Grateful Friday

 I'm grateful that I get to work on this master's degree.  Sometimes I feel like my progress stalls a little, but overall, I think it is going pretty well.  My favorite thing is when I learn something that I immediately want to apply in my classroom.

That's the point after all.

I'm getting excited for school to start.  This always seems to happen.  I enjoy the break (although this "break" has been a lot of studying) and when July hits, my mind moves toward the new school year.  By the time August hits, I'm all in.

I guess it's a good thing to like my job.

One big perk of my job are the friends I've made.

Janelle and I are going to a play together tomorrow.  Friends are wonderful and I am grateful for mine.

I'm very grateful for family today.

I'm grateful we got to go see Braeden and Anna (and QE).  I'm grateful for the covenants and love that binds us all together.  I'm grateful for the larger net of love and support that ties us to all of our family.  

It really is a beautiful thing when you have about 20 people you could call if you were in desperate straits.

Mark came over the other night and had dinner with us.

I'm grateful for that kid.

He stretches me in ways only he can stretch me.  He always has.  I feel like this summer so far has been good for him.  He has learned lessons and grown in new ways and I'm grateful.

That's the point after all.

Art curating

 In the absence of any more of my own very average knock off paintings, I am collecting some originals from two bright young talents.

They mostly work in pen and ink and have a proclivity for hotel room stationery.

The Emma Jayne original is from San Diego.  The other is straight from the pen of QE.

Rising stars, both of them.

Yooootah

 I have that hit by a truck feeling of driving all day.  Here's hoping I rally and get something done.

We stopped by and said good-bye on our way out of town.  As they did every morning, Braeden was outside waiting for us with QE.  She would hold her arms out to us and I don't know who was happier to see who.

I read her a few stories and we chatted a little, then it was time to go.  QE wanted to get in Papa's car.  She wanted to go to Nana and Papa's hotel.  When she realized we were leaving, she cried mournfully, "I want to go to Yooootah!"

When we drove away, she was wagging her finger no no no and crying.

It about killed me.

Besides that, we had a nice trip home.  I drove from Reno to Winnemucca and Adam drove the rest.  We listened to podcasts and music and talked.

We like being together.

The sky is gloomy here today, which feels about right.  I need to do all the housekeeping things that need doing after being gone a week.

I need to rejoin the ranks of the teachers working on masters degrees.

California dreamin'

Yesterday when QE woke up, Braeden said she started saying, "Nana?"

We picked her up and took her out on the town.  We went to a new park Adam had found because he is not one for conventions.  We had wanted to go to the Children's Museum, but it is closed on Mondays.  Our next idea was the public library, but it was closed Monday morning.  We went to a great park that was connected to a rose garden.  

The playground was way more interesting than the roses to our young charge, but she took some gigantic sniffs of the roses.

Our main job was just following her at the park.  She is fearless and sturdy and knows her own mind.  She did not want to swing, thank you very much.

It was getting warm and the only way we could entice her back to the car, was to talk about getting a drink.  I now have a playlist on my phone of her music, because she has opinions of what she wants to listen to!  Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Popcorn Popping, Five Little Ducks, Baby Beluga.  She doesn't want us to sing the songs, she wants them "on the radio."  This is a generation of children that will know nothing except on demand media.  I was switching between Amazon Music and the Children's Songbook on my phone like a DJ.

We went to IKEA which is air conditioned as well as colorful and interesting.  She happily held our hand the whole time and would look earnestly in our faces to ask if she could sit in a chair before she left our side.

Our own children were never so well behaved, but they weren't perfect like she is.

We got her some meatballs and mashed potatoes and peas.  She was mostly interested in the peas, but ate everything like the good little eater she is.  We could tell her battery was about to run down and we had promised Braeden we would get her home before her nap, so we took her home and kept her chatting on the drive.

In the late afternoon we went with Braeden to take some dinner to Anna at work.  Braeden is a fast walker with a long stride and it was over 100 degrees and I was flagging.  I gathered all my courage to make it back to the car and then Braeden said, in his chipper way that we were walking to the restaurant.  He said, "It's really close."

Narrator:  it wasn't.

Again, me trying to keep up with his long legs.  We finally made it and had delicious tacos, which was exactly what I had been wanting.  

I read to QE and helped a little to bathe her and we put her to bed.  Braeden showed us some of the research he has been doing and then I got exceedingly tired and we went back to our hotel.

We were driving back and Adam, apparently pondering what Braeden had shown us, said, "He's a smart kid."

I'm barely smart enough to understand all that Braeden tells us about so we all know where that smart kid got so smart....

Today we are driving all the way back to Utah.  We have responsibilities calling.  I don't know how we're going to say good-bye.

Weekend

You just really never know what is around the bend.

Friday we found out Braeden and Anna weren't going to be able to come to Nevada/Utah after all.  They were sad and we were sad.  Adam is the king of spontaneity (I mean, compared to me, but compared to me maybe everyone is the king of spontaneity).  He said, "What if we go to California?  Right now?"

I said, "Why not?"

(Because it's been almost 30 years of exposure therapy and maybe I'm getting more spontaneous.)

We considered for about 10 seconds and then texted Braeden.  Then we talked to them.  Adam said, "We were just wondering if we should turn left or right when we leave."

Braeden said, "Let us know."

Adam said, "We're coming."

And so we were.

We quickly loaded up the car and grabbed the stuff we needed.  We had packed clothes for working outside in Nevada more than 100+ degree heat in California's Central Valley, but that didn't stop us.

We had a nice drive.  We talked to Emma and got audio book recommendations from her and listened to an Agatha Christie story.  I pointed out the Truckee's silvery rills to Adam and he said, "That's one rill."

Then we rounded the bend and I said, "See, lots of rills."

I also pointed out wild horses because he had told me earlier he'd never seen any.  He was slightly disappointed.  He said, "I was expecting them to be majestic and rearing up in the air."

I said, "No.  They're just ugly."

QE was asleep by the time we rolled up to see our kids, but we were very happy to see the adults anyway.  We talked awhile and it was so nice to see them and hug them and soak up their goodness.

Saturday morning Braeden texted us multiple times:  We are awake so come over any time.  He and I were cut out of the same cloth.  We had a bagful of groceries we had brought from Nevada because we were expecting guests.  QE was a little timid when she saw us in 3D instead of over FaceTime, but she warmed up when she helped us unpack the groceries.  Then I read to her.  I know the way to that girl's heart.

And she knows the way to mine.

After awhile we went to a park (a shady park) and she and I traversed to some bushes.  She picked up as many pinecones as she could carry, then they all dropped and she decided to get her "favorite."  She is amazingly verbal.  She speaks more in leaps and bounds since last time we saw her, plus Anna is her mother.  They said watching home videos of themselves at her age that she has a sunny disposition like toddler Braeden and is verbose like toddler Anna.

When we got back to their apartment, she said, "I want Papa to carry me."

That one sentence made the entire trip worth it to Adam.

We had lunch and QE napped and Adam and I headed to Walmart.  We each bought a swimsuit (it was an ugly swimsuit but it was 102 degrees and QE wanted to swim at Nana and Papa's so what was I going to do?  (We always stay at the same hotel here and I think she thinks it is our house.)

I also bought a pair of sandals.

Walmart chic for the win.

After her nap, QE went with Nana and Papa.  She was zooming around their apartment chanting, "I'm too big for the pool!" because she was excited to go swimming.  We came to our hotel and she was so enamored with the pen and paper Papa gave her that she had lost all interest in swimming.  I finally got her to consent to being changed into her swimsuit and she was much more willing for sunscreen than her father ever was.  We walked down the hall toward the pool and she practically danced and kept saying, "Off we go!  Off we go!"

She loved swimming, like she has every time we've taken her.  I think it is the Davis/Neilan in her.  She has zero amount of fear or hesitation.  She laughed and squealed the entire time.

We eventually came back inside and into dry clothes.  I gave her a toy unicorn set I'd bought at Walmart and she loved it.  She climbed into the bed and kept putting the mama pony and the daddy pony and the pink pony and the purple pony to bed.  She said, "Now stay in bed," then seconds later, she would pull them out of the covers and say, "Wake up! Wake up!"

I could just watch her and listen to her chatter all day.

We met up with Braeden and Anna at MOD for dinner and when they met us at the car and opened the door, she said, "I want to be with Nana and Papa."

So we've finally arrived as grandparents!

At dinner she sat between us, but climbed under the table a few times to be between her parents.

Grandparenting just keeps getting better.

Sunday morning, Adam was still sleeping and my glasses had fallen off the nightstand and I stepped on them in the darkened room.

So that wasn't fabulous.

We took Braeden and Anna's friend George to church.  They usually give him a ride, but he lives right by our hotel.  George is 90 and has been blind with glaucoma for the past 15 years.  (Contemplating that put my bent beyond wearable glasses into perspective.) We were telling him about our visit.  We told him how happy we were to see QE and he said, "That little girl is a blessing in all of our lives."

We told him we had taken her swimming and he said, "Well, I hope you're careful.  Are you being careful?"

We assured him we were.  Tight grip the entire time.

Anna wasn't feeling well so Adam took her home, Braeden had elder's quorum president duties and I (at great personal sacrifice) took QE to nursery.  There were no other kids and no nursery leaders so it was just us.  At one point, I said, "I'm just going to text Papa."

She said happily, "I yuv Papa."

He joined us and we had a grand time.

Adam snapped this picture of Braeden walking George to the car after church.  I'm glad he did.  Knowing George through Braeden and Anna has enriched all of our lives.

I enjoyed listening from the backseat to Adam and George chat when we drove him home.   He told us about different life experiences he has had that gave him character and he said, "Life isn't meant to be a silk blanket."

He told Adam about meeting the missionaries and about the courage that God gives to him.

He said, "People are so good to me.  People like your son.  Now that is a good man.  That Braeden.  He is hard to beat as a person."

I couldn't agree more. 

QE and parents took a nap and Adam and I drove to Sacramento where there was a Lenscrafters which was open.  They repaired my glasses and I was beyond happy about it.  I had felt very lost without being able to see well.

We enjoyed the rest of the day/evening together.  Adam cooked some lasagna in our aggressively air conditioned hotel room and we shared QE's first ice cream with her.  She said, "I yuv chocolate!"

She pretty much yuvs everything and we love her!

Grateful Friday

Adam took this picture last night and I think it was after the best of the sunset was over.  Still so pretty!

Yesterday Marianne called me and asked how I was doing.  I said, "I have the mopes!"

She said, "Because you are here but aren't seeing any of us?"

I said, "Yes!"

Out of an abundance of caution, we don't want to disrupt Braeden and Anna and QE's trip by exposing them to any illness, so we are staying away.

Sad.

We are still having a nice time and I feel grateful to be here.

Yesterday I worked a bit on my degree and Adam and I went to Elko.  Our goal was to get a vial to test our water, but they were closed because Juneteenth had thrown off their week.  We did get the vial but can't take the water back any time soon.  Baby steps though.  It's ALL about baby steps around here.

We ran a few errands for my mom and got more groceries for us in line with our new plans.

We got the peanut butter Adam likes because we only have the peanut butter here that I like.  Things like that.

As ever, I enjoyed being with Adam.  We are getting to know Elko.  It is different than the Elko I grew up with but we're figuring it out.  The lady we talked to about getting our water tested said that there were two other companies that test water that are in the terraces.  We nodded like we knew where the terraces are.

We don't.

At all.

But we know a lot of locals.

Adam and I worked on our computers when we got home, then he went to mow some more and I did a little trimming and weeding.  I made about an eight foot length of ground bordering the house look pretty good.  I told Adam if we were here all the time, I think we could really make a dent!

But we're not here, so we do what we can.

We ate dinner and played Phase 10 and watched the trailers for several PBS shows (PBS is our jam) that look good, but after every one Adam would tell me how long it was and I would say, "I'm too tired."

We ended up watching an episode of Frasier because old shows are also our jam.  The only new shows we have any interest in are baking shows and Abbott Elementary.  

I'm glad we have each other.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how people are really the thing that matters most.  It is our relationships that make our life better.

I am grateful for the impact of people I don't even know.  A reader of my blog, also a teacher, left a comment the other day that she got her Curriculum and Instruction Master's Degree from WGU a few years ago and she sent me encouragement.  (Thanks Janeal!)  Her kindness matters.

Stephanie sent me this picture the other day.  She said, "You look like the prom queen!"

I very much don't but it was a very Stephanie thing to say and I love her.

ThelMoMA

We are back in the land of the setting sun.  It is so nice to be here!  All of our Nevada family is either sick or has been sick so we are having to alter our plans and I feel disappointed that we won't spend as much time with everyone as I was wanting, but we don't want to make Braeden's family sick!  We briefly visited my parents before we took things seriously so we'll know by tomorrow if we're going to get sick too.

Nothing like reading up on the internet and feeling like you're suddenly the expert.

In the meantime, I'll just enjoy my happy little spot.

I love the way the summer afternoon light mellows the logs.  I took these pictures yesterday.

The chubby cookie jar and the mixer are from my grandma.  The fact that the mixer is a lamp is my brilliant dad's doing.  I love this little place!

The mock orange is blooming outside the kitchen window while I was washing dishes last night.  A butterfly and fat bumblebee danced around the flowers and it made me very happy.

I hung up my paintings (and I painted another one while Adam was in Phoenix.  This is who I am now I guess).

When Emma saw my latest painting, in her clever with words way said, "Soon the ThelMoMA will be complete."

So here are three exhibits in my museum of modern art.

This is in our bedroom:

This is in the little hall on the way to our room:

This is at the end of the main hall:

What I really want to do is read

 I miss reading.  And I don't mean articles and pages in textbooks about curriculum and instruction.  I've been doing a lot of that kind of reading.

Also, I've been doing laundry and tending my plants and cleaning the kitchen and checking in with my kids and gathering all the things to take to Nevada (we're heading back today) and planning a menu and shopping for all the food because our very favorite California residents are coming to visit!

It's busy, but a really happy busy because I'm excited to see them.

I also had a phone conversation yesterday with the instructor for one of my WGU classes.  I needed help with an assignment.  I didn't want to need help, but that is irrelevant.

We talked and I asked her questions and I said, "OK, I just have one more question."

She stopped me and gave me a lecture about how it was her job to help me and I didn't need to be apologetic or limit my questions because that is what she is there for.

It was really nice.

So I'm chipping away at it.  I'm keeping my to do list going.  I'm glancing over at my novel and thinking, "Maybe some other time...."

Even Jonah days turn around

 I asked Marianne, "Does Anne Shirley talk about having a Jonah day?  Is that a thing?"

She didn't know and I googled it.  It is a thing Anne said and I also want to reread those books.  I love them!

I started out with a Jonah day yesterday.  I was impatient and frustrated with everyone and everything.  My master degree pursuit is teaching me things besides the academic content.  It is showing me how impatient I am and it has humbled me.

Ugh. 

When am I just going to get patient already so I don't have to keep being taught the lesson?!?

Braeden called and that bringer of sunshine helped me feel better.  Mark came over to do some work and I told him I needed a bolstering hug and he gave me one.  I talked to my mom on the phone and also Marianne and all the grumblings started to dissipate.

A wonderful thing that happened was that Stephanie was in town and she came over and visited for a few hours.  I loved sitting across from her talking about all the things.  We were going to take a walk, for old time's sake, but it was extremely windy.  I think it was one of the top windy times since we've lived here!

It ended up being a good day.  The moral of this story is that people make all the difference.

Weekend

Father's Day is a good time to remember how grateful I am for all the fathers in my life who influence me.

First always, is my own dad.  Whatever I ask him to do, he seems to be able to make it happen.  No one has more confidence in me (Here, drive my excavator that you have no idea how to drive) or willingness to give me his opinion when he thinks I'm being ridiculous.  I have also always appreciated his righteous example.

I'm grateful for Adam's dad.  What a good man!  He immediately made me feel welcome in the Davis family and he taught his sons to be good fathers.

I'm grateful for all of our grandfathers.  They laid the groundwork for the opportunities Adam and I had in life as well as the opportunities we were in turn able to give our children.

I'm grateful for Adam.  At his most basic level, that man is supportive.  If you have a dream and you want help achieving it, he's your guy.

And I'm glad he's my guy.

When Braeden was three years old, he watched Into the Woods and he wanted to have all his friends meet at our stake center and put on a play and he wanted to be the witch.

It has been his dream role ever since, but I think the role he was actually destined to play is father.  I love watching him.

What a good invention fathers were!

I was asked to teach Sunday School to fill in for a teacher who was sick.  So that was a little (or a lot) stressful.  When I was thinking about Alma's question, "Have ye received his image in your countenance?" I thought about going to my Uncle Richard's 70th birthday party on Saturday.

When Richard came into the room where we were all waiting to surprise him, he immediately sat down because he was feeling dizzy and tears filled his eyes when he saw everyone.  We sang Happy Birthday to him and then his grandchildren, some of them were from out of state and had come for the party, ran up to greet him.  

My uncle has never had great health or wealth or power. I think most people who didn’t really know him would think he has lived a pretty unremarkable life.  But he is the kind of person that his grandchildren run to when they see him.  I felt like that was a little glimpse of seeing God’s countenance in someone.
When I got home from church Braeden called me.  He and QE were the only two in nursery so he called to chat while she played (after awhile I switched the call to FaceTime so I could chat with QE.  I read her a book and sang her some songs).  I was telling Braeden a little about Richard's party and he said that reminded him of their friend George.  George is in his 70s and is blind.  He has had a rough life but is now a beloved member of their ward.  Braeden said that he and Anna had watched Batman and they told George because they knew it would make him happy.

Braeden said, "I know George would love to watch a movie.  It would make his life so much richer if he could do something like that.  But he was so hyped that we had watched Batman.  He kept saying, 'So you watched Batman!'"

What an amazing thing, to be happy for someone when they get something you can't have!

Grateful Friday

 On balance, things are going pretty well.  There are a few dim lights.  My WGU course is trying to kill me, or I'm trying to kill me by trying to do it so fast.  There are health concerns in our family that are...concerning.  Tabor added himself to the list by having a wreck with a cow yesterday.  It's been hot and there is a spot where the grass is not living its best life.  Mark found out he didn't get the job.

On the upside, Adam came home yesterday.  We invited Mark to dinner last night before we knew about the job thing and it felt like a really good time to have dinner with him.  We could advise him and try to buoy him.  I was grateful the idea to ask him had popped into my head.  

I'm grateful for our kids.  They are an ongoing source of joy in my life.  Sometimes our family chat is hands down worth the price of admission for me.

This happened yesterday:

Whatever else is happening in the world, there is always some joy to be found.  And Adam and I sat on the deck a little last night.  Sometimes that's the only dopamine hit you need.

Asking for a friend

Can you break your brain from spending all day at a computer, studying?

Mark told me that I have been away from being a student for a long time and it will take me a while to get used to it.  (Basically he said I'm old, I guess.)

Yesterday besides sitting in my chair staring at a computer screen, I picked up a prescription at Walgreen's and stopped by the grocery store for some cottage cheese.

Don't be jealous of my action packed days over here....

I did get to FaceTime with Braeden and QE.  She wanted to tell me about her pizza she was eating and she is going to walk to her car and come to Utah and I wish I could replicate how she says Utah because it is adorable.

I read her a story and she immediately wanted another one.  Braeden said it was bedtime and I said, "How about one more short one?" He said yes and she and I smiled at each other.

She is the brightest bright spot in any day of the week.

These are the days

These are the days of not being sure what day it even is.

These are the days of having a hair appointment.  Joelyn and I keep our phones handy while she works because we tell each other podcasts to listen to, books to read, shows to watch and we make notes for ourselves on our phones.

These are the days of hearing about her straight up wacky book club and comparing notes on our (exceptional) granddaughters.

These are the days of not making as much progress as I would like on my course yesterday.  Some days are harder than others and I know on the one hand that it is an actual masters degree and I shouldn't expect it to be easy and on the other (less rational) hand I feel frustrated because I want to zip through it.

These are the days of Adam being out of town.

These are the days of planning my whole week of eating around cottage cheese because I am the only one who likes cottage cheese so I will eat it while I'm home alone.  I bought three kinds of berries and bananas--all excellent cottage cheese accompaniments.  

These are the days of forgetting cottage cheese while grocery shopping.

These are the days of Emma creating a containment for her Roomba with a lot of books (and her guitar) as borders.  She could just vacuum, but she said, "There's something fun about watching the Roomba in its little containment."  Braeden calls foul because he thinks we say he needs to pay attention, but we say Emma has a rich inner life.  But that girl has a rich inner life. 

These are the days of still not being totally unpacked from Nevada.  

These are the days of hoping today is more productive.

Back at it

 Yesterday was another lovely day at The Home Place.  I walked with my sisters (my mom went to Salt Lake so she wasn't around), worked on my course, listened to birds.

In the afternoon Hannah and Aunt Olivia came by.  Aunt Olivia hadn't seen the house since we did our renovations.  It was fun to visit with them for awhile.  Hannah and I shared our love of the Merlin ID app.  I know very little about birds, but I want to know more.

She said, "When are you moving here full time?  Ten years?"

I said, "I don't know.  Probably more like fifteen."

She said, "OK, I'm going to say fifteen so if you come earlier I will be happy.  In fifteen years, we are going to be bird watchers together."

I can picture us with hiking boots and binoculars and big shady old lady hats tramping around watching birds.

I could do worse.

Adam and I headed back to Utah in the late afternoon.  We didn't even listen to a podcast (besides the very beginning of one of his Supreme Court podcasts he wanted me to hear) but talked the whole time.  I dropped him off at the airport and came home.

It is at once familiar and jarring.  The jarring part is that in our Nevada utopia, I don't have to worry about grocery shopping because I take all the food.  I don't have to worry about laundry because we don't have a washer and drier.  I don't have to worry about watering plants or going through the mail or a lot of things.

I'm confronted with all of it today.  And some of my plants are definitely giving me side eyes because they are so thirsty.

My grandma Jaynes always used to say, "It's good to go and it's good to be home."

I (mostly) agree.

Weekend

Saturday was a productive day, which is my favorite kind (my uberproductive parents raised me after all).  I took a walk with the ladies and mostly kept my nose to the WGU grindstone.  I made good progress and stopped for a break in the middle to embroider at Olivia's.  Adam worked outside all day.  He and Nikki installed the Starlink on the roof and he mowed and set up some sprinklers and repaired his lawnmower and then mowed some more.  (The lawn is a bit of a minefield sometimes.)

After dinner we went to Olivia's and my mom and Marianne and Olivia quilted, I embroidered and the men visited with us.  Hyrum and Clarissa came after a trip to urgent care.  Hyrum had an accident with a horse and oldest sister for the win took him to the doctor.  

He has a hurt knee and was on crutches and we all had lots of unsolicited advice for him which I am sure he appreciated....

Sunday morning I drove over to my parents' house to borrow a safety pin for my dress.  It's nice to have people who have stuff when you realize how spartan your house is.   I decided I need a little sewing kit.

Church was really good and I always enjoy being there.  So much of my life was formed there.  A lot of the people who influenced me are no longer around, but I still remember them and their influence.

At the end of Relief Society, the lady conducting asked Olivia Dahl to say the closing prayer.  Olivia Cobian and Olivia Anderson both said, "Me?"  It delighted me.  The lady conducting wasn't around when either Olivia was Olivia Dahl, but I'm glad we're all linked.

Adam and I had a restful afternoon.  We talked to our kids and I did a tiny bit of Family History and Adam caught up on church stuff.  It was so nice to have him home on a Sunday!  At 4:00, we convened at Olivia's for more visiting and Hannah and Aunt Olivia came too.  I love being part of that group!  We talked about everything from Broadway plays to the temple.  

Today Adam and I are going to work work work around here and then in the late afternoon head back to Utah.  I feel a little melancholy about it.  It has been so nice to be here.

We'll be back! 

A day late, but Grateful Friday

I don't know what day it is.  I do feel grateful today.

Yesterday was quite a day!  I took a brief walk with my mom and then when I got home, I started cleaning the garage while Adam mowed.  Omar came over about 10:00 and he is such a dear boy.  He is a good little worker and just as pleasant as he could be.  And it was decidedly not a pleasant task.  There was decades old stuff in the garage as well as more recent stuff as well as some of our stuff.  (The huge steel crate the lawnmower came in for one thing.). Everything was covered in mouse droppings and bits of insulation.  There were a few birds' nests.  It was a whole ecosystem.

My dad came over on his horse and buggy.  He was going to do a little work on the ditch irrigation (the water is high!) before helping in the garage. He went down to where his excavator was, then tied his horse (I can't tell Talasco and Alazon apart but it was one of them) to the back of the excavator. It was the excavator leading the horse pulling the buggy.

I thought it was maybe one of the most Mark Dahl things I'd ever seen in my life.

Marianne, Robert, Clarissa, Liberty, Nikki, and Hyrum all showed up to work as well.  We loaded the back of my dad's horse trailer to the hilt in no time!  

The ladies and I dipped out of the garage party and went inside to make lunch.  We had been calling it a Junk, Food party.  If people helped us with our junk, we would give them food.  Again many hands made light work and we had lunch quickly prepared.  When we were renovating this house, we considered moving the kitchen island to make the living area bigger.  Andrew, our friend and contractor, told us that our family was like his family and everyone would be helping in the kitchen so we should leave the kitchen side big.

He was not wrong.

We had a very enjoyable lunch with my mom, Olivia, Desi and Carolina joining us as well.  They all said they shouldn't be able to get food because they hadn't been there to help, but I told them their family members were their bread winners.

After all that, Adam and I finished cleaning the garage.  There is an old oil stove in there and Adam was blowing all the detritus from behind it and this thick black dust and we got exceedingly dirty.  We were already exceedingly dirty.  We finally finished cleaning everything (the garage and the little lean to behind it have a new lease on life!), filled our water bottles and drove my dad's truck to town to take everything to the dump.  It was hot and we were hot from the exertion of it all and the AC doesn't work in the truck.  

We were every bit as hot and dirty as we look.

It was also not our typical way to spend a Friday afternoon:  taking a horse trailer full of stuff to the dump.

We accomplished that task though.  I climbed up in the trailer and pushed stuff towards Adam and he heaved it over the pile of stuff already at the dump.

Sometimes I think about the fact that mens' clothing comes in sizes small and medium.  What would I do with such a little husband?  I'm glad I have my big strong one!

One heavy piece slipped in the transfer of me to him and I have a battle wound in the form of a big bruised lump on my shin.

After the dump we stopped at Maverik to top off my dad's truck with gas and get some Powerade because we were so hot and thirsty and our water bottles were empty.  As we pulled in, I said to Adam, "We look like trail's end here."

We went in anyway and I washed my face in the bathroom but it didn't help all that much.  When we were pulling away, Adam said, "It's easy to judge someone by their appearance."  Next time I see some rough characters at Maverik I'll try to remember maybe they just cleaned their really nasty garage and they don't always look like that.

Once we were home we quickly showered and headed to Marianne's for Carolina's graduation party.  If anyone knows how to throw a party, it is the Johnsons!  Everything looked great and the food was delicious and then there was a brief thunderstorm and everything was moved inside and then the skies cleared and everything moved back out and Marianne handled it all with the panache she handles everything.

I was very happy to see Hannah!  She lives here now and that makes me exceedingly happy.  The neighborhood just keeps getting better!  I sat and visited with her and heard more about their five month European trip they just returned from.  I love that I will get to see her so much more now.

Olivia, Hannah, her girls, Maisie and Laurel, and I went over to Olivia's.  We quilted a little and I went back for Adam.  Hannah said, "If you see Jeff and he looks miserable, bring him over too."

I saw Jeff and I said, "You look very pleasant, but do you want to come over?"

He and Robert had been surveying the road where Boulder Creek was threatening to overtake it.  The water was high and swift!

Adam and Jeff and I went over to Olivia's.  We visited and quilted and my mom called and said we should head home while we still could.  My dad was on the case with the road and I wonder over the years how much my dad and uncle Drew have saved the county in road repairs.

I went to bed feeling grateful for family who show up and are so much help.  I felt grateful for the enjoyable time I get to spend with that super helpful family.  I felt grateful for Adam and the grand adventure we are having together.  I love that guy.  I felt grateful for this beautiful spot.  My uncle Demar said once, "Everyone wants to live in Starr Valley in June."  (He meant the other months can be a little rough.) I don't know if that's true because not everyone has been to Starr Valley in June.  As far as anyone who has ever been to Starr Valley in June though, I'm pretty sure they'd want to stay!

This morning the report from my mom is that the road is washed some but OK to travel over.  Good thing because we are going to take a walk soon. 

Always an adventure

Yesterday was a really nice day.  I took a walk with Marianne and Olivia and our mom first thing in the morning.  I was standing outside waiting for them and I saw a bobcat by the barn.  I took several pictures of it and it stopped and stared at me and I stared back at it and then it finally ran away.  I am not sure who the apex predator was in that situation.

I don't think animals around here are used to people.  The night before when Adam and I were driving on the lane we came across a badger waddling down the road.  We followed it for a little while because it was in the middle of the road with zero urgency to move.  

Badgers are ugly.

Back to the morning, we had a lovely walk.  We surveyed how high the two Boulder Creeks are and Marianne crawled out on the culvert to loosen a branch that was lodged in the very swift current despite us telling her not to (typical oldest sister, ready to fix things) and then Olivia crawled out on the other culvert to try to get a branch lodged there (typical youngest sister disobeying the middle sister who was telling her not to).

(Later my dad told them not to.  He said, "If you slipped you would die.  Don't do that."  His words have always carried infinite more weight than mine.)

We had a painter come to give us an estimate on treating our logs.  He is not a native English speaker and I knew we could communicate better in Spanish so Olivia was kind enough to come over and translate for us.  She's amazing.  What a great skill she has!

The painter seemed enamored by the pretty spot and said that it would be "a pleasure" to stay here while he was painting instead of driving back and forth from town.  He said he could work more each day.

Be that as it may, that was a no.  We thought that was a weird thing to say!

I buckled down and made some good progress on my course and then in the late afternoon I took my embroidery (working on the quilt block for Carolina's graduation quilt) and went to visit my parents.  After a while I went to Olivia's to help her quilt.  Just going around the neighborhood stitching, I guess.

In the evening Adam and I went to Wells for Carolina's graduation.  I don't know where Robert was so I didn't get the iconic graduate and their parents shot, but here is Marianne with her sparkly girl.

Carolina painted this on her hat, of course she did.

Because there is 100% always something wacky to happen around here, last night when we were about to go to bed, Adam noticed a swarm of teeny tiny bugs in the bathroom.  It was sprinkling outside and we had the windows open, enjoying the cool breezes coming through the house.  The bugs were little enough to get through the screens and there were so many of them!  Hundreds!  I don't know if they had just hatched or what but it was crazy.  Adam got our trusty Dyson vacuum that has vacuumed up more insects than you would think possible.  We closed the door to contain the crazy and Adam circled the room several times, sucking up tiny bugs.  They didn't go anywhere else in the house because we closed the door and kept the rest of the lights off until we were rid of them.

In related news: we closed the windows.

It's always a low key adventure.  Some people sky dive, some people buy a cabin.

A lovely spot, just the only one

This morning Adam sang a version of the Nevada state song where he changed the words from home sweet home to it being the only place that meant mow sweet mow to him.  It does really need to be mowed and he would probably be mowing right now if he didn't have work stuff he had to do.

I want to clean the house and walk with my mom and sisters and work on my degree.  

I also just want to sit outside and listen to the birds.

It really is a lovely spot.

Spoiler alert

Turns out working towards a master's degree is hard.  Who knew?!?

My brain is tired and I think after yesterday I have realized the pace I thought I could do is not reasonable.  Rats.  Maybe it will get faster and my brain will get used to the rigor?  

I've also had afternoon meetings at school this week (another one today) so maybe this week isn't an indication of how it will go.

I'm just, at my core, impatient and I want to know the beginning from the end.

I'm a lot of fun.

Adam said that sometimes you have to go slow so you can go fast.

Jamie wore a t-shirt yesterday to our meeting that read, "Everything is figuroutable."

OK then.

***

Today is the last of the meetings at school until August.  No one is sad about that.  After that, Adam and I are heading to Nevada.  Once I'm in the car and have all the things sorted that also need to be in the car with us, I will be very happy about it.

I am looking forward to soaking up the beautiful surroundings and seeing the neighbors and I hope the owls are back.  I look forward to spending more time with Adam.  We'll be doing a certain amount of work on our computers, but we'll be in the same house.

Nose to the grindstone

Yesterday I worked on my course in the morning and went to school in the afternoon to collaborate with my team.

I have a feeling my blog is not going to be all that interesting this summer because most days will be:  worked on my course.  It's going to be an un-fun summer mostly, but with a few bright spots.

I like our new team.  We get along well and everyone has ideas and we are efficient and I wasn't even cranky yesterday.

Riley and Matt came in and I talked to them about the blinds closed situation and Matt said I could keep them open.  That made me happy.  I need sunshine in order to maintain my sunny disposition.

We talked about shooter scenarios (which is why the blinds open or closed thing is a debate.  Riley didn't seem to think it was an issue and I said, "Teachers think about these things!"

And it's true.  One of the first things Alissa thought through with her new classroom was where to hide.

We know it probably won't happen, but we also know it might happen.  We know that the best plan we have won't really be 100% safe.

We have to think it through anyway.

Weekend

Saturday was a packed day!  We started at 8:30 AM cleaning the church and ended after 10:00 PM, gathering up stuff in the dark by the fire pit.

It was also a good day.

We cleaned out the garage.  Mark came to help and we pulled out everything not already on a shelf (there shouldn't have been that many things not on a shelf, but here we are) and Adam pressure washed it and Mark or I swiped the water away with a huge squeegee which was kind of fun.  We pressure washed the sidewalk on the side of the house and the chairs that live by the fire pit (we're in a turf war with magpies).  Adam moved the little chest freezer and cleaned behind it which was really dirty.  I said, "We are filthy people!"

Mark said, "Imagine how it would be if we weren't doing this."

It was exhausting and involved a lot of moving stuff around.  We ran out of time before we ran out of work to do so there's a table with stuff on it that still needs to be dealt with.  We'll get to it.

Adam changed in and out of his suit two times for bishop stuff and we went grocery shopping and I dipped my toes in my WGU course because June 1 was the first day.

I had my end of year gathering with my friends in the evening.  Emily came for the first time which was great.  She has a very limited diet, so after getting advice from Mark, I had berries for her and the rest of us had s'mores and berries.  Do yourself a favor and put some fresh raspberries on a s'more.  It maybe changed my life.

Jamie brought two types of cookies for making s'mores too.  I challenge anyone to have a party with Jamie and not have her bring the best food at the party.

I crowdsourced my first task for WGU and got some good advice.  

We sat in the fire glow and talked about everything:  families, church callings, politics, deer, school.  Adam joined us late into the evening (in his suit).  

I told them about the day earlier when I was talking to an enrollment counselor and she said, "I see it says here your husband works at WGU.  What does he do?" and I completely stalled out on knowing what to say.

"He goes to work?" didn't seem adequate.  (I know generally what he does, I just didn't know the official title.)

Adam said to the group, "I know what she does.  I know PLC, RTI, RISE testing."

Everyone nodded their appreciation.

Adam can talk the talk with my coworkers way better than I can with his.

But, I named the van Hootie and everyone calls it that, so I'm taking that win.

I took a pair of spurs to Sunday School.  Maybe that's the first time that has ever happened in Pleasant Grove, Utah. There's a first time for everything.

(They were of course spurs made by my dad.)

I explained about my dad being a bit and spur maker and the proximity of his shop to our house.  I visited him a lot.  I loved to stand there and watch him work and tell him about my day at school.  I have been to art shows where he has things displayed/for sale.  I know a lot of the lingo associated with bits and spurs.  I pointed out the rowel and the shank and the place for spur straps.  I told them about jingle bobs.

I told them that all of this peripheral experience around my dad did not make me a bit and spur maker.  

Going to church, even going to General Conference, doesn't convert us.  We can know all the lingo and be able to understand basically the parts of the gospel, but that doesn't convert us any more than I am a bit and spur maker.

I told them about our nephew Marcos.  The last time I was in my dad's shop, so was Marcos.  He was working alongside my dad, learning how to make things.  

A big difference between me and Marcos in this instance is that he has a desire where I do not.  He is putting in the work and I did not.

So how do we instill that desire in people we love to become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Isn't that just the million dollar question.  

We had a lot of good conversation in class which I loved.  Any time I run out of time for everything I prepared because people talked so much, I feel pretty good about it.  When people besides me are talking, we are all learning more together.