End of Summer

Ok, ok, ok...I know that technically we still have a couple more weeks of summer, but I've always considered Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer. Like all summers, this one flew by! There were so many good moments over the summer: Danny coming home, family visiting for the 4th, fun day trips/activities with the kids, birthdays to celebrate, etc. However, I don't know if this was my favorite summer. Sometimes the life that happens behind the scenes or what is edited from the blog can feel heavy. There were moments of frustration and (thankfully) forgiveness. There were times of impatience and times of parental "perfection". There were moments I wanted to hold on to and moments I wished away. But that's life. We live on a roller coaster of jumbled junctures where decisions are made instantaneously. Sometimes we get those decisions right...and other times we hopefully allow those decisions to teach and humble us. I'm grateful for my little family, and especially Jeff, that loves big enough to love beyond those not-so-great decisions and moments. I could probably take notes from them for myself. I think sometimes I'm my biggest critic. I'm learning how to allow myself the grace that I try to give others...so, for that reason, it was a good summer...a summer that will continue to shape me into the woman of faith I hope to become. 

Even with school starting and returning to all the after-school activities, we managed to squeeze in a few more fun activities. The weekend after school started (August 16-17), Jeff, Danny, Jonas, and I headed to Idaho Falls to welcome home Jeff's nephew, Travis. Travis had been serving his mission in the Dominican Republic. Prior to this weekend, Stan asked if we would bring up the boat so we could hang out at Ririe Reservoir on Saturday. We were all for it! We'll take any chance to play on the boat. We all met up there and spent several hours playing. We actually forgot our surf boards (long story), but I think everyone preferred to play on the tubes anyway. Afterwards, we stopped at Reed's Dairy for a quick ice cream treat before going to Stan's house for dinner. (Dessert before dinner is always better!) The rest of the weekend, we just hung out at the house. We spent a couple hours there on Saturday night then returned Sunday morning to hang out. We paused long enough to go to church where we heard Travis report on his mission, before going back to the house for another couple of hours. It was a quick trip, but we always enjoy spending time with Stan, Kristi, and their family!

The following Wednesday (August 20th) we had a ward dinner. It has become a tradition to celebrate the end of summer together with our friends and neighbors in the community. Last year, we did a Luau. This year it was a Hoe Down...complete with a fish grab and mechanical bull. (Only in West Mountain!) We had ribs, baked beans, cornbread, watermelon, and pie for dinner. There was bounce houses, spike ball, and 9-square for games. It was super fun to just hang out with so many friends...and laugh at all the antics from the fish grab and bull. Jonas jumped in on the fish action. He actually caught several fish, but put them back. He didn't want to take them home to clean and prep them. All the boys got in on the bull action. Danny and Dallin took it pretty seriously. They tried to learn all the tips and tricks from our bishop, who used to ride bulls and who was controlling the bull. I'm not sure they lasted 8 seconds, but they gave it their all!

Football season has started! Yup...hints of fall are creeping into the last days of summer. I think football is one of my favorite sports to watch, especially if I know one of the players. While Jonas decided to skip this season so he can focus on getting his black belt, Nolan has embraced all things football. Jonas and I got to go to one of his games on Saturday, August 23rd (and we'll hopefully hit a couple more before the season is over). It was so fun to watch how invested he was in his team and in the position he played (which is currently on the defensive line as a cornerback; he is also on 3 out of the 4 special teams). We loved cheering him on!

The last Wednesday of the month (August 27th) I got to watch Carter, Everly, and Ava. They were a little disappointed because Jonas wasn't around to play (dang school!), but we had fun anyways. I took them to the Museum of Ancient History where we explored all things dinosaur. Carter and Everly loved the interactive exhibits and were fascinated by all the dinosaur bones. Now that Laurin has decreased her hours at work, I will only have to watch these kiddos once a month...but I may have to grab them more often because I miss hanging out with them!

The final weekend of August was also Labor Day weekend. We did it! We made it through summer...and kind of welcomed Fall this weekend. On Saturday (August 30th), Jonas asked if we could go do something since there wasn't much we had to do that day. I explored different activity options in the area and saw that Cornbelly's in Spanish Fork opened that weekend. I figured they wouldn't open until October for their pumpkin/Halloween festival, but they actually open for a sunflower festival in September. I loved it! The weather was pleasant and the fall vibes were strong! (Bring it on! I love Fall!) We enjoyed three hours of games, activities, rides, and more. We wandered through a sunflower field and indulged in an apple cider donut and slushy too. Jonas is already requesting that we return at least once in October with his cousins. They will have a blast!

Once we got home that afternoon, we finished the few chores we needed to do then Jeff and Jonas went on a motorbike ride. Jonas was pretty excited to go and pretty proud of himself when he returned. He said they went on some pretty challenging trails and he didn't freak out. 

Monday, September 1st, was Labor Day. Because of how crazy our summer was, I didn't plan anything big; still, we found fun ways to celebrate the day off of work and school. The boys started the morning with another motorbike ride up on the mountain.

That afternoon, we headed into town to explore the annual Payson Onion Days (I still hate the name of our town festival). Jonas and I actually wandered into town on Saturday too when we saw a life flight helicopter land near the city park. They had it and all the fire engines on display. Jonas loved the big off-road tanker. 

But today, we headed back into town to see the car show. Jeff loves walking around these classic cars. I enjoy it, but I love watching him enjoy it more. In the evening, the other kids joined us for a night of swimming, eating, and hanging out. It's always a little sad to say goodbye to summer, but I'm ready for Fall and the anticipation of all the holidays (and cooler weather) ahead!

PS - These two cuties started preschool on Tuesday, September 2nd. This is Carter's second year and Everly's first. I can't believe how fast they are growing up!