End of Summer

I realized, once again, that I haven't posted things that have happened.  We had a REALLY fun reunion with the Bowler family at Jacob Lake.  I only had two kids there!  Calvin decided to not come with us because he was moving the next few days after we got back and he felt it would be too stressful for him...Here are some of the pictures from that...

Watching the herd of buffalo

The whole group!!!  Jennie and Wes and their 2 kids were the only family not represented.

 They took a day and went to the North Rim.  I didn't feel like going...been there a million times and just wanted to relax, so I got to snuggle with Marcus.  The rest of them got to see a herd of Buffalo.  Dallen LOVED this because we watch nature shows all the time and to see them live was a treat (especially for my animal loving son!).  There were plenty of other things...catching critters, playing with cousins, writing letters to missionaries (we have 4 out in the family!).  We had a movie night, made paracord bracelets.  That was fun!  Lots of games, food, some napping, showers, rain, and a great weekend.  

Megan, Zac, Ashton, Jeremy, Dallen, Paul

Dallen with Aunt Kathie

The "cool" 16 year olds (Emma escaped the picture!)

Movie night...

Dallen writing to the missionaries

Dallen and his buddy

Cami LOVED that Dallen and Ashton wanted to take a picture with her.

It really was a fun time and I'm glad we got to go.  It's always iffy because of the car or work or something else always comes up, but we were grateful we were able to go.

We got home and a couple days later, I ended up heading down to the Valley to move Calvin.  I literally had 24 hours to move him.  I got off work at 3 from my bookkeeping job, got Calvin and all his stuff, said goodbye to Scott, got to Heidi's to spend the night, ran to the mall to buy school clothes for Dallen because he was starting school in less than a week, woke up early the next morning, dropped off Calvin and his stuff and made it back to Taylor 5 minutes before I had to go to work at my other job!  Here are some pictures of that 24 hours :)

Calvin saying goodbye to his dad

Calvin moving his stuff in...

All moved in!

Dallen having a little fun on the drive home.  He and Alec used to do this...put pieces of chips on the end of their fingers and have the wind hold them there.  Entertainment for at least a good hour!

Calvin is doing good there.  He and his roommate are working out the kinks.  It's hard getting used to how others do things.  But, they are learning.  The first week was hard for him.  He didn't have a job and was super stressed because he literally used his last dollar to move into the apartment.  He had to put about $600 or more into his car right before the move and it about killed him!  But, he needed the car and we sacrificed going to St. George to be there for my parent's homecoming, so that we could help him get settled and a little money so that he could buy gas to go look for a job.  I don't think I have ever seen him hit the pavement so hard to look for a job!  He had a job within 5 days.  He is working at "Queen Creek Cafe".  He moved to San Tan Valley and I didn't realize how far south it was from Phoenix.  It took us an hour and a half to get to his apartment from Heidi's house!  That was hard because he was homesick the first week and had no gas money to go visit family.  He survived, though :).  Anyway, his job...he started out as prepping/dishwashing/grunt and within a week, they moved him up to a cook.  He was even training another new kid!  His days at Celebrations and Sonic have really helped him for this job.  Today, he told us that they are now training him as a bouncer!  What?!?  A bouncer?!  I have ALWAYS thought Calvin should do something in law enforcement or something like that.  We even tried to get him a job as a corrections officer at the jail just a 1/2 hour away.  Anyway, he can't do it on his own until he turns 19 because it's against the law for him to work in the bar area until he's 19, but he can train...that's legal.  He said last night he had to break up a Samoan guy and a much smaller guy and he was freaking out!  But, he did it and everything went well.  So, we'll see what happens with all that.  He really is doing good and he's happy.  I love that he calls and tells us.  

The next week, school started.  My parents got home from their mission the same week, also.  They got home on Tuesday, and school started Wednesday.  Actually, my parents got delayed in Rome and missed their flight in Paris, so they didn't get home until Wednesday, but they are home and off visiting grandbabies they haven't seen yet!  

Dallen and Ashton are in high school this year.  It is AWESOME having all my kids in one school again.  It hasn't happened since they were all in Elementary together (Dallen went to pre-school at that school, too!).  Plus, our high school has Fridays off and now all my kids have Fridays off!  If we wanted a 3-day weekend, we could take it!  Anyway, they are really liking their classes this year.  Ashton said his favorite is film and media class.  I could totally see Ashton liking that.  Dallen said he really likes having Seminary last.  He said "I just come home happy!".  I think he's the first of my children to EVER say something like that.  He is happy, though, and if it's because of seminary, then that is even better.  Here is a picture of their first day...

Dallen - Freshman, Ashton - Junior (August 6, 2014)

That's about all the news we have here.  Derrek and Alec are doing well on their missions.  Alec will be turning 20 next week!  I can't believe I'll have another in his 20's.  Those two have sure grown into amazing young men.  I love watching them and am grateful I get to be a part of their life.  Work is going good.  I have realized how to balance things.  I gave a lesson a few months ago in Relief Society and it was about visiting teaching.  There is a great talk from Sister Julie Beck that she gave at a Women's Conference I was able to go to and she gave the analogy of the rocks, pebbles, sand, water and if you don't put the right things as a priority, it will never fit, but if you put the rocks in (the important things, the must do), then the pebbles (the less important, but still need to be done), the sand (the "nice to do" things) and the water (everything left over to do), then you will find you can get it all done.  Anyway, I have a pile of rocks in a jar by my kitchen sink to remind me of this because I knew I get out of balance.  I was way out of balance since starting these two jobs.  I was feeling out of balance and just felt like I wasn't paying attention to the things that I feel should be a priority and I have reorganized myself to take care of those things first.  For me those things are going to the temple, doing my visiting teaching, visiting other sisters that I think of, church, scripture study, etc.  I have demanded time for those and all the other things seem to fall into place.  I have found time to exercise whereas before it was nearly impossible.  I have found time to bake and take things to others.  I have found time to hang out with my kids and be a little more present.  I have found time to go on dates with Scott.  We even found time to go help someone save his corn (story below).  All the while, I have been able to have all my hours at work and do all these things.  It's not all perfect, but I have definitely felt the wisdom from the words of Sister Beck and am grateful for that guidance.  

I just have to show this pretty picture of what we get to see daily here during July and August.  Along with it comes some nasty rain and wind if you are under it! As you can see...someone is getting it!  We had a HUGE storm come through our neighborhood and it was crazy!  A member of our ward planted a large garden this year and when that storm came through, it came so fast that the rain made mud which allowed the wind to blow over his corn.  I got a phone call from a sister asking to send out a text (that's my job in the RS) to all the sisters to see who could help save the corn. We had about an hour before it got dark (he didn't think he could save it and another member of our ward convinced him it could be saved).  It really sounded so funny to me, but I knew it needed to be done.  I love our ward because the minute the sisters got the message, there were 10 cars there!  Scott and I were on our way back from a movie and stopped and grabbed Dallen and went to save some corn (stood it back up and packed dirt/mud around it).  It was definitely a first!  It was fun.  My allergies did not like me, so I came home and took a couple benedryl and went to bed!  But, I would do it all over again :)