November in retrospect

Happy Thanksgiving! November has been mostly uneventful. Filled with work, lessons for sunbeams and hanging out with Ian. This month, me and Eve made some paper mache sharks for our wall. I think they are super cool! Here are some pictures!

Here is the final product!

Earlier this month me and Eve needed some supplies for our sharks, so Eve Elly and I went to Michaels. Elly found a small wooden chest to paint. Not having money with her, she asked Eve to buy it and she would pay her back. 

Eve: How much money do you have? 

Elly: I have twelve dollars. 

Eve: How much is the chest?

Elly: Two dollars. 

Eve: Oh! Great, I can totally buy that for you.

Elly: Eve, you have to understand I ONLY have twelve dollars..

Eve: Yeah, I understand 

Elly: Eve, you’ll have to pay the rest. 

Eve: I think we can work something out.

 
In other news, I found a piece I had written awhile ago on November, I am very fond of the month. Ian has helped me revise it. I'll put the two versions here so I can find them again someday. 

First version:

November creeps up on me again, when I least expect it. Huddled in my schoolwork, I never notice it advancing. I’m suddenly reminded when I order today’s coffee special off the menu. Expecting my regular overly sweetened mint cookie latte, I take a sip. Warm cinnamon and spiced pumpkin coat my tastebuds, in confusion I check today's date on my phone. November 1st. I take another sip, trying not to look crazy. When I leave, the whole world puts on a different outfit. I can taste the apple pastries just by looking at the november leaves. The sky’s cloudy disposition looks like whipped cream and frothed milk. I imagine meeting at my moms house, hot chocolate made and ready to drink. When I sleep tonight, my blankets will feel like the comfort of warm soup and my dreams like hot pies. And so November arrives.

Ian the editor's version:

November creeps up on me again. I never notice it advancing huddled in my schoolwork. I’m suddenly reminded when I order today’s coffee. Expecting my regular overly sweetened mint cookie latte, I take a sup.  In confusion of the warm cinnamon and spiced pumpkin coating my tastebuds, I check today's date on my phone. “November 1st.” I take another sup hoping not to look crazy. The whole world puts on a different outfit when I leave. I can taste the apple pastries by just looking at the november leaves. The sky’s cloudy disposition like whipped cream and frothed milk. I imagine meeting at my moms house, hot chocolate made and ready to drink. When I sleep, my blankets feel like comforting warm soup, and my dreams like hot pies. And so November arrives.

We had some cooler days, our coldest hitting 60 or so degrees. Although, it has mostly been in the 70s and 80s. Much too warm for me. I have evergreens running through my veins. I am glad it's getting cooler and I hope the temperature decline continues. I am so excited for sweaters, hot cocoa and Christmas music! But for now, happy Thanksgiving from a girl in shorts!

Autumn?.. In Florida??

This last Saturday, we all went to a pumpkin patch! It may have been 80 degrees, but it was festive enough for me. Here are some pictures! 

Nolan and Elly waiting their turn for the kiddie zipline

They had hayrides, farm animals, pumpkins, sunflowers and more.

Here's a (unfortunately blurry) picture of me and Ian

We have had so much fun since Ian's brother, Issac, his wife, Sarah and their two kids Mathias and Hazel have gotten here! 

Eve got these two photos of me :) she's a total natural at photography! 

This October has been very different then the Octobers I have gotten used to. Nothing here really turns orange, the weather has stayed above 75 degrees, and its too hot to wear sweaters. I believe that Florida must be the land of eternal summer. Which means pool days, beach nights and shorts all autumn long! Even though it is so different, I think its really exciting! Plus, no weather can stop me from listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker and Billie Holiday. 

Calling for backup!

Unfortunately, I haven't taken any pictures recently, so here are some older ones from the scout camp I worked at this past July. 

I have been feeling particularly homesick this week. I miss my family a lot, and I'm feeling the blues around being so far away from them. Before I left, I drove around Kitsap County, having at least three different "last hoorahs" in Kingston, Poulsbo and Belfair. Driving through the winding roads and dark forests, I thought the scenery must be what I would miss the most. As many things are, this was very different in theory than in reality. The amount I miss the views of Washington is insignificant compared to how much I miss the family that lives there. I miss bringing Ben home from swim practice, stopping for slushies with Fisher, playing yard games with Joe, watching movies with Caleb and doing anything and everything with my mom. Sometimes I feel like a little girl again, at a birthday party, just waiting for my mom to come and pick me up. I miss her so much.

The sometimes nice, sometimes frustrating thing about being human, is that I can hold these feelings at the same time as I hold the ones I feel constantly about how grateful and happy I am to be here in Florida. I got a calling recently to co-teach the sunbeams at my church. Although, I had the opportunity to substitute for the class before I got set apart as a teacher. For context, the sunbeams are 1-3 years old. Today during a lesson, the other teacher asked what Nephi did when he fell on his knees. A sweet little boy said, "He called for backup!" The answer the teacher was looking for was "he prayed" but I think this answer works too. God is the best backup we could ever ask for. He knows us perfectly and understands all the codes and signals we send him during prayer. I certainly felt that this past Sunday when I got set apart for my calling. The brother who asked me who I wanted to have as witnesses took the matter into his own hands when I said "I think it's fine if it's just me." He brought in the Harriman family (the family I am staying with) and a teacher from the primary presidency. He spoke to me about support systems and said "The Harrimans are your family here!" it hit me pretty hard. Sometimes it's all too easy to feel alone or like you are fending for yourself. I wouldn't be surprised if most freshly moved-out kids felt that way. At the end of the day though, God always has our backs and hears our prayers. He surely answered mine recently. 

Where to start?

This past week was a lot like my weeks in Florida have been so far. I wake up, run downstairs to see Ian, nap for another hour, and finally get my day started. Once I get dressed, I get whatever review I need to do for substitute teaching out of the way. After that, I dink around on my laptop. Me and Ian are only ever apart when he goes to school, when I go to work, or when we sleep. I consider this schedule perfect. The first four photos I took on the way to the beach with Ian. We recently watched a funny video of him as a kid where he popped his heel like that. The last photo is a beautiful collage Eve put together, I particularly like Nolan in the background. 

Time capsule questions!

- What is your favorite color? - My favorite color is purple!

- What is your dream job? - Music therapist

- What is one thing I like that is new? - I love living in Florida with the Harriman's! 

- What is one thing I miss? - I miss my brothers and my parents. 

Bonus Question!

- How long have I been dating Ian? - in twelve days we will hit our six month anniversary! 

Welcome to Florida!

I have thought about doing this for awhile, and I have finally decided to start! Here is my blog documenting all the little days I don't want to forget. You can expect to see pictures, stories, and life updates from my new adventure ;). 

I just moved to Indian Harbour Beach, Florida. As you might imagine, this is a long ways away from Washington where I grew up. Even though the change is so drastic, I couldn't be happier. The sandy beaches and outdoor pools are already working their magic. I’m excited to document this new chapter. Here is a picture of my handsome boyfriend Ian, who keeps me laughing and smiling everyday.

Wish me luck!