A Brand-New Baby

 Wait for it.  Meg gave birth to a baby girl, Quinn Phoenix Armstrong!  The pictures were reversed, so scroll to the bottom if you can't wait to see the blessed addition to our family.

Maddie is a boss line-backer and is leading the state in sacks.  Her second round play-off game was Saturday.  Her legs and thighs are sratched up, and she often limps after games and practices.  Still, she helps her team get victories.

The 4th quarter of Saturday's game started 0-0, and ended 14-0 with Mingus winning and headed to the semi-final.  For sure the other team knew Maddie was there to blitz their quarterback, so they had her number, but she made such an impact that they never scored. Ha!

We celebrated in Sedona with Chinese food.

While playing cards, I found this baby tooth in the carpet.  I can't even.  Eddie immediately went to the mirror and checked to see if it was his.  "I'm pretty sure you would know if you lost a tooth," Austin convinced our worried son.  Still, no one knows from whence it came.

Austin made so much pasta for Maddie's carbo load.

He also went rappelling at a pretty epic spot, "Spy hole."

Here's the best bit.  We drove to Utah to spend a few days in the heavenly Armstrong home and helped welcome their new baby, Quinn.  She was born at 2:03am and weighted 8 lbs. 5 oz.  Meg v-backed in her home with midwives.  Seriously, respect.  We're so proud of her.

How fortunate that we were there to help celebrate Bea and Winnie's second birthdays.

Walks, songs, books, cakes and gifts made the day pretty fun for us big people.  

Winnie often protects herself from the "Cheese Touch."

These two ladies decorated their own cakes.

My little angel-baby is just that -- an angel wife and mother.  We couldn't be happier for her and her perfectly amazing hubby, Elijah.

Our one picture during that late afternoon in which the very happy granny is trying to take a picture that will last for generations whilst all are melting down.  We should have taken pictures a little earlier in the day.

It's always so hard to say goodbye.

Bonus: Great-Aunt Kimmie came to hug and kiss our little lady. 

Kimmie's Callie is always a treat.

Extra -Bonus feature of the week -- Andy came for hugs and kisses.  He works so hard and tries so hard to do all the things.  His life is happening.  He's a goat.

Double-extra bonus: My mother was at all the crossroads to make our visit so blessed.  She fed us breakfast and dinner, kept Ryan with her the day he was not feeling great, and she even made cranberries pop.Popping Cranberries

The aurora borealis tinted the evening sky.  Good ol' AF canyon, you're everything beautiful.

November Week #1

The new month started out just as it should -- at the Mesa temple in 88* weather.  Interestingly, it felt cool.

Same day we rushed home for Maddie's Homecoming 2025.  (Lincoln is her cute date.)

The girlz.

The group.

Oh.  This is a good story: We found a pretty great dress we altered and hemmed.  Once donned, the dress was not quite right.  We pulled a few dressed from my closet and made this one work.  She said that her date was fun, the music at the dance was "actually good," and she was really happy about how it all turned out.  A win.

Evening games after CFM happen most nights.  

This is how she comes home from practice everyday.  She's usually carrying a thousand things and has either ice taped to her shins or purple bruises from being cupped.  Athlete.

One night I didn't want to make dinner.  I guess I did anyway.

Friday Austin took me to Vegas for the Kelly Clarkson concert.  We were in the pit which felt like she was practically singing to us -- not her breakup songs, but her happy songs.  Her pipes are legit.  I can't even handle how high and clear she can belt her music.  I kind of wanted her to sing a cover, but she never did.  

I have to record that I finally crocheted during the car ride -- it had been two full months -- and I was so happy to create these trivets -- just in time for Thanksgiving.

Another first -- we bought breakfast from the gas station.  AHAHAHA!  I guess we stooped pretty low.

Sunday was the primary program in our ward -- this is Ryan last year.  Each of the beautiful children identified and testified as children of God and disciples of Jesus Christ.  Their declarations were powerful.  I kept my eyes on Ryan, knowing that he'll never be up there again.  I could hear Molly's voice above all the others -- way to represent!  Ryan blended his voice, but he did sing every word.  Good boy.

Austin and his dad chat about college football, weights and Maddie's winning flag football team.

While Grandma serves us ice cream, Grandpa holds and connects with each person.  We love them so much.

This is Halloween

Four events in Celebration of Haloween this year.

Rocker theme at Sedona Dental Arts

Caroling at the elderly care center for the primary folk.

Trunk-or-Treat at the church

Trick-or-treating in Clarkdale

I asked SEVERAL times about our Halloween plan -- they gave me ZERO feedback.  2026 = costumes from the bucket.

WAY less candy this year.  YAY!

Our Homecoming Football Game was on Halloween night; Maddie was nominated  as part of the Court, but she lost in votes.  She's wonderful.

One trick-or-treater next year.

October Ends

 Ocotober is quite lovely in Arizona.  Our weather sits in the upper seventies which means lots of time outside.

Maddie's school flag football team completed their season 11-1.  We attended her games near and far.

The game in Flagstaff was frigid.  Windy, 55* and just plain miserable.

We endured.

Barely.

Luckily, we came home to a scrummy dinner and warmth.

Grandma always has ice cream for us on Sunday nights.  It seems strange that it's dark at 6pm now.  Grandpa often talks strategy with Maddie.  He is explaining a play he created and named, "Studentbody."

Sunday games.  Maddie won this Catan round -- Molly was one point behind.

One afternoon the family left at 4pm for a rappelling adventure (post BYU game) and didn't quite anticipate that the sun sets earlier now.

Bushwacking in the dark -- glad I missed it.

The yard comes back to life in the fall; it seems like there is always so much to maintain.  Hop Sing painting the grow boxes.

Propagating plants and baking pumpkin bread.