I am so excited about August. We finally have so many fun things to report on and we did many fun activities over the course of the last 31 days. I feel very pleased with our progress. First of all, I had TWO days off in the month of August. We have a hard time observing real holidays on the actual holiday in this industry because the actual holidays are our busiest days. So we observe them on different random days when we are not as busy. In August, we observed Juneteenth and Columbus Day.
Who's complaining? NOT ME!!! It was awesome. I was able to get so many projects completed on those days off. I decorated for Fall. And I am not even sorry about it. Things look so much cuter around here with some Harvest Decor.
Peyton's traditional birthday celebration in Pine Valley was forceably changed this year
due to Pine Valley catching on fire earlier in the Summer.
We have been lamenting for several months about how our favorite campground will most
likely never look the same in our lifetime. It is heartbreaking.
We were so sad to have to find an alternative location for our August birthday observance.
We chose Sheepherders Ranch in the Mountains of Cedar City.
It was actually breathtakingly gorgeous and we were so happy to be up there
in 80 degree weather all by ourselves with no one around for miles except for a very
large herd of sheep
Some of us played cornhole
Of course she found some darling flowers resembling
Edelweiss
We all ate delicious campground food
and tried not to start the mountain on fire with our
sparks and embers. Nana was a wreck actually.
Thus the photo up above where Rals is carrying a rusty
bucket full of sick, brown ground water just in case.
We had a magnificent day and it was the perfect way to wrap up
Summer Vacation.
This year, the first day of school WAS NOT on Peyton's birthday.
We have a sophomore, freshman and an 8th grader this year and that is so fun.
Peyton is at the high school and the other two are at the middle school
which conveniently are in the same general area and share a gigantic
parking lot which makes the big sister driving every one to school in the mornings
all the more easy and stress free for everyone involved.
How cute is this?
They didn't even plan to be twinners
Papa and Nana ordered a gigantic yard sign to celebrate
the 16 year old's birthday. It was so darling. She is so darling.
Her birthday, every year, is swallowed up in first days of school chaos
and madness and she takes it very well.
We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and then stopped at Fiiz for sodies
on the way home. She got a gas card and hundreds of dollars in gift cards to
various restaurants so when she leaves campus for lunch, she can use them to
fine dine. This has been a dream of hers since she realized this was going to be a thing
in her future teenage life. And she has been planning on and looking forward to this life event for probably 10 years. The time has finally arrived. She couldn't be happier.
Peyton arranged her A day schedule SO well.
She has seminary 3rd period and her 4th period is an online class, so
she is finished with school at 1:20 on those days.
I solicited her help on the very first day of school.
I was decorating a home in Desert Color and I was struggling
a bit, so she came out and helped me lift the heavy things.
I love when I pile up my things that I have brought to decorate with
by the front door. First, I stand back and think "man, I have so many cute
things" and then I start picking and choosing from the inventory
what looks good where.... it's like I am shopping at a store for the just right
things to go on the just right shelf.
There was a limit to the number of items we could fit in the truck.
Truth be told I should have made 3 truck loads.
But it is such hard work. Especially in August.
It was so fun though. The best day actually. I will never
forget how much fun we had. And it turned out so well.
My bosses gave me a $100 gift card and a thank you note.
So nice. I will buy some boots
Finally the big day arrived.
The day we have all been waiting for.
I can't believe we have a teen driver in the family again.
Bring on the endless chores
Starting with.... but not limited to
take these children to school
Now that the house is quiet during the day,
Raleigh got busy with the backyard project.
We have been neglecting our backyard for far too long.
We were super gung-ho in the very beginning but fizzled out not long
after we started and it has just been sitting there in the fizzled out phase
for like 2 years.
Anyway, he got busy working on it and we have a goal to have it all done
by the time the weather starts cooling down, so we can enjoy our fall evenings
in our beautiful outdoor space like we used to do in our old house.
It's been way too long.
Right after the first mosoon day which was delightful.
More to come. All new plants and trees up on the hill and seating.
around the fire pit.
I cannot wait.
This month I was called to be the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society Presidency.
I am going to continue to teach Sunday School as well on the off weeks because
I love that and it makes me so happy and forces me to keep up with the studies.
I have been super busy with meetings and trainings.
I am determined to let this change me for the better.
I don't love women.
Sorry, but I just don't.
Come to find out, I am not super alone in my thinking. There are actually
several of us who share this sentiment. Nevertheless, I will try and overcome my
feelings as I serve the women of our ward and finger's crossed, I will
have some good experiences along the way. I am determined to try at least.
Ryker is continuing to live his best life.
He has all kinds of really good friends that invite him to far off adventures.
He is also neck deep in football.
Practicing in 120 degree weather with full gear on sounds
HORRIBLE to me, but he loves every minute of it.
He and his pack, jump on their eBikes and ride on down to the high school
in their pads and helmets. I only allow him to do so because he is
SO protected haha... I hate when he rides his bike places.
He is at least 6 inches taller this year than he was last year and he took
all of this weight up with his growth spirt. He is so tall and skinny now.
I don't know how he will do as a defensive lineman this year with almost no weight.
We will see.
We think he will be the kicker again.
BOOOOOOOO!
I hate being the mom of the kicker.
But truthfully, his left footed kicks are simply the best.
What can you say?
We had a big meeting at work.
It was really fun to have all 58 of us in one room.
I taught a break out session
We had a lovely breakfast and our bosses gave out prizes.
I won and "go home 2 hours early" coupon
which I immediately cashed in so that we could go to our
ward temple night 4:45 session on the 19th.
We also attended the sealing of a man in our ward
who was sealed to his wife who died last year.
The Young Men/Women had a "Where's Waldo" activity
in Walmart where the leaders had to disguise themselves and
blend in and they kids had to find them in various parts of the store.
I will let the photos speak for themselves
SO FUNNY
Peyton was asked to HOCO by a friend who used to be in our ward
3 or 4 ward splits ago.
She LOVES cars and she especially loves lego cars.
How cute that he bought her lego cars and worked so hard on the
flame on that cute poster.
I have been wondering how this day would go for
several years.
She doesn't like wearing dresses.
She doesn't like wearing makeup.
She doesn't like curling her hair.
I was shocked and overwhelmed with excitement when
she asked the next morning if I wanted to go dress shopping.
I couldn't get in the car fast enough.
I prepped myself for lots of argument, maybe some tears
and for sure frustration.
We met her two friends and their moms at Dillards.
We were there first and so I just started grabbing dresses.
And I kept saying... just for fun, lets just try this one for fun.
And to my utter dismay, she was SO agreeable and very willing.
We found a dress that we both loved in 23 minutes.
I could not believe it.
AND..... IT HAS A BOW ON IT!!!
I am dying that she let me buy her a dress with a BOW!!
It is very her.....I mean except for the bow.
But gosh it is great.
She will look her very cutest after we curl her hair and put
mascara and blush on her.
I was having so much fun with her, I also bought her a strapless bra
and two pairs of jeans.
She can wear them on the day date.
We worked hard on her response....
So clever✅
My design opportunity for August was a home in Entrada.
It is a gorgeous home and I decorated on a dark, rainy day.
Dark rainy days in Santa Clara/Ivins are indescribable.....
meaning there are no adequate words to do justice to the beauty of the
red rock hills against a dark cloudy sky. It doesn't even look real.
I took a couple of pictures of the downpour from the front of the home
while I was taking a break.
The house was like 110 degrees inside and outside it was 68.
I LOVE MONSOON SEASON!!
Look at this view from the living room and the master bedroom
It's a cute little house
It was a quick, fun project
And that is how we ended this month that was SO fun and
we made so many fun memories and had some great adventures.
I love this second half of the year so much more than the first half that
is always super boring and uneventful.
I love that the weather will be cool from here to the end of the year.
We also have some fun events planned in the months ahead.
This month my studies took me to the Priesthood and it was fascinating.
At first I was reluctant to even start because "what does the Priesthood
have to do with me"? I ignorantly thought.
And then I started to dig into it.
John 3:5 tells us that no man (or woman) can enter into
The Kingdom of God unless he be born of water and of the spirit.
Baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost.
Well luckily for us, the Priesthood can help us with that.
And that very much pertains to me.
Brad Wilcox recently taught the youth that when Jesus comes again
to the earth and introduces himself to all of the people who have never
even heard his name and for sure didn't know that they needed to be
baptised.
And definitely haven't known the gift that it is to have His spirit
be with them all the days of their lives...
There will be 1.2 billion folks who will be begging and pleading
to be baptised and Jesus will say...
"Where are my covenant keepers?"
"Where are my Priesthood Holders?"
I need you now.
And our cute priests will get to work.
What an amazing day that will be for some people.
And then temple work will explode.
And that very much will pertain to me.
And with that let's move on to September and see what fun
adventures we can get into.
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