September

Just when I'm sure I'm in store for a mundane month, lots of great and fun things happen, so I'm going to stop saying that I expect the following month to be boring- cause there is nothing boring about our life! We had a fun Labor Day.  We were going to start the day out by hiking the wind caves, but it was pouring rain when we woke up so we settled on a big breakfast out on the covered patio- while it rained. . . then that afternoon we had fun bowling, then that evening we invited the Searles, Skeens, Pete's and Bundy's over for a cookout and beach volleyball.  We had a lovely day. 

I have been really fascinated and obsessed with clouds lately.  They're just so cool.  I appreciate a blue sun filled sky (especially if I'm at a lake or pool or in January after a long inversion) but I prefer an interesting cloudy sky with different colors throughout.  It's just so amazing to me.  We have enjoyed a lot of days like these this month and I couldn't be happier.

September 14 started off many days in a row of being super busy- it was all fine and fun and fulfilling, but I was sure glad when it slowed down and I got back to my regular routine.  I started off this Saturday by getting up at 6:15 am to make these delicious orange rolls for a RS birthday brunch that day.  After attending that, I helped Mike and Cam with some yard work.  Mike rented a sod cutter to get rid of some grass in our front yard so we can plant some trees, shrubs and flowers there instead.  It's going to be A LOT of work, but will look amazing when we're done.  At least that's the plan. . .

 In between the assistance I gave outside, I was also inside making 3 batches of salsa. . . It had been a couple of years since I'd made any, and now I remember why. . . it's rather messy but the end result is so good.  Here's my secret:  Mrs. Wages seasoning packet.  All I had to do was add tomatoes and vinegar.  And it's really good salsa- you'd never know I cheated a little. Shhh- don't tell anyone.

In the 17 years we've lived in Logan, I don't think I've ever voluntarily paid money to go to a USU football game when they weren't playing BYU.  I think once or twice some friends invited us to go with them and gave us tickets, but this is my first real game to go and truly cheer for the Aggies.  Mike and I bought a 2 game package- with the other game (of course) being BYU in a couple of weeks.  I have to say if the weather's good and the team I'm cheering for isn't terrible, I love me a good football game.  Well, we got good weather for the first half, then it rained for the next several hours.  We lasted until 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter then abandoned ship. We had a fun time despite the rain.

On Monday we enlisted the help of Jess and Brad to help us continue to remove the sod from the front yard and it was amazing what we were able to get done in a couple of hours.  Cam got out of helping because he was busy with homecoming activities all week. 

Here he is (right hand picture) after painting the street Monday night.  The bottom picture is of him in the homecoming parade with some other senior class officers, then the top left is him going to the "white out" homecoming game wearing one of his friends away jerseys.  He had a great time at all those activities, and is sure making the most of his senior year. 

Tuesday I spent the evening making a batch of chili sauce with some leftover tomatoes from the salsa.  Wednesday I went with Janae to the homecoming parade and the powder puff game to watch Parker dance with the Brickettes.  Thursday I helped Jess and Brad paint the two bedrooms in their new (to them) house. They bought a triplex on 6th East and will live in the two bedroom and rent out the one and three bedroom units.  It will be so weird not to have them living with us anymore!  It's been a great year (off and on) to have them with us.  Friday I had the day off, so I started off with a glorious hike with Lindsey and my friend Tori.  We did Crimson Trail- perhaps my favorite hike.  It was a beautiful day with the leaves just starting to change.  We had a fun time. 

After that I helped Tori for 2 hours make two double batches of salsa, then my friend Dani (formerly a student in Mike's singles ward) came over with her two little girls and I helped her make two double batches of salsa!  I was ready to sit down and relax after that but that was not to be as I went to visit Mom who was sick, then back to Jess and Brad's to help them clean for 1 1/2 hours, then home to get a package ready to send to Jake and listen to the LHS football game.  The next day I rode my bike along the Top of Utah marathon course looking for Dani who was running her first marathon so I could bike along her for awhile to give her some encouragement and diversion. I found her at mile 21 and biked with her for 4 miles. She did a fantastic job getting a time of 3:50. I then hurried over to LHS to help Janae and other parents and students decorate for homecoming dance that night.  They were having it outside of the high school and it was perfect weather thankfully.  Janae and I purposefully wore our opposing team shirts since the big BYU vs Utah game was that night.

Rushed from there over to Jess and Brad's new place (with a stop at Little Ceasars for pizza for everyone) to help them and some of Brad's family unload the trailer and truck full of all their stuff they had been storing at his sisters house in Brigham City.  Back home to mow the lawn since our regular lawn mower was busy with his day date, then went back to Jess and Brad's to help Jess unpack and organize (at least part-way) their kitchen.

Home again to help Cam get ready and off to the dance, then finished preparing dinner and had Mike's best friend from high school (who recently moved back to Logan after a divorce and remarriage) and his new wife over for dinner. We had invited them several weeks ago before we knew what a ca-razy day we would be having and didn't want to cancel on them.  We were able to relax and have a lovely evening with them.  We ate outside, played badminton, and tried out our new propane heater and made some tasty s'mores.  After they left at 10, Mike and I then wasted the next several hours watching the terrible BYU game.  Boo for them losing to the dirty Utes.

We've had a lot of fun this month playing a ton of badminton.  Mostly it's been Cam vs. at least 2 other people- sometimes 4.  And he wins almost every time!  He's exhausted and sweaty, but that boy can move and get almost everything hit to him.  It's quite entertaining to watch.

After living in Logan for 17 years, we finally have the opportunity to get to know the full-time missionaries a little better and it's been so awesome.  Up until now, one set of missionaries has been assigned to our stake- plus 6 others- with about 4 of those being USU stakes, so most of their time was spent on campus working with students.  We would get the chance to have the missionaries over  for dinner about once every few years.  So in the past few months, we've gotten our own set of missionaries for just our stake!  Hurray!  With Jake being on a mission, it's just been great to spend time with the missionaries and imagine how it would be for Jake to be having dinner and hanging out with a cool family in Washington!  We had them for dinner two times this month and both times it was so awesome.  This picture is from the second time they came and so they came prepared to play some badminton with Brad and Cam then after that we had s'mores on our new fireplace grill.
These are just some misc pictures of everyone having fun in the backyard and enjoying the cooler fall weather. (the kids are the Hess kids who Jess nanny's every afternoon and the baby is our neighbors granddaughter who was checking us out- haha)

I finally forced myself to get out my fall and Halloween decorations and decorate the living room and kitchen with them.  I don't know why I had been procrastinating it so much because I love fall and I love these decorations.

One morning on my way to workout, I had to pull the car off to the side of the road to take these awesome pictures of the clouds by the mountains behind our house.  So cool!

The last Saturday of the month was spent with more yard work.  Mike cut down the three ugly bushes by the front bedroom windows, chain sawed down the pine tree in the front yard that is going to get too big for the space we planted it in 10 years ago, and the three of us worked hard all day to get all that hauled away as well as two truck loads of dirt/sod from 2 weeks ago.  There's still much to do, but we are making progress.

August

I thought this month wouldn't be too eventful, but once again,  I was wrong.  There were many fun and wonderful happenings that I'm so happy about.  The first one being meeting President Monson for my second time- Mike, Cam and Carol's first.  Carol and I coincidentally signed up to help at the outdoor Cafe  during the Utah Festival's matinee production of Fiddler on the Roof on August 2nd.  When we asked Gary a few weeks before that if President Monson was coming up this year for a performance, he said that he was coming to the matinee of Fiddler on August 2nd!  Sweet!  So Mike was happy to agree to come to his first UFO performance and help serve refreshments so he could meet President Monson.  Gary said Cam could come and meet him as well, even though he wasn't there to help or attend the musical.  It was a special experience and one we'll never forget.  As a bonus, Elders Oaks and Hales were there as well so we got to see them, but not shake hands.  In this picture President Monson is either shaking hands with Mike or Cam.  We're not sure.  They both like to say it was them.

The second happy event happened soon after meeting President Monson when Jessica arrived back in town after her summer in Texas 2 weeks before she had told me she was coming and pulled off yet another great surprise.  With the help of her friend Mikell, she hid in this box and when I answered the door and lifted the lid off the box, there she was!  It was such a fun discovery!  She must really love the thrill of seeing me surprised, because this is the 3rd time in two years she's surprised me by coming home early from Texas!  We had a great time having her to ourselves for 2 weeks before Brad got home. We went on many evening bike rides and walks, watched a few shows, and worked on a few projects. 

We let Cam go a couple months longer than we wanted before we made him get another haircut.  He hadn't had one since March.  Stacie was kind and agreed to do it one Sunday after our extended family dinner at the Weyerts.  Notice what a magnet Jess is for all the little kids?  The bottom 2 pictures are from the next Sunday when Carol asked her kids, us, Bundy's, Ann, and Mom to come and help her get ready for the start of school in her kindergarten class at Providence Elementary.  The work we all did in 1 1/2 hours was greatly appreciated by her and fun for us to help her out. 
We FINALLY got some pictures and video from Jake after waiting for 2 months.  It was worth the wait though as he sent over 100 pictures (all labeled) and 5-6 videos.  It was so wonderful to see his handsome, smiling face and hear and see him on video.  It definitely was a highlight for the month for me.  These pictures are from Redmond when he was with his trainer Elder Haviland whom he LOVED.  From top left around clockwise:  Chilling on the hammock at a members home- when they ran for steak at a ward party on July 4th, their last night together before Jake got transferred (how did he luck out and have a companion as goofy as him?), and outside the Seattle Temple. I'm so grateful that his first 2 companions are men who taught him so much and that he became such great friends with.

Jake thought it would be fun/interesting/memorable to cut his own hair because that's what Elder Haviland does.  So the first picture is of him cutting it, then of him thinking- this doesn't look too bad- then of him realizing what the back looks like.  HAHAHA.  That gave me a laugh out loud moment when I saw it for the first time- and every time since actually. . . the other picture is of him putting a Mormon.org card on the gum wall in downtown Seattle where he's serving now.

This is on transfer day- their last day to be companions.  Jake was very sad.  Even though in this picture he looks happy.  He was really very, very sad.

All too soon summer was over and it was back to school and work for me and Cam.  This is Cam on his first day of his Senior year.  How did this happen?  It seems like only a very short time ago that he was starting kindergarten.  Oh how grateful I am for this happy, obedient, fun, and loving last child of mine.
 

It was a bonus to have Kylee come for a weekend to attend her friend Maryn's wedding.  I picked her up from the airport late Thursday night and Mike took her back Sunday evening.  So even though it was a short trip, and she was tied up most of Friday with wedding festivities, we managed to squeeze a lot of fun into the time she was here.  As always, I love it when she comes home and spends even just 10 minutes playing the piano.  I miss hearing piano music from the girls on a regular basis.  Saturday morning me and Mike and the girls hiked the Wind Caves and had a fun time doing that and talking the whole way.  We each took turns coming up with a topic of conversation, so we had interesting and varied things to talk about.

Ky and I got haircuts from Stacie, then we prepared tin foil dinners and joined by the Bundy's, had a wonderful evening in the canyon eating, playing cards and talking.  That has to be one of my favorite summer activities.  The next day we went to church then prepared dinner which the Bundy's, Andy and Chelsea and Mom joined us for.  Andy and Chelsea decided to come to town for a couple days, so we were happy to have them join in the fun. Brad surprised us all by coming back from Texas early.  He knows how much fun we always have when the cousins get together, so he didn't want to miss out!  Kylee- as the oldest, feels like a shrimp next to her "little" brother.  Cam loves that he has one cousin he can look up to!  He hopes this fact remains true as he doesn't want to grow any taller. He's 6 foot 3 1/2 inches right now.

Mike and I missed out on the fun for 1/2 hour when we went to the church for a meeting with our Stake President where Mike was given the calling of Stake Executive Secretary.  He got released from our bishopric 2 weeks ago, and really enjoyed that short break.  So now he goes from the frying pan into the fire.  Yikes- this calling seems very overwhelming and time consuming, but with his mad skills of organization and attention to detail, he's going to be awesome.  He took Ky back to the airport while the rest of us went on a bike ride around USU and the cemetery, to Hillcrest to play on the playground, then back to our house for some fun backyard volleyball.

 
One of Mike's summer projects was building a shed on the west side of our house.  He and Cam worked at clearing the ground, shoveling the gravel, and laying the frame over a couple Saturdays.

Then it was time to assemble it.  Mike worked on it all day- 12 hours, and got it mostly done.  Here is Emma lending a hand- doing what she does best- being helpful.

And here is her sister Lydia doing what she does best- be a princess and be waited on and served.  Haha.  We enjoyed tending the girls for a day and night (with their grandparents doing the other days) while their parents are in Ft. Collins visiting Ky and Brody for Labor Day weekend.  

And here is the finished product. . . 

It's going to be awesome to have for some extra storage around the house and yard.  I'm sure we'll wonder how we ever survived without one.

One other exciting thing that happened in August was Brody finding out he passed his qualifying exam for his PhD program, so now for sure he'll have the title of Dr. before his name once he writes his dissertation.  I'm already planning on just calling him Master Doctor.  We've very proud of him and how hard he's worked to get to this point. 

July

After the fun of June, I was expecting July to be rather non-eventful.  Happily I was wrong and it was full of some really fun activities.  Something that has not been fun but necessary is an overhaul of our sprinkler system.  Mike and Cam (and a sprinkler guy we hired for a few hours) have spent much time unearthing the old pipes and rerouting the sprinkler heads in different places.  It's still a work in progress, but at least the trenches have all been filled in and we're able to water the lawn again like normal.

This 4th of July was one of the less exciting ones we've probably ever had.  We did get together with Mom, the Skeens and Bundy's on the 3rd for a tasty dinner at the Bundy's, then to watch fireworks from our neighbor's backyard like we did last year.  On the 4th, Mike and I went on a bike ride to Smithfield, then he worked in the yard all day working on putting in supports for our new deck and I did my own thing in the house, then that night we went for a neighborhood bike ride and sat in the hot tub.  Cam had been in Lake Powell all week with his friend Steve and their family, and all our extended family in Cache Valley was out of town, so it was definitely a quiet holiday.

 
Mike had a meeting in SLC for work that he really didn't want to go to, so I told him Cam and I would come along for the ride and while he was at the meeting, he could drop us off at City Creek to shop and then we could stop for dinner on the way home.  That made the prospect of driving to SLC much more appealing to him, so that's what we did.  Cam had a great time looking around at his favorite store- Van's for the whole hour and a half.  I quickly got bored and found my way across the street to walk around temple square.  It was a win/win for everyone!  We had an enjoyable afternoon and evening together.
Mike decided he needed to do some physical accomplishment to celebrate turning 50, so he settled on a sprint triathlon.  Since he's not a swimmer at all, he spent the winter months trying to get a little better at it.  He's not a runner either, so did a little training with that.  The big day came and he was as ready as he was going to get.  He did a better job than he thought he would doing it in 1 hour 25 minutes.  The swim would have been faster if he had actually been able to swim instead of getting elbowed and kicked by the other swimmers practically the whole time.  He thinks he may try it again next year. I loved going to watch and cheer him on.



The Skeens put in a pool this spring, so Ann had a little pool party one afternoon for Mom, Searles, Lindsey and girls, Pete boys and me.  We had a tasty lunch, then after it got done raining, had a nice afternoon lazing by the pool.  It was too cold (76 degrees) for me to get in, but maybe by the end of the summer I'll take the plunge.
 (the picture of the yummy looking salad wasn't from this party, but from when I went to lunch with my college friends in N. Ogden.  I love the salmon salad at Bella's!)

I've gotten together with my two favorite college roommates for lunch several times before when Gayle, who lives in California, comes to Utah in the summer to visit her parents and daughters.  This year we had the addition of another old roomie- Kim.  She was from California, and we lost track of her after college, and just found out she's been living in SLC for the past 10 years.  We were so happy to reconnect with her and work it out for all of us to come together for lunch, and reminiscing.  It was a wonderful afternoon.  When I got home, I searched through my college scrapbook and found a picture of when the 4 of us went to Flaming Gorge for Memorial Weekend in the early 1980's.  Coincidentally, we all posed in the same spots back then as we did this day! 



Janet was in town for 24 hours, so Mom, Carol and I (Ann was out of town) went to dinner together at Texas Roadhouse then up to our house to play Rook.  It's always fun to see and get caught up on things with Geebird.

In June Kylee asked me if I would consider coming to Ft. Collins for the weekend of her birthday.  That was an easy proposition to consider!  I was a tiny bit hesitant to make the 7 hour drive all alone, but after doing it, would for sure do it again in the future.  All because of the great experience of listening to a book on tape!  The miles flew by!  I loved the book I listened to- The Whistling Season, and would recommend it to anyone.  It was a charming, sweet, engaging story.  I had a great 4 days and 5 nights in Ft. Collins with the Hatch's.  Kylee had planned so many fun things for us to do together.  Brody joined in on some of it, but had work and studying for his qualifying exam to do so missed out on some things. On Thursday Kylee had to work until 3:30, so I slept in, read and watched a movie in bed, then went to the house she nanny's at with Brody to have lunch and lay out by the community pool. The only problem with that was that it rained all afternoon, so I settled on sitting outside under the porch and reading my book while Kylee did her thing, then we did a little shopping, made dinner and went for a lovely bike ride.  On Friday the 3 of us spent the day at Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was a beautiful drive.   I absolutely loved it.  We saw 2 elk, a big horned sheep, and drove on the highest (in elevation- 12,000 feet) road in America. 

We had a nice lunch in Estes Park (a quaint little town much like Jackson Hole) did a little shopping, then headed back to Ft. Collins. Ky took me to her club to do a intense kickboxing class, then we cooked a tasty Pinterest meal. Ky and I played a rousing game of frisbee golf on a course near their house.  On Saturday, Kylee's 26th birthday, she and I spent the day in Denver.  We first went to a session at the Denver Temple, then ate lunch at Firehouse subs (yum), then shopped on 16th street in downtown Denver.  It was a huge outdoor mall. We made it back to FC by 7- in time to meet Brody for dinner at BJ's. It was a delightful day!

We made this darling pinterest inspired "fruit cake" that I thought turned out really cute.  What a beautiful, loving, kind girl my sweet Kylee is.  

On Sunday we did more Pinterest cooking, went to church, did a photo shoot with their new (to them) Subaru Outback, and made some cards. (aren't our matching Rocky Mountain NP shirts cute??)

I headed home Monday morning.  Because I was so engrossed in my awesome book, this plain, boring scenery that is Central Wyoming went by in a blur.

I'm certain that August will be totally uneventful, but we'll have to wait and see!