Try to Remember the Kind of September...

What a lovely day!

It all started at 12:30 AM.

I had been working on homework for a stretch of eleven hours yesterday, trying to pump out an Olympics Opening Ceremony website for my Graphic Interface class. It was near complete, so I felt a wave a success sweep over me when I finally wrapped things up at midnight. I was up talking with Bill and had decided to start getting ready for bed when all of a sudden Bill's phone started to ring.

Curious. Who would call at 12:30 at night?

That would be our friend, Chris Roche of course. ;)

Deciding that Chris wouldn't randomly call us in the middle of the night unless for good reason, Bill gave him a call back.

Chris was driving home from the Elite Hall Dance Benefit when he came across two girls stuck on the side of the road. They had left the dance around 11:45 themselves, and had been completely stranded with no idea what to do. A kid with a truck stopped to help them, but he had no tow-strap. Chris would normally have one, but he had recently had repairs on his car and had taken his out. Chris says he called half of Cache Valley trying to find someone still awake and willing to tow Andrea's car back to her apartment on campus!

Luckily, we happened to be awake and were ready to rush to the aid of these damsels in distress.

Bill hooked Andrea's car to the suburban and expertly towed the car from Hyrum to campus with Chris's help. Andrea drove in the suburban with us, while Andrea's friend drove Chris's vehicle, and the boy who stopped to help the girls followed behind us all. Andrea was a freshman from Alaska (who doesn't like chocolate) and was completely distressed about her "new" car that she had just purchased with her own money. It looked like she would need a new alternator before her car would be up and running again. Poor thing.

We got the car parked in a nice parking spot (with a little bit of curb-hopping) and the damsel was escorted safely back to her apartment.

I came along for moral support and to observe the epicness of the night so that I might blog about it later. I love how willing my husband is to serve! He does it with the biggest heart and utmost excitement. I admire him full-heartedly.

We came home a promptly crashed for the night.

There is something positively wonderful about snow in December. I'm not the only one to think so. Our ward member and friend, Kyle Allred, told the ward of his deep passion and abiding love for the snow today. When he woke up this morning, he could smell it. ;)

All day there have been snowflakes floating through the air and it is even more fantastic because the sun has been out! It's the prettiest site you'll see.

After church today, Bill went out to help our friend Andrew with a networking issue back at our old ward house (from the days when we were single). I stayed home and watched PianoGuys youtube videos...for a good hour, I would suppose. And then I decided it would be appropriate to pick up around the house before the Bergs' came over to join us for dinner this evening!

Once again, I realized that I love cleaning. I've always known it, but today that fact was reemphasized to me. When I don't have other things pressing upon me and vying for my attention, cleaning helps me to de-stress. I didn't deep clean, but with a morning of excellent lessons at church, some Jon Schmidt playing in the background, a little smelly-good dusting, and some vacuuming helped my mind to settle.

Bill came home after helping Andrew and then left soon after to go Home Teaching to his three families. That left me to make dinner all on my own. I was kind of excited! Not gonna lie.

I made lemon chicken! It turned out pretty good! I had no idea what to expect, and I prayed with all my heart that it would turn out all right since we had company coming over! Between making rice pilaf, a pasta salad, and the chicken, things almost got tricky. But I remained calm and managed! I was proud when it was all done cooking at about the same time! Just in time for the Bergs' to arrive! But where was Bill?...he came home five minutes later. I felt like a good little housewife. ;)

And my moment of success? It actually turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. :)

We then carpooled with the Bergs' up to the church house to watch the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional. After sneaking in a few candy bars to snack on, we finally began to settle down and listen to what was being said at the devotional. Wow. I love Christmas time. And now all I want is to focus in on the Savior's birth this year! I felt so inspired!

When we walked into the chapel...who did we see? None other than Bruce and Alyssa Hoffman! At last! My best friend growing up has lived up in Logan for the past six months and I had not made the effort to make a visit to see her. I assumed since we were in the same stake that we would rub shoulders now and again...but it took this long to finally make that happen! It was so good to see them! I was overjoyed. :)  

(Bruce and Alyssa -specifically Lyssa? If you are reading this, I know I mentioned dinner in November sometime. I know that didn't happen. I haven't forgotten. The Holiday season is crazy for us and I'm sure for you too, but I'm thinking January? Don't give up on us. Haha.)

We came home from the devotional and had some ice cream with the Bergs' and chatted for a little while longer. And now I am here blogging...preparing to inundate you with memories of September.

Those Days in September:

But really...I'm going to start in May. 

I once had six fish. I've written a memorial here on my blog, to each fish that has died...except Mike and David. I'm not entirely sure what happened to Mike-fish (you got that one Tay?). And David died at a particularly crazy moment in LIFE. 

With that? I give a memorial to David. 

David died on May 5, 2011. It was that time of year where it was the final week of the semester and everyone was moving out of the apartment. I was cleaning up the apartment and I happened to notice how dirty the fish bowl was...and how I only saw one little fish swimming around in the murky water. I approached the bowl and saw that poor little David had passed away. I was the only one in the apartment right then to mourn his passing. So I ceremoniously swept him up in the green net and deposited him in the toilet...and took a picture - because I'm morbid like that.

 Poor Little Dead David... :(

 Deposited by the green net...

 ...and into the toilet. So long little fellow.

I knew David was on the verge of death. He had some floating issues. For the last couple of weeks prior to his death, he had a problem where he couldn't stay at the bottom of the bowl with Ryan. He kept floating to the top and was constantly trying to swim downward. 

We had read somewhere online that one could cure a floating goldfish by feeding it a pea because it would force all the air out of his belly. This actually worked for a few weeks, but every time I changed the water, I would have to feed little David a pea. Ryan-fish was perfectly fine. So really, it was no surprise to me to see David limp at the top of the bowl. 

On a happier note, David's memorial was posted at this time because in September, we celebrated Ryan's SECOND birthday! 

Can you believe it? Ryan the Albino had made it to his second year of LIFE on September 21, 2011. I couldn't have been a happier fish-owner! 

We had a birthday party over at Hilary's, Mallory's, Kaitlin's, and Aubrey's apartment. Phil and Tim were there (they're from the original apartment full of boys that we named the fish after) and Shanna and Michelle came by. Hilary's sister was also there to celebrate with us. 

Tim and his lady-friend gave Ryan a birthday card and a present of plastic farm animals! Ryan was so excited!...and perhaps traumatized. Bill and I brought Swedish Fish. Mallory made a Funfetti cake. We celebrated with a rendition of "Happy Birthday" and played a round of Book of Mormon Go Fish! It was a most excellent evening. :)

 Happy birthday Ryan-Fish!

 Book of Mormon Go Fish!

 Mallory serving us Funfetti Birthday cake.

 All those who have played a significant role in the LIFE of Ryan-Fish.

Ryan is still alive and well today and is kept company by Cricket, the African dwarf frog, in the bowl next door. Cricket will celebrate his first birthday sometime in April. :) 

Who is Cricket you ask? When Taylor and Hilary went to Baby Animal Days last year they came home with a new pet to keep the fish company. Good intentions! But Taylor was deathly afraid of the frog and it was up to Hilary to clean the little guy. :) When it came time to moving time, Bill said he would love to keep the frog if neither Taylor or Hilary wanted to take it home with them for the summer. So I offered, and Cricket now belongs to Bill and I. We call him Frog. 

I'm convinced Fish and Frog communicate through their bowls. When I turn on the light in the morning they always seem to be looking at one another through the glass. I should right a children's book about them one day. 

We also went camping at Grandpa's Mountain over Labor day. This time, Bill and I had bought our own tent and it's big, green, spacious, and a massive bee trap. 

As we were setting it up we managed to get three yellow jackets and a huge evil-looking insect stuck inside. When it really came down to the fact that Bill and I were terrified of what was inside our tent, Madre came at them with Grandma Sorenson's electric swatter. Bye-bye buggies!

Our awesome tent and bee trap.

And cousin Tyler had the most awesome maniacal frosting goatee. :)

Evil Tyler. :)

That is all I have documented for September. You can definitely tell that school had begun by this point because my photos dramatically fall in number from here on out. 

And here are the lyrics to the song that inspired the title of this post. It's from the musical, The Fantasticks. I find it appropriate seeing as it integrates both December, the month we are currently in, and September, the month I have finally written about. :) I hope that one day I will look back on these last few months with fondness and remember all the great times we had as husband and wife.

      Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow and oh, so, mellow.
      Try to remember the kind of September when grass was green and grain so yellow.
      Try to remember the kind of September when you were a young and callow fellow.
      Try to remember and if you remember, then follow, follow.

      Try to remember when life was so tender that no one wept except the willow.
      Try to remember when life was so tender that dreams were kept beside your pillow.
      Try to remember when life was so tender that love was an ember about to billow.
      Try to remember and if you remember, then follow, follow.

      Deep in December it's nice to remember although you know the snow will follow
      Deep in December it's nice to remember without a hurt the heart is hollow
      Deep in December it's nice to remember the fire of September that made you mellow
      Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow, follow. Follow.

 Happy September.