Since I haven't written for a while, I will give a lot of information this time. Hopefully it won't sound like those letters people send at Christmas that don't sound like real people.
Brandon is enjoying being on the high council. He is already going to move up one chair next month because someone is moving. He thought he would not have to do Friends of Scouting when he was released from bishop, and now he is in charge of it for the entire stake. The Stake President holds meetings every other Wednesday for a few hours, which is better than every week for a couple hours. The ward he is over meets at 6 or 7 am for meetings, and then 9 am for church. So we still see him at our church until January. Work is still extremely time consuming, but it pays the bills so we shouldn't complain too much.
I am still on the scout committee over awards and advancements. I am also education commissioner at school for the next two years. I will also be classroom helper in kindergarten on Tuesdays. Work is really busy right now. I have a rape trial I am doing which will happen the first of December, another DUI jury trial for October, and I am co-chairing a solicitation to commit murder case for Utah County (they had to give Juab the case because one of their deputy attorneys was the proposed victim). The last case is happening October 2, 3, and 4, so watch the news. And this is still part-time.
Alyssa is doing well at the middle school. She is learning that the key to A's is organization (only because her dad and mom keep telling her that over and over and over). She is very involved in dance still and is going to a convention in Las Vegas this weekend. She is also enjoying sewing and girl's ensemble at school. She doesn't like math too much because it is advanced math, but if she sticks with it, then she won't have to do so much in high school (that's our selling point).
Our neighbor has decided to teach the oldest three piano (she used to teach in California for 20 years) so she is involved in that again after a month hiatus.
Kyle is enjoying being in 6th grade (they are the seniors of the elementary school). He was going to play the trumpet in band but we are now thinking he will do the clarinet and work into the saxaphone for next year. He is on his way to getting his Tenderfoot soon and will attend his first merit badge pow-wow at BYU next month with our scouts if there are any classes left. He is in piano again, and hopefully will have a piece ready to play at 6th grade graduation. He is also in advanced math and somehow catches on to it even when he is sent into the hall for talking (reminds me of someone I knew once).
Megan is taking a year off from dance and is enjoying soccer. She will likely try basketball next and then soccer again in the spring. She is still taking violin lessons from the BYU professor at lunchtime. She is also doing piano from our neighbor after school, and concert choir at the school very early in the morning. She has been placed in advanced math since her math scores were above 95%.
Matthew has come out of his shell. I have already been told by his kindergarten teacher to tell him that there are times for talking and times for quiet. He is a very affectionate boy. Every time his soccer coach bends over for a huddle, we can count on Matthew to run and jump on his back. He hugs our friends the Burnsides all the time, his primary teachers, and his kindergarten teacher. He is a bright kid, but he needs to learn to wiggle less and listen more.
Rachel is still a lot of fun for us, except she has also emerged from her shell and is everywhere. She is like a little hurricane leaving a path of destruction in her wake. Last week she drank vinegar at Mom's house when Alyssa was watching her (which surprised all of us because she makes us hold her cups and bottles when she drinks) and spent the next three hours with a tummy ache and the next several hours making some very startling belches (Kyle was so proud). I couldn't help but laugh even though it was quite scary. It burned her throat a little and she was very upset for quite some time because she couldn't breath well (she must've inhaled it a bit). But it all came out in the end, literally. She says some fun words that will make us all giggle, and we are totally enjoying having her.
