Across the Creek

Yesterday morning, I went up the canyon and piddled around for a while doing nothing important but having fun doing it. I was moving rocks to try and make a spot where I could cross the creek, but it was futile. I needed bigger rocks, but I can't lift the bigger rocks. So after 20 minutes I gave up and wandered some more - I came to the spot where Daniel wanted to cross the creek on a fallen tree last week, and I tried that, and I made it across! 

And that's when I discovered that, without a path or trail, you have access to a whole lot of nothing. It's just fallen trees and impassible space. So I need to come up with a hoe, shovel, and saw or something to try and give myself access to spaces. ...not sure if that's legal? But I did find one place along some rocks where I was able to go down to a soft spot close to the creek behind some bushes. Secluded - check. Can hear the water - check. Spot to lay down - check. I unzipped my little backpack and got out the toddler blanket that I have been bringing along on my wanderings, and made myself comfy.

I read my scriptures up there and did a little stretching, it was fun. This morning Corey and I took a ride to ruins, I got 3 women local legends. I turned around at one point cause we passed Jill and I thought maybe I'd ride up with her again, so I started to try and catch up to her, then I decided I didn't want to do that again haha. 11.39 miles. At home today, Katharine colored Bluey pictures while I registered LSNO for school. 

You're so good at coloring, huh Katharine! School will be shortly upon us and then it will just be Katharine and I playing all day. School registration for the elementary opens on Monday.

For our date night to tonight, after going out to eat at Aubergine and before going to water my sister's garden, I asked Corey if I could show him my new spot. So we went up to Lisa, walked along Techy, then took a right to the creek and found the log - hiked across the creek, and then we wandered a little bit and found another creek, actually a fork - Hogum Fork - and I wanted to cross that, so Corey worked at it with me. He got across without getting his feet wet, impressive. Then he found a fallen log, grabbed it with his belt to pull it toward him...

and that moved the other end toward me and I was able to grab it. We each held an end (it's not a wide fork) and we placed it across the fork and secured it with a few rocks and a few other logs and sticks and I got a stick to be my hiking stick to help me balance and soon I made it across, yay! It was fun. We found a lean to on the other side of the fork, where someone has cut logs and nailed them to two trees to kinda build a wall, not sure who has been working up there or if that is legal... We didn't see any signs that pointed to 2026 life. I might take photos of it so I can see if it changes so I'll know if it's currently being worked on or if it was just some guy's project from a few years back. Walking back to the creek and looking over our dominion.

It would be fun to forge a path up to the ruins on the south side of the creek. Something to work on. I want to bring the boys up here, I bet we'd have a lot of fun playing "minecraft". For Corey and I, I joked that it was like we were Adam and Eve, the first two people in this world, surrounded by nature, sent out from the bliss and protection of the Garden, now trying to figure out what we were going to do with ourselves and how to build a home or where we are going to sleep at night. But in reality, those things are figured out. We have a home, we have cars, kids have school, we have a life. So after playing pretend for a bit we headed back home. I went to water my sister's garden. She has a cute little garden. I'd like a garden someday. I tried it before here, but the deer ate it, so before I try again some year, we need to figure out how to secure our yard. I did see this video the other day about "air layering technique", amazing! I'd love to see if I can do that with a pink lady apple tree!

Mission Day One

Corey and I took a ride to the ruins today. We got back and went to wash off our bikes, and found a missionary in our back yard!

I think that is a great spot for her. She'll be safe from the noise in the house, and if kiddos do come out, she can direct them to the trampoline (which has gone from a kid sized hole to the whole thing being ripped in half yesterday, but they think it's really fun to jump across the gulf now!) So I guess this is her new work station as long as it doesn't get too hot. 

Today the high is only 90 but it's been in high 90s and even over 100 the past while. It's going to be 101 on Saturday, no fun! It was 107 this past Sunday, that's as bad as Las Vegas!

After we got home, we washed our bikes and locked them up, then I took out the trash, and on my way back in I saw a package on the front step - it was a package that I could tell was a knock off lego we ordered. I knew Owen would be awake, and he was, and I knew that he's be very excited to see this. Yes, Owen, it has come!

It's an ATAT set! I ordered this for his birthday last week. Hyrum has some connections and had his friend order this for us and it was only $60 bucks, compared to $160+. Owen is very very excited "let's go!!!"I liked how each of these photos captures his excited smile.

We were originally told it would not be here until next week, but then Hyrum's friend said it could get here as early as Tuesday (but I didn't tell Owen that) so this is really good. He's excited!

He got working on it right away.

Owen is our early riser and has gotten up regularly all summer long like at 7am. I'm glad that he'll have a companion in the mornings for the next two weeks since Abi will be getting up early too!

Hyrum came over from Wayne's house, looking for something that he left here before his mission, but he couldn't find it (a camoflauge jacket). I think I remember Abi wearing it to monster mash once. I'm guessing his sisters used it for a bit, then when they were done they put it in the donation pile, which happens often with clothes of mine that they borrow. After Hyrum gave up looking for it, he worked with Owen on the ATAT.

Now it's 7pm and Owen has been working on it all day, except for breaks for food (I hope?) not sure though... I've only seen him in the front room today.

It's 8:45 now. Corey is working late. Abi and I just got back from taking something to her friend in West Jordan who is leaving for college in Wyoming tomorrow. I brought her mom some starter. We took Peter and Katharine with us. LSN are back from YW now. They made little cakes. Natalie eating hers -

One of the leaders I talked to say Natalie was being super silly - she took this bite above and then put lips on the hole she made, and eyes, and ate it more, making it look like she was kissing her cake. Then she dropped her cake I heard but she still kept it to eat cause she's not wasting all that good dessert! She's funny, a little crazy, and has a major sweet tooth! 

Daniel left some blankets in the backyard yesterday when they were jumping through the trampoline. I was grateful that the sprinklers didn't come on last night and soak them. But I didn't bring them in and then it rained this evening, so now they are all soaked. Yay. 

I made sourdough last night, got up at 5:30 before our ride to shape them. 3 loaves were 500 grams of flour, one was 1 extra large, 750 gramps, that I split in half and I made two adorable mini loaves to give to ladies that Kathy and I visited today. The bread was so cute, it made me happy. Very pretty loaves too, all of them. The 3 loaves for us were eaten for lunch, snack, and dinner today. K, it's almost 9, gonna go help kids get ready for bed and we'll all go to bed early with our missionary. Owen's done with his ATAT

Showing us the features.

10:30 is lights out time!

Abi Set Apart

Last night Abi went up the canyon to get some mission photos taken, because the hour of her mission is here!

She arranged all by herself to get these photos taken by a friend and with some friends. AND bought her own Panama flag somewhere!

I guess it was an event for her and her friends last night - one last time to take photos together. 

Well, they also had a "last" swim party today from 1-5. They probably took more pics there. I'll see if she sends me some of those. 

Looks like she took two different outfits to wear. This one looks very Maria Von Trapp to me. Abi is off to be a governess!

Abi and her bestie Tara.

Tara is assigned to Samoa & American Samoa for her mission. 

Friends saying goodbye - soon there will be an ocean between them.

So they are cute, good job getting cute photos taken Abi.

Ok, so there are all the pics that she sent me. Then after their swim party today, Corey picked her up (I dropped her off to get a ride with Tara so I could have the car and go to the rec center to swim). Abi came home to be set apart as a missionary at 7pm. The stake President gave some counsel and advice. 

Then she was set apart. I did voice to text for that, I haven't read it yet but I sent it to Abi if she wants it for her mission journal and personal records. Shaking hands with the men in the circle - Pres Salisbury, Corey, Corey's dad and my dad, Hyrum and Christian. 

Something cute - as the men were standing up before the blessing to set apart, Daniel stood up too and was stepping toward the circle to participate. You'll be there soon enough, but not yet Daniel. He smiled and sat back down. After Pres Salisbury left, we all ate some sourdough and visited. Crazy that the exciting day is finally here. So Abi will be doing Home MTC here (not at Wayne's, cause Hyrum is staying there. The plan is to be here unless it gets a bit impossible to work with interruptions from siblings, we'll see how it goes) and then she flies to Mexico on August 14 to attend the Mexico MTC and finish her training there for 6 - 8 weeks. Here are the entries of when the other kids were set apart: Joseph, Melodie, Ethan, Hyrum, and Wesley. 

So today we cleaned up so the house would be presentable for the stake president, and that was about it, other than me spending too much recreating. Sauna for 30 min, swim for 60 and some LeoMoves stuff. Oh, this morning Corey and I both went to the temple too. He went to Draper for a session at 7. I'm trying to get prepped for the school year, so I did 5am initiatories at Jordan River and then was going to go swim, but came home cause I grabbed my swim bag but my swimsuit wasn't in it. Then, instead of going to the gym, I drove up the canyon and went on a little hike up to the ruins where I spent an hour+ puttering around. I crossed the bridge and went to the top of the ridge there south of the ruins. It was steep. 

It was very pretty from the top, but I was a little nervous I'd come across some wild animals (moose, bear, or mountain lion) that thought they were safe from humans in that back valley, so I just looked and then turned around to come back down. It was fun. I'm working on making little piles of stones so I can cross the creek in an easier spot rather than climbing across the logs by the ruins. That's my little fun project up there that I worked on yesterday and today instead of resting and meditating at my secret spot. I'm moving rocks for no good reason, just playing. I guess I've got the same play in me that my dad has. Maybe kinda pointless, but it's fun and probably good for our souls to have some childlike play. I did have the thought that if my kids were up here working on making a path across the river, I'd think that was a great activity. So yeah, I'm just up there being a kid in my adult way. 

Owen is 11!

Happy Birthday to Owen!

Abi went to work for my mom, and when she brought Abi back home, she gave bearing gifts and Crumbl cookies, so that was his "cake". We put in a candle and sang happy birthday. 

We arranged a playdate with Scarlett and her brothers today (they have kids with ages and genders that align perfectly with ODPK) so our house felt like a party and the kids ate cookies and ice cream, then the boys went outside to play soccer and Katharine and Scarlett were just cute and did whatever they do for play.

Natlaie got up "early" for her to make Owen breakfast in bed. Owen gets up early on his own every day (very consistent internal clock), so the poor kid had to read in bed for 90 minutes while she made him crepes.

She woke up Lily to run to the store for whipped cream and Nutella. Breakfast is ready. That's a big plates of crepes!

You are a very nice sister, Natalie. 

So while she was getting that ready, I was up at the ruins soaking in the sounds and smells of nature. 

Owen said we could go on a hike for FHE too (I promise I was not gaslighting him) but after Corey got home from work, Owen changed his mind cause he got some birthday cash to spend, so Corey took them to the Lego Store instead. Owen's friend Oliver came too, and Owen bought him a present, but looks like he didn't buy Peter anything... look at that sad little face! 

Poor guy. Corey made a plan with Peter to earn a $1 dollar a day for every 30 min of ukulele practice he does, so Peter's going to save money for the lego sets he wants. They're on their way home, so we'll be reading scriptures then heading to bed after they are back. Starting tomorrow we'll all try getting to bed earlier, aka by 10:30pm, cause that is when Abi needs to be in bed. Today was her last full day as a regular human cause tomorrow night she will be set apart and dedicated to sacred work as a missionary. Yes, Abi starts her mission in two days! She posted a video to her instagram of her singing a song (while we were in Chile) that she learned in Costa Rica when we lived their for the primary program

"Ama a todos con bondad, dijo El Senor..." She gets set apart tomorrow night at 7pm! Exciting

Lesson at Church

Today I gave the lesson in Relief Society. I still don't know how to make power point presentations or even google slides, so I just use the blank board on the wall and my trusty dry erase marker. Here's what all my "this and that" notes and thoughts and comments from the class looked like after we were done. 

I prayed for help and did feel the Lord help our discussion. I pray that the sisters who were in attendance today got the message they needed and that they were uplifted on their journey. So, it was good. I enjoy teaching cause it helps me have a really good week of prep and I enjoy having things to share. The message I was given to teach was Elder Eyring's "Prayers for Peace" and I studied that a lot. I felt that it was basically the same message that I prepared in April when I led the discussion for Elder Christofferson's talk "Look to God and Live". Added a few quotes from Pres Hunter (quote at end of this post), the BYU Speech this past week by Jeffrey Bednar which, as I mentioned on Friday, was SO GOOD, and President Oaks ~

Wayne joined us for dinner today. Sophi was being especially silly at dinner tonight.

My kids are all silly and strange in their own ways. Lily yesterday when she was supposed to be doing her Human Geography homework...

 Abi made a few AI photos for Katharine - 

Then turned them into coloring pages. 

Abi said "AI always makes me so snatched..." ("snatched" is lingo for skinny waist I think)

Yes Abi, you and Katharine are both very snatched in those pics, following true Disney princess form with your necks looking about the same circumfrence as your waists. 

Katharine is sure gonna miss Abi. Abi made some coloring pages for Peter too.  

The amazing Spider Peter. 

Yesterday I took a 7pm ride to the ruins, and chilled for a few in my little spot. 

I thought I'd have more time to rest at the top but I took too long on my ride. I was super slow, prob cause it was so hot (94 degrees). So I only had like 5 min at my spot cause I needed to head down before it got too dark. The sky at my spot, ahh.

Peter has been having some scary dreams lately, so we are putting on church primary music on for him again to keep scary feelings away. Today he proudly showed me the God and Satan Legos he made, with earth beneath. I can't remember who the skeleton is supposed to be.