Fast forward, forward, forward

     It has been so long since I last posted, I couldn't even remember how to do it or where my blog was.  Now that is sad.  So much has happened, I've decided to start with what's been happening recently and then go back and fill in all the empty space.  As of today, here is how things stand: I am a 3rd grade teacher, we lost dad over two years ago, Katie is a wife to Matt and mother to Dax, Audrey is no longer married to Justin but married to Beau and she has a new baby McCrae, and Quinn and I truly have an empty nest.
     I will begin with August.  On the 4th of August, Audrey and Beau called early in the morning to tell me they had arrived at the hospital and the baby would be born soon.  I went over and got to be present when McCrae Beaujames came into the world.  What a wonderful event-my first delivery where I was not the one in pain.  McCrae is growing and putting on a little fat.  He was blessed in Sept. and I made his blessing outfit.  The vest is suppose to resemble a fishing vest.

        I started my third year of teaching 3rd grade.  It still feels new to me, but I am learning to adjust.  I have 23 kids in my class and they are one chatty bunch of kids.  My days are SO hectic, they really do fly by.  I always feel like there are a million things I should be doing.  Just finished up Parent/Teacher conferences last week, so that is a big relief.  Also in August, Quinn and I traveled to Boise to buy a Corvette!!  It is something Quinn has talked about doing for as long as I've known him.  He started having buyer's remorse the very next morning, but by then I was loving it and decided if we were ever going to do it, it had to be now while we were still young enough to really enjoy it.  It has been so fun to drive.

     When harvest came this year, I first went to St. George with Sandra, Katie, and Dax.  We got to visit with Chad, do a little shopping, visit family, and just relax.  This is me with Dax when I got a pedicure.

     The last week of harvest break, Quinn and I went to North Carolina.  Quinn wanted to golf Pinehurst #2.  I got to ride along with him and it was a beautiful day.  From there, we went to the Duke and North Carolina State campuses, had dinner with Jim Kendrick and his family, stayed at the Outer Banks and walked in the Atlantic Ocean (even Quinn and he hates water), saw Kitty Hawk and Bodie Lighthouse, and then drove back across NC to do a half marathon in Greensboro called the Cannonball Run.  The weather for the run was perfect-cool and shady-even if it was my worst time to date.  Then we flew home.  A VERY busy break, but a perfect vacation.

     Another new status since I last posted is I belong to a book club.  My friend MaryAnn invited me and I have been going for about a year now.  It is a fun bunch of ladies and in October we all went to Witchapaloosa at Gardner Village in SLC.  It was a fun trip.  

     When Halloween came, I dressed as Luke Skywalker (Vicki suggested we all come as a superhero since that is her theme this year and I didn't want to be a typical one).  It just so happened, the Murdock clan decided to dress as Star Wars characters too.  Sandra and I went to dinner at Audrey's while Quinn manned the trunk-or-treat that was out in front of our house.  That night during Dax's visit, he got to laughing SO hard it was adorable.  I wish I could post the sound of his laughter.

     That gets things caught up to November.  We have already had our Thanksgiving dinner.  All were here but Sandra and Chad.  Chad did stop in for a brief visit last week.  Quinn and I plan to head to warmer weather during the long Thanksgiving weekend and hopefully drive the Vet.  Though it is a little short on trunk space it makes up for it by just looking so good going down the road.