Jungle June...because this month was wild! This month was full with camps, a summer sleepover, a rodeo, fun date nights, t-ball games, and so much more! And, to top it all off, I finished with my leg brace and crutches!! I am so excited to finally dive into summer with only minimal limitations. I still have to be careful. I'm going to physical therapy and strengthening my leg more and more each week. I have a couple more months until they say I would be good to return to full activity, but I'm just beyond thrilled to be able to go and do and experience summer! Thankfully, while I was still dealing with my crutches and brace, Jonas was busy with fun summer camps. He had back-to-back weeks of camp. The first week of June (Monday, June 1st - Thursday, June 4th) was youth camp. This year the YM and the YW did their camps in tandem. They joined together for some of the bigger activities and had their own space to do things for the smaller activities. As much as I was excited that I didn't have to plan or stress or prepare for any camps this year, I was a little sad to see Jonas and Jeff drive away without me. I feel pretty lucky to have had Jonas with us on previous camps and conferences for the past 3 summers. I was glad that I got to experience some of those moments with him, but now, he gets to do this without me. Thankfully, Jeff is still serving in the young men's organization or else Jonas wouldn't have been able to go this year because he's not technically old enough yet. But I was so glad it worked out for him to go...and he was too! This year, they camped at Ken's Lake near Moab (it's not as much a lake as it is a reservoir). Jonas was pretty excited to go because one of the big activities was to do a 100 foot free rappel off an arch! The group had to be divided up into 4 different time slots over two days. Jonas and Jeff went with the first group on the first day. They loved it! Jonas said he was a little nervous on the first descent, but quickly remembered how to do it so that by the time he descended the arch (or the wall by the arch), he felt confident. When the youth weren't rappelling off or hiking to an arch, they just hung out at the campsite. They had various activities and little messages sprinkled throughout the days there. Jonas mostly enjoyed getting wet in the reservoir and staying in the shade. He and Jeff did get to hike to a waterfall and splash around there too. Jeff and Jonas hiked up to the top of the falls and found little pools of water to swim in. (Who knew there was a waterfall in the southeastern desert of Moab?!) One of the benefits of being there with Jeff was that on Wednesday (the day you didn't have anything big planned), Jonas got to ride into town with him to "get supplies". While they did get some more water and a couple other items, they also stopped at a restaurant for lunch and a yummy "pizookie" dessert. On the last day, everyone hiked out to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. Everyone woke up at 2:00 a.m. to get into the park, drive to the parking lot, then hike to the arch before sunrise. Jonas has done this hike before so he knew what to expect, except he didn't factor in the dark. At one point, where the trail leads to the sandstone rock, Jonas said that it was hard to figure out which way to go. The cairns (or trail markers) weren't as easily visible. Jeff and Brother Mitchell decided to hike ahead of the group. When they had gone so far, they would turn around and shine a light to lead the way. Jonas said it reminded him of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites out of Egypt. He knew God's light would lead them safely to their destination. The entire group made it there before sunrise...even with some time to spare. Finally, you all hiked back to the campsite, cleaned up, and headed home. That afternoon, Jonas took a three and a half hour nap! (Jeff napped too...but only about an hour.)
The rest of that weekend was pretty routine: chores and chill! But we did find some time to quickly run over to Lehi Bakery for National Donut Day! This is one of those food holidays we take seriously. Did you know that it was made a national holiday in 1938 to honor the "Donut Lassies" of WWI? In 1917, The Salvation Army began a mission to provide spiritual and emotional support for the US soldiers fighting in France during WWI. About 250 volunteers traveled overseas and set up small hut located near the front lines where they could give soldiers clothes, supplies and, of course, baked goods. After discovering that serving baked goods would be difficult considering the conditions of the huts and limited rations, two volunteers - Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance - began frying donuts in soldiers' helmets. These tasty treats boosted morale and won the hearts of many soldiers. Nicknamed "Donut Lassies", the women who served donuts to troops are often credited with popularizing the donut in the US when the troops (nicknamed "Doughboys") returned home from war. I will be forever grateful to those Donut Lassies!
The next week (June 8-10) Jonas was off again! This time, he was headed to the Nebo District Shadow Mountain camp with other 5th grade boys. He was so excited to go...and I was a bit nervous. This was his first camp without Jeff or I...and it was not church related. Now, don't get me wrong, I am fully aware that crazy stuff can happen at church camps, but I guess I have this semi-false notion that they are mostly good overall. Plus, I typically know all the boys who go to those camps and the leaders. Who knew what experiences (good or bad) Jonas was going to encounter on this trip? I know the camp counselors were thoroughly vetted by the school district, but who knew if they were going to be good or bad? I gave him a semi-brief spiel on the way to drop him off. I encouraged him to listen to his gut and have the courage to say no when something seems wrong. I just hope that he can find the kind of friends that encourage positive experiences and support his desire to try to follow the rules and make positive, safe choices. In any case, I dropped him off early Monday morning (June 8th). He got to go to the camp with his friends, Madden, Winston, Knox, and Ryker Schramm. When we pulled into the parking lot, he bounced out of the car and said goodbye before he realized I still needed to wait with him to check him in. But I got the message. I tried to keep my distance and celebrate his independence. I didn't even give him a hug when he left to get on the bus. He's growing up too fast! I picked him up on Wednesday afternoon. You had a blast! He enjoyed gaga ball and archery best. He did a little "polar plunge" with freezing cold water in a trough. He was determined to do it, but admitted that he dunked himself and got out quick because of how cold it was. He shared a cabin with all his friends, and his cabin won the cleanest and most respectful awards. I was super proud of all of them! Madden, Jonas's friend, informed me that he knew they would win those awards because of Jonas. That made my mama heart very happy. I'm sure this won't be the last school trip Jonas will take; I'm glad he started out with a good one.
The weeks kept speeding by! The next week (June 15-20) was just as busy...although without an overnight camp. On Tuesday and Wednesday (June 16 and 17th), Jonas got to participate in a JA Biz Town summer camp. He attended this activity as a field trip during his school year and loved it! So when the opportunity came up to go to Biz Town as a summer camp, he was excited to participate again. The first day they kids were split into groups for team building exercises. The staff then assigned the kids different "jobs" based on what they had observed during the morning's exercises. Jonas was hired to be the CEO of Enbridge. The rest of the day, the kids met with their "co-workers" to prepare for business the next day. The final day, they went to work. They had to secure loans, pay bills, submit invoices, open checking accounts, manage their own personal finances, etc. Jonas even had to give a speech at the closing town meeting. When I went to pick him up, a staff member told me how respectful and responsible he was. That made my mama heart very happy.
Wednesday night (17th), we met up with the rest of the family (and the Tanners) for the Strawberry Days Rodeo. We have enjoyed this small town rodeo. It's early enough in the summer that it's not too hot and who can resist the strawberries and cream?! We had so much fun watching the rodeo events and enjoying each other's company.
The next morning (Thursday, June 18th), Jeff and I were off. Unbeknownst to me at the beginning of the month, Jeff and I would be taking two spontaneous back-to-back weekends road trips. Thankfully, I was officially done with my brace that day, but I still experienced a bit of the recovery curve with my knee (e.g. swelling, stiffness, etc.). Our first trip took us to Grants Pass, Oregon to trade in our old Sequoia for a new one. This was not a vacation. We literally drove 11 hours the first two days we were gone (Thursday and Friday) then the remaining 5ish hours home the final day. However, we found fun along the way. Most of the drive was pretty boring as we wound our way through the high desert terrain of northern Nevada. But, once we crossed the border into Oregon, the brown, desolate terrain slowly gave way to luscious green pines and winding mountain roads. The first night, we stayed in Klamath Falls. We checked into our hotel then found a local pub downtown with good reviews for dinner. We lucked out because not only did we get to enjoy a yummy dinner, but we stumbled upon their monthly merchants market. We got to wander the quaint downtown streets, pop in and out of stores, and browse several booths. Then, before we retired for the night, we drove down to the lake for a quick stroll along the shoreline. That was the extent of the excitement of the trip. The next day, we made our way to Grants Pass, exchanged vehicles, then started back for home. We made it to Elko, Nevada where we grabbed a delicious Italian dinner and stayed the night before the final push home on Saturday (June 20th).
While we were away, Jonas got to hang out with Kate. Kate has been living with us since she graduated high school. Jonas has enjoyed having a "pseudo-sibling" around. For the most part, she does her thing and we do ours, but her presence came in handy this weekend. The day we left, they headed to the Labyrinth for a morning of fun doing various escape rooms. Afterwards, they grabbed a treat then headed to the Tanners house to hang out. Jonas convinced both Krystle and Kate to allow him to sleep over. He was in heaven! He got to hang out for the rest of the night and into the next day when Kate finally brought him back to the house, but his fun wasn't over. While Kate went to work on Saturday, Jonas was invited to join Dallin, Audrey, and some of their friends on the lake. They took the Four Winns out to Yuba for the day. It's that time of year again! I can't wait to get out on the water too.
The next day (Sunday, June 21st) was Father's Day. Like last year (so this may become a tradition), we headed up Santaquin Canyon to celebrate all the dad's at Tinney Flat. We had walking tacos (or walking Greek chicken salad) for dinner and walking Banana Cream Pie and Strawberry Pretzel salad for dessert. We invited Rod, Penny, Katie, Greg, Brad, and Jeff's nephew, Mitchell, his wife, Grace, and their kids, Cody and Savannah, to join us. Some played corn hole, some went for a hike, and most of us just enjoyed the cool breeze and pleasant company. I sure am grateful for the father Jeff chooses to be. He may, at times, be a little overzealous with his thoughts and opinions, but our children look to him for wisdom and guidance. They respect and love him...and that doesn't come by accident.
Since Jeff and I were gone on Friday, June 19th, or Juneteenth, Jonas and I celebrated the Monday I was back (June 22nd). I like honoring these little holidays. I like celebrating the cultures and traditions that come from our history...no matter how messy that history can be. Like Cinco de Mayo and Chinese New Year, we don't do anything big. We dedicate a little time to service then enjoy a Southern themed meal with a strawberry soda and some red velvet cake. Like past years, we decided to once again fill up our community food box for our act of service. Summers are harder for families because kids are home and more meals are required to feed the family. Jonas came to the grocery store with me and helped me pick out various food items. When we got to the food box, we noticed there wasn't much in there. There was also a gentleman kind of hanging around the box. When he saw us pull up, he offered to help us unload and fill the box. As we drove away, we saw him humbly and respectfully choose food items for his family. I'm not certain why we have been as blessed as we are, but I'm grateful for opportunities to serve and give back.
The month kept rolling along. For the most part, I felt like I was just along for the ride. As I've looked back on the summer thus far, I wondered how I survived. Between my recovery and the demands on my time, I'm surprised at how much fun we were still able to have! On Wednesday, June 24th, I got to watch the Irons kids....and the Tanners! We met up with Krystle at Ashton Gardens in Thanksgiving Point for their Imaginaria event. This years summer theme was all about celebrating the nation's 250th birthday. It was so much fun walking through the different areas (Heritage Hills, Hope Harbor, etc.) Each area highlighted either the history of our nation or our state. There were several activities and even some crafts that you could do in each area. The kids had a blast finding fun things to see and do, especially the bubble area. We spent a few hours there before making our way back to our house where everyone (minus Ava) got to spend the night. This was definitely a highlight moment for Jonas, Carter, and Everly.
After Laurin and Krystle came to get their kids (and a few brief hours of Jonas and I watching Beau before taking him back to Amber's house), Jonas, Jeff, and I were off again! This time we were heading south...to AZ. Ever since our boat broke down in Lake Powell a couple of years ago, Jeff has been strategically saving money to get a new boat. Dallin and Danny have been just as invested in this process, although not as monetarily. They kept sending Jeff different boats they would find that were for sale. Actually, in November, when we were in AZ for Thanksgiving, Danny, Jeff and I went to see a boat for sale in Mesa. We liked the boat but not the price. Fast forward a few months and the owners dropped the price...which meant we were on our way to buy a new boat. We drove as far as Flagstaff on Thursday, June 25th, then made the rest of the drive into the valley on Friday, June 26th. We met up with one of the sales team at Saguaro Lake so we could take the boat out for a bit before we finalized the purchase. Jonas loved that he got to be the first one to surf behind the new boat. Of course, we didn't spend all day out on the water, just long enough to be certain of our purchase. I'm honestly a little sad to be selling the Four Winns. I have loved our memories with that boat, but as our family grows, we needed the boat to grow too. We finished up our business with the boat then spent the rest of Friday and all day Saturday hanging out with my parents, Nichole, Ryan, Michael, Jackie, and cute Samson. Samson LOVED Jonas! (Who doesn't?) We didn't do much. We grabbed treats, hung out at the house, did a little shopping excursion (to see if there was anything Jonas wanted for his birthday from my parents...but he's kind of beyond the toy stage and we decided cash was best), out to dinner, and we got to swim in their neighbors pool (they rent their house out as an Airbnb and it was vacant that weekend). It wasn't a long trip, but it was nice to hang out with my family for a bit.
Jeff and I were able to attend two Hale Center theater productions this month. I have really enjoyed our season tickets. I am constantly impressed with the incredible local talent, not to mention the stage sets! We saw My Fair Lady and Harmony. Jeff said My Fair Lady was one of the best musical productions he's seen at HCT. It was phenomenal. Harmony was really good too. It's based on a true story about a vocal group in Germany prior to WWII. They were pretty successful and famous until the war took hold of the nation. The group broke up because some of the members were Jewish or had married someone of Jewish descent. Several of the members tried to recreate what the original group had but nothing was quite the same. Beyond enjoying the productions, I just enjoy having something fun to do with Jeff.
Speaking of fun date nights, Jeff and I finally made it to the Bar W Steakhouse in Nephi. We had heard good things about this restaurant and decided to give it a try. We have been to the grill next door, which is ok. It's a burger/sandwiches/salad place. The food is good but average. The steakhouse, however, was anything but average! We enjoyed everything we got there! The dining experience and atmosphere was also really good. We like trying new places and especially local establishments. We'll be back for sure!
This month, Carter had his first season of T-ball. While he may have enjoyed soccer, he definitely loved baseball! He was way more engaged in the plays and more willing to go after the ball. He hit well, ran well, and knew the basic mechanics of the game. He would field balls and know where to throw them. It was so much fun to watch him embrace the sport. Plus I love watching little kids play sports; there are always laughs!
When we weren't participating in a planned activity or event, we were enjoying the lazy days of summer. We relished Sunday evenings at home with family, non-scheduled park days, hours in the skate parks, random summer treats, and even a few chores to earn summer fun! Right after school ended, Jonas invited to a party at a friend's (Ryker) house. He had a blast swimming in their pond and riding their "crazy cart". When he came home, he couldn't stop talking about the cart. Jeff (who is always the one that gets excited about the toys) was all in! He agreed to purchase the cart in return for Jonas completing various tasks throughout the summer. To earn the ability to ride it, Jonas had to clean out the window wells. This was no small task either! He had to bucket out the leaves, gravel, and even some rocks, little by little. He'd dump the contents into a wheelbarrow then wheel it to the back to dump and start all over again. Jonas would wake up each morning for the first 2-3 days and work for a couple of hours then the box arrived; he was even more motivated to finish once that was here. He worked until the sun went down one evening to finish. He was determined. At one point, he thanked me for teaching him how to work hard. I'm just grateful that he is a hard worker! It was so gratifying to both Jeff and I to see him out there. He didn't complain (much...maybe a little the first day when he realized it wasn't as easy of a task as he originally thought it would be). He simply got up and got to work. He was so excited to ride it when all was said and done. I'm sure there will be plenty more tasks to complete throughout the summer, but it was worth it.
