October 2026

 

Annual Birthday Lunch with Dad

What a fun month October was. Obviously, October is so fun because fall is here. The weather is cooler, but we had a fun bunch of activities:

1. Lots of beautiful new walks. You just cannot beat the leaves. It's been really fun to check out new walks around. I wouldn't say trails, but we are so lucky to live in an area that has so many walking paths. Kingston loves getting to know them and getting new smells, and the colors were really pretty. The first probably 3 weeks of October were unusually warm, so it was very easy to go out. We still had plenty of daylight.
2. We hosted our Harlan Street Fall Fest. This year, probably the biggest number of people showed up: 30 of them. We also had several new families join us from the street over, which is Ingles. It was so fun to join them and just have a great time. This year, we did it in October, which is normally a lot later than we usually do it, but it turned out perfect. The weather was also super, super pleasant.
3. The girls have been really busy. Sydney got some really big wins. For example, she did her very first FBLA Boo Fest, and she was great. She was over the prizes. She also successfully passed her permit test, and she was super excited about that. Obviously, we celebrated her big 15th birthday, which was really great. London successfully finished off her volleyball school season and did her first round of skills training at Rough Riders, which she really loved. She also continued to do really great at school.
4. She started musical theater after.
5. Tyson and I had a fun date night with some friends from church to celebrate Cassie Smith's birthday, and we did our very first escape room (well, my first escape room). Tyson had done one before, and I can say it went about what I thought it would be. Tyson was amazing. It was super thrilling for him, and he was really great at figuring things out. I, on the other hand, had zero talent for it and was very overwhelmed by it, but we ended up doing it, which was really fun.
6. We celebrated Tyson's birthday with a few gifts and going to BJ's for dinner.
7. The girls were wild crats this year, and we had a great time. We went to Bradburn, and of course, it was really epic. We got tons of candy, and we really loved it.
8. I also did my one-time dress-up for my Zumba class, and the ladies did not disappoint. I also got my hair cut and colored this year in October, so that's always fun.

October was such a fun month. It was busy but not too busy. School's great, work is going well, and we're just feeling really, really blessed. Yay. 

Sydney Turns 15

Hi Sydney,

Holy cow, you turned 15 today. It's been a wild ride this whole parenting thing. Looking back at when you were first born, there were so many things I thought I knew about parenting. Some were absolutely true, and many were completely wrong.

I am so thankful that we've taken this journey of growing together. Honestly, I see you growing every day, and I see me growing every day. There are so many pieces of you that are such a unique mix of me and Dad, and some parts are 100% distinctly you: the way you process emotions, your heart, your willingness to give, and really, such a drive to love on other people. It's so different than how I go through life, and it's been really humbling to see a lot of the things that I probably could do so much better and that you just naturally rock at.

You have really dove headfirst into ninth grade: not only transitioning to a school double the size of BHMS, but really getting your own unique drive and direction for what you want to accomplish and the things you want to be involved in. You are loving FBLA and mock trial, learning new friends, and growing to love more independence.

This year, we got you an e-bike, and you've been riding home from school. I can just see this increase in independence on your part. You were crazy driven to take your permit test early, and you passed it. You are very motivated to learn to drive, and you are motivated to do well in school. It's amazing to see that you have that passion on your own.

You still fiercely love your cousins and love your friends, and you absolutely adore your dog. You have been getting up in the mornings now to go to early morning seminary, and that's been a big adjustment, but you've also really learned to love it. You're learning to really like the earlier mornings and just the quietness of it. You are getting better at getting up on your own.

You really are a sleeper, meaning you love sleep and you are not one to stay up super late. You do not push your body, which I actually really love. You are super funny. You still are really into your YouTube animators, and you find a lot of humor in their stories. You're still our favorite storyteller. You can go to a situation and recall it in such a funny, unique way.

Our favorite thing is for you to go to a volunteer activity, or honestly, any activity, and then come back. We say, "SAE News," and we all know that just means time to hear the funny stories that Sydney witnessed or experienced, or just her perspective on how the world moves.

You and your dad are two little peas in a pod. It is really funny how much you and he share in the sense of humor, how much you share in your excitement over things, your hyperfocus over new things, and your ability to think that anything is possible. You're such a dreamer, and you have high standards for yourself. I love that because I just see how you want to have a big life for yourself. I love you, and I'm so grateful that you are our little secret Jane.