October 2022

 October started off with General Conference weekend!!!  I love having two days of talks from the prophet and apostles.  I feel much more optimistic about life after conference weekend.  

Steve helped Jeremy work on a wood project.  Since Jeremy started working in the lumbar department at Lowes, he has become more interested in working with wood.  I  love to see father and son doing stuff together.  Jeremy has an artists eye and a meticulous work ethic which will make him a phenomenal woodworker.  Steve spent the day in the garage, after helping Jeremy, making a carver's bench.  He is very creative!

October 3 I added Avian to the car insurance.  They are scheduled for their driving portion of the process in a couple of weeks and we need to have proof of insurance before then.  I cannot believe that my baby will be driving solo soon.  

October 4 Avian and I went to the dentist in the morning and the Powderpuff Football game that evening.  The juniors were completely crushed by the seniors, but it was fun to watch.  

October 5 I had a Zoom date with my dad.  He wanted to have a date with each of his girls and the only way we could realistically do it was through Zoom.  Thank goodness for technology.  We just sat and chatted for about an hour and a half.  I miss being closer to my parents, but it was a good chance to catch up just the two of us.  

October 7 Steve was back at Woodbadge for his last round before "retiring".  I noticed a loose prong on my ring and took it to the jewelers immediately so I didn't lose the diamond.  They got it all fixed up and looking amazing.  I had forgotten how gorgeous it is when it is all polished up.  

All shiny and gorgeous!!

October 10 Avian and I went Senior Night for the volleyball team.  There are 8 seniors on the team this year and it was a fun night honoring them.  Rachel was back for her first game after breaking her wrist.  That was fun to watch as well.  

October 11 Steve headed to Nashville for the first ever Incite company conference.  He was excited to see everyone face-to-face.  

October 12 Avian and went to the church to practice serving and hitting.  They didn't want to lose all the skill they had gained in the last six months.  It took a little bit to get back in the rhythm, but they looked really good.  Back at home, Amanda and Kenny brought their godson over to meet us.  Gabe did not want anything to do with me or Avian, but when Nick walked in the door, Gabe chose him to be the new buddy.  It was cute to watch the interaction between the two of them.  

After the Nowatniaks, Avian and went to join Rose at her volleyball practice.  They had a great time playing together.  

October 13 Avian and I were at the DMV first thing in the morning for our appointment.  I was so confident that I had remembered everything and then realized that I did not have my purse which meant my license was at home.  Thank goodness the lady who was helping us with all our paperwork realized she could just look me up in their system to verify my license.  Avian passed the driving portion easily.  The lady doing the test was impressed that Avian was driving a big truck!  

We now have five licensed drivers in our house!!!

Avian dropped me off at the school, since I had to work during parent teacher conferences, and drove themself to their chiropractor appointment.  This is going to be great having another driver in the house.  They came back and picked me up at the end of the day.  

October 14 Steve came back from Nashville with stories of how much fun he had and how much he likes his coworkers.  They had a great time connecting and got a lot accomplished.

October 15 Avian drove themself to the SAT test.   They were not nervous at all about the test.  I remember being terrified.  Avian is a much better student than I was.  They are really good at math and that is what worried me the most on my test day.  

After Avian got home,  Shea and I went out for one last kayak before the weather turns.  It was a stunning day.  The sun was shining.  The leaves were turning all sorts of brilliant colors.  It was so peaceful and much needed.  Shea and I came back home much more relaxed and ready to tackle whatever came our way.  

Perfect water, perfect temperature and the leaves were stunning. 

October 18 Nick got a promotion to a semi-flat rate mechanic.  He is starting to get more responsibility and is learning all sorts of new things.  He is also only one year post graduation from UTI.  You go Nick!

October 19 Bishop and Laura came over to give Steve a blessing before heading in to surgery in the morning.  It is always comforting to have the priesthood as part of our lives.  It really is God's power here on Earth.  

October 20 Avian drove themself to school so I could get Steve to the surgical center for his shoulder surgery.  It was a much nicer facility.  Last time we were at the main hospital and this time we were at a smaller surgery center.  The staff was much nicer, from the front desk ladies, to registration, to the nurses and anesthesiologist.  Dr. Connor was even more relaxed when he came to talk to me about the procedure and what they had done. He said everything went well and Steve should heal just fine and have full use of his should within six months.   Last time I had to go back into recovery and help Steve go to the bathroom and get him dressed and wheel him to the car.  This time they called me and told me to pull the truck around and they helped load him.  I will definitely want to do a smaller surgical center any time I need surgery.  It was a MUCH better experience!!!  We were home by 2 o'clock.  Steve felt great because the nerve block was still in place.  He and Avian wanted to go get a drink and walk around Walmart when they got home from school.  I didn't let Steve stay out too long because I knew that if he over did it now, when the nerve block wore off he would be in a lot of pain.  

October 21 was a rough day.  The block wore off about 3 am and the narcotics were not working to control the pain.  We spent the day just trying to get him comfortable.  Mostly he just sat in the big chair downstairs, with the ice machine keeping his shoulder chilled.  Occasionally he would doze off for a little bit and wake up in more pain.  I cleaned the kitchen so I wouldn't be too far away if he needed anything. 

Getting a little relief with the ice machine.  

October 22 was another rough day (which was expected).  Both of us only slept for 4 hours in the last 36.  The pain was still out of control, even with the Lortab.  We just have to make it through days 2 and 3 and then things will get better.  

October 23 things started to get a little bit better.  He slept a lot better during the night.  I, however, did not get much sleep. I got Steve settled and then Jeremy woke up vomiting.  Once I got Jeremy down, Nick was up with a sore throat.  I got Nick taken care of and was just laying down and Steve woke up needing me to help him change positions because his shoulder was sore.  This was like having toddlers in the house again.  I survived it once, I can survive it again.  I went into work completely expecting to have to run home and help Steve.  I got him dressed before I left and made sure he had food to eat during the day.  He did okay by himself.  Jeremy was home all day sick as well.  At least we are to the point with Steve where he can start to alternate Ibuprofen and Tylenol which seems to work much better at controlling the pain.  

Avian's newest art project.
 It is hanging on the wall at school.  

October 26 was a busy day for Steve.  Work was busy.  The passive motion chair was delivered.  Parks Heating and Cooling came to do our annual furnace check up and discovered that the roofers had knocked one of the vents that gets rid of the CO2 loose during the roof install.  We were lucky that it had been warm and we hadn't been running the furnace a lot.  That could have been really bad.  We got it all fixed up and don't have to worry about CO2 anymore.   

October 28 Steve is getting more self-sufficient and he is sleeping better as well.  He even came to the last football game of the season for the first two quarters to hear Avian perform.  The band performed a new song and everyone loved it.  Here is the YouTube link if you want to hear it.   Hey Baby!

Marching onto the field for the last game of the season.  

It was finally cold enough for the full uniform.  Handsome looking crew!

October 29 both Nick and Avian had Halloween parties.  We spent the day getting their costumes together.  

Nick as Ned Flanders from The Simpsons

Avian as Beetlejuice. 
We were painting the lines on the pants up until party time.  I used a blow dryer to dry them while Avian put on their make up.  

They look amazing and had a great time at their parties.  

Preview of Avian's Junior year photos

September 2022

September 3, Avian and I went to the Apple Festival in Hendersonville with Rose and Jill Licastri.  I love the small town festivals.  There are so many fun shops and displays.  I found a hand made long bow for Steve and bought some apple jam from a local farmer. There was one antique shop where we spent a good deal of time.  They had the coolest stuff.  Avian found some gorgeous bird posters.  There was also a great boutique that had the best incense.  We bought a hand made hummingbird ornament for the Christmas tree.  It was made in Peru.   Such a fun day with fun friends.  

Rose and Avian

Loved this sign from the antique shop.  If that is not a threat, I don't know what is. 

Back at home, Steve had the whole day to himself to get projects done.  Nick went to a YSA dance and had a great time.  

Avian help design this poster for the Games Club.  

September 4th I really needed to float.  Steve and I took the kayaks out for a spin after church.  It was the perfect way to relax.  

September 5th was a very rainy Labor Day.  Perfect day to clean the house.  Avian had some friends come over and hang out for a bit.  Jeremy created some more desk space by creating a cool table using two side tables from IKEA.  He stacked them, secured them and cut the legs off the bottom one to perfectly match the height of his desk.  He increased his desk space and got some extra storage space as well.  Nick went to a YSA pool party.  They completely lucked out in that the two hours the pool party was going it stopped raining.  The rest of the day was a complete wash out with periods of incredibly heavy rain.  

Jeremy and his new side desk creation.  

September 8, 2022 Queen Elizabeth died. It was a sad day for the world.  We lost a gracious and humble leader.  

Avian's tree drawing on display at school.  

September 9, Steve drove the drums over to the elementary school so the band could play during carpool.  It is a Homecoming tradition.  The band plays and the football players and cheerleaders help unload the kids from their cars in order to get everyone excited about the big football game that night.  

Once carpool is over, the band does a mini-concert for the kids.  The band felt like rock stars with all the cheering.  They are not used to people even caring that they are playing. 

Mr. Reavis was really getting into the kids cheering duirng the songs.  

That night the game was really fun.  Rick and EllaRene came straight from the airport with Steve to get in on the action a little bit before crashing at the house for the night.  

September 10, Avian and I got up and went to have Avian's hair died green again and have mine cut.  Steve took Rick and EllaRene to South Carolina to McLeod Farms to get peaches and peach ice cream.  They really enjoyed their trip.  

You have to bleach the roots before you can dye it all green again.  It looks really silly. 

We got back to the house a little before Steve got back with the crew.  We chilled for a little bit before the pre-dance prep started up.  The whole group met at the gazebo at the back of Highland Creek for a photo session before dinner and the dance.  I love getting to photograph the kids every year.  They are a fun group.  

Avian and Leah

Avian and Maeve (Goose)

Farm-style shot with Avian, Maeve and Anthony

The whole gang - (l to r) Rose, Avian, Maeve, Anthony, Leah, Elise and Ryland

Hiding in the trees.  It turned out a lot better than I thought it would.  I love this one because it fits their personalities.  

Maeve, Anthony, Avian, and Ryland looking extra sharp. 

After pictures, Grandma and Grandpa wanted to take us to dinner along with Avian before the dance.  Anthony tagged along with us as all the others had dinner plans already.  We went to Panda Express.  It was a fun time to just sit and talk.  Afterwards, Steve dropped Avian and Anthony off at the dance and I drove everyone else home to truly relax for the night.  

September 11 I played a violin duet with Tiffany Greer in sacrament meeting.  We found a really pretty version of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing and practiced it for weeks.  I was super nervous because I haven't played my violin in public since middle school.  Rick and EllaRene were surprised when I walked down the stairs with my violin.  I hadn't told them about it.  I think it went well.  I didn't completely panic and mess up, so...  I will call it a success.  Back at home we had chicken and waffles for dinner.  I gave Jeremy a haircut.  He wanted an undercut to get rid of some of the bulk and we trimmed the ends so get rid of some of the frizziness. It looks really nice now.  His curls are much more defined.  

September 12, I took Avian to school and then came back home to spend the day with Rick and EllaRene.  We went on a hike to Buzzard Rock (on Mountain Island Lake).  

At the Buzzard Rock.  You have a great view of the lake from here.  

We picked up Jeremy and headed to Gibson Mall so Rick and EllaRene could have a look around.  They love to go antiquing and Gibson Mall is amazing for that.  We went to Maple Biscuit Company for lunch and then headed home so Rick and EllaRene could get themselves packed up and ready to go the airport.  

We were chilling at home when Nick walked in.  He was saying something about someone giving him a ride home which I thought was odd since he was out on a bike ride.  It then dawned on me that he was telling us he had been hit by a truck while riding his bike and the gentleman brought him home as his bike was not ridable.  The bottom dropped out of my stomach and I had to sit down.  Apparently, Nick had been waiting to turn left onto Beatties Ford Road (my least favorite road in Charlote!!!) and the truck had cut the corner not expecting to see a bike there.  Nick remembered what Steve had told him about standing up on the bike and letting the bike take the biggest hit.  This meant that Nick went up onto the hood instead of into the grill or under the truck.  The gentleman left his phone number and said he would take care of any medical or bike repair expenses. Once we checked Nick out and realized he was physically okay with some bruises and not much more I could breath normally again.  Nick was just made because he had just had his bike tuned up and now he was going to have to get everything done all over again. 

Jeremy came with me to drop Rick and EllaRene off at the airport and then we headed to Hobby Lobby to pick out some material for bandanas for him.  He needed something to keep his hair out of his face while at work. We picked out some fun designs and headed home.  Shaun and Kathy called and told us they were serious about coming to the beach with us this summer so we got online and picked out the house.  OBX - June 2023!!!!!  I am beyond excited!!

September 13 Steve and Nick took his bike into REI for an overhaul.  Miraculously, everything seems to be okay.  There is a slight bend in the frame, but it should not effect how the bike functions.  Nick was truly blessed throughout this whole process. God was looking out for him.  

September 14 was a breakthrough at work.  I was stressing because I needed to figure out a way to get data from PowerSchool into our new MTSS platform and the normal way wouldn't work because NC is running an old version of PowerSchool that doesn't play nicely with other programs.  I FINALLY Figured it out and we are back in business!!!!

The Nowatniak's came over to borrow some tools from Steve so they could made a shoe bench.  It turned out to be a little more complicated than they thought and they ended up staying for dinner and working on the bench in our garage.  Steve was happy to have another wood project before his surgery.  

September 15 Steve went to Woodbadge for the weekend to help train other scout leaders.  He loves doing it, but it takes a lot of time.  This is his last hoorah with BSA for a little while.  He called me at 11 p.m. to tell me he was coming home to get his ankle brace and to not freak out that someone is in the house.   He twisted his ankle while running around setting things up.  

September 16, Jeremy finished up a huge school project he had been working on since the start of school. He felt much better and was a happier person.  We all went to Ulta to get some things for Avian and Nick.  He wanted something to clean his nails and make his hands not look so rough after a day of working on cars.  I think he liked being pampered by the ladies at Ulta.  

September 17, I didn't hear from Steve all day long, so that is a good sign.  He is having fun and his ankle is not bothering him too much.  I weeded the front iris garden, which is no simple task.  It is beautiful when the irises are all in bloom, but it is a nightmare to keep weeded.  That afternoon, Avian and I surprised Rose by showing up to her volleyball game.  It was fun to cheer her on.  We did some grocery shopping on the way home.  Jeremy was at work and Nick was out with friends so it was a chill night.  Avian had something planned with their friends online and I crashed.  I was feeling very tired and needed to just sleep.  

September 18, Steve returned home from camping and said he had a good time despite spraining his ankle and passing a kidney stone.  

September 21 was Nick's new court date.  I didn't hear anything all day long, which we were hoping was a good thing.  That night I got a call from a friend who never asks for anything and she was stranded with an overheated van at Walgreens.  Steve and I went over to see how we could help.  She was stranded in the drive through so the first thing we did was help her into a parking spot.    We went and got some more anti-freeze but didn't dare open the radiator as the vehicle was still hot.  Nick came and helped us check the fluid levels.  Nothing seemed off and I followed her home to make sure nothing funny happened on the drive home.  The next day she took it to the mechanic and they said it was a small part that was malfunctioning and they fixed it and she is now good to go.  

September 22 the lawyer called to let us know he had gotten another continuance on Nick's court date.  The new date is December 14.  Nick is okay with that because each delay may mean that the DA will open up first time offense deals again.  

September 26 Nick and I finally finished sewing his pair of pajama pants we bought the fabric for back in February. It has been a little busy the last 7 months.  

September 28 Avian and I went to the LNC vs South Rowan game.  It is their biggest rival and it was a great game.  We beat them in 4 sets!!  Very satisfying. 

September 29 the Young Men came to the house to work on their Pinewood Derby cars.  You can take the man out of the Scoutmaster role but you cannot take the Scoutmaster out of the man.  Steve loved working with the boys.  

September 30 tropical storm Ian was right on top of us.  It was very rainy and windy all day long.  LNC changed the day to a remote learning day so no one would have to be out in the storm.  We also found out that Avian's SAT for the following day had been postponed to 10/14 due to the storm as well.  

It was a gorgeous night after Ian cleared out!

 

 

August 2022

The first week of August was all tryouts for volleyball.  August 1,  Avian made it through round 1 of LNC try outs.  They were discouraged by how they performed during the tryouts, but encouraged that they would get another day to show what they could really do.  I spent the day working on cleaning carpets.  Nick got a raise.  Jeremy paid his tuition and went to a movie with a friend.  Steve worked on Woodbadge stuff for the upcoming camp.  

August 2, Avian felt much better about tryouts today.  They blocked Rachel Turner (their big hitter) which made them feel really good!!  When they got the news that they had not made the team they weren't upset because they put their best on show for the day.  Avian trusts Coach Kiley to make the best decision for the team.  We found out later that Avian was #14 on the list with the top 12 getting on the team.  #13 was a senior who had been playing since freshman year.  It was a tough pool this year!!!

That night was stake temple night.  We drove down to Columbia with the O'Briens.  I loved getting to know them a little better during the drive.  In the temple it was really cool to be surrounded by people we knew.  Everyone in the room was a friend and it was a special experience.  We got to talk to the bishop (and his wife) of the singles ward.  They gushed about how much they love Nick.  I am grateful for them because Nick needs them in his life right now.  

August 3rd Steve had an MRI of his shoulder done. Waiting for the results is never fun, especially when you fear the worst (surgery).  Avian spent the whole day at band camp.  They always have fun with their band friends. This year was different because we have a new band director for the high school.  Avian said that Mr. Reavis was going to be a lot of fun and a good replacement for Mr. Scaringelli (although they will really miss Scari). 

August 4th I got to go kayaking with Sara Muller.  She was the one who introduced me to kayaking several years ago.  We had a great time exploring the lake and talking.  

Sara and me going on a kayaking adventure.  

Steve found out that he has a tear in his rotator cuff and it will need surgery.  Not surprised, but not exactly happy to hear it.  Oh well!!  Avian had fun at day 2 of band camp.  

August 5th, I went back to work to get ready for the new school year.  It was weird to be back in the building.  That evening the parents were treated to a performance by the pep band.  We got to hear what they had been working on for two days.  It is going to be a good group.  Avian's friend, Anthony, joined Knight Watch with the drum section.  The band just got a lot more entertaining.  I think all of Avian's good friends are now in band together.  

That evening Avian went to Mia's birthday party.  The party favor was a watermelon they grew in their garden.  It was huge and very delicious!!!

I put the plastic bottle next to it for a reference so you can see just how big and beautiful this watermelon was.  

I got our family pictures from the beach printed and on the wall.  I love it!!!

August 6th, Steve went to a knap-in with John Latham.   He was in heaven being surrounded by other people who like to flint knap and make their own arrow heads and bows.  I took Avian to see a chiropractor to help with the shoulder and neck tightness.  It really is helping them feel better.  I then went and helped a friend (Shea) build a shelf door for her daughter's bedroom.  That was a fun project.  Nick went on another long bike ride and then went to a YSA party.  Jeremy worked (he is getting a lot of hours lately, but that is a good thing, until school starts).  Avian had day 1 of CJV tryouts for travel volleyball.  

August 7th was day two of tryouts.  Avian said it was really fun. Now we have to wait to see if they made one of the teams. 

August 11th - First day of school!!!  Avian is a junior this year.  That is so strange to  me.  They are really excited about everything that is coming up this year.  They have two AP classes (APUSH and AP Lang) along with Art 3.  It is going to be a great year.  

First day of Junior year!

Feeling a little silly.

Our frog showed up again today! We have missed him.  The spider that Steve loves to feed is also back.  Everyone is happy.  

Our cute frog perched on our porch pelican.  

Just hanging out 

That night we got to attend the wedding reception of one of Steve's Eagle Scouts, Garrison Stewart.  It was such a festive occasion, which wasn't surprising knowing Garrison and Natalie's mothers.  They can decorate anything and make it absolutely gorgeous!!  It was good to see Garrison so happy.  I have never seen him smile so much.  

August 13th, Steve spent the day doing Woodbadge stuff.  I took a morning walk with Sandra.  Avian and I made a trip to the store to get our weekly groceries and to pick up some batteries for the walkies so Steve could use them at the next Woodbadge camp.  We got everything on the list - except for the batteries!!!  Oh well, we have a few days to get them.  That afternoon, Nick and I tried making homemade peanut butter. We shelled and roasted the peanuts first and then put them in the food processor.   It worked!!!  Nick was very pleased with the results.  

August 14th Avian and I set up their appointment to get their Level 2 license as well as signed them up for the SAT.  Lots of big things coming up for Avian.  

August 18th was Back To School Night.  We got to learn a little more about what to expect for the coming year.  Avian has several teachers I have never met.  I liked getting to know their personalities and seeing how that would fit with Avian.  This is going to be a great year.  APUSH is going to be really challenging, but Avian is up for it.  Jeremy asked for an equity increase at work and he got it!!!  It was difficult for him to ask his boss for this raise, but he is glad he did.  

August 19th was the first home football game of the year.  Knight Watch was playing and they were very excited.  The theme for the game was "America".  All the student dressed in red, white and blue and supported the team.  

Scaringelli was there to support Mr. Reavis for the first game of the season. 

They did a great job.  

Avian stole Ryland's hat.  It is a really cool hat!

August 20th, Avian and I started shopping for their Homecoming outfit.  They had a picture of what they wanted and it was a treasure hunt to find all the pieces.  Day 1 we found the shirt and the vest.  That is a great start. 

August 23rd was Jeremy's first day of school.  He is really excited about his semester.  All of his classes are in his major and he is very focused.  Tiffany Greer came over for dinner and we worked on what we would like to play for our violin duet in church.  Tiffany has been such a good influence in getting me to pick up my violin again and challenge myself.  We picked the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and are going to perform the second Sunday in September as both her mother and my in-laws will be in town.  After all this excitement, Ezra (Big E), one of Steve's favorite scouts, brought his girlfriend over to meet us.  We loved Arianna.  She and Ezra are good for each other.  Arianna is going on a mission, but if everything works out once she gets back...

August 24th Steve got to go help with the Bishop's Storehouse shipment at the church.  It is amazing how organized this is and how many people are served through this program.  Seeing how everything comes together was good for Steve in his new calling as Stake Self Reliance Specialist.  

Jennifer Wolfe showed me this bouquet of flowers Ryan made for her out of car parts.  Ryan and Nick were really good friends during middle school and both LOVE cars. 

August 25th I taught a bread making class at the church.  We are starting a new series for the sisters on how to become more self reliant.  It was fun and everyone really enjoyed seeing just how easy making bread it.  One lady told me she didn't like wheat bread, but came just to see how it was done.  She had two pieces of bread and wanted the recipe.  She called me a couple of days later to say she was making the bread for her family.  It was a great night.  

August 26th was the night of two football games.  LNC had a home game and Avian was playing with Knight Watch.  Steve and I had tickets to a Panther's pre-season game against the Bills.  It was a rainy night so everything played out slightly differently than planned.  Knight Watch played the national anthem to start the game and then ran back into the school before the rain came so their instruments wouldn't get ruined.  A friend drove Avian home.  Steve and I got to stand with a huge crowd of people waiting for the lightening threat to clear before they let us into the stadium.  It had been pouring rain, so we had our big umbrella which kept us and another couple dry while waiting. I am always amazed at these games just how many fans there are for the other team.  Charlotte really is a good collection of people from everywhere.  When we got up to the security check, they told us we would have to throw the umbrella away before entering.  We decided to take it back to the car because it was silly to throw it away.  By the time we got back, the big crowd was much smaller and lines weren't as long.  We didn't miss any of the game either.  Steve got a drink and we headed to our seats.  The people around us were fun again this year and we had a great time watching the game.  I love live football.  The halftime show was a mini football game played by young boys.  The coaches of the teams were Luke Kuechly and Greg Olsen!!  I miss seeing them play with the Panthers.  Because we had strategically chosen our parking this year, we were able to get out of the city without any delay, even staying until the end of the game.  It was well worth the $35 charge (which went to the neighboring church instead of a big parking company).  

Waiting in the big crowd for the rain and lightening to clear.  

The sunset after the storm taken from the top of Bank of America Stadium

August 27th - Steve and I have been married for 29 years!!!  What???!!!??!

Our first Weenig family picture after Steve and I were married.  Look how young we all are!

Ironically, we spent the day doing separate things and then having dinner at Outback that night with the kids.  That is what happens when you have been married this long.  

August 28, Dr. Conner confirmed that Steve will need surgery to repair the tear in his shoulder.  It is set for October 20th.