First day of School!

Where did the summer go?! Seriously! Not only that, but where did my little baby go?! Today Danny started his 9th-grade year and Jonas started preschool. For Danny, school was no big deal. He's not really excited about all the school work, but he was excited to see all his friends again. It was a little weird taking his back-to-school picture with no one else in it (Jonas was still asleep when he left). How can he already be in 9th grade?

Jonas, on the other hand, was super excited to start school! On Wednesday (Aug 14), I took him to an Open House at the Preschool. He was excited to get his binder and seemed in his element at the school. He enjoyed playing outside and seeing all the fun toys inside. Ms. Alesha, one of the teachers, even sat down with him at the computer to show him some of the instructional games he would get to play.

The day school started, I got him the book, Kissing Hands, that relates a story of a young raccoon who experiences some anxiety about going to school. The mama raccoon kisses his hand and tells him to put it up to his cheek or his heart anytime he feels scared or lonely. I think I utilized my kissing hand today more than Jonas did. We got to the school, I kissed his hand, he kissed mine, then he was off! He didn't even look back. When did he grow up?

He was so excited! 

After preschool, he excitedly told me about the toys he got to play with, the friends he knew there (Gabe and Jonny), the homework he had (yes...he was excited about that), the fire song they learned (to demonstrate what the kids were to do in case of a fire), criss cross applesauce, etc. He even said that he was the one who was listening while all the other kids were running around touching the toys. He told me the day was "too short"! In celebration, I took him to Chick-fil-A for lunch. Afterward, he went to play at Gabe's house for a couple hours so I spent most of the day in my quiet home. Not sure how I felt about it.

That afternoon, I got Cassie's Cookies to celebrate the boys' first day. Here's to a great school year!

Dallin arrives in the Dominican Republic

Dallin arrived in the Dominican Republic today! I was anxiously awaiting news all week. Hermana Cowan, the mission president's wife, finally posted a few pictures on their Facebook page. The day they arrived, they were taken to the mission home where they were fed and had a training with their mission president, Presidente Cowan. They were also individually interviewed.

They stayed the night in the mission home. The next day, they were taken to the Restoration Monument. They went up the monument to get a 360 view of Santiago. Pte. Cowan then told them about all the people out there that were waiting to hear the gospel. Dallin said it was a pretty cool experience. He said that it encouraged him to work as hard as he can to help as many people as he can.

The missionaries eventually made their way to their transfer areas. Dallin has been assigned to work in Constanza. Dallin said it's really far from Santiago and is supposedly an area where only trusted missionaries are sent. It doesn't surprise me that Dallin is there. It's the highest eleveation on the island (about 4,200 feet). He says it's definitely cooler and less bugs. He's pretty excited to start there to get acclimated to the humidity without the heat. His trainer is Elder Leemaster from Georgia. There are only 2 companionships in the area (one elder; one hermana). It is only a branch and he is (by default) the 2nd Counselor in the Branch Presidency. He says he still doesn't understand much of anything, which has been frustrating. He finally admitted to receiving a minor concussion due to an accident on the One Wheel before he left. He felt that is what is hindering his ability to memorize vocabulary. However, instead of throwing up his hands and giving up, he asked his companion for a blessing. He said since that time, his ability to memorize and comprehend has improved. I have always admired his faith and his sincere desire to do good. He is working hard and is excited for the hurricane (Dorian) heading his way. Silly boy! Actually, it's probably one of the best things for him. He is a hard worker and loves to serve; what better way to connect with the people than to serve them...even if he can't communicate very well with them. He says he is having to learn how to budget and grocery shop for himself. He says the food is ok. He loves the bread! He says they are crazy drivers and there is a myriad of smells in the street...not all of which are good. He is maintaining a positive attitude even amidst the frustrations of the language and the cultural learning curve. He said he accidentally kissed a young 13 year old girl on the cheek because he wasn't sure if he was supposed to or not. I guess she has a little crush on him and simply presented her cheek for a "beso" greeting. He said he saw everyone else doing it so he bent down and pressed his cheek to hers and blew a kiss. He said it was super awkward and he got teased about it from the other missionaries. At least now he knows he isn't supposed to give "besos". He will just shake everyone's hands, which he says is questionable because of hygiene standards. Oh the adventures he'll experience! We can't wait to hear more about his "mountain" adventures on the island!

Dallin leaves the MTC

At 8:00 pm today, Dallin left the MTC. It has been nearly 6 weeks since we dropped him off there and he's now heading to the Dominican Republic! I honestly can't believe it's been that long. There are days that seem like it has been longer, but overall, it has gone pretty quick. We enjoyed being able to talk to him every Saturday (with reliable internet...who knows how that will be now?!). The first week was a little rough. He was definitely feeling out of his element. He felt overwhelmed by his seeming inability to learn a new language and the responsibilities he would have as a missionary. He missed playing competitive sports. He missed comfort foods and objects. He missed his friends, family, and freedom, but over the weeks he was there, he transformed. He demonstrated confidence in the face of doubt and courage in the face of the unknown. He smiled more. He laughed. He found friends in his roommates and district. His companion was Elder Ferrin from Layton, Utah. He discovered that eating an all-you-can-eat buffet after fasting was a near-deadly mistake. He met a missionary from Papa New Guinea that changed his perspective of the MTC. This elder provided insight into the blessings that the MTC provides that Dallin was taking for granted. He built forts in his dorm. He ate goodies that everyone sent him. He utilized all the random toys that Dad and I mailed to him to help him memorize vocabulary (he is definitely a kinesthetic learner). He made the best of it...and now, he's off to experience new adventures.

Dallin (Dominican Republic) and Hunter (Toronto, Canada)...high school buddies.

They used Tide Pods to help their room smell better.

As a side note, before he left the MTC, he enlisted Jeff's and Danny's help to get me some roses and a note that simply said, "I love you." He is one of the elite. He is off to do great things!

Last trip of the summer...

I can't believe we did it! We survived the summer of 2019! It has been one for the books for sure. We were so busy with Amber's wedding and Dallin's mission...on top of Laurin and Dallin's graduations. The events seemed never-ending! Then we had the pleasure of having various members of my family vacation with us over the summer months. To say we were busy would be a gross understatement! Now here we are, our last weekend of summer vacation before school starts. Jeff and I decided to make it a fun one for Danny and Jonas. We felt bad that they were often drug along on errands or assigned added responsibilities to help with their siblings' events. While I tried hard to involve them in fun activities while my family was visiting, they also had to deal with a semi-stressed-out mom (which isn't fun)! In any case, we knew we would be heading to Idaho this weekend for Grant's mission farewell so we decided to make it an extra-long weekend and explore Twin Falls before going to Idaho Falls. We left on Thursday (Aug. 15). We met up with Laurin for a quick lunch in Ogden before reaching Twin Falls. Our first stop was Shoshone Falls. These falls are impressive! They are known as the "Niagra Falls of the West" and for good reason. They are 212 feet high (45 feet higher than Niagra Falls) and flow over a rim nearly 1,000 feet wide. There was a beautiful rainbow that arched over the falls as they tumbled into the Snake River.

After admiring the view and taking a few pictures, we started to head to our hotel when we noticed a sign pointing to Dierke's Lake. We had already paid $5.00 to enter the park area so we decided to go check out the lake prior to leaving. We were glad we did! We got there and both boys decided they wanted to go swimming. Luckily, we still had our suitcases with us so we quickly changed and jumped in! The water was a little cold but felt refreshing in the hot summer sun. The "lake" was more like a large section of the river that they dammed off to create a swimming pool-like effect. Even Jonas enjoyed splashing around and displaying his new swimming skills.

We only stayed for about 45 minutes before we decided we were getting hungry. We found our hotel, quickly cleaned up, then headed to the downtown area to have dinner. We ate at Milner's Gate. The food was great and the atmosphere was fun. The whole downtown area has been renovated. After we ate, we walked the streets a little before calling it a day.

Friday (Aug. 16) was an adventurous day! Jeff and I really didn't do anything to plan this trip. We looked up a few ideas and booked a hotel then just went. Our ideas, however, panned out and we had a bast! We woke up and rented bikes to ride along the canyon rim trail. They didn't have any "tag-along" or child seated bikes so Jeff and I rented bikes and the boys rode the One Wheel. (I guess it was a good thing Danny insisted on bringing it even though both Jeff and I rolled our eyes. That kid literally won't walk anywhere now!) We started at Perrine Bridge and rode out to where we could see Shoshone Falls. The bridge is incredible...and super high! Let's just say my anxiety was out in full force as we walked over the bridge and rode along the trail. We even stopped to watch a few base jumpers jump from the bridge. Danny has found his new goal in life! The views were amazing though and we even stopped to see where Evel Knievel made his failed attempt to jump over the canyon.

We spent about three hours on our bikes before returning them and grabbing a quick lunch. Our next adventure took us to the bottom of the canyon. We rented kayaks to paddle up river to Pillar Falls. This was by far everyone's most favorite activity of the day. It was beautiful to be out on the river and so serene. There weren't many people on the river. I paddled with Jonas in a tandem kayak to the falls then switched with Jeff to a single kayak on the way back. The falls were the highlight of the experience. The water was low enough that there were so many rocks to climb on yet deep enough that we found fun swimming holes. We stayed there for quite some time until the water got too cold for Jonas. It really was the best time! Again, there weren't many people around and we simply enjoyed being in a beautiful location with each other. Needless to say, after our biking and kayaking adventures, we just went back to the hotel, grabbed dinner, and went to bed.

Saturday (Aug 17) we made our way to Idaho Falls, but not before making a couple stops. Our first stop was in Dietrich. This small town of 338 people was where Jeff lived from a toddler to the second grade. I swear Mark Twain patterned Tom Sawyer after Jeff Southwick (ok...I know that's totally impossible because Tom Sawyer was written in 1876...but the similarities of the antics of both individuals is eery!). Jeff regaled us with stories of his childhood. He showed us the small mercantile he would ride his bike to for a treat. We visited the school (although it has been vastly renovated) where he snuck out of a second-story window as a kindergartener simply because an older kid asked if he wanted to (that's what you get for putting K-12 all in one school!). He showed us the little trailer home he lived in and the old rickety barn he would shoot birds in. There was an old branding shoot that he used to climb in as well. He told us stories of swimming in the small canals and riding his bike all over town. The best story was when he confessed to being an accomplice in burning down a neighbor's barn! His older brother, Greg, and Greg's friend, Walter, were playing with WD-40 and a lighter in a hay barn. Enough said! Jeff and Greg didn't even confess their misdeed until years later. Everyone thought the fire was a mystery. Finally, we drove by an old house where Jeff pointed out bullet holes in reflector across the street. Jeff's dad's cousin was the town sheriff. When Jeff was older, he visited this man who invited Jeff to use a new gun. The sheriff tried to hit the reflector but was unsuccessful. After a few attempts, Jeff hit it. When Jeff returned the gun to the sheriff, the sheriff was messing with it and shot a hole in his own roof! Jeff wondered how that man could have been the sheriff! Luckily, no one was hurt. It was fun to see these sites and to imagine Jeff the age/size of Jonas doing all those things!

This is what the school looked like when Jeff attended it.

This is what it looks like now.

Dietrich Blue Devils

I think it's surreal to see Jeff's child playing around in the same places he played when he was that age.

It didn't take us long to wander through the town before moving on to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. This place is truly other-worldly! It is a massive deposit of volcanic rock from millions of years ago. The black, sharp, unforgiving rock creates an eery landscape. We hiked up to Inferno Cone for a 360 view then hiked through the rocks to the Indian Tunnel lava tubes. It was a pretty cool experience.

Our next stop wasn't really a planned stop. We passed through Arco, Idaho - home of the United State's nuclear research and development. Stan actually works at a facility just outside of the town that deals with housing and storing the spent nuclear rods. Who knew this place existed? It's easy to see why they'd put it all the way out here though...this place is largely uninhabitable! We snapped a few pictures of some relics we found at a small park before moving on.

Finally, we made it to Idaho Falls. That evening, Kristi arranged for all of the adults (including some from her family) to go to an escape room and out to dinner. By this time, Laurin, Amber, and Jacob had joined us. (Danny went to a church dance with Travis and Jonas got to hang out with Bennett and Maci.) We had fun hanging out together. We even made sure to make it to Reed's Dairy before it closed (sorry no pictures of the dinner or the dairy).

Laurin, Jacob, Amber, Alisha, Jeff, Cindy (Kristi's youngest sister) and Mike.

Sunday (Aug 18) was the farewell. I can't tell you how impressed I am with all these young men going out to serve missions. I'm pretty sure I wasn't as prepared as they seem to be. They have good hearts. They desire to work hard and to love - not only the Lord - but the people they are assigned to serve. Grant did an excellent job on his talk! He described the restoration in simple, profound terms. (It was even more incredible when we discovered that he delivered his message all while fighting kidney stones! Yup...poor kid hasn't been feeling well. Kristi took him to the doctor after he spoke and discovered he had kidney stones. Luckily, it's nothing that will prevent him from leaving on Tuesday. He just might not feel well for about a week or so.) We stayed for the rest of church then enjoyed lunch with Stan, Kristi, and their family before finally heading home. School will start tomorrow! Summer is over!