Happy Halloween

We had a fun but uneventful Halloween this year.  Jared wanted to be Slenderman, who has no face, so my costume challenge this year was to design a mask that made Jared's head white.  Ruth assembled her own Dr. Who costume, and Kaitlin went to school on Halloween as an old woman with a cat.  She wore my sweater but I'm not offended.

I helped out with Jared's classroom party and then took him and a friend out that night for trick-o-treating.  The weather was warm so there were lots of kids out.  We probably had around 150 kids come to our door.  Both the girls went out with friends and had a good time.

Slenderman is a mythical creature that if you look at him he kills you with his stretchy arms (sometimes multiple arms).

 

Ruth as the Doctor.

After being Slenderman all day Jared decided to add the bowler hat for trick or treating, just for fun.

Minecraft chicken and Derpy Hooves from My Little Pony

Minecraft pumpkin, Woody and Superman

Singing

Ruth is right above the pianist.

Ruth's school choir had their first concert with a new director.  Their concert choir was small, but they were very good. In fact it was the best Jr. High choir I've ever heard. They had a great vowels and phrasing. They even sang two songs in Latin.  It's amazing what a talented director can do.

After Ruth's concert we hurried off to a church Young Women's dinner where Kaitlin, Ruth and I sang a number with me accompanying on the guitar.  The original song was quite slow (and we'd say sappy) so we put our own spin on it and jazzed it up a bit.  No one complained so I guess we did fine.

After singing together we stopped for a picutre.

My job as church choir director is starting to get busy as we are getting ready for our Christmas program.  I have about 25 people coming to choir and it's been a lot of fun but a challenge.  I can say that I'm enjoying more than I expected, but am exhausted on Sunday afternoons.


Goodbye, Teeth

Kaitlin got her wisdom teeth out on Friday.  She was nervous but did great and I was overall happy with her surgeon and the whole process of it.  She has hatted the bleeding and swelling cheeks and aching jaw.  It's been over two full days since the surgery and she is still rather uncomfortable but the whole family has chipped in to help her out and to try to make her as comfortable as we can.  Even Ruth and Jared have been helping her.

Jared also lost two teeth this week.  Since the tooth fairy has been so delinquent in her payments lately, I paid Jared up front for the teeth. So if you see her, let the fairy know she owes me two bucks.

A Sad and a Happy Time

On Saturday, the 12th,  I got a call from my  mom that my dad was in the hospital with pneumonia.  I was concerned, but not overly so, because dad had pneumonia several times in the past.  On Sunday he was doing worse so when the family left for church I left for the hospital to visit with my mom and provide some moral support.

When I arrived at the hospital a little after lunch time, my mom and sister, Donna, had just gotten the news from the doctor that my dad was dieing.  The doctor said he would only live a few days to two weeks.  I was not expecting this news and it was a shock.  A couple hours later a social worker came in. She was so kind and said all the right things.  After watching my dad, gasping and struggling for breath, and then not breathing for a few seconds, and then repeating the process, over and over, she told us that she disagreed with the doctor, my dad didn't have days, he had hours.  She told us to call and invite anyone in the family that needed to come.  We immediately got on the phone with my brother and sister and other family members.

My siblings and my mom at the viewing.

Within a few hours most of my Utah family was there.  We sat around my dad's bed (we filled to overflowing the little hospital room) and laughed and cried and kept vigil. It was both spiritual and surreal. As the night grew late, my sister, Kathleen, was asked to give a prayer, and then my brother David gave my dad a blessing. His words were beautiful and there was a wonderful spirit of peace in the room.  Afterwards my mom told us that we should all go home, and that she herself was going home to bed.   I kissed my dad, told him that I loved him and left.  I knew in my heart that it would be the last time I would see him alive.

At 6am the next morning phone rang and woke me.  Chuck answered, but I already knew, my dad had died. My sister and brother were both with my mom, and there was nothing for me to do so I was to sit tight and wait.

At 11am David called me and told me that mom wanted me to write dad's obituary, and that it had to be turned in to the newspaper by 1pm that very day.  The local paper only printed once a week and mom wanted to obituary to be in the paper so people would know in time to attend the funeral. I told them I would do it, and I was emailed an info sheet about my dad's life that my mom had filled out that morning.  I called Chuck and he agreed to be by his computer in one hour to proof read the obituary.  I hung up the phone and stared at the blank document screen.  I started typing "Wilford Woodruff Snow, our beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather and friend was taken back to the arms of his Father in Heaven on Monday..." and then I started to sob. My dad just died hours before, how could I ever write his obituary in an hour?  If ever I needed God's help it was then, so I knelt down and prayed for His strength.  Then I returned to the computer and started again.  An hour later I sent it to Chuck and fifteen minutes after that I forwarded it to my brother, who then read it to my mother for her approval.

Wilford Woodruff Snow, 83, our beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather and friend was taken back to the arms of his Father in Heaven on Monday, October 14th 2013. He was born to Orion and Lettie Snow on September 13, 1930 in a little farm house in Deweyville, Utah.

He attended Bear River High School , class of ‘49, where he played sports and was class president.  He then went to Utah State where he studied Engineering.  It was there that he met his sweetheart, and eternal companion, Elizabeth Fletcher; he was the president of the LDS Institute fraternity, and she was a new freshman just signing up for classes.  They were soon married in the Logan Temple, a romance that lasted nearly sixty years and produced eight children.   

He worked as a Mechanical Engineer, first for Boeing, and spent the bulk of his career with Unisys Corporation where he went on to earn his Masters Degree in Business.  When he retired he and his wife moved back to his family property in Deweyville, Utah. 

A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Woody served in many callings in the church, including serving as a temple worker for many years and also serving a mission with his wife to Nauvoo, Illinois during the time that the Nauvoo temple was being rebuilt. 

Woody was first and foremost a family man.  His family will remember him as a hard working and devoted husband and father, who was gentle and kind. He spent countless hours serving others and had a good sense of humor that made others smile. He loved belt buckles, rice crispy bars and caramel corn. 

Woody is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; six children, Kelly (Patricia), Kathleen (Mark), Richard (Lorinda), Donna (David), David (Shauni), and Rebecca (Charles); 24 grand children; and 5 great-grand children.  He is preceded in death by two of his sons, Wilford Woodruff Jr, and Richard Donald; his parents; and 3 siblings, Dewey, Donald and Ruth.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, October 18^th at 11:00 a.m. at the Deweyville LDS Church Building. A viewing will be held on Thursday, October 17^th from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Rodgers & Taylor Funeral Home, 111 North 100 East, Tremonton; and October 18^th from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. preceding the funeral.  Interment will be at the Deweyville City Cemetery.

At grandma's after the funeral.

On Thursday we drove up to spend the day with my family.  All my siblings were there and we had good time visiting as we got things ready for the funeral.  I arrived early to the viewing to help set up and had a little time alone with my dad's body. I looked at him and recognized the reality that  bodies are just vessels, and that the human spirit and soul is what truly makes us what we are.  That may have been my dad's body but that was not my dad. I know that the spirit lives on, in a happier state.

After the viewing that night we went back to the hotel and we swam in the pool and ate snacks and blew off steam.  The next morning the church was full of local friends and family.  I was able to stand next to the coffin during the morning viewing and got to hear many compliments and stories about my dad.

Pics my niece took on our walk

The funeral was very nice.  Kaitlin conducted the music, and all the kids sang in a musical number.  My siblings spoke and my nieces played instruments and it was really was as excellent as a funeral can be. My dad was laid to rest next to his two sons that had died as infants, in a nice spot in the small town cemetery with a view of the valley.

The ladies from my dad's church put on a very nice lunch for us, and there was lots of delicious food. It was strange to be at an event like that and not have to set up, or cook or clean or be in charge of something, but just enjoy.   We went back to mom's house and visited some more.  All the six siblings hadn't been together for several years so it was nice to catch up with everyone.   A few of us went on a long walk on the property; 500 acres and it's all my mom's now.

I am not sure how it will be now, that my dad has passed. I am sad for my mom, and all the rest of us who will not be able to see my dad anymore in this life, but I am happy for him.  I am happy that it was quick; I am happy that he does not have the problems of body and mind that he had for so many years.  He would have hatted being a burden on my mother, and he hated that he couldn't remember things like he used to. He was a good man, and lived his life well.  I happy for my dad, I am sad for us.    

Fall Concert

One thing that is always true is that life marches on.  Kaitlin had her big fall choir concert on Tuesday.  We had some drama about the choir dresses and Kaitlin being told she couldn't wear an undershirt beneath them to make it more modest and comfortable for her.  After some battling, we found a skin colored t-shirt and cut it to fit perfectly under her dress, which solved the problem to everyone's satisfaction. Her choirs were so good. I'm excited to watch them improve over the course of the year.


Pinewood Derby

Wednesday was the cub scout pinewood derby. We worked hard on Jared's car and he ended up making it to the final heat of six cars, which he lost.  So he got 6th place, which I don't think it too bad out of 18 scouts.  He didn't care much, and just had fun doing the race.  I was glad to think that this would be our last ever pinewood derby.

Happy Birthday, Ruth!

Ruth turned 14 this week. This is a significant birthday in our church because that means that Ruth moves on to the older girls youth group, and also that she can go to the monthly church dances.  Ruth is excited to move up to the new group but doesn't seem so excited about the dances, even though  Kaitlin has offered to go with her.    Ruth didn't want much for her birthday. One thing she did want was a rainbow cake that she had seen on the internet.  Together we made the cake, and then Ruth did all the decorating.  It turned out pretty cool.   Ruth also got her favorite dinner, sweet shredded pork. 

Her big gift this year was a pen tablet that connects to the computer. She likes working on computer animation and art, and this new tool will help with that.  Ruth also spends a lot of time playing guitar and ukulele and singing.  She'll be auditioning for the school talent show next week.

Jared Off Track

Jared is off track and because of cold weather, we've spent this whole week playing video games together.  We play a lot of Minecraft and also Wizards101.  We have our own family server of Minecraft if any of you want to come play with us.   

Also this week, Jared and I went on a three mile hike with the Webelos Scouts.   It was supposed to be a rainy day, but we decided to go anyway. What I didn't expect was snow. It was pretty brisk, but the boys were all in good spirits.  We also came across a herd of cattle along the path.  I told the boys just to walk quickly and quietly by, but instead my youngest scout went running towards them, shouting and waving his arms in the air.  Cattle can move pretty quickly.   Scouting can be an adventure.
 

Homecoming

In anticipation of Homecoming, we bought a swing dress for Kaitlin off of the internet about eight weeks ago. It's a gamble buying something like this online, so we thought we'd take the risk and then if it didn't turn out then we would still have time to shop locally. It is nigh impossible to find a modest dress these days without spending hundreds of dollars, so we were thrilled with little dress and how cute it turned out. Kaitlin really wanted a dress that she could move confidently in, and she loved the classic style of this 40's dress.  Kaitlin got loads of compliments and her date was a good sport and wore a fedora to complete the look. Kaitlin said they had the best time together and it was the funnest dance she has been to yet.  We teased Kaitlin that her date, Bryce, looked like Fix-it-Felix from Wreck-It Ralph.  I'll post a picture and you guys can be the judge. 

 Fall is Here

We got our first snow of the season on Friday. It snowed big wet flakes for about an hour, enough to coat everything in white for a little bit, until the sun came out and melted it all away.  We had to break out coats and turn the heat.   A few weeks ago our peaches came on and I did several batches of jam, peaches and syrup. I even tried my hand at fruit leather. 

Summer has put on her thick winter coat.  She is too old now to reach all around and clean her back like she used to, so she is looking a big scruffy.  We let her out to run around the yard a couple times a week and she has loved fall because she loves the raspberries.

Church Talks

We all spoke in church on Sunday about our experiences in Nauvoo this summer.  All, that is, except for Jared, who was just too frightened by the prospect. Ruth gave some general information about the pageant and what we did in Nauvoo, Kaitlin spoke about some missionary experiences, work and sacrifice of the pioneers, I told about several experiences I had that helped me better appreciate the temple, and Chuck talked about why we went to Nauvoo, and doing things the "Nauvoo Way".   We have gotten an extremely positive reaction to our talks from the ward members, more so than I ever remember getting before.  There is a strong spirit in Nauvoo and I'm glad we were able to share some of that with our friends and neighbors.

Chamber Concert

Kaitlin had her first concert for parents for the year.  Her Chamber Choir is the top choir in the school and they sang four numbers as well as several smaller group numbers. In spite of having to compete with a clueless janitor vacuuming, they were really excellent. I can't wait to see how they will get even better over the course of the year. 

Homecoming Invite

After a nail biting week of waiting, Kaitlin was invited to Homecoming on Friday.  Her invite was in the form of a shoebox that contained a 3-D printed puzzle. The box and the poem and puzzle we all very obviously the product of a male mind. So add homecoming to the list of things that are keeping Kaitlin happily busy.  She has also started her art classes and has four students coming regularly. She enjoys teaching so much that she said she would do it "for free!" but the little extra money isn't so bad.


Scouts

I've had a busy couple of weeks with cub-scouts.  Last week we had a Webelos Night with over 200 boys attending.  I volunteered to work the food line, and at the end of our service the sky opened up and drenched us to the skin.  I also received my Den Leader Award Knot at round table this week, and built terrariums with my own boys.


Happy 83 Grandpa

Grandpa blowing out the candles.

On Saturday we had a fun visit with the family for my Dad's 83rd birthday.  He is still getting along pretty well for being 83 and seemed glad that we were all there, even though we had to keep reminding him that it was his birthday. 

Back to School

The girls went back to school this week, so I rolled out of bed just in time to snap a couple of pictures before they ran off.  Can you believe Kaitlin is a senior this year?  Her choir sang twice this week and she got a very cute cardigan to wear for their casual performances, like on Friday when they sang at the football game.  Ruth is in the middle school and was pretty excited to get back to classes and friends.



The "C" in Studio C stands for Chuck

Because I was helping with my nephew's wedding reception on Saturday we celebrated Chuck's birthday on Friday and Sunday.  On Friday Chuck and I went out to eat, and then we took the two youngers with us down to a taping of Studio C, a locally made comedy show on cable TV that we are big fans of.  A Nauvoo friend offered us the tickets last minute when she learned it was Chuck's birthday.   (Here Chuck is pictured living it up on his birthday. He is eating is birthday cheeseballs and drinking out of the special birthday wineglass, a new family tradition)

The taping was at 9:30 PM and we got there an hour early and stood in line. The wait wasn't too bad because we got to visit with our Nauvoo friends.  The taping itself was really fun.  Not only was it funny, but I loved watching all the stage crew and cameras working. It really was amazing, because they had two sets, and while they were tapeing in one, the crew was making over the other.  They were designed in such a way that the walls were stationary, but had panels that popped in and out to change colors or cover windows for a totally different look.  We had a great time but it didn't get out until midnight and we were exhausted by the time we got home.

On Sunday we celebrated Chuck's birthday further by eating his favorite meal (chicken enchiladas) and a dessert of his choice (homemade cinnamon rolls).

Some super advice for the newlyweds.

Superhero Wedding Fun

On Saturday Kaitlin and I drove down to my sister's to help with my nephew's wedding open house. We cut up food and blew up balloons. The open house was very cute, and had some whimsical ideas, including a super hero photo booth.