Nelson Family Blog: November 2026

We just entered November! This year just keeps flying by. The rest of October passed by pretty quickly. We had two more band competitions, an indoor show, and Halloween. We also finished up the soccer season for Elliott. So, maybe quieter days are ahead!

On October 10th, we had our Band Competition in Orange City, IA. This was a fun competition, but it was really, really, windy so that was a bummer. We got to Orange City a little early, so Elliott, John and I ended up doing a little shopping. We stopped at a Fareway and ended up finding a really good Bubblr deal, so we stocked up on those. Then, we finally headed to the truck and started unloading. For the first performance, the wind was blowing so hard, we had to stay on the field to help hold the props down. It was pretty miserable out there. But, the Jefferson Band put on a good enough performance that they ended up making it to the finals.

By the time the finals came, the wind had gone down, and they were able to put on their show without all the parents on the field with them. They put on another great show, and ended up getting second place overall. And they only lost to the first place team by a tenth of a point. So, it was very close. The kids all seemed to have a good time, and Emma really enjoyed herself. At the end of the night, they let all the kids run onto the football field and then they shoot off fireworks. The kids loved it. Elliott was even running around on the field and he joined the conga line as well. It was a pretty fun day. Jefferson also took the prize for Best Visual Effects and Best Percussion.

The next weekend, we had to head to Ankeny IA. Ankeny is located by Des Moines, and was about 4.5 hours away. So, it was a little bit of a haul. Emma rode the bus there, and luckily she got a coach bus to ride on. The band didn't perform until around 7:45pm, so we had plenty of time to get there, check into our hotel, and grab some supper. Then, we helped unload the truck and get props on the field. Jefferson did well again, but they were going against way bigger schools. They ended up getting 4th place overall, but they did get Best Visual Effects again, so that was cool. We also got to watch the ISU Band play, and they were amazing. That was probably the best part of the night.

It was basically midnight when we got back to the hotel. Emma came to hotel with us. We all happily headed to bed. The next morning, we had breakfast, and then hit the outlet malls. Emma and John had really good luck. They stocked up on some deals. We also hit a Trader's Joe which was fun. Then, we ate some lunch and then made the long drive home. It was a really fun weekend.

Last weekend was Halloween. It actually fell on a Saturday this year, and it was super nice outside. Halloween morning, we slept in, ate a nice breakfast, and then headed to school to clean since it was our turn. The kids came along and "helped". After cleaning, we dropped Elliott off at the Polzins so he could trick or treat with friends and enjoy a sleepover. John and I headed to the ice show at the Denny, and then we headed home to hand out candy. Emma dressed up as a rockstar and her and I walked around the neighborhood for a while. She ended up with an entire bucket full of candy. We walked around for quite a while. It was such a beautiful night and everyone was having fun. Eventually, Emma ran into some high school friends and went with them, and John and I sat in the driveway and handed out candy. We ended up with around 80 kids, which is a pretty good year for us. I love Halloween.

Elliott finished up his soccer season last week. He really enjoyed his soccer team. He even scored a goal this year! He played a lot of goalie and met some new kids. They didn't win a ton of games, but most of them were really close and everyone seemed to have fun and work together. Elliott is already looking forward to next season.

Emma also officially finished her band season. We had the indoor show a couple nights ago. We had a chicken dinner, watched the band in the gym, and then had an awards show. It was a nice capper to a great first season of Marching Band. Emma had fun, but I think she's ready for a little break from marching band. She actually just decided that she wants to do Groove this year. So, at the last second we went to an audition last night, and we will learn more about what group she is in and what she will play in a couple of days. We are all pretty excited about what this will turn into. And Groove plays at some really fun events, so we are excited. And Emma is really looking forward to it.

That's basically everything that is happening around here. Thanksgiving isn't far away, and that means Elliott's birthday isn't far away either. So, we have some more exciting things coming up.

Today is a windy, cold, rainy day. I had a nice catch up day at home. I did some cleaning, laundry, groceries, went to the gym, and caught up on some blogging. I also ordered Christmas cards! Next, I plan to read under a blanket for a little while, and then it will be time to get the kids. I love a nice day off to myself. This weekend, we have Fall Fest, another weekend of cleaning the school, and then we get to just relax and enjoy our weekend. It sounds delightful!