Eagle Project in the Works (And Life!)

A big thing this summer has been Clark's Eagle Scout Project.  He did a bike drive to donate bikes to refugees to a local organization.  Clark teamed up with three of the bike shops in town, who offered their services to repair a few bikes and to be a drop-off location. 








Okay, random inserts during this time-line...a few of us surprised my friend Brittany on her birthday to say a little hello and bring some birthday treats.


One evening I took Anthon and Lizzy with me to see Clark's performance at half-time.  It was really fun and I treated them, and me and Clark, to cupcakes.




Anthon won these at a seminary game day!


Enjoying cousin time and nice weather!


Clark and Lee went on a whitewater rafting trip with the Bishop and some of the youth.  It was for the youth who read the Book of Mormon this year.  They had a great time!




While Clark was rafting we actually helped out at a fundraiser for marching band.  They often prep food for a "bingo night" and we did just that.  Helped get the food ready for dinner customers.


Lee saw this car one afternoon...see the small white sticker? "Financial Mistake".  Too funny and too true many times.


Okay, so lots of random inserts, but we will get back to Clark's Eagle Project.  One night for FHE we did a little service project for our friends and did a little yard work.


I had way too much fun buying groceries and other stuff online for my niece Ila.  They delivered it right to her door!  I even got to select a time good for her for drop-off.


Some of the goods...... Nice college apartment, huh!


She loves green!  And she needed some notebooks and the grocery store had those too!  Thanks for the fun pictures Ila!


Another fun Seminary treat.....Clark is doing a no-candy challenge and let me eat these.




We enjoyed the annual dutch oven cookoff.  Haley bought this apron for Lee for Christmas but he never wore it.  We brought it that night. 


My dish won third place!  I won a fire-starter set.  I made red potatoes with bacon, onion and blue cheese.  So good!


We had a great turn-out.


Some families camped at the church.  We just went home.


The next day was a service project and then Clark's bike clinic for his Eagle Scout.


Our ward helped clean along a little creek that runs through Harrisonburg.  Sadly we found quite a bit of garbage! Lee worked that Saturday and we met up with him later at Clark's clinic.


So Friday afternoon I saw a text from a lady who Clark has been coordinating his project with.  Clark told her he wanted to do a bike clinic to help show refugees how to do basic maintenance on bikes.  Initially we were going to do it in September but Clark emailed and said he wanted to do it in November.  Well there was a miscommunication and the lady texted saying she had people lined up for the clinic the next day.  Glup!  We had not prepared anything!  Sadly Clark was a school and I wouldn't see him till about 11pm that night.  The main thing on Friday was to find people to teach at the clinic.  Lee found two people, plus he always planned to help out.  After the service project on Saturday Clark and I (and all the other kids) went to the bike shops and a couple other stores to buy things for the clinic.  He gave out a little kit to each participant: bike lube, tire patch kit and a multi-tool.  We also bought some treats for after the clinic.  We had plenty of time at the church to set-up before everyone arrived.  Whew. 




One guy didn't show up, so there were two people showing different things.  One was Chris from Rocktown Bikes. 


Lee and Shanna also did some teaching.  We had about 4 or 5 refugees attend and then about 10 or so people from EMU's bike club.  They wanted to learn more about basic bike maintenance.






Shanna showing how to properly wear a helmet.


Gift bags....


Wow.  He got it done. Clark was able to get about 15 or so bikes donated.  He has to drop off a few more bikes, fill out the paperwork and earn 4 more merit badges and he can get his Eagle!.

Last of the randoms.....Shanna and Haley enjoyed a little campout with their dolls.






Lee gave away a Vera Bradley backpack at his office.  Shanna drew the name.


Lee bought these fun glow thingys that you shot up in the sky with a sling shot.  They are very fun.  The kids love jumping on the trampoline and shooting them up in the air.


Clark opened his first checking account!  He has a debit card and checks now.  Lee and I are giving him a certain amount of money each money to manage, plus he has his own work money. So far so good! 


Here are some of the bikes that were donated! 


A scout activity one night....  Cal is the assistant patrol leader for his patrol so he is well on his way to getting his Star Rank.




The kids found this "dab" in Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel book. So funny.


Wow, summer is still going strong. Fall will be super busy. Things just keep on going!  I am hoping for a slower paced winter!

Lee's Birthday! (And Labor Day!)

Lee is yet another year old, and wiser too.  I think I am safe to say he's had a great year.  Now he is 37 like me and that much closer to 40!

This is the only picture we took that evening, but we went to the Black Friar's Playhouse to see Sense & Sensibility with some friends.  So good!  They are doing Emma in the spring and I am excited to go!  Shanna tagged along with us, though we should have left her home.  She seemed a bit bored towards the end.


This awesome guy had a birthday!!!  The kids were so excited it was Lee's birthday!  Lee is looking for a new eye doctor (if you know one looking for a job please let us know!) so his hours are a bit more crazy.  He is working Saturdays and went in to work on his birthday.  Labor Day was coming up and we decided to celebrate then.  But we had some gift opening the morning of his birthday.


So sweet.  I am very blessed to have Lee as the father of our kids! And I can't remember what Clark got him! Oops.


Cal bought Lee a TON of candy.  It was super cute.  Plus, he saved up and he and I went in on a Lego set for Lee. Though Cal paid for more than half of it.  Cal and Lee spent some time during Cal's date building it.


After work on Lee's birthday, we headed to the temple for our monthly temple trip.  Lee liked the way the light filtered through the window on Shanna.


I also started early on Lee & Lois' birthday un-cakes: chocolate mousse torte.  SO YUMMY.


Lois and family and my parents came Sunday. We spent Sunday evening and Labor Day together.  My brothers Darrell and Daniel and families joined us on Monday.  We had already eaten so before my parents arrived, I set the table just for them for Sunday dinner. We did this a couple times for my parents growing up...tried to set the table fancy for them and let them eat by themselves.




Labor Day came and that meant Lee celebrating his birthday and Lois celebrating on her actual birthday!  Lee took a ride up on Massanutten.





We loved having so many family members here.  Party time!










Reed bought Lois several little kid gifts.  It was pretty funny.






My oldest niece on my side went to college!!!  Her parents dropped off her siblings and took off with her to Idaho, driving, to get her settled into her apartment.  I hope she loves it at BYU-I!


Some more candy from me, because he didn't get enough.


Daniel not so sure about the awkward pose Darrell wanted him to do....






The torte was amazing!


Our apple tree did well again this year!  We ate up all the apples.  And they didn't last long!


After company left that evening we did a short game of bean-boozeled with those gross and good jelly beans that look alike. Lizzy, Anthon and Rachel stayed with us for 9 days.












We saw this interested VW-on-a-bus.  Quite the ride!




And more random pictures....the guy at the gas station occasionally gives the kids ice pops.  Very fun!


Cal and Clark have done well keep their clothes neatly folded the Kon Mari method.  Now for the rest of the room......








We had a nice time with Lizzy, Anthon and Rachel here.  Not much happened while they were here and hopefully they weren't too bored.  I was pretty boring during the day, just doing my own thing.  Anthon often came with me to run errands.  Lizzy and Anthon enjoyed going to seminary with Clark, and Tara was so kind to let them attend!  The end of the visit Anthon had a bad asthma attack and my friend Brittany came to the rescue with the nebulizer she owns for her son. That all turned out well and he is doing great.  Wow, summer feels officially over with Labor Day, though I do like to hold on to the fact that it didn't really end till September 21st.  How was your Labor Day?  Hope you did something fun!