Sunday, September 3, 2023

           

Summer is gone and school has started.  A couple of events from summer.  Canda came over and played.  We had 4 girls from Taiwan stay with us for a week.  They were Xadia’s age and she had a good time getting to know them.  The girls thought McCabe was so cute.

    We visited Myron and Linda Nalder’s grave around July 24, 2023 in remembrance of them for pioneer day and played a game with a thimble of water.

During the summer, we went on a lot of walks.  It has been nice since the road to the temple has been completed.  I don’t worry so much about encountering rattlesnakes on the new road.  Previously we have encounter rattlesnakes twice on the dirt path before the road was constructed.  It always made me worry but we are good now.

                Tim and I had the opportunity to got on trek this year.  It was absolutely amazing.  It was a time of great reflection on the lord and the pioneers as we walked in the wilderness with no phones or everyday distractions.  We got to experience many emotions because of the comparisons made from our day with the pioneer day.  There were humbling moments such as the women’s pull and the sharing of scriptures and pioneer stories.  There were also fun moments such as the hoe down, water fights, and root beer floats.  I was honored to be a ma of nine children.  I enjoyed getting to know each one of them and hope to have a lasting relationship with each one.  I look forward to going again when Teagan is old enough.

Teagan is big into dirt biking.  He wants to go any time someone is willing to go with him.  I had the opportunity to ride in the mountains with him.  He was really fast.  I was slow.  I enjoyed the ride every moment of the way.  We got high enough that the temperature was a little cooler than at the house and the smell of pine filled the air.  It was fabulous.  It reminded me of the days my family would go to October fest at snowbird.  I love the mountains, the fresh air, and the wild plants.

                The boys went on a hike with the young men to King’s peak.  That meant the girls had a girls night out.  We went to Farmington Station and visited Ulta, Harmons (where we got Teagan some Mexican Coca Cola), waffle love, and younuts.  I had never heard of Yonuts until Xadia told me about it.  It is a place where they cut a donut in half and fill it with ice cream and other toppings.  She Thoroughly enjoyed it.  After our shopping, we came home and watched Xanadu.  What a fun movie of the 80’s.  The music and costumes are great.  Jacinda enjoyed watching the scene changes.  Every time she watches a movie, she looks at it from a director’s/stage manager’s perspective.  I watch for pure entertainment.

                Xadia and I have been practicing volleyball.  She wants to try out for the Jr. High School team.  Try outs are shortly after school starts.  Here is Xadia hitting a ball against the school’s wall.  Spoiler alert, Xadia makes the Jr. High Volleyball team.

                We love cooking at our house.  Teagan and Tim are cooking up something good.  Teagan likes to make criss cross fries.  I like to make desserts and McCabe likes to lick the bowl.  It is a great family. 

                The kids have started school. 

McCabe is in 11^th grade.

Xadia is in 8^th grade.

Teagan is 6^th grade.

    Jacinda has graduated and is on vacation with Doug and Denise.  She went four wheeling and motor biking on the beach in Oregon.  She had such a great time with the cousins and her aunt and uncle.  The cousins would try to draw like Jacinda.  They stayed by her side every minute unless she was sleeping.  Every time I called is seemed like she was sleeping so she could get a break from the cousins.  Jacinda found 2 starfish and caught a bird.  She was having such a good time that she did not want to come home.  But she did and I am happy she is back with the family.