27 September 2026

A beautiful thing happened this week. I was able to lock the security screens and leave all the interior doors in the house open at night! That's right, the temperature overnight has finally fallen below the temperature we keep the AC set at. It's one of my favorite times of year!

This week we had a lot going on. We talked to Felicity on Monday, and our conversation was shorter than it's been lately. Partially because she was splitting her preparation day between Monday and Friday so they could go to the temple on Friday, but also because she just seems to be doing better in her new companionship and needs that reassurance from home a little less. Arlo had band rehearsal Monday night, and Phil was teaching Fire Academy, so I got to hang out with my favorite five-year-old.

Jude enjoyed music class on Tuesday, and Arlo volunteered to play at a girls' flag football game in the evening, so Phil went to mutual without him. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that Jude was chosen to be Student of the Week at Copper Ridge this week. He was very proud of himself, and we are proud of him too.

Arlo had his choir performance on Thursday. It was really good! I was surprised at how good all of the choirs sounded. Usually the beginning choir is a little rough, and even that was pleasant. The whole tuba section and a couple of Arlo's other friends showed up at the choir performance to support him. They may have also been there to distract him, as he kept glancing their way and having to stifle a snicker while he was trying to perform.

Phil and I took a rare opportunity to go on a date Friday afternoon. Phil picked up our groceries on the way home from work, and I dropped Jude off at the bus, went for my run, and then dropped Arlo off at the bus. Phil and I were then free to drive to the temple. We had an 11 AM appointment, but I got a phone call on the way there and was waiting for a follow-up call that I couldn't miss. Instead, we spent about an hour sitting in the shade and talking on the temple grounds. We stopped for lunch at LongHorn Steakhouse and had a lovely afternoon together. Later, Jude helped us do the neighbor's grocery shopping and some additional running around.

Phil worked on Saturday, so Jude and I hung out. He went for a short one-mile run with me in the morning. I ended up running 15 miles this week and stand at 55 miles for the month of September! We built towers, cleaned house, and in the afternoon ran to Hobby Lobby for some yarn and stopped at Chick-fil-A for lunch together. We had a pretty good day.

I also finished reading Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, which was so good. If you're looking for something well written and touching, but also something that leaves you truly flabbergasted because it's based in truth, it's an excellent read.

Arlo left Friday evening for the Northern Arizona University campus, where his band was participating in the Bands of America Arizona Regional competition. They drove to Flagstaff Friday evening, stayed the night, and then participated in the competition all day Saturday. I heard it was a lot of fun. They didn't do as well as they had hoped, but there were thirteen bands competing, with more than half coming from outside Arizona and only three from the greater Tucson area.

Helen was able to attend the BOA competition and cheer for her alma mater—and her little brother.I had to pick Arlo up from Cienega at 4 AM on Sunday morning and went straight back to bed when we got home! We enjoyed church later that morning, and I think my Sunday School lesson went well.

Felicity messaged us with a sweet picture and some wonderful news. The gentleman she's been teaching for the last few weeks decided to be baptized on Sunday. What a lovely way to end the week.

20 September 2026

More than halfway through September, wow!

Our Monday was pretty typical, with the exception of a downpour in the afternoon of monsoon proportions. Arlo had a choir concert at the school and was supposed to be there at six. Jude was not behaving, so in exasperation, I decided that taking him to the choir concert would be disastrous and sent Phil and Arlo by themselves.  No more than ten minutes after they left, the sky opened up and it started to pour. Luckily, we got word that the concert had been canceled early enough that they were able to turn around before getting too far from home. Wentworth, Wilmot, Houghton, and Sahuarita Roads all flood sometimes when the conditions are right, making it impossible to get out of our area (or back into it). Several people I know couldn't get back to Corona de Tucson for several hours, so we were grateful for the early notice!

Jude and I worked on his homework while we waited for them to get home, only to discover that the cats had gotten ahold of his homework and eaten part of it! I guess he'll have to tell his teacher "I don't have a dog, but the cats ate my homework instead".

Tuesday was busy. I took Jude to piano lessons, and Arlo's usual late-night Monday band rehearsal had been rescheduled to Tuesday. Phil was working, so I did all the running of kids to and fro.  Phil, however, did get to read to preschoolers at the Rancho Sahuarita Clubhouse while on duty! He read Pete the Cat: Firefighter Pete. I wish the pictures were a little clearer, I stole them from the fire district's social media page. He's so cute!

We also had a flurry of half days this week. Arlo on Wednesday, Jude and Arlo on Thursday, and just Jude on Friday. That's a lot of bus schedules to keep track of!  I got Arlo's school pictures back this week, and he's had quite the "glow up" since last year. Maybe a little too much of a glow up. We're already having to manage girls, relationships, and cell phones. Um, hello, kid! You're only fourteen! Friendzone that girl and get your head back on school!  I thought he'd be easier to parent in his teens than the sisters. Alas.

I took a couple of hours off work on Thursday for a quick appointment with the gastroenterologist for a pre-colonoscopy pow-wow. I told our new nurse practitioner that I wanted to get all of our preventive screenings out of the way for the year, and a colon cancer screening was numero uno on the list.  Yay me.  But (no pun intended), there was a silver lining! The office is doing a study on a new blood test that could screen for colon cancer, and they told me they'd give me $100 if I did a blood draw so they could compare it to my colonoscopy results.  Yes, please!  So, after my $40 copay and the $40 I paid for the pre-procedure prescription colon cleanse drink, I walked out of there $20 ahead. I promptly dropped it on a chopped salad with shrimp from Rubio's and a Zero Sugar Dr Pepper from Circle K.  I'd call that a successful Thursday morning, if I do say so myself.

I caught a cute picture of Arlo and Jude playing piano together this week. Jude had finished his practice and was hanging out at the piano, playing around, when Arlo sat down with him. They're usually at each other's throats, so I was grateful to catch a sweet moment between them.

I was off on Friday and had a long list of obligatory chores to take care of, the first being my annual mammogram (next on the list of fun adulting preventative screenings). That was quick, then I picked up a prescription, our groceries, and the neighbor's groceries. In the afternoon, Phil and I went to Copper Ridge to meet with Mrs. Sheppard, Jude's kindergarten teacher, for a parent-teacher conference.  Our conference went well! Jude is doing really well. He's a good student, he's learning so much, and he's right on target in almost everything. We're going to work on being able to write his first AND last name from memory. It's tricky when you have a long last name with lots of letters, but we'll get there.  I'm really, really proud of him. While I'm grateful he's doing well academically, hearing that he's polite to adults, kind to his classmates, and a good friend is invaluable.

Arlo had an AzMBA event in Casa Grande on Saturday, it was a non-competitive opening event for the 2026 marching band season where performing bands receive valuable clinician feedback and stage early-season runs;  I heard it went well. Phil was working, so Jude and I got to hang out together all day.  I've continued to run six days a week, and since I didn't feel comfortable leaving Jude alone for 30 minutes and didn't really want to run on the treadmill, I asked if he wanted to run with me.

He was ALL about that! He was so excited, and he did such a great job. It went better than I anticipated.  He, of course, didn't pace himself, so he sprinted and then walked while waiting for me to catch up. For the last quarter mile, he ran more slowly alongside me.  We had fun, and I was impressed! He ran a whole mile, the second half uphill!  Another long-distance running Comaduran? I hope so!

Phil was home to attend church with us on Sunday, which was nice. I'm settling into teaching Sunday School every week, although I'm still finding that I feel rushed.  In the evening, we were invited over to the Pratts' home for a missionary welcome-home gathering. It was nice to rub elbows with some of the finest people in the Vail area. We had a lovely time visiting with friends.

New week, new opportunities!  I have a follow-up interview with the external company I interviewed with at the beginning of the month. Even though the first interview went really well, I'm still nervous. I even had a nightmare that I was late and then couldn't get my computer to log on.

Wish me luck!

13 September 2026

We enjoyed our Labor Day holiday. Phil and the boys wrapped up their camping and fishing trip. They had a great time and got all packed up before the rain hit and soaked everything. They caught lots of fish, enjoyed nature, and stopped to see Uncle Fred and Aunt Barbara while they were there. Jude came home absolutely filthy and tired and happy.

I talked to Felicity Monday, and she is doing so well in her new companionship and the work is going well. They're teaching two people, and one in particular has come to church a couple of weeks in a row and has great questions for the missionaries. He's reading and doing his own independent study, and Felicity is really excited for him. She and Sister Cleaver came out together from the MTC on the same day, so they both hit their one-year mark together. They treated themselves to ice cream in celebration. Twelve months down, six months to go!

Our college student is also doing well and enjoying the beautiful northern Arizona weather. Most of the pictures she sends us are of grass and trees. She and her roommate are getting along well, and she's settled into all her classes and is enjoying college and dorm life (mostly). We're really proud of her.

Jude had music class on Tuesday. He's been really enjoying practicing in the evenings, and we're working on strengthening his fingers. One of the first things they teach is what they call a "red chord" (C, E, G), and it's hard for him to keep all five of his fingers in C position and depress just those three keys. But we practice every day, and he gets a little better every day. I also got Jude's school picture back this week, and it's so adorable. I don't know if it's his outfit or the backdrop or what, but man, it makes his hair look even more red than it is!

I've continued to run six days a week. I'm up to three miles a day, and I feel pretty good about that. I had another small victory on the scale this week, so that's a positive too. I didn't end up finishing my sheep quilt until the end of the week, but it turned out so cute. I love it! I think I'm going to put it on the bed in what was Helen's room (now the guest room) after it's quilted.

I had to work on Friday, but Phillip and I squeezed in a trip to a new primary care doctor to establish care. It was quick and easy and included a blood draw. In the evening, we went to the Cienega football game and enjoyed watching Arlo's band perform at halftime. The game was ultimately disappointing, but we had fun. So much fun, in fact, that Jude fell asleep in the bleachers.

Phil worked at Pima teaching Fire Academy on Saturday, so it was just the boys and me. I worked on some projects and cleaned the house—nothing too fancy. On Sunday, Phil and Arlo attended an early morning priesthood meeting, and then we went to church. My first real 25-minute Sunday School lesson went pretty well, although it certainly felt rushed. During the second part of second hour, Arlo was sustained as the new second counselor in the Teachers Quorum presidency. We had tithing declaration in the afternoon and then spent the rest of the day relaxing.

06 September 2026

September already! I'd break out the fall decor if it wasn't still a bajillion degrees outside! 

Phil ended up double-booking himself. He got off work at the firehouse Monday morning and then taught Paramedic School at Pima College from 8–5, then high-tailed it over to teach Fire Academy from 5–10. He came home long enough to eat and sleep before heading back to work at the fire station Tuesday. We did our usual Monday routine without him, which included evening band rehearsal for Arlo from 6–9. His section decided to dress up in all black for rehearsal. He's really enjoying band and his new friends.

Felicity received news about transfers this week. She was excited to report that she was staying in Anderson and received a new companion. That's exactly how she hoped things would work out, so she was pretty happy. She's really enjoying both the members in Anderson and the people they're teaching along with the lovely Indiana weather, for now.

Jude had music class on Tuesday, and it was a "parent week," where the parents attend with the students. Jude was excited to show me the things he's been learning, and we had fun together in class.  Phil ended up having a Captains' meeting when he got off work Wednesday morning, and that took up his whole day because he had to go straight from that eight-hour meeting to teaching Fire Academy. I felt like I didn't see him all week! Arlo went to the temple Wednesday evening with the other young men and had a fun time.

Phil was home all day Thursday, but I still didn't see much of him as he was prepping for a Labor Day weekend camping and fishing trip. He took the truck for an oil change and fixed the brakes, picked up groceries for the trip, and ran a few other errands in between packing and pulling out gear. I was initially supposed to go with the boys, but a prospective employer scheduled a job interview early Friday morning, and I realized I was supposed to teach Sunday School on Sunday. Since it was the first week of our new 25-minute class schedule, I felt bad asking someone else to teach for me, so I stayed home instead.  

I was up early Friday morning to do my hair and makeup and get ready for my job interview. If I'm honest, I was nervous. I've never interviewed for a professional position before. I was offered my job at Raytheon out of college, and I've had a few informal internal interviews when I moved roles, but this is the first time I've ever looked for a new professional job.  I had my notes ready and made sure I was there a little early for my 7 a.m. online interview. It went really well! I settled in quickly, and the interview felt really natural. After about 25 minutes, the interviewer said, "You're doing great. It's obvious you know what you're talking about. I really don't have any more questions for you."  He asked if I had any questions, and I pulled up the list I had prepared and we went through those together. We talked a little about salary expectations, and he asked, "You do realize this is a mid-level Scrum job?" implying that I might be a little overqualified. I told him I was aware. All the while thinking, I don't care if it's mid-level—the salary is literally $26k more a year than I'm making now with fifteen years of experience!  Anyway, toward the end, he again repeated that I did well and said he would be passing my application on for a second interview. He also mentioned that he had a couple of other roles available that I might be a good fit for too. So that's promising, right?! It's also fully remote, so I'd get to stay at home, which would be ideal.  I also reached out to the hiring manager for the internal Raytheon job I'm hoping to get an interview for and let him know that I'm on a little bit of a time crunch since my program is ending September 30th. He said they hadn't started interviews yet and that he would reach out to HR to see if they could expedite things a bit. So I'm still hopeful that could come through. Just praying for the right outcome for our family. Options are good!  After my interview, I went for a run and then did my weekly weigh-in, and that went well too. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day!  I even got a call from my favorite College Freshman who wanted some help with some chemistry homework.  So glad she called me and we could walk through it together.

The boys made it to the White Mountains and headed straight to the lake for some fishing. When Phil called me Saturday morning from town, he was picking up more bait because they had already used up all of their worms and PowerBait—the fish were biting that well! I heard Jude was having a great time.

Meanwhile, it felt AMAZING to have the rest of the weekend all to myself. On Friday I had to do the neighbor's grocery shopping and I cleaned the house, but after that I was free to do whatever I wanted. On Saturday I did laundry, but after that and a run, I spent the day in my office making a new quilt. It's called "Gentle Flock", and it's SO PRETTY. I have fifteen sheep finished, and I'm working on the sashing and borders now.

I went for a walk Sunday morning, taught Sunday School in the afternoon, and then came home to a clean and quiet house. I've spent some time reading, listening to music, and working on my quilt. It has been glorious!

I hope the boys are having the best time camping and fishing, they'll be coming back tomorrow afternoon, so I'll enjoy the solitude while I can before we have to get back to normal come Tuesday morning.