The teacher becomes the student, and the student becomes the teacher. Noah patiently and respectfully walked Bob through the process of how to create a 3D design. Bob humbly accepted not only instructions but helpful tips and tidbits from the expert.
Today we celebrated with champagne. We are no longer landlords. No more multi-state tax returns, no surprise phone calls with unexpected repairs, and no more worries about who is living in our house. Today, we closed a good chapter of our lives. Today, we simplified our lives. That is worth celebrating.
On the menu tonight was leftovers. We piled them all on the kitchen island and began to snack. Noah wisely suggested we pull up the bar stools and viola a new place to eat dinner. It was conveniently located near the utensils and plate cabinets and within arms reach of the fridge for a refill of the champagne.
This past weekend, the Boy Scout troop held a shooting camp out. Noah is taking advantage of these last few months as a scout and a chance to go camping and quickly signed up. Since there was a shortage of adult leaders, the troop reached out to Lukas asking if he wanted to come and assist. He and his roommate caught up ride up the hill and joined Noah for the campout. Although we have had an unusually warm fall, this weekend, of course, turned out to be the first really cold one. The guys loaded the cars with jackets, mittens, hats, and extra blankets and headed off for a fun event.
They arrived back on Sunday, a bit cold, a bit tired, and in dire need of showers. We were fortunate enough to keep the Phoenix guys here until Monday afternoon, so after dinner, Sunday we spent time playing board games. Let the records show, Bob and Christina won both rounds of 10 Days in the US.
Let the countdown begin for Thanksgiving and having Lukas back with us for a longer stretch!
Ben & Jerry's ice cream was on sale recently... One of these crazy sales in which you are required to buy a multiple of five to get the sale price. Maybe crazy is the wrong descriptor since ice cream is the dessert of choice in this household. So, what to do, five tubs, three people, a dishwasher full of dishes, and no guests? Pull out three spoons and go for it - at least we are standing up while eating, burning a few calories while indulging.
Bob and Noah frequently have and intense conversations about various topics. I am often convinced they speak a different language; I cannot even follow the thread. However, it warms my heart to hear them completely engaged, bantering back and forth.
The sky last night was amazing - no photo could ever do it justice. The cold front blowing in brought big ominous clouds through which the sun still shone. We are truly blessed to live in such a gorgeous place.
Noah was really excited when he heard the weather forecast predicting snow. He is looking forward to hitting the slopes and for that we need snow. The hype did not meet reality - this is all we got this morning, although the mountaintop was shrouded in clouds most of the day so it is possible that more than a few pebbles fell up there.
As long as the weather cooperates, it is simpler to gather outside in this era of Covid. Noah helped hang the lights, and with a few table decorations, it was fall not only in the air but on the table.
On Fridays, Christina gets a chance to hang out with the short crowd - two sweet, precious boys whose Mama needs a brief break. It is a joy to watch these little ones grow up and explore the world.
Noah has been involved with the Mountain Biking team for the last two years. He had no experience when he joined it last year, just a desire to be outside, bike, and explore the trails. This year, he was part of a smaller subgroup of the team - Covid style social distancing and bubbling. He has biked up hills and flown downhills, he has jumped over rocks, and he has pressed hard on flat trails. He has learned skills and techniques in the process, he has made good friends, and he is getting exercise. Certainly a good trifecta.
It was fun and enjoyable to have Lukas home - yet all good things come to an end - it was time to head back down the hill and get back into the interrupted college routine. All of us are counting down to Thanksgiving when Lukas will be back home again.
Christina took a turn too tight with the swive chair and knocked off the computer from its holder. Fortunately, there were three competent fixers in the house and in a few minutes the computer was back in its place, fully functioning.
Lukas, Bob, and Christina voted on Saturday. We fired up the computers, each reading about one candidate to determine who would get our vote. This was Lukas' first chance to vote and we had some good conversation as we cast our ballot.
We live in a beautiful area - Flagstaff offers the best of the outdoor and amazing vistas year-round. However, there is something special about the fall. The leaves turn bright red and yellow, the sky is even bluer, the sun shines bright, and the temperature is perfectly comfortable. On Saturday, we hiked for fun, for exercise, and for great photo opportunities.
Boys will be boys - sticks turning into weapons...
Lukas good friends sent him a mysterious package. On the outside were several numbers written in seemingly haphazard places, and inside were all the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies. The challenge was to bake all the cookie and take a picture - what would happen then? After some wrestling with the numbers, trying to figure out the significance Lukas set out to make cookies. A few phone calls and text with his friends and he abandoned the mysterious numbers and focused on cookie making. That turned out to be profitable as out of the bag of chocolate chips fell an Amazon gift card. Lukas and Noah are already scheming ideas for Christmas gifts for these special friends.
Noah has been working on perfecting the pizza dough and he was excited for Lukas to try it. While making and shaping, Bob noticed that his pizza resembled Jamaica whereas Noah thought it looked like Sweden. Regardless, the pizza was tasty, and the game night a success.
There were only two croissants left on Friday morning. Being that they were already almost 24 hours old, Noah to the rescue. He whipped up tasty breakfast, and nobody would know he used 'old' bread.
We celebrated Lukas' 19th birthday with a family dinner, cake, and of course gifts.
