New School Year!

I can't believe school has started.  Where did the summer go?  It always passes so quickly.  But as I write this (it's now October!) the days are still warm, which makes me very happy!

I might have mentioned this earlier, but this summer was crazy.  Stressful. Busy.  And crazy.  We did have some fun summer moments, but boy was it quite the summer!  We snuck in a few fun things before school started.  Like an afternoon at the pool with friends. Not very many people were there which made it extra nice!




One evening we did a quick trip to the fair.  I can't remember where Cal and Clark were...scouts?




Lee bought a new phone and the kids love the photo effects. The cutest little reindeer at the fair!




My kids never tire of Legos or Duplos.


We enjoyed seeing the partial eclipse at Lee's office.  Our new friends, Sara and her kids, joined us.




Lois and kids and my parents came down as well. This was the official last day of summer vacation.


After another pool visit we eventually made it home.  Our family home evening lesson that night was about letting out light shine this year at school...a repeat from last year.  As the world grows darker and darker, our lights will shine brighter and brighter.  We need to have courage and choose the right, share the gospel of Jesus Christ, be kind and serve others.


Just like that the dreaded morning came....though it went quite well.  Clark started high school!  I have to tell you, this was quite the smooth transition.  I thought it might be sad or crazy for me and Clark, but it went well.  He was ready to move on.  This summer he started football and marching band.  It was too stressful for me!  Clark talked to his football coach who told him he should pick one activity to be in.  Marching band won out and I am a happy mom.  I don't like my kids being involved in tons of stuff! Clark missed meet the teacher and his freshman orientation, but we visited the high school so he could see where all of his classrooms were located.  Plus he had been at the school a few times during the summer because of football and marching band.  I think that helped the transition as well.


Cal is the lone child at the middle school!  7th!


Shanna is in her last year at the elementary school.  5th!


And what do you know, Haley is in her last year at the elementary school as well.  5th!


Elden will be the lone guy at school for two years starting next year.  But for now he gets to enjoy 3rd grade! 


Which in all the grades...I think 3rd is the worst thus far!  It's been the biggest adjustment for my kids.  Mainly the girls and Elden.  Or maybe it's just me.  The big thing is the homework.  I think there is too much. Funny enough all the 3rd grade teachers have no kids, or little kids so don't know what it's like to have older kids and lots of homework.  I talked to Elden's teachers about it but thus far their solution is to just do it at different times.  I'd be happy if more was taken off their plate. I guess that is what I really don't like about summer ending....now we have more activities to be to and homework and projects!

I took Reed, Rhett and Blake with us to drop off the kids at school.  The cousins didn't have school for two more weeks!  






While the kids were at school Lois and I played!  We had breakfast with friends, enjoyed a trip to the park with a friend, then Lois' boys went swimming.

The kids had a good first day though!


I think these are so funny....




This is definitely a filter Haley would like!


With school starting cub scouts started back up.  Their pack meeting was a fun night of games and treats.


I started back with copying!  I need to get to the school earlier on copy days as there is always a lot waiting for me!




I thought this was so cute. And I think it's awesome that Cal didn't know what the NFL, NBA and such are, haha. But he knows about Lamborghinis!  #properparenting


Since Clark is in marching band we've gone to all of his home game performances at half-time. The first game we stayed the whole time and brought everyone.  I volunteered to bring cupcakes and work at stand selling cupcakes for the first game.  Shanna, Elden, Cal and Haley enjoyed helping me decorate them.




Clark coming in! 




Such a pretty night for a game, and what an awesome view!


Shanna and Elden made a candy thief movie one day in late August.


I also started teaching a merit badge and the kids enjoyed playing outside during that.


One August day was 60!  Pretty crazy!  Hot chocolate and cookies were in order for a snack!


One of the few times I've put in over 28 gallons in the Chevy.  It was incredibly low.


Oh, and let's not forget seminary! Clark started seminary!  Our ten years of early morning have started!  Clark's class starts at 6am, but they eat breakfast at their teachers house every morning.  Yes, every morning.  She is awesome!  It's my friend Tara Bell that teaches them.  Lee and I take turns driving.  Mostly he drives, but I've gone a few times.  Clark usually shows up around 5:40 to eat.  We are still able to come home and have family scripture reading and family prayer before he and Cal head out the door.  It works great! It definitely threw off our gas budget though.  I've readjusted for that now.


Tara does so many fun things with the students.  One of them is cute handouts!!!  Most every Friday they have game day and are quizzed on gospel doctrinal mastery.  They can earn "Mormon Bucks" which they will get to spend a couple times a year.


And my friend and her family bought a rental property.  She showed me this book which I want to buy and read!  Rental properties are still a few years in the future for us, but we would love to have a handful! Now....to just save for our next house--that alone will be an accomplishment.  We are almost done saving for Clark's future braces and need to finish Hawaii savings.  Then we'll start on the house, ha ha. Happy school everyone!

Robertson Reunion 2017!

We had a great time at the Robertson Reunion near Brianhead, Utah.  We all pitched in and rented a lodge and some yurts to stay in.  All of Lee's siblings were able to be there, and of course his parents.  His parents celebrated their 60th anniversary this August and his mom her 80th birthday.  Great things to celebrate!


We did a lot of visiting, playing with cousing, catching up, eating, and hanging out.


The lodge had a big game/family type room. 


Lee's dad brought his 4-wheeler.  Lee took people on a lot of rides and I did a couple.  This was Clark's first year that we let him drive the 4-wheeler by himself.  I would love to buy a couple, but not sure where to ride them or where to store them!










One afternoon Carl and Susan had some awesome relay races for us....it was one big competition with different teams.  My team won!!!




The second or third relay is where we killed it and got way ahead....the scrabble challenge. 


I went on a bike ride with Lee, two of his brothers Paul and Kent, a neice-Chelsie and Lee's dad. 


Pathectically I wiped out about 200 yards from the house.  I should have taken a picture after I washed off my arm.  It hurt for over a week and looked awful.  This picture it's all covered in dirt so it doesn't look so bad. I also scrapped up my leg bad and ripped a hole in my capris. But I went on the bike ride anyway.




The kids loved the hot tub!  Lee and I went in a couple times.  Clark and some of his cousins went in one night as well.






There was a good sized kitchen.  We teamed up with other siblings to help with meals or be in charge of the meal and receive help.


A fun photo from one night.


Lee went on another bike ride, but I didn't go.  My brake wasn't working (one reason why I wiped out) and one of my tires was balding. 




The owners raised a deer named Thunder.  The deer is very used to human interaction.  Our first night the back door wasn't locked and Thunder let itself in the lodge.  It walked upstairs to the long hallway where all the bedrooms were and opened Lee's sister's door to her room.  Sue heard something open her door and saw Thunder stick it's head in. I would have freaked out!  Sue got up and led the deer back outside.  The people in the house made sure to lock the doors at night after that.


One night we helped out with a meal and brought some corn.  Sadly my kids have never shucked corn before.  I did it practically every summer growing up.  I had them come in and shuck the corn.


One morning Susan was kind enough to do family photos.  Here is a sneak peak.  What a great spot and she did a fabulous job.  I asked her if she would do our family photos as well and she agreed!


I need to figure which one to print to hang up and which one to put on the Christmas card!


The Saturday we were there we went up to the Brianhead Ski Resort.  They had several outdoor activities.  The weather was crazy that day.  Blue skies, warm, then windy and cold moments later.  Spurts of shutting down activities happened through the day.  We bought day passes for all of us, so we hung out during the shutdowns to wait for them to re-open so to get our money's worth.  They were pretty expensive! We all loved the tubing slide.




There was a trampoline as well.


And a rock climbing wall.


















Elden wanted to race me.  I won.






We enjoyed riding the ski lift a couple of times.  I probably looked weird carrying around a sleeping bag, but I am SO glad I had it on the lift!  It was cold!


Lee rode the lift up once and took a ride down the mountain with Kent.






Archery range was fun too....I am assuming.  I never participated, ha ha.




Close by were some fantastic overlooks, first up Cedar Breaks. 




Gorgeous, huh!


We drove up higher to another overlook, Brainhead Peak.  So cold and windy!!!










We packed up a bit Saturday night and finished Sunday morning.  We had enough time to visit a bit more before we left for church and home. 


We went down to St. George to go to church with our friends Jenna Wilson and her sister Leslie.  It was so fun seeing them!  They have such a nice ward.  After church they invited us over to eat lunch with them which was so sweet of them.  Linda, their mom, also came.  They all used to live in Virginia and Jenna was my awesome visiting teaching companion.  Wish they still lived here!




I have quite a bit of family in St. George.  We did have much time but we stopped and saw my Aunt Anna Lee and Uncle Lee.  They live really close to the temple and hospital.  I asked her to give my kids and Lee a tour of their fun house.  And she loaded us up with some yummy snacks for the road.


I loved seeing the cute things she's been up to in her yard.


Front porch swing!


The last stop in St. George was a quick visit with my mission president Dean Christensen and his wife, Elaine.  Love these people!  And I was so glad they were home.  President had to go to a disciplinary council but visited for a little bit.  It was good to catch up and little and see them in person.  Another missionary friend was just there that morning...I just missed seeing her and her family!


The kids had fun outside looking around in the Christensen's back yard.  Elaine asked about the kids being by the pool and falling in.  It was quite warm out and I told her they would be tickled if the "accidentally" fell in the pool, but that they were fine.  It was pretty funny.


We drove through the night on the way home....and the next night.  We arrived home safely about 6am Tuesday morning.  Then Lee had patients that same morning.  I'm always so thankful when we arrive home safely from a big trip!  We had a great time with Lee's family, some of my family and St. George friends!