A typical day at the Coveys

Wrestling tournaments are a daily occurrence here at our house. And Davis actually does usually win.

Early Bird gets the worm

My dad taught me about early voting this year. So we did it. It was very quick and convenient and I felt no pressure come election day. I voted for the person I thought would help America be her best self. I use the same advice for marriage. Who brings out the best in you? Who inspires you to be better? Who do you trust to tell you the truth even if the truth is hard to hear? I do think America is courting the wrong person but I do concede that the perfect Bridegroom is on his way to rule and reign and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess His role. Until then, I do what I can in my sphere of influence. And I'm happy. I'm optimistic for the future of our country and world. And I'm grateful for the many rights I have. Including the right to vote.

Bros before Shows

That's a bold statement. Shows are a hot commodity 'round here. But these boys will wrestle and wear each other out and fight and apologize and share treats and share spots on the couch while watching shows and share ties to church. These pictures are on what we didn't realize but turned out to be our last Sunday in the carhouse. My visiting teacher called me today and asked if we wanted to live in a house in the ward and offered to let us rent the cabin on her ropes course property. Absolutely! We moved in tonight. Now the brothas and sista have more room to run around and a washer and dryer in the basement to make cleaning up a much easier task. Hallelujah! To quote the Vineyards, "Bendeciones!" And that's with a capital B. I have a testimony of visiting teaching. I got my best job from Jenn Foutz, one of my first VT. Camille got a job from that job. Catie and Carlie got jobs (and still have jobs!) from that job. Point being: Love your brother. And DO your visiting teaching.

 

Dress to Impress

October is such a fun month to me. I love fall, the changing of the leaves, watching my kids experience dressing up for a purpose. Because they dress up all the time. But this time they get candy for it. Trick or Treating blew Johnny's mind. We only rang 10 doorbells and then the parents were finished. But it was magical while it lasted. Johnny had wanted to be a parrot for quite a while. He changed his request once or twice but came round to parrot again by the time Halloween actually came. So Evelyn and Davis were his pirates. The witch's brew was a hit. And the Felt family came out of the woodwork in full costume. Happy Halloween!

Daddy Daughter Dancing

This man is an excellent dancer. I knew I could marry him when he took me dancing on our first date and he could put me up in the air. This girl is a babe. She sings songs to Scotty all the time. This is a Scotty scong. (Not a typo) You are my Scotty. Sleep, baby, sleep. I love Scotty. Adorable. She brought home a picture from nursery that shocked me. It had her name on it filled in by the the teacher for the phrase My name is _______. Then the teacher had written the shocker with the number 3. I have ___ brothers. What? She has 3 brothers! It was shocking to see on paper even though of course we live it and I know it. She's my girl. And she's the only sister. Crazy! This dancing happens fairly often, but was captured on film at McKenzie Felt's dreamy wedding. Thanks for the picture!

Everything I need to know, I learned from my brother

I have been writing this out in my mind for months. I am so humbled and inspired by my family. Specifically, by my brother. My brother rocks. My son bears my brother's middle name. I love my brother so much. I feel selfish calling him mine because how can you have ownership over a person? And he is not selfish. He doesn't call things his. He gives them away freely. He fills your tank of gas when you don't have any money to fill it but he has no idea that you have no money in your bank account. He listens to the voice that says, "Get out of the car and start walking over to your nephew" to be there to help my son when he was hurt before he was even hurt. My brother is kind. My brother is patient. My brother is willing to wait for me to learn my own lessons on my own timing. My brother shows me that it's okay to love a hypocrite. And loving a hypocrite just might help the hypocrite change and affect her eternal salvation. My brother is willing to overlook my pettiness. My brother is able to bear his burdens gently. My brother is able to forgive when I am part of his burden. My brother is a good uncle and a dedicated son. My brother will play catch with me and appreciate all the memories that come with an old leather glove marked DAVIS with a sharpie. My brother is a passionate man. My brother is a hard worker. My brother is a team player. My brother has love that endures and waits and hopes. My brother is full of charity. My brother teaches me without rubbing in the fact that he is my younger brother. My brother teaches me without rubbing in the fact that I have made covenants to follow Someone who it turns out my brother is showing me how to be more like even when I thought I was like Him and that I could somehow show my brother a thing or two. How humiliating. Not humiliating, like getting a wedgie at the drinking fountain from your older sister, but humiliating as in filling me with humility and repentance to see others as God, our father, sees them. My brother is forgiving and mercifully forgetful. My brother is willing to be my brother even though I don't understand all aspects of who he is and yet he constantly reaches out to me even when I haven't had a solid track record of reaching out to him. My brother is handsome. My brother looks like his dad. My brother has a mustache and tattoos and piercings. My brother is attracted to men. Happy half-birthday, brother. Thank God for brothers. I'm so glad I can call you brother. I love you.

John Davis

I've called him Johnny boy for so long, it's strange to write his name out. This kid is always pretending to be some kind of animal, unless he's pretending to be a corpse...Papa and Nana took us out to Provo Beach Resort and they were decorated for Halloween on their croquet course. Johnny's favorite part was the animal displays. He is pretending to be a fish. What a babe.

 

Win-Win

Game day is awesome when you win no matter what! The Beavers took the win on the field and Scott takes the win for cutest Cougar. Elder Covey mailed a Beavers t-shirt because he was serving in Corvallis. It was a great day in the Covey house because we didn't care who won. We were cheering for every play. I'm almost sure Holly, Cutter, Breaker and Raeder Mendenhall felt the same way because Bronco played safety and linebacker and was team captain for OSU during his college football career. He also got his master's degree there and was defensive coordinator. It was a win-win today no matter what happened. The Beavers took the W on their record 42-24. Go Beavers. Go Cougars. Go Elder Covey!!!

 

Chalk the Princess Block

We went to Chalk the Block at the Riverwoods. I neglected to take a picture of the chalk art that Evelyn spilled her water bottle on, but I did however snap a picture of Eve with the princesses at the Hale Center Theater booth. It totally made up for missing Rapunzel at Disneyland. 

 

Park City Paradise

Mom let us have her Marriott Park City time. It was very fun to slip up and hang out as a family and wear life jackets in the snow. It was the first snow of the season. The pool was half inside and half out. Very fun for the little people since we swam all winter last year in California. We used the luggage carts to transport children from one place to another. The drive home was white knuckled since the snow was freaky on the highway going up and down the inclines in the canyon in a rear-wheel drive vehicle. What were we thinking? But we made it. And it was a fun getaway.