Settled in...

I just saw that it's been 6 weeks since I posted!  First of all...Derrek received his mission call to COLUMBUS, OHIO!  He leaves September 19th, which is a huge blessing, considering other young men that we know who have received their calls are going 4 months later and Derrek will have only had to wait a month and a half.  And other awesome news...he'll be at the Missionary Training Center when my parents are there!  Have you ever known a missionary to get to be in the MTC with his grandparents?!?  Amazing and I can't wait to see that picture!  Derrek is ready to go.  Living here is driving him crazy.  The pace of life in Snowflake, AZ is SO much slower than in St. George and especially slower than Mesa.  I will admit that I have broken down a few times (okay, maybe more) because I feel like I have moved to a foreign country.  It isn't that foreign, though, really...I have just forgotten how it goes.  Oklahoma was a lot like it is here.  No one is in a hurry, everyone looks out for each other (or they gossip about them!), and there are just good, humble, people trying to do their best...what can be so bad about that?!?  The night Derrek moved here, we literally rolled into town, dropped off his stuff at the house, and took him to a rodeo.  That takes me to my next event...

Scott was in a rodeo!  It was fun to watch.  His boss, Jason, had signed them up for the "Calf dressing" competition.  They had to put a pair of bloomers on a calf.  It was a three-man team and Scott, Zach (a kid that worked at the Mortuary and is now on a mission to Nebraska), and Jason were the team for Silver Creek Mortuary.  It was really good advertising...especially because THEY WON!  Here's the video..
July 2012 - Pioneer Day Rodeo and other 010 from Amy Bowler on Vimeo.

Scott and Zach are the ones you see at the front of the arena.  Jason got lost with the rest of the crowd on the side and then comes running toward Zach and Scott just as they are finishing putting on the bloomers.  My favorite part of the video is seeing the calf in the yellow bloomers trotting across the screen at the end.  So funny!  It was fun to watch and they did all sorts of other fun competitions.  It was also fun because we knew some of the people participating.  Here is a picture of the three of them the next day showing their buckles off and the other picture is of the buckle.  Scott told me that at church a guy in our ward came up to him and said "yours is pretty nice, but I'll still take mine".  We found out that his was from a WORLD CHAMPION Bucking Brono.  His name is Craig Click and then we also found out that Cody Hancock, WORLD CHAMPION Bull Rider is also in our ward!  I've seen Cody ride in Vegas a couple of times.  Very weird that he is in our Ward!  I serve in the Primary with his wife.  She's great.  Scott is still proud of his buckle and so happy to give Silver Creek Mortuary a little more advertising.  Scott and Zach didn't think they had a chance because there were some real cowboys in the competition that handle calves all the time, but it came down to not being tricked by the announcer and seeing the calves coming out and Zach literally diving for the tail of the calf they caught.

I love going to the rodeos here (and other events for that matter).  I think it is because there is a huge sense of patriotism that seems lost, especially living in the Phoenix area.  Prayers are said at public events, the flag is pledged to, and there is a sense of gratefulness to be in this great country and for those who serve us to keep it free.  I am really glad my boys get to have a sense of that.  It seems rare these days with everyone trying to be "politically correct" and not offend those that don't believe in God.  I am grateful to be surrounded by others who have a sense of gratefulness to God (no matter what religion they belong to) and are thankful for this country and what it stands for.  Such a blessing.

Other news...we were able to go to a Steurer family reunion at Bear Lake, ID.  For one afternoon we were all able to be there.  We weren't sure everyone was going to be able to be there because my brother, Geoff, had to have surgery to have a mass removed (turned out to be infected stitches that didn't dissolve from a surgery 20 years ago!).  Andy was at Lacrosse camp, Chad had work meetings, Craig couldn't take very much time off, etc.  So, we were able to take pictures the afternoon everyone was here...


We did tons of fun things besides waterskiing.  We played a live version of angry birds, scavenger hunt, two birthdays, giant bubbles, lots of ipad (we counted at least 8 ipads at the cabin and at least 14 iphones! SAD!), games, pool, air hockey, and movies.  I was so grateful Scott had a week off from work, especially since he had just started at this job.  My parents really wanted everyone to come because it was our last hoorah before everyone starts going different directions.  My parents are headed to Rome, Italy for their mission, Derrek is leaving on his, and then my boys start graduating and moving on in the next couple of years.  It was good to be together.  Dallen also got to see a really good friend of his when we lived in St. George, Ashton Loosli.

  Ashton's family goes to Bear Lake every July and we were literally just a mile south of them in another cabin.  Saren was so nice to go and pick up Ashton from Scout camp early so that he and Dallen could spend a little time together.  There was a huge storm and they were out on the lake paddle-boarding and got swept out to the middle of the lake because of the wind...and they weren't wearing life jackets.  Poor Saren was freaking out, especially since Ashton knew they needed to have life jackets on.  Someone on a jet ski was nice and pulled them back to shore.  Whew!  Saren kept telling me, "not on my watch!".  It was scary.  But, they had fun and it was just like old times.  We miss them.  We also did family Olympics.  Here is our family flag that we made for it.  Actually the boys made the flag.  Scott and I were too tired and it was 10:30pm and the boys stayed up and worked on it...it turned out great!

Do you see the SADACAD?  Stands for "Scott, Amy, Derrek, Alec, Calvin, Ashton, Dallen"  The "S" and the "A" are in the torch.  Calvin said he worked the whole time on the flames.  They did great.  The kids said that one of their favorite things at Bear Lake was using Uncle Mike's helmet camera.  They loved being able to video their "run".  They also loved trying out grandpa's surfboard so they could try wake surfing.  I think, of the boys, Derrek was the only one that finally got the hang of it.  We got lots of sun and toward the end of the week we stayed inside more than we were outside.  My kids that would say they didn't need sunscreen were lathering on 50 by the end of the week!  It was a good time, and glad for those memories.

The boys started school on August 9th, just to be home on August 10th!  We started school on a Thursday and then this year the high school doesn't have school on Fridays unless you have below a "C" in any class, then you go and get help in that class on Fridays to get your grade up.  So, they started on Thursday, and were home on Friday.  Dallen has to go on Fridays, but only for 1/2 a day.  It's a crazy schedule.  No one could figure out why they didn't just start that next Monday.  In a way it was good because it got the jitters out and come Monday, they all knew where to go and what to do.  It was almost like Thursday was a trial run.  We just measured Calvin the other day because he was just sure he was taller than Scott...Scott is still 1/4" taller than Calvin!  That means Calvin is 6'4 1/2"...Scott is 6'4 3/4".  I am sure, though, that Calvin is not done growing.  Alec is a good 6'3" and Ashton is catching up fast.  He's taller than me and I'm 5'8".  Dallen is getting close to passing me up, too.  Alec is a Senior this year, Calvin is a Junior, Ashton is a Freshman, and Dallen is in 7th. They are doing well in adjusting.  Calvin had a breakdown once, but he still keeps going and tries to keep positive.  This is their third school in three years.  I can't imagine how hard that is.  I would hate it and probably not handle it as well as they have.  It helps that it is a small school and they already knew a few kids from church.  Calvin has already been asked if he does drugs (smokes weed) or drinks and I just told Calvin "see, it's like every other school!".  For some reason, he's the one that gets asked that.  Good thing he's a good kid and doesn't care about that stuff.

Alec is working at the Mortuary with Scott.  He works on Fridays and after school a couple days a week.  Calvin is still looking for a job and has been taking yard work jobs to earn some money.  Of course, he didn't realize that yard work here is much different than in Mesa or St. George...yard work consists of 2-3 acres of mowing and weeding!  He spent 8 hours (5 hours Dallen helped) at one house.  The couple he helped, the Rowleys, are a couple in our ward.  They are retired school teachers and you can tell.  They were very patient with the boys who didn't know how to use a hoe, and taught them some good skills.  Brother Rowley was a shop teacher and has some great woodworking pieces and showed his treasures to the boys.  Sister Rowley was a reading teacher and she is fiesty!  I love her to death.  She's great and whips the boys into shape real fast!

As you can see, we have obviously been able to move into the house in Taylor, thanks to my parents who actually own the house.  It is so nice to be able to put things in a place and not live out of a cooler for a fridge and boxes for cupboards (thank you mom and dad!).  We are really liking it here.  The boys especially love all the critters we seem to keep finding.  The boys have brought home 4 tarantulas (that I can remember), a couple snakes (one was lost in the house for a day...found this morning!), caterpillars...at least 40 or more hoping to see them cocoon and turn into butterflies, and bats!  Here is a picture of Calvin playing with one that came in the house...

It was almost as if we have been invading their space.  The house has been empty for a year and so it is to be expected that there have been some critters that call this home!  Dallen has caught MANY lizards and is so happy to explore...just hope the rattlesnakes stay away.  We have been told by several ward members that we need to get at least one "fixed" cat to keep the mice away so that the snakes stay away.  We were also warned that we shouldn't get too attached to the cat just in case the owls come and take it!  Circle of life around here!  Someone in our ward has kittens that have been raised outside and when I think we can get the thing fixed, we'll see if we can take one of hers.  We'll see...the more critters the better, I guess!

Just had to show a picture of our backyard!  We do have neighbors right next door.  They are nice and they have an Australian Shepherd, too...but we aren't supposed to interact with it because he's training it for something (I got my info from the kids).  But, every now and then Shep and their dog are able to converse at the fence :).

Scott got called as Young Men's president.  He is excited about serving with the youth.  It's good for the boys, too.  We have a really good group of kids.  They are all hard working and love to serve.  Their parents are the same.  I got called to be Primary Pianist.  Of all the callings, this one is hard for me.  I don't enjoy playing the piano.  I get stage fright and I am a perfectionist and it doesn't matter how much I practice, when it comes to performance time...I screw it up and can't do it perfect and get frustrated!  But, it humbles me and makes me work hard at getting better and for that I'm grateful.  Plus, I love the Primary songs and have them stuck in my head all the time (as well as my family, too!).  We are always humming Primary songs because I have to practice a lot and it's always in our heads...how can that be bad?

I think that is all for the past six weeks.  It rains every day here, which is good.  We have some wicked lightning and thunder.  It's freaked out the boys (especially Alec) a few times.  But, it passes quickly and life goes on.  We love having a temple close by and are grateful to be here.  I really haven't seen the boys this happy for a few years.  They are really taking to the small town.  Who would have thought?!?  The Lord knows :)