Halloween and Preston's SoCal Visit

Hello to All! Time for a family update before the holidays are truly upon us. We've had a busy and fulfilling October. Vaughn continues to fill the earth with his Scorekeepers Library. Clients come and clients go, and he always remains steadfast and immovable in his constant efforts to provide for his precious family. He runs each morning with me and we take Annie with us. 2 miles every day! So far so good. Annie ends up cheering us on and driving us home with her hurried trot and consistent pace. Go Annie! Go K & V.

I go to school on Thursday and Saturdays and Counsel on Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I currently manage a case load of over 40 students and see each one weekly. I see so many kids in crisis with one or several of the following diagnoses: learning disorders, social disorders, family/relationship disorders, physical handicaps, modifications and accommodations galore, drugs, abuse, divorce... My job is to help those kids cope with their reality while maintaining acceptable grades in school. I can get overwhelmed by the intense and ongoing needs of these sweet kids. When I question my ability to help them, I remember the starfish story. A man walking along the beach throws washed-ashore starfish back into the sea. His friend comments there are sooo many other starfish on shore, what good could he do tossing only a few back. The man replied: "It matters to that one". So that's how I look at what I do. There's so, so many youth in need, but my efforts matter to the one child I am able to counsel because they know I care, they feel loved, and that's enough for me.


Emma decided to make a Halloween Costume for Annie. She designed and crocheted away making a pumpkin sweater from head to toe. With pumpkin hat and sweater, Annie was the center of attention at every Halloween event we attended. AND SHE WAS SUCH A GOOD SPORT!! Emma began sewing lessons and loves them. Her teacher says she is a natural. I had my PFAFF sewing machine tuned up and oiled. It's now in much better working order for our in-house seamstress. Very fun. Emma has also started playing hymns and learning some classics with her new piano teacher. She's doing well, but isn't sure she likes being pushed as hard as this teacher pushes her. Course I love it. Her musical abilities are really starting to shine. She's also taking Hip/Hop dance and still bakes up a storm. She has a paper chain in her room that counts down the days til January 14th--the first Sunday after her birthday when she goes to YOUNG WOMEN. "Not soon enough", she says.

After Camille heard a really difficult Halloween song Emma prepared for her Halloween recital, she set out to learn it. Within a week, she'd picked out enough parts of the song that I decided I'd better sit down and teach it to her right. In one evening she had the entire number down. She now plays it like a pro. Her drive and tenacity shocked Vaughn and I. And then to have her basically master the piece? We were pretty blown away. She loves piano and for her age is probably the most gifted of all the kids at that instrument. She's reading 4th grade level books and is in a special Enriched Reading group at the school. And she loves to do homework! (who IS this child?) It makes us smile. She's so easy going and happy all the time. She's even learned the YW theme and almost all the articles of faith. Her first love is still gymnastics and she hopes to move into an advanced program soon. They say the baby in the family does it all by watching all the other kids before them. We're here to testify.........

Ben is THE MAN. Always. He gets himself up every day at 5 a.m. and gets to seminary by 5:50 a.m. School starts at 7 a.m. and he's done by 12:30. He studies (ok naps) then goes to work by 4:00. He is a shift supervisor closing the "Melt" store and is home by 9:30 - 10:00. One of his classes is A.P. American History, another class is Physics. He tries very hard and holds good grades. He is preparing for the Court of Honor for his Eagle (he finished last summer) and takes Bass Lessons. He's funny and charming and righteous and loves his mommy. Need I say more.....



Preston is a "Legend", i.e. "Lege" (-pronounced lej). He's at BYU taking 15 hours, works at KBYU, is Elder's Quorum Secretary and he too, yes it's true--he too, loves his mommy. He continues to write songs and has a friend named Tim he has sung with and accompanied at BYU open-mic performances. Preston and Lindsay, her roommate Kelsey and her boyfriend Tim (the same Tim) came to visit last weekend. They were a riot!! They stayed up late, got up early, made 2 trips to the beach, a trip to San Diego, a trip to the mall (free ice cream from Ben), stayed up one night to record 5 songs in the studio, helped Ben with his Halloween costume (he was EMO--any questions, ask Ben), ate lots of good food, hosted a BBQ for Preston's high school friends, went to church, napped, played with the Emma and Cami, jumped on the trampoline, snuggled on the Luv Sac watching a good movie, waxed philosophical with Vaughn, and got pedicures with Karlyn and Camille.....I mean do we know how to partay or what! They were soooo fun to have here. Vaughn and I felt like we were at one with the universe--at one with them. Aren't we reeeeally 20......? or MUST we be 50........! (dangit) Lindsay is so beautiful and gracious. We see what Preston sees in her. She speaks so adoringly of Preston. My heart just sings. Vaughn and I are grateful they have found each other to support and care for the other through these lov-e-ly years of growing up. I'm including pictures of the gang.

I hope you all are well and happy and getting through life one step at a time. That's all any of us can do--and that's enough.

Love, Karlyn and Vaughn and the J-Fam