Training

Exercise has been scarce in our house - with 2/4 limbs injured on my side, and Rog coming down with some illness. (Although it didn't stop him from scouting for elk all day Saturday). But we also didn't have enough for VB this week, so I didn't even have to open the gym. 

Work was crazy and I was scheduled to do about a day and a half extra in my 5 day week. However, some people cancelled and some people were on Brooke's schedule (that we did together so I could finish training her) - so I'm hoping I can still get a bonus for doing extra work. 

We had a late conference this week so we could do a little Thanksgiving dinner together. I brought sweet potatoes and there was everything you can imagine - cranberry sauce and tart, rolls, potatoes, turkey, beans, corn/cornbread, cheesecake, pie, pumpkin bread - and probably more I'm forgetting. It was delicious. 

Roger's pie from last week. 

Rog and I went to dinner at Northern Pines with Stu and Bethany. It was decent, but I wasn't super hungry that day and we were squeezing it in before they had other plans. Not necessarily a repeat location, but decent. 

I've been spending spare time getting ready for Christmas - which is not easy with one hand to wrap things. But we'll see how things go. 

Pies

 Well with only one wrist, most of my recreational activities are out. And with only one good ankle, the rest of them are too. I've got limited motion and a lot of pain and cramping/spasming still - which makes me believe that it is still a precarious situation. But it's getting better. 

The weeks start off looking insane, but end up being normal with how many people cancel. It's crazy. But Brooke, our PTA, started a week early, so that should really help after this next insane week. Just in time for Thanksgiving. 

Rog has been handling a few side jobs, but was gracious enough to help me finish a few pies - including making an apple pie with the basket woven top (and pre-made pie filling from last time I canned apples). Note to self - more liquid in those. It was still good and I was impressed with Roger's skill. I also made a few pudding pies, which are his favorite. 

There were two reasons for the pies. 

First, we had Fight Night for the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson match. Unfortunately, it did not in fact start at 6pm, and I ended up going to bed before the actual fight. But Rog stayed at Kaleb's house with the fam until the end (apparently disappointing). And we enjoyed pizza, wings, and pies. Including one banana cream that was very well received. 

Second, we had Friendsgiving (with my friends). This is a big deal and it was nice to know more of the attendants this year since we're only actually friends with the hosts and a few other couples. There is killer brisket and mac n cheese as well as all the normal T-day stuff. All of the desserts were barely touched with the adults filling up on the meat and the kids distracted by two huge bounce houses inside the venue. This is the most lowkey Thanksgiving (akin to the Chins' last year) - where everyone signs up for a dish, cooks at their own house, and brings it on time to share. And then we eat and chat and have a good time. 

Rog was happy we had some pie leftover on Sunday. After church, missionary meeting, temple recommend interview, and tithing declaration, he was hungry. So we ate linner and pie and started into the Wingfeather Saga season 2. 

HBD Kelly

 Volleyball was not so fun this week. All of our experienced players coach or play city league, so that leaves me with adults and kids who aren't so experienced and it's a struggle to just get it over the net. When this happens, I tend to go a little harder and scrappier to make up for it. But alas, it did me in. I went up to hit a wonky set, landing badly on my ankle and in order to save it from breaking, a threw myself hard onto my wrist, breaking that instead. But don't worry, it's the spare. 

friday's news

It hurt like the dickens, but both better after a few days or bracing, ice, meds, and gentle movement. The ER put a huge splint on - so big I couldn't get a shirt on or off. So that came off after a day. And then worse after getting a cast on Friday. 

Rog had to cut my steak when we went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse with Karen and Josh to catch up. And then I spilled my entire cup of take home blackberry lemonade when I tried to put it in the fridge. 

after a few days of recovery

Rog's fam was in town again this week, so we saw them for a bit. Stu the dad has the week off for wood cutting, but a series of snow storms really limited that. But he and Rog did get to harvest a bit of wood, a few rattle snakes, and look around for some elk. 

the chins

Meanwhile, I drove up to UT for a quick trip for the birthday lady, Kelloggius. We had the usual shenanigans including people getting blamed for nothing they did, arguments that an iceberg is a body of water, sealings with 6 big Hutchins and some inlaws with exclusive family pics, BBQ dinner (that Rog loved as leftovers), last minute decor, questionable trivia, games, decorating (that I have to makeup), and plenty of coconut bread. 

plus ones

I hustled back to town to finish some work and hang out with Becky who was here for a funeral. And take a nap. 

Halloweenies

VB is going strong, gym was pretty good. Just found out that I need to be able to do a pullup to get into the class I want to do starting in January, so we'll see if I make it. And Rog and Kaleb are committed to going to the gym starting next week, so we'll see if they make it. (And Becky misses me as a workout buddy, so one day if we move to WY and I force her to work out, she'll probably do it lol). 

You can almost see who we are. 

It was Halloween week and since Roger owes me at least one haunted excursion a year, he dressed up and went to some friends' houses with me - not for treats, just for a hang out in costume. We were the Princess Bride duo, although since I wasn't sure if Roger was actually going to come, I really only put effort into the cooler costume. And you can't even see the princess costume, which was just a red dress and gold belt. 

Yayy Joe Carter's son!

As he reminds me, he hates Halloween. But if I can go hunting with him, he can do one night of Halloween per year and pretend to like it. I'm still kind of mad about how this goes, but we're getting closer. And speaking of hunting, I set Roger up with my friend Joe and they decided to hunt together. Rog was a big help and everyone had fun. Joe's son shot his first deer in the wild (vs a farm in Texas) and had a blast and Joe has some close shots and decided to call it when the snow moved in. (Even though Roger swears it's the best hunting weather.)

I did some end of month budgeting and told Roger not to let me buy any more books for a minute. But to be fair, I've been reading them. My recent trilogy is And I Darken by White. The order of the series is misleading if you look at the backs of the books, so I started the third one second and it took me a while to figure out what was wrong. I've also been listening to Brandon Sanderson's BYU series on how to write and it's been motivating. Although I am not good at middles. I am trying to get better at them. 

Here's my contribution. 

My favorite coworker had her last day on Wednesday before she started work as the director of therapies at the new VA facility in town. She will be amazing at it and I am so excited for her, but sad for us. I am not impressed with our other options. But we do have a new PTA that will be starting in a few weeks to help with the load. Until then, I have double the patients, so I'm still trying to figure out how and if that will work. We had a big party for Jade and a pumpkin decorating contest - where I came in second. To be fair, Jade's was a really cool half-carved eye and I thought it was a painting contest.