awesome set of texts he sent as I sat in traffic.   

The cousin I picked up, Heidi, was coming out to see her husband get pinned for Navy Chief (he was over here for a 6 month deployment).  I attended the ceremony and was rather surprised at how very cool it was. I guess I thought the Marines had a monopoly on pomp and circumstance, but the Navy did a good show.

This is night traffic on Okinawa.  Thus, I prefer to never go anywhere in the evening. 

Rats, I don't think you can see that the tire is pulling apart at the edge.  I had to get new rear tires on Dan's car because both tires were separating at the seams. 

Japan is so fun!  I love seeing stuff like this. 

I have the treadmill facing the window so I can watch these cute little birds playing in the yard. 

We had an RS activity and part of it was to make these cute peasant dresses for an organization called "Dress a Girl Around the World".  I was not excited, because clothing is not something I make.  But I did it!  I made this adorable dress in under 2 hours!  And it really wasn't that hard.

Josh is 16?!!!

 So, my firstborn man-child had a birthday.  A rather important one.  He has turned 16.  He is a pretty great kid.  He gets himself up in the morning with no assistance.  He gets his breakfast and is ready to leave for seminary on time each day. He gets his homework done and does pretty well in school  He is a good brother.  He has obtained a learner's permit and is signed up to take the Driver's Ed class in October, so he is well on his way to a license to drive! I kind of love this boy.