4th day off

 Rob has been waking up early to do manly things.  Saturday he and Grace went shooting.  This morning he met Shawn and Jon for some mountain biking. Tomorrow he is going fishing.  This is a little taste of retirement... 20 years from now:)

I've been having fun with my new scripture study journal.  It gives doodle and question prompts  and it's a fun way to study.  I've also been enjoying Hebrew lessons, although I am not sure I have learned anything.

Grace and Mark shooting on Saturday. 

Z continues to recover.  It is a full time effort for me...and for her.  I will be glad when she is well.  Poor baby.  She had her 4th laser treatment today.  Steve is anxious for her to get better too.

This afternoon we had the Roberts over. We swam and ate and talked.  Super fun.  I love Julie and it's always super fun to get together.  Poor Cierra is having a hard time.  She's a trooper but it's sad to see the consequences of peoples choices on innocent people.  She and baby Zane left early, she was tired.  It was kind of weird, Julia and Emmet had Landon with them and we had Bub home (Grace was at Rylin's playing).  Usually when we are together we each have 3-5 kids with us, not just one.  

the weekend

I didn't take any pictures but imagine our pool full of people.  That was yesterday.  We invited several friends to swim.  The Evans, Sherwood's and Boudreaux's came.  We BBQed and everyone brought sides and desserts.  It was a lot of fun.  Everyone swam and visited.

That's the best part of summer, lazy afternoons spent with friends.

Today we went to church.  Audrey taught a lesson in YW about temples.  I talked to Hannah, it's quiet here without her.  This weekend Clayna came down  to Nana's and they are all together having a good time.  They went to an escape room, and to some kind of golf game place.

Marshall caught his first fish.  Greg had a video on instagram that was so cute!

Z is healing well.  She had her 3rd laser treatment yesterday and she is starting to use the leg a little bit.  Dr McEwan was surprised and pleased.

We had a very restful Sabbath. After church Rob and Ethan went home teaching. Then we all napped! After that we made dinner together. Rob grilled. Grace made dessert and Ethan helped me with the mango, black bean, corn salsa dip/salad. This is his year to learn to cook:)

After dinner we watched a movie, played a super long game of phase 10 (Dad won) and then read scriptures and had prayer.  Can't beat that!

Thur-Fri

 Yesterday the Abramson's rented a cabana at DryTown (a cute little water park nearby) and invited all the YW to join them for the day.  We decided to go and it was a lot of fun.  Audrey and I were ride partners and we went on slides and the lazy river.  It was fun and funny to see all these moms racing on the racing slides and playing without any kids around.  All our kids are teens and of course they quickly abandoned us :) I think there were about 15 of us there together, we had never been and I am happy to report that it's a nice park.  Small but clean and not crowded.

This morning we woke up and Rob wanted to hike Vasquez rocks.  We couldn't convince the kids to come so we had a morning date.  We drove the jeep out, hiked around for an hour or so, and then came back.  It was very nice out and the rocks were beautiful and fun to climb on.  

When we got home we had outside chores to do.  Then Grace and I went shopping.  She has been doing chores to save up for a baby mouse and we picked him up too.  His name is Stuart. 

Now it's late afternoon and everyone is doing there own thing.  Grace is face timing with Brynn and playing with her animals.  Ethan is on line gaming with friends . Rob is carving and I am starting a new book that I've been looking forward to reading called "the soul of an octopus" by Sy Montgomery.  

pool party

 We had a post camp pool party and ice cream bash.  It was a little chilly, as it was windy in the evening, but I think everyone had a fun time!

Also this is the saddest dog ever. Her incision is huge and she is a wreck. Poor Z:(

Tuesday

Yesterday we took Ziva to the vet,  she had her cruciate ligament (ACL in humans) repaired.  We are going to pick her up this morning and we're anxious to see her. The vet said everything went well. I hope she has a good recovery.

In the afternoon Grace had Makayla over to hang out and swim.  Those girls are very silly.  They made concoctions and played hide and seek and swam.

In the evening we had a ward social. It was a lot of fun.  We had a picnic at Rawley Duntley park. We had a really good turn out, lots of friends and lots of delicious food.  The weather was super nice, a little windy but not hot and we got to sit around and visit.  Ethan and the boys threw around balls and frisbees.  Grace and her age kids sat at the table and laughed and talked, they threw water balloons at each other and raced around the playground.

When we first got there Dale was scooping a snake into a bag and was transporting it to the desert.  Most people missed out on that excitement.

CAMP MEMORIES:
I meant to write about some of the fun things I wanted to remember about camping.  One thing that was so striking was the sky at night.  It was super amazing.  So.Many.Stars.  Each night I lay on the air mattress (at like midnight or 1am) and looked out the screened window and watched them while I fell asleep. Gorgeous.

Also Grizzly Falls.  So amazing.  We hiked up a short little while and when you got about 20Feet from the falls you could feet the mist and it was like taking a shower.  We got so wet.  It was loud and wet and amazing.  It made you laugh to stand there in all that majesty.

The river.  Woah! I have never seen anything like it.  It was so powerful.  The water was churning up white caps and spraying huge bursts of water fountains. So overwhelmingly strong and majestic.

Lastly this cute little squirrel.  He hung out at our camp a lot.  He was so brave and friendly.  He stole food right next to our feet.  He would sit and eat right in front of us.  He did this funny little army crawl where he would press himself totally flat and then inch forward.  We saw lots of animals, which was neat.

15 years old

2 days old

 Ethan had his 15th birthday yesterday.  It was a very low key day.  We went to church.  He wanted fruit pizza.  He got his present early, both from his dad and I and from Nana and Abba so there was nothing to open.  Kind of sad.  I'm not letting him open early next year.  He got a fitbit from Nana and Abba, which he really wanted.  From us he asked for headphones for the xbox. He also just got his first phone (because he finished all his eagle stuff) and we got him the case and accessories he wanted/needed on Saturday.
Anyway I've been asking him if he wants a party or if he'd like to do something special: go to the beach, go to Disney, go to the movies.  He's said no.

putting on the armour of God at FHE, 3 years old

 He has been a delightful boy to raise.  Obedient and helpful and funny.  I can't believe he'll be leaving our home in just 3 years.

getting baptized

15 Things about Ethan

1. He is super smart.  He learns easily and understands things quickly and remembers them for a long time.
2. He is a good athlete.  Soccer is his favorite sport but he's good at others as well.
3. He is very clever, he says funny things all the time.
4. Ethan is not a daredevil,
5. he doesn't like to go fast or on roller coasters or things like that.
6. He is strong though.  When they were biking last week Brody said E was the 3rd to get up the mountains each time...but on the way down he rode his brakes and was in the last 3 down. 
7. Ethan is kind.  He helps people.
8. He's loves his video games and is a little addicted to electronics.
9. Ethan fulfills his priesthood duties cheerfully.
10. Girls like him but he has not had a girlfriend yet.
11. When he was little he loved to dance and sing.  Now he loves to listen to music.
12. Ethan is an adventurous eater.  He'll try anything.
13. He is a great friend.  He's loyal and fun to be with.
14. He is calm and patient and easy going like his mom but
15. a thinker, and brilliant like his dad.  

We adore that boy.

Girls camp~ we survived!!

Hannah is in the front of the boat, paddle in the water

 These pictures are in no particular order.  Wednesday morning we got up at 4am to leave for the river.  It was early.  Wednesday night packing had a lot of hiccups, including the sister who was supposed to buy all the food ran out of time and didn't so Audrey and I ended up in the store at 8pm buying everything and a broken trailer and other issues.  We were a little behind schedule getting out on the road but were driving before 5.

Grace is in the back with the blue shorts

Our first stop was the Kern River.  We went white water rafting.  The girls were really looking forward to it.  I had some hesitations before getting there because the water is really high and rough this year. Also we didn't use a professional guiding group.  Our camp leader's husband did a lot of training and time on the river, he is thinking of starting a company.  I thought he was competent and put in lots of effort.  But I think an experienced tour would have cost less money (not the Lord's $ but his) and maybe some of the issues we had would not have happened.  In the end everyone survived and 95% of the people had a great time.  Rob did get thrown in the river on the last run and it was scary for him.  He was caught in a cataract and was trapped in the water for a short time.  He ended up fine but if it was one of the girls who went in I don't know if we would have been so fortunate.  He is a strong swimmer and felt like he barely made it out.

On one run we lost two guides to in the water.  One of the boats had Grace and Brynn and another girl and Audrey in it.  They were on the wrong side of the river and they are not strong paddlers nor did they know what they were doing and just after the spot where they were to get out the river got much rougher...like people could die on it. Miraculously, and by that I believe they were helped by ministering angels, they did get to shore in the right place and were safe.  

 After that we drove another many hours to arrive at our camp site just before dark.  It was very beautiful and we quickly set up.  The girls were so helpful.  We got dinner made and had a devotional and then the girls begged to go to bed.  It was almost midnight by this time (I guess we wore them out!).

Day 2 everyone slept until 8am.  We spent the day seeing some awesome sights . The river was amazing. It was all white water and the spray blasted up onto the road.  Grizzly Falls was a favorite of everyone.  Standing 20 feet away you still got completely wet from the water pouring off the falls. 

 We went to Crystal Cave, which was super neat.  Saw the world's biggest tree, and the 2nd biggest tree.

Day 3 was a hike, with a bear sighting! and an afternoon of crafts.

We had very little drama, which is unusual with 17 girls :)  They were awesome.  They worked hard and played hard.

Bro. Abramson teaching Grace and Charlotte how to build fires.

We had golden hours each night and devotionals each morning.  The girls did all the cooking and it was good! They did the cleaning too.

me and Rachel and Audrey

We enjoyed a fireside testimony meeting.

testimony meeting

We saw 3 bears, a family of raccoons, many deer & squirrels, bats, blue jays, tons of bugs and other birds.

Paige, Mia, Kelly and Hannah

 We slept well, and were hot and sweaty the whole time. We did have one incident with some noisy neighbors.  Late one night a man from their group, who had been drinking, came knocking on the girls tent asking to be let in.  He left glow sticks for them and they were freaked out.  It was probably innocent but still unwelcome.  Knocking on a strangers tent at 11pm is never a good idea and they were scared.

in front of Grizzly Falls

Other that that the girls said they had an awesome time.  Rob and I sure had a terrific time.  We love to serve together, and nature is beautiful.  It was super fun to be there with our girls too.

Hannah 17 and Grace 12

 Ethan stayed with the Harvey's and he said it was great.  They had a fun time.  I am grateful for good friends to help us out.

 So we got home, stinky and tired but happy for a good adventure and a good week.

Rob was our official cobbler maker, it was delicious

some of the girls earned their junior ranger badges.

 Grace and Brynn are good friends and they became even better friends this trip.  

Tree huggers