Road Trip!

Sunday Jenn asked if I wanted to go to Jackson with her on Tuesday!

I'm not often spontaneous, especially when it involves leaving my kids.

And its not often that my week lies wide open.

I wonder; however, if now that Nick's finishing high school, if I'll be alot more flexible.

Mentally and Socially. I'm kinda looking forward to that.

Also, Jenn's had a horrible five weeks, beginning when her husband hit a deer on his bike and 

now is slowly recovering from a Traumatic Brain Injury.

Then two weeks ago one of her best friends' sons took his life. 

So.

Finally, finally she was able to get away and take a minute to herself

in the most beautiful place hiking and swimming and kayaking and most importantly 

laughing, belly laughing and pee-your-pants laughing.

I didn't even think, just said yes, because the turquoise of the Jackson lakes at the base of

the stony rugged mountains with the hope of seeing bears, moose or bison is my absolute favorite.

Even almost dare I say more than Pagosa. 

And I love laughing with Jenn - my birthday twin - almost as much as anything else in life.

Road Trip!

Heather is a new friend to me and Mimi is my neighbor who I'm excited to get to know better.

We arrived, dropped off our bags and headed on a hike to Phelps Lake overlook.

Another favorite is meeting travelers of all different ages from all over!

Germany, England, Florida, Poland, Colombia, and Netherlands to name a few.

And we saw bears! Three! From a distance. But that's probably a good thing.

Mimi brought her binoculars and we also met super friendly people with 

high-powered lenses willing to share the view.

The first bear was bathing in Phelps Lake below us.

On the way home, we saw several cars pulled over so we joined them 

and got to see (through binoculars) two more black bears in the bushes eating berries.

Everyone is so excited to share the news and pass along where and how to view.

So much camaraderie out here in the wilderness.

Jenn made dinner, we played double ditto, shared stories and stayed up past midnight. 

Killers Killing It!

The Killers!

A concert all together (missing Marty & Lizzie)!

Chris sent a playlist so we could all prepare and I learned three things:

1) I know waaaaaay more Killer songs than I thought I did.

2) They're a waaaaaay more talented/popular/productive band than I knew they were.

3) The song that annoys me most is a Killers song. 

But I really love all their other songs and they have sooo many popular ones the concert was a blast!

Brandon Flowers and the drummer have so much energy!

Fun fact, he's our neighbor. 

Obviously, we don't know him. He doesn't live that close.

But, we found out Ford C. teaches his kids tennis.

Multiple confetti blasts, lights,

they brought a local 18-year-old on the stage to play drums during one song

which was soooo cool! 

Mr. Brightside -- the song that annoys me most -- was the final encore. 

I stood up and sang along in spite of myself because its catchy, 

the concert was a blast and sometimes you just play along and enjoy yourself 

even if you don't love the lyrics.

So glad everyone indulged me in a final pic, 

even though don't love the face Nick often makes in pictures,

 

Not My Talent

I can't sleep in long pajama pants. 

Having my knees covered is so suffocating and makes me want to die of heat stroke.

But its very uncommon to find pj shorts long enough to cover garments. 

I cut off the bottoms of these cute Target pj's I've had for ten years or so because I never wear them,

becauase... long pants.

 All summer I intended to get someone to help me hem them.

I actually was going to ask Kristin to help me, but then she broke her arm 

so I figured it wasn't the best time to ask for help on a project!

Swapping out the laundry this morning, the sewing machine sort of beckoned to me.

And before I knew it, I was searching for matching thread and a bobbin and getting out the instruction book.

I don't sew. But, I have had a few energetic attempts to make a couple things when it didn't really matter if it looked professionally -- or even decently done -- or not.

For instance, the fabric chairback covers for Primary that showed where each class should sit.

I worked really hard on those, and as soon as the new presidency was put it place,

they were swapped for new ones.

That's how bad I sew.

But what I do know is, our instruction book is super helpful and if you just follow step-by-step,

you'll have your machine threaded and bobbin set in no time.

And the next thing I knew, I was ironing my crease and zipping along.

I made a little mistake where I sewed the second hem at the bottom of the fold instead of the top

and it created a little bubble in addition to the extra hem. But there's NO WAY I'm unpicking it.

They turned out just fine.

Maybe I'll even buy another pair and sew those too.

I almost finished revisions on my first chapter today.

Every second I was sewing I was also thinking, 

"You really shouldn't be avoiding chapter 1. 

This could end up taking much longer than you want it to."

But I was able to do both.

And then go sit by the pool for dinner with Courtney, Michael and Dan.

(Nick had work.)

It's been fun having this happy couple in the house for so many days!

When it got dark, we came inside to watch Psych, Dual Spires episode

because Michael randomly asked if I watched Twin Peaks and 

then I said, "Only two episodes, because it was suuuuper dark for me. 

But... have you seen the Psych episode?"

Psych never gets old.

 

Happy Birthday, Dan

Happy Birthday, Dan! 

Did I catch you holding back tears when you opened your 

gift from Marty & Lizzie (mailed from Denver -- they're only three weeks out from new baby!)

 I sure had to! You're going to be the best Grandpa!

I've even said, if something happened to me, he'd be equally as good at helping out with new babies.

Not sure Lizzie wants to learn to nurse with Dan in her living room... 😂

BUT, just saying, he's a confident and capable domestic caretaker!

He received Killers tickets from all of us -- Courtney's great idea approval stamped by all the kids (and me as financier ;-)).

As it so happened, they would be in town when the Killers come on Tuesday, so we all get to go together!

Which is another of Dan's favorites -- being with his kids and family.

Finally, Nick said Pete at the track has been talking Dan into trying to make homemade pasta.

So... he (we) are now the proud owners of a pasta press.

After a wonderful brunch with all of us (Chris slept over too so he could wake up with us!),

church and a FEAST for dinner (Dan grilled steaks), Dan and Nick made pasta.

Dan also made homemade ice cream to go with the apple crisp I made.

So basically for Dan's birthday dessert at 8:30 p.m.

FIRST we had pasta. Then we had applecrisp with ice cream.

The pasta... AMAZING!

As was every minute of the entire day.

 

Would You Look At That

I finally bought a pair of Birkenstocks this summer. 

And then I bought three more.

I wore a cute gray pair exactly once, sometime in June, and then I lost them.

I looked everywhere, retraced my steps, scoured shoe drawers and cleaned out cubbies to no avail.

The summer came and went and the mystery was never solved.

Until this morning when I sat on the floor near my bed to stretch before my bike ride.

And there they were, tucked neatly and completely under the bed.

On the bright side, they still look new!

Just as I was leaving on my ride, Courtney called.

She was with her friend, Meghan, getting bagels and Jamba Juice and when they got in the car to come home, it wouldn't start. I picked them up and brought another key but no luck. 

So we left the car there for Dan and I to deal with later.

I still got a ride in, and then Courtney and Michael's friends came over to swim.

I got to hang out with everyone and get caught up. 

Lots of children in this bunch which is a fun to see these kids starting families.

While we were swimming, 

Dan and Nick raced today--Nick is one race away from getting his provisional license.

We didn't have any plans this evening, so thought we'd grocery shop while we waited for AAA.

But as it turned out, all the car needed was a jump start and a new battery.

Dan took care of both while I shopped.

Back at home we ate leftovers for dinner and honestly, it was a great night together.

 

Look Who's Here!

 Michael and Courtney are in town for a friend's wedding.

They are very diligent about working when they're here...

but Courtney may have been willing to get distracted for a little bit.

Brunch with the Ladies this morning -- always good for belly laughs.

For date night, Dan and I rode bikes up to the food trucks for dinner,

then watched our show, Anxious People, outside at the pool.

It's a great show and was just as heartwarming and entertaining as the book (by Fredrik Backman)

Swedish with English subtitles on Netflix.

Never-Ending Summer

Took a spin on the bikes this evening around the neighborhood.

A good reminder that even though school has started, summer doesn't have to be over.

 

Clear Visuals

When you realize how dirty your windows are,

its way past time to get them washed.

How much do you love companies where the workers are determined 

to do a great job in spite of it being way way bigger than they ever imagined?! 

My Contribution to Better Humankind

Our world has come to this again.

No one is taking responsibility so we won't bother with blame,

but all I know is my charging cords are missing. Two of them.

And so if you too have children with devices that need to be charged,

 and those children have friends who have devices that need to be charged,

I offer my most genius mom-hack ever:

 

First Day for the U

How much do you love that Chris had his buddy take a first day photo because he knew I wanted one!

Love that kid!

(If you went to BYU and don't speak Greek, that's his new home, 

The Sigma Chi house, he's standing in front of 😜)

Back to school jitters?

 

Inspiration

I was introduced to podcasts at book club in January 2020, just before Covid started -- what great timing. It was such a blessing during Covid to have endless content for spiritual nourishment. 

Up until then, I never listened to music (or anything else) while I exercised. Being alone with my thoughts for that hour outside was cleansing. But now, I look forward to my podcast time, "meeting" people from around the world and soaking up their uplifting messages.

Thought I'd start sharing their words of wisdom that have boosted me during the week.

Melaney Tagg (on podcast: All In) is a native Virginian, engineer by degree, teacher by profession and aspiring advocate for civility in the home, the church, and in the public square. As a member of the Community Levee Association, she directs efforts striving to bring folks together from opposite sides of a variety of issues.

Loudoun County's bimonthly school board meetings were nothing to write home about, but contentious debate began with Covid protocol, continued into curriculum regarding race and by the time protections for transgender students were raised, tensions had reached a boiling point. Melaney Tagg didn't have strong positions on these issues, but she knew she had the ability to be a peacemaker.

"I think often about some of the beautiful phrases that we use over and over. Most of them are inward focused: "I am a child of God" "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me" "I am a daughter of Heavenly Parents" 

And when I stop and think, You are a child of God. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers you. You are a daughter of Heavenly Parents. Then the world is a different place for me. It becomes divine, it becomes holy. And my desires to be unified with every brother and sister are immeasurable.

Steve Young (on podcast: All In) -- The Steve Young

"The relationship [with Jesus] should feel healing -- the law of love invites. It doesn't require, it doesn't demand, because it's not transactional. It invites. And that invitation is never ending. ... If you think about that statue, Christ is standing with his palms out as an eternal invitation."

"[I was told] God has a plan for you to go through this and see what you can learn on the other side. And I ended up going home and finding a way through it. To live through it. ...When you're in the moment of anxiety, you just want peace. You want healing. ...It wasn't easy... I wanted to go around it. ... but what would be most profitable for my soul at the time was to go through it. 

"Thomas Merton a Catholic monk said, 'Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they're worthy. That is not our business. And in fact, it is nobody's business. What we are asked to do is to love and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy."

Pics of the Week

Pics of the week...

Beautiful blooming surrounding our home.

Scrubbed the kitchen runner and so relieved that it's clean again.

Be happy I didn't take any pics of our troubles with Kershaw this week.

He's been sick all week with diarrhea and we've been constantly cleaning up after him.

Target trip this afternoon. The weather was cool like fall all day.

Thank you August for giving us a day that feels like its actually time to go back to school.

Worked on revisions all day yesterday and today.

Party Time!

We agreed to let Nick and friends have a back to school party here...

for the entire school after the football game.

The boys set up Tiki torches, inflatable palm trees and purchased leis for everyone.

The weather looked a little sketchy and we were nervous about how many people would show up and if Nick's friends would be by his side helping to set up, host, close down at the end of the night and clean up.

They were awesome! 

And the 200 kids that showed up were also awesome.

Everyone had a lot of fun, were respectful of the property, left when the party ended

 and many helped clean up.

Always happy at the end of the night when the party is a success with no negative side effects!

Class of 2023 Begins

 Last first day of school pic... ever!

I was out on a walk and he decided to go early with his friends to breakfast.

So I didn't get the traditional pic at the front door, but he and Beckam were willing to drive by while I was out so I could at least see him go on his first day of Senior year.

Nick has quite a few home release periods this year which he's using to work out in the mornings

(still getting up at 4:30 a.m. this year to meet Will at the gym and come home and make a big breakfast.

And believe it or not, playing video games is actually required.

Well, not just any video games, but the race simulator to prep for his races.

So, this is his legit second period! 

Productive

Spent the day creating a spreadsheet of literary agencies and agents that represent Women's Fiction.

Not sure if I'm going about it the right way, but making a spreadsheet in Excel definitely feels productive!

Also, good news -- even though my stenosis is back, my vocal cords look perfect.

A weak voice is a result of the stenosis -- straining to talk and breathe at the same time. 

When I get my next round of injections and my airway is more open,

my voice will naturally get stronger (probably).

And teaching singing time or talking until it gets pitchy isn't doing any long-term damage.

So relieved.

(And then I remember how much the injections suck.)

Logline

For my class on Querying Agents this term, I had to write a one page synopsis, a pitch paragraph and a logline. I felt great about my synopsis and paragraph after detailing every scene, working out my plot beats and the turning points and a lot of writing and rewriting. 

The logline (one sentence descriptor) was... mostly fine. I did figure out the key points which was important. And then a classmate with a gift for turning sentences fine tuned it to perfection. 

(Is it easier when its not your work?)

Finding Paradise:
 An eleven year old boy's tragic and sudden death causes his grieving mom to become preoccupied with fears of losing another child, fears that are only magnified when her teenager rebels and pushes her away. 

Author Bio

Me, in a nutshell:

 

Baby Deer

Five deer in the yard today! 

Two mamas and three spotted babies.

I'm tempted to keep the back gate open -- it's just so fun 

to run to the window and watch when they sneak in!

 

Shut-Eye

 Between getting on our flight at noon and going to bed tonight at 10:00, 

I had at least five short naps. Just couldn't keep my eyes open. 
I partially blame the book I'm reading which is about 200 pages too long.
And the rest of the blame is on my brain for thinking every morning in Pagosa is Christmas and 

regularly waking me up before 6:00 a.m.
Seriously? What. Is. The. Deal?

Did love watching a few episodes of last season's Only Murders in the Building

with Marty and Lizzie!

The Schoolhouse

Evening light at the schoolhouse overlooking the valley, hoping to spot elk. (We didn't.)

Somehow someone (was it Marty or Dan?) said Lizzie wanted to go to the schoolhouse at sunset because she's a teacher. Which made her laugh because you don't have to be a teacher to enjoy the view from the schoolhouse. And even people who aren't teachers like to go to the schoolhouse.

But, since she is a teacher, we thought she should have her picture in front of the schoolhouse.

I don't want to go home yet. It's so pretty and peaceful I wish I could stay here another whole week.

On a different note, the landscapers added this log to the planting bed,

and it so happens to be the same size as the log that was on fire when Courtney and I saved the forest.

And now we have permanent proof of how big it was,

and a permanent reminder of our heroics!

Day in the San Juans

 After sitting on the tarmac during a two-hour delay, Marty and Lizzie made it to Pagosa around midnight!
Dan and EC told lots of flying jokes while we waited for them, 

crossing our fingers their plane would take off...
Better to be down here wishing you were up there, than to be up there wishing you were down here.
Got time to spare? Go by air!

Definition of flying: hours and hours of sheer boredom, punctuated by moments of sheer terror.

I did yoga for a quiet stretching workout this morning
(accompanied by the not bed bugs but swallow bugs in the barn).
Thought I'd do the intermediate workout which went pretty well until this move:

Dan and Marty both worked all day,

EC and I regaled Lizzie with birthing and baby stories and I hope we're not scaring her!

So easy to look back and laugh now...

Rode the Ranger to Marty & Erin's to look at the pond now that the flow was cleared out.
Looks so beautiful and we loved hearing about their plans for the space.

Dan drove us to the concrete pad from the early 70's where the Shaeffers originally parked the trailers 

until they realized they were actually on the neighbors land. 

Now that neighbor's land is Marty & Erin's property!

We ended the night with a corn hole tournament, fire and s'mores, and late night game of SkipBo.
Lizzie is hooked, which makes me happy because I never get tired of playing SkipBo.