Endless Autumn, Please

Packing

 Friday at 4, Freestone left for his first Scout camp out.  I felt far less apprehensive when Golda and Ruby went to Europe alone for the summer than I did sending Freestone off with that rowdy bunch of boys.  I do trust his leaders, it's just that Scouts do stupid things all the time, and they die on these things all the time!  Because they're stupid!  But...after I left my first-born son in the church parking lot, I felt better.  Brother Call has a calming influence, and Freestone was really excited, so I was happy for him.  He had volunteered to make cheese eggs for the whole troop the next morning, and he could not contain his enthusiasm for that prospect.  Besides that, he had a pocket knife in his pack and was itching to use it in the wilderness.  (May I refer you back to the "stupid things" comment?)

Once we got rid of Freestone, we were on a roll, so I pushed Scott out the door, too, to spend the night in Park City for his birthday.  Don't worry about too much quiet, though, as we had our King cousins over for the night!

Scott dropped Ruby off at group guitar on his way up to PC, and I picked her up.  On the way, the littles and I did a tour-let of Temple Square.  You have to make the hour-long drive worth their time somehow!

I said, "Sit here and look adorable."  See how great they are at following instructions?  We

At 7 the next morning, after a very uneventful, very relaxing sleepover, it was Nutcracker picture time.  During my ballet classes, I could see costumes flitting and fluttering by as the cast got ready for photos.  The energy in the alley is palpable and exciting.

Xanthe has two dance classes Saturday mornings.  I'm her teacher for ballet, then she goes to modern.  She had pictures after, so her sisters did her make-up.  Then Ruby took her to lunch and got her back to the studio in time for Nutcracker rehearsal.  When I picked her up after, she said, "Thanks for planning that lunch for me with Ruby.  I love you!"  Seriously, it's the little things!  (Little shish-kabobs at little restaurants.)

Ruby and I got to play at Ruby's little student's baptism.  It was a great baptism program, and I'm so glad we got to be a part of it.  Our duet was super fun.  Breanne is a sweet, beautiful girl, don't you think?  We're so blessed by our friendships with our students and their families.

My violin doesn't have a case, and I had to eat my sandwich from the baptism, so I didn't have any hands left with which to drive as Ruby and I picked up Freestone from Nutcracker.  (Yes, he made it home safely from the camp out.  Not even a scratch.)  Ruby was freaking out, just because I was steering with my knee.  Geez.

I told Scott later that this day was one of the best days of my life.  Just because it was so full of all the things I adore.  It was late afternoon when we all loaded in the car to go to the Heritage Park Halloween festival to meet the rest of the Kings.  Free pumpkin painting, scarecrow contest, and entertainment.  Ruby and this half of Dance Company performed and looked great, especially considering they were on the grass.  They are so fun to watch!  (The other half of DC performed in a different dance on Thursday night at a private fundraiser, so we didn't get to go to that.)

"I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine..."  - Nathaniel Hawthorne.  This beautiful autumn day, not a minute went to waste.  I had plenty of opportunities to look up at the mountains and notice what the light was doing to them as the day progressed.  I got to hug each of my kids and tell them how much I love them.  I got to play music and dance.  And meanwhile, Scott was taking in the splendor of the mountains in solitude, waiting for our date that night.  So even after the most blessed day, I still had Scott's birthday celebration to attend.  See, why can't it always be autumn?