Week #30: Garden Time Is Sacred Time

This Week...

...we went out to Mattawa. The Garden always draws me. I love the flowers and colors. I love working in the dirt and clearing weeds and debris. Usually, my mom comes and works alongside me, and we talk. Other times, I love how I'm alone with my thoughts. The garden is my safe haven, my sacred time to be near to God.

...we had swim lessons for Lainey and Emma and Paul! Lainey made tremendous progress. Going underwater was nothing for her. That used to freak her out! 

...we made the fastest trip to Silverwood. We took Alex with us because Jason wanted a ride buddy. Only thing is, Alex doesn't like the rides! We still let him come. We watched most of the rides from the ground because of our week stomachs. I couldn't even handle the kiddie rides. All the kids did the bumper cars and they loved the water bumper cars. Go figure!

...we went to the Pasco Museum for Cub Scouts. It was super fun to be in the old City Hall building and see so much history.

...we went to the movies for $5.00! What?! Fairchild Theaters has started a new deal - $5.00 Tuesday. All the movies are all $5.00 all day/night long!. We were so excited to go for $10.

...we took Marty to the river. This is always such a highlight with the kids...and Jason. He loves his dog.

...Jason made Sergeant. He now sports three stripes on his sleeve. He loves his job, the people he works with, and the people he protects. He makes a great leader because he isn't afraid to work with his squad members and praise them when they do a good job. He makes a good leader because he has such a positive, energetic outlook on life, and the job. He makes a great leader builds and strengthens those around him. I can't wait to see what is in store for Sergeant Erickson.

Week #29: Neighbor Breakfast

This Week...

...we took a trip to the library. The kids are getting pretty good at searching on their own for the books they want.

...we had the July 24th party at Memorial Park. There were so many people there!

...we hosted a neighbor's breakfast at our house. We invited 40-50 of our neighbors and the Elders cooked the food. It was so great to see so many come. We had way more people than I got in the photo. We had Greenhalghs, Dennis & Francis McGillis (across the street), Jerry & Jacki Anderson (next door), Sid & Liz Grant (up the street), Joseph (next to Sid), Arnold and Mariana & kids (across Bermuda Dunes), Angela Schwartz (up the street), Charter neighbor and family (orange house), Suan and Criselda & kids (up the street), Erik and Shakeya & son (in cul de sac), Manuel and Elizabeth & kids (in cul de sac). 

...Jason loves his dog. The first thing he does when he gets off shift is to seek out Marty the bear ;) and say hello.

...Elder Barber and Elder Johnson stopped by briefly. The kids brought Marty around because he just had to see the Elders. Whatever! We had to get a shot of them together though.

...the kids and I made a trip to We Ice. We made use of the little bit of shade available and tried to enjoy our cool treats.

...the Cub Scouts had a swimming activity at Zae Haines' pool. They loved it, of course. I stayed just a bit to help accomplish some of his swimming requirements.

Week #28: Fourth Year Hike and Girls Camp

This Week...

...we Jason pumped the Elders full of ice cream, again! They were up to the challenge, but probably suffered severe ptsd once they left our house.

...Marty made a mess of his dog food on the back patio.

...was Girl's Camp! It was so awesome! I started out with the Fourth Year hike. The views were amazing, the company exceptional, and the laughter wonderful. We used the Oregon Butte hike that we scouted last year, but didn't get to use. Start at the Teepee Trailhead; end at the top of the world. It rained all the way up to the trail head. We were prepping for a soggy hike and a water logged night (like several years ago). Thankfully, that wasn't our fate. The rain drizzled a little as we ate lunch and readied packs, but by the time we got hiking, it had stopped.

BR: Carli Jacobs, Me, Katelyn Tippetts, Kristin O'Reilly, Rhawnie Jones, Emily Hale, Aspen Fillmore, Macy Leppert, Marie Ramirez, Shaya Waldt FR: Caroline Calaway, Lindsey Brothers, Stephanie Lara

Loving the soft, new growth on the pine trees.

The girls set up their own tents and Kerri Calaway helped us get a fire going. We made paracord bracelets, played a game or two, listened to Rhawnie play her Ukulele, had some certification by Kerri and Trevor - they both did great!, took a walk out to the Ranger station, talked and laughed around the fire until late, froze!

We took a few minutes for a devotional after we'd had dinner. I had the girls think of a way our hike could relate to life. They came up with some really good correlations and analogies. Each of them took a turn to share. I had Kristin, Kerri and Trevor share their thoughts as well. We shared; we laughed; we felt the spirit. I gave them each a handout with this quote on the front - Give me this Mountain - with the picture of our Oregon Butte mountain on the back. I shared a quote from President Eyring's April 2012 conference talk where he quoted President Spencer W. Kimball, "There are great challenges ahead of us, giant opportunities to be met. I welcome that exciting prospect and feel to say to the Lord, humbly, 'Give me this mountain,' give me these challenges." I urged the girls to always have that kind of attitude that they could say "give me this mountain" regardless of the trials and opportunities in their lives.

Back at camp, they greeted us with a tunnel and lots of cheers. Once we got some showers, we felt much better!

These are our YCLs. We love them so much! They're helpful and spazzy and wonderful!

We love the cooks! It doesn't matter who'e on duty. Fourth Years are always hungry and we love you, whoever you are, for prepping our food.

This wonderful wash station made life so much better at camp. I'm going to need Jason to build me one.

This year is Emma's first year at Girl's Camp. I went to find her to say hi and see if she was situated. Her and Savannah Greenhalgh were hard at work washing out their dishes after dinner.

Meadow Time!

Stake YW Leaders - Dianna Elison, Katie Orton, Bonnie Calaway, Terri Moon

The Fourth Year Leader Crew - Me, Tracy Woodard, Kristin O'Reilly, Sarah Evans

First Year skit 

The cooks never disappoint

Fourth Year service project - clear the Volleyball court. It was terribly overgrown. We worked so hard and it looked so good when we were done. Then, of course, we had to play a game.

Hanging out with Emma, Savannah, and Shannon Greenhalgh at the music tent. Shannon was the camp music leader. Emma enjoyed the drum rhythms and I thought they were cool to listen to.

Service Project making play dough for the Arc of Tri-Cities - they service disabled people.

One last fourth year gathering before we depart.

Even though it's hard to say goodbye at the end of the week, it inevitably comes. We carry our laughs and stories, our life changing experiences and friendships made, with us as we go, exhausted, to our homes.