August 2020

 We spent August trying not to melt.  It is SO unbelievably hot in our town.  The pain of having to be outside for any length of time is indescribable.  My body didn't handle it very well.  I had vertigo for four days.  The good news was I was functional this time around.  The bad news was I didn't sleep well all four nights.  So on top of being exhausted from work, both mentally and physically, I was also exhausted from sleep deprivation.  I have Meniere's Disease and it's very easy for me to think that all of the things that are going on in my head are a result of a brain tumor, rather than just benign side effects from this stupid condition that I have.  So, I freak out and start Web MDing my symptoms like a crazy person.  The heat, it turns out, triggers my symptoms.  Boy, were they triggered this month.

I learned that people with this disorder don't do well going from hot to cold to hot to cold (which is what I do all day long).  I guess my body's retaliation is to feel dizzy.   These little distractions may also be a signal to me to slow down.  Or stop.  Which I wish I could.  I really don't want to have to work this hard.  I am too old to work this hard.  I just want to work at a little shop with cute knick-knacks and no stress.  Is that so hard??

Thank you.

I have a few things in the works that may offer me some relief in the future, but for now, I will just keep driving 30 minutes to work every day of the week for the next hundred weeks until I keel over, OR DIE.

We also had many, many fires that made our air dirty and ugly and made the world feel hotter and even more unpleasant.  Ryker comes and takes my phone and brings me photos of things that are going on outside.  Kids doing weird things.  Neighbors doing weird things.  When "the sun is on fire".

KK continued to go to art classes with Kris.  This week her homework was to draw her favorite animal and water color it with her favorite colors.  I don't often know what her homework is.  She just has a little notebook where Kris makes notes.  I don't even think to ask her.  I am too overwhelmed right now.  In spite of me, she reads her notes and carries out her assignments with no help.  

She sits upstairs at the black table and watches The Masked Singer or Inside Edition while she paints.  She talks to the TV while she's watching.   She is happy when her person is singing well and she cheers for them.  Or if she is interested in a story that they are covering on Inside Edition she will say "are you kidding me?"  OR "oh my goodness, that is just awful."  Then she will come downstairs and tell me all about the two boys, her age, in Iowa, who accidentally locked themselves in their mom's trunk and almost died.  

BUT....  she fails to come down and show me her masterpieces.  I don't see them until she takes them to art class and her teacher is in shock and calls my mom in from the living room where she sits during class and they take pictures of it and send it to me.  Which is what happened when she revealed her ELEPHANT.  Literally the cutest picture I have ever seen in my whole life so far.  I am dying.  SHE IS ONLY NINE!!

Nana confiscated it immediately and is keeping it.  She already bought a frame for it and everything.  It will look so cute in her house.  My word, she is amazing.

Allie used some of her money from her millions of jobs and talked her cousin into darkening her hair.  I tried to discourage her because of the upkeep of it, but she doesn't really listen to me that much.  It does look very cute.  

Peyton's birthday was August 12th.  So we celebrated the Saturday before.  We took her to Black Bear Diner for breakfast.   She is the cutest.  She LOVES cars.  She noticed 2 very nice cars in the parking lot as we were walking in and so she told me all about them while we ate.  She also tried to guess, of the people eating in the restaurant, who would most likely be the owners of them.  Based on the type of shoes they were wearing, she established the owners.  SO FUNNY.  

She wore her favorite outfit...  She didn't want me to straighten her hair.  

Nana took her shopping.  Peyton talked her into buying her a VERY expensive game and a new case for her Switch.  

N

For her actual birthday, she had a little party.  She invited her 3 best boy friends and we took them to Arcadia to swim.  It was blazing hot, but we had a really fun time.  They had a great time.  It's a beautiful pool area.  

Peyton called Nana one day, about a month ago and said "do you know how to knit?" and Nana said "not very well why?"   Peyton said...  my birthday is coming up and I wish you could knit me something.   Nana told her to send her a picture of what she had in mind.  So Peyton sent her a picture of a beenie that she liked.  From that picture, Nana searched on the internet and found the exact beenie that Peyton was asking about.  She found out that she could buy it on Etsy.  Even though it wasn't cheap, she bought it.  

Peyton sort of forgot about it.  When she opened it, she was in shock!!  She will forever believe that Nana knitted it for her and we will never tell her otherwise.  It is so cute and she loves it.  The best part is she knows that Nana loves her so much and would almost do anything to make her happy.

I felt happy to work for such a beautiful resort that I could share with my family

The first day of school was on August 13th.  We have been out of our school routine for FIVE months and to be honest, it felt weird.  I had almost forgotten how to do their hair.  The kids were so excited and they picked out their own outfits.  It's going to be SO awesome to have our dad home with us every day now.  He can make their lunches and make sure they get to school safely.

So strange to see all the kids walking around the school with masks

                                    Peyton - 5th grade

                                                                        Kaleigh - 4th grade

Ryker - 3rd grade

They rode their bikes to school.  They were SO mad at me because I made them wear helmets.  It totally messed up their back to school hair.  They made sure to tell me several times that NONE of the other kids were wearing helmets.  Which I know is not true because I know way too many of the overprotective mothers in our neighborhood and I KNOW their kids wear helmets -- when they walk to the mailbox soooooo.

My "Instant Pot" Lover did it again.

I told him we needed to buy a super powered generator, so that we can have this meal in the event of ANY emergency.  The ultimate feel good comfort food of all time.  Even when it was legit the HOTTEST DAY OF THE DECADE... 115 degrees outside.  We can make rainy day dinners if we want to .

My sweet boy at school with his cute mask on.

He hates masks.  They make his nose run.

They make Peyton's glasses fog up.

Such sad stories, but you keep wearing them kiddos.

We don't need the stomach flu in our house either......

Aunt Tiffanie stopped in for a quick visit one Saturday and brought the kids itty bitty waffle makers, so they can make itty bitty waffles and souffles.  She brought them to celebrate the first day of school and their birthdays.  They are adorable and the kids love them...  

I just had to take a photo of this girl who still likes to have cute hair styles for school and who still likes for me to do her hair and who, for now, isn't afraid to be any one but herself

Every August, we go to Pine Valley.  We typically go up and celebrate Peyton's birthday.

But, this year it was wayyy too hot on her birthday to even think about going outside to do anything. 

I thought that we might just ditch the tradition in 2020.

Because we've ditched every tradition in 2020.

However, Raleigh surprised all of us and booked a campsite.

We started planning our food and watching the weather report.  The forecast said high of 90 with a 20% chance of rain.  Sounded delightful.

We set up the hammock and the kids rocked back and forth and took naps while they listened to music and movies on the iPad.  

Dad taught them how to start a fire with flint and steel

While the storm clouds rolled in

Papa and Nana came up just in time to start making our Hobo Dinners with steak, potatoes and carrots

We put a package of Rhodes Rolls in the dutch over and let them rise.

They grew so big they lifted the lid off of the pot.  We were reluctant to cook them because we didn't think there was any way they would cook correctly.  But, they surely did.  They were big and fluffy and SO delish.

We ate the whole pot

We made S'mores as well.  KK loved them

Poor little girl.  Ingrown toenails are the worst.

KK came to Raleigh and said "my toes hurt so bad and my big toe is fat."

Raleigh said "I will get my surgical gear and fix you up."

And she said "give me a minute, I have to take the "paint nolish" off.

I LOVE HER

KK's class had a competition building a tower.  They used straws and tape.  Her team won because theirs was the tallest at 24 inches.  I post it because of their masks.  Such obedient little children, rolling with the punches.  They don't love wearing them, but they do because we ask them to.

 I am so mad at a group of St. George Moms, who in my opinion, need to go get jobs or something, so they won't be so bored and start fights none of us want them to fight for us (I mean honestly, if I needed a group of women to fight for a cause for society, the very last group of women I would choose would be a bunch of crusty stay at home moms)....  they are protesting mask wearing like a bunch of "Karens" and calling for "No Mask Monday"  and dragging their poor little kids into their boredom protests, telling them they have rights and they can refuse to follow the direction of their teachers ... Yeah, those moms... NEED TO FREAKING KEEP THEIR TRAPS SHUT!!!!  There are kids in California and Arizona that would give anything to get to go to school right now and would gladly jump at a chance to wear a face covering if it meant they had the chance to go to school and socialize with other kids and feel a little bit normal again.  

So SHUT UP.  MASK UP.  And go get a life.  I literally am so embarrassed for you.  You give females a bad name.  Your kids are the lucky ones...  start being grateful for the blessings you have been given, lest they are suddenly taken away from ALL OF US because you think you're so cool with your "causes" and your "rights" and "using your voices" and all that garbage.  You're NOT cool.  OR smart.  Maybe take a class or learn a valuable skill or walk around and pick up some litter or something if you have so much good for NOTHING time on your hands.  I mostly can't stand women.  

Since the sun was literally hovering 3 inches from St. George in August, THIS happened to a few of our plants.  It's fine in the case of these little sad flowers.  I was never a fan to begin with...

they were like little weed bushes with silly little yellow weed flowers.

But just look at this aesthetically pleasing improvement

I can't wait until they are huge

On Saturday the 29th, I had simply had it.

I did this to our porch.  I just wanted to have hope that there are cooler days ahead and that harvest will be here soon.  

August was so hot, I could hardly function.

Maybe I have mentioned that already?

But, with that annoying exception, August was such a satisfying month for me mentally and emotionally.

I was highly productive at the workplace and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment at what we were able to change and implement.  Sam and I worked SO hard and lost 5 pounds each sweating.  I had 5 pounds to spare, she does NOT.  It is our number one goal to do everything we can to make Arcadia successful.  I have every confidence in our team to be able to do that.

It is gratifying.

It's such a great feeling to like going to work again and to have a nice boss.

The kids have done an amazing job at school.

I am so proud of them.  They are darling little children.  I could not love them more.

Raleigh's job is going SO well.  He has grasped every concept and has taken it to new heights.

We LOVE having him home and he loves being home.  

Quincey is living with us for a minute until her new home is ready to move in to. 

She took over Allie's room.  She works 40 hours a week and when she is home she stays in her room, reading books or watching old Lost episodes.  She is a quiet roommate.  She comes down late at night and talks to us.  It's fun to have her here.

Allie is THRIVING in Provo.  She has two jobs and she is always doing something fun.  She still buys shoes on a weekly basis.  This month, she sold 3 pairs of OLD shoes and made $880.00.

What a girl!!!  I like that she is a "sneakerhead".  

We are looking forward to a vacation in September and Raleigh CANNOT wait to start working on the backyard.

I really hope that football happens.  I guess there is a chance it won't.  But, I cannot imagine fall without it.  I don't want to imagine fall without it.  As it is right now, September 10th is the day.  

I enjoyed August very much, but the deeper we get into 2020 the better.  I like that the months are just moving along NOT bringing any more hardships to our lives.