Hyde Park in Full Speed

October came in like a bullet train and just keeps going!  We had a little reprieve during Conference, but were off at high speed again the next morning.  There's nothing like General Conference for a healthy shot in the arm spiritually!  It's easy to believe that things are going to be okay if we believe in the Savior and follow the prophets after listening to the brethren.  I was very inspired and comforted.

It was delightful to have Harts and Nilssons come last week so the gals could spend time together crafting at our Relief Society activity.  Lauren and Emma came, too, which made it doubly fun!  The 2nd ward ladies couldn't get enough of darling Wesley!  He was definitely a central attraction.  The Idahoans didn't stay long, but we sure enjoyed them while it lasted.

One sad experience we had this week was when Lauren was teaching her first piano lesson since she quit when Wesley was born.  She came before the lesson to get things ready, then I took Wesley during the first lesson.  He did not like it, not one little bit.  He fussed, then cried, then sobbed, then threw up, then screamed - through the entire first lesson!  I tried going outside, no change. I tried bouncing, rocking, singing, talking - all to no avail.  Emma took him downstairs to look at books.  No good.  It was very, very sad.  Lauren rescued the traumatized little guy after the first lesson and, after calming down, he played happily on the floor by the piano during the second lesson.  We hope it gets better in coming weeks...

The highlight of the week for me was Jack's baptism.  He's a wonderful boy and very ready to be a member of the church and make covenants.  Alex conducted the stake baptism and did a great job of rolling with all of the necessary last minute changes.  There was a good spirit and lots of support from family and friends.

Dad wasn't able to attend the baptism because he was performing a wedding in Salt Lake at the same time.  This was a friend of Alex and Elise who got married up the canyon by Snowbird.  It was a beautiful setting, but Dad said there's a reason we get married at the temple!  Just as he was about to start the ceremony, a huge, noisy helicopter started flying overhead.  It was delivering cement from a nearby parking lot up to a project on the top of the mountain.  It took about 7 minutes from the bottom to the top and back and it could be heard the whole time.  So, not much counsel or commentary was given.  Thankfully, just as they started the most important part of the ceremony, the helicopter landed and turned off the motor, which made it not quite so noisy for the last couple of paragraphs.

Emma is consumed with marching band right now.  They started their competition season and have been a bit disappointed so far.  But they have a good show and the soloist (Emma B.) is always amazing!  They have one or two shows each week for the rest of the month and then head to California.  They will be performing in Disneyland on Halloween!  She's trying to keep up with classes and homework, and study for the ACT, too!

I also attended a birth in Star Valley to help the midwife who broke her arm.  Just before arriving in Afton, I encountered a blizzard and couldn't see a foot in front of the car!  Crazy!  I was glad for the traffic going to the temple open house so I had tail lights to follow.  It was a long, all night birth, but I got a couple of hours' sleep before heading home the next day - in beautiful weather.