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.