Conference Weekend at the Cabin and Anders' 14th Birthday

We went to the cabin for General Conference weekend. The weather was drastically different from how it was two posts ago. (Very fallish, rainy and chilled.) Abe and Kenya joined us, and Goldie (and Wyatt for part of the time). That made 14 of us all gathered around the cabin-loft TV--coloring; sleeping (oops); passing around goldfish crackers, and sliced peaches, and peanut m&m's (sorry Jesse and Goldie); embroidering (Abe); assembling puzzles (Daisy and various helpers); folding laundry (me); and helping Mette make flashcards for the naturalization test's 100 civics questions (she is determined to be the first of the 5th graders to get the Great American Award this year). All of this while listening to hours upon hours of general authorities speak (and even being sad when those hours ended!).

I have so many memories of being crowded (literally) around the TV for conference with all of my older siblings and their spouses, that it felt bordering on impossible to see this similarly large-sized group--comprised not only of our "little kids" but so many full-grown children (and even their significant others!) I truly can't articulate how strange it is to think I could have lived a span of mortal life long enough, and full enough, to account for this large and growing group of people. 

Between sessions, despite the wet and cold, we hiked, rode the 4-wheeler, took pictures in the fall leaves, went to the park, and ate.

Jesse and Anders are, I think, the most changed since moving here. They look like little kids when I see pictures from first coming to this rental.

We have to take daily loads of garbage down to the dumpster when we stay at the cabin.

Kenya taking the girls on garbage duty.

Our one little, small, scrub oak valiantly trying to give us some fall color right up close to the cabin.

This was kind of a funny little moment. While we were out driving our remote-control car around, a kid came hesitantly down a nearby driveway with his own car. (James, we later discovered, was his name.) He seemed to have come in response to our being out there but didn't appear to know quite how to approach us. We sent the kids to go drive their car closer, and for some minutes they stood about fifty feet apart with nothing more than an awkward "hi" as they drove their cars close-ish to each other. Finally we took charge and invited him to come show us his car and race it against ours, and he seemed to have a wondeful time. 

Mike starting the race. (Kids in the background marking the finish line.) James even joined us between sessions again the next day. 

Someone knocked down cairn-ville! We were very sad to discover this. A few of the kids began to determinedly build again. 

Only missing Penny (who had to work) (well, and me, behind the camera) in this picture. One thing I noticed much more than I have in the past during this trip was how my photo subjects have evolved. For all of ... forever, it seems, my photos have been full, primarily, of small children. But that has shifted quite dramatically. That photo below looks more like a small smattering of children with adults! 

Starling got too cold and lost the will to go on near the end of our hike:

Kenya did braids for Mette for me. I simply cannot get them to start up that high or to stay so tight.

Hans and a Bigfoot sighting:

On our first night at the cabin, Summer and I walked the garbage down to the dumpster late and in the full dark. We used to see moose around, but haven't for years, but for some reason Summer was incredibly scared we would stumble upon one in the dark. "What if we see a moose?" "What if it attacks?" "What do we even do if there's a moose?"

I kept reassuring her that we were not going to be seeing a moose. We'd seen none in ages. We weren't suddenly going to see one now. "And besides," I comforted her. "It's mostly only if you see a mom with a baby that moose can be dangerous. And babies are born in the spring. So that couldn't happen anyway!"

So it was in justified triumph that Summer woke me before it was even fully light the next morning to come see the moose in our backyard. A mother ... with her baby! 

Just before all this conferencing had quite begun (as in: Friday night when we arrived), we celebrated Anders' 14th birthday. (He's the sixth child in the family but only centimeters away from taking the spot of second tallest.)

(Every time we go to the store, for reasons I cannot understand, he begs me to buy a "scrub daddy". Well, his dreams came true when Mette gifted him one for his birthday. He has been a but more willing to do the dishes since getting it, so. ...)

Anyway, it was a very good weekend.