HAPPY SEPTEMBER TO ALL! 

It is hard to believe how the weeks just seem to fly by and our Summer months are behind us.  As I sat down to my desk today, I thought for just a fleeting minute that I saw a palm tree outside my window 🌴😎, but no, it is still the same old fir tree 🌲😊.  I can't complain though, we have had beautiful warm weather that I am hoping will last for just a little while longer ~

I got ambitious this week and cleaned out the closet in the office.  Though it may not look amazing to you, I think it is wonderful compared to what it had been.  I ended up with a bag for Goodwill, and a bag for the garbage can.  My Primary pictures and and lesson materials are organized, and I consolidated family photos, and letters.  I still have a small box of family "stuff" I'm sorting through but found quite a few gems.  

It has been fun reading old letters I wrote to my Mom and Dad.  This is part of one taken from a letter dated 11 June 1993 - "Last month Kate's third grade class went to Mt. Fuji.  I went as a chaperone- spent the night at an International Boy Scout facility located near a beautiful little resort town.  We had a nice time - didn't get much sleep - (as I remember, I woke up with a swollen eye from a mosquito bite 😐) - but we had a fun time.  She signed up for the jogging club at school this year and has already earned her 25 mile patch.  She should be in good shape for soccer when that comes around".

    "Adam and Kevin have had baseball games every Saturday.  Their playoffs start tomorrow and will last for the next three weeks.  They have won their last two games.  A couple of weeks ago, Adam's class had a field trip to Disneyland.  They didn't have the required number of parents to so so he talked me into it - actually, he didn't have to talk to hard.  I love going there and the weather was beautiful.  I had three other boys besides Adam in my group so I I just sort of followed them around all day.  I think this fulfilled my field trip duties for the year.

    "Joshua has been playing baseball this season too and his team has done really well.  Last week he had a game down at Yokosuka.  I went along and we had a fun day.  Josh played great and their team won so we celebrated with a little shopping afterward.  Kevin was able to take Josh down to Yokosuka a couple of weeks ago to get his Patriarchal Blessing.  We have a friend who lives down there whose father is a Patriarch.  He was here visiting from Alaska and was able to get permission to give blessings to those in our Servicemen's District.

    "Kim is leaving on the 18th for Presidential Classroom.  She has been busy trying to sort through clothes trying to decide what to take.  They are not allowed to wear pants, jeans, or shorts of any kind at anytime, and their dresses and skirts can't be more than 2 inches above the knee.  They will be attending seminars, meeting with senators and congressmen, and of course, lots of sightseeing.  She went to her prom a couple of weeks ago at the New Sanno.  We were having a hard time finding a dress so she pulled an old black velvet one that Grandma had sent her, out of her closet - probably 50+ years old, and a friend in the Ward shortened it a couple of inches, added scallops to the sleeves to match the neckline, and made a wide black satin belt and bow for the back.  It turned out better than anything we ever could have imagined and she looked so cute."

And last, but not least - 

"Girls camp is in a couple of weeks, and I'll be going for most of the time.  But you know me - I'm not much of a camper so Kevin made reservations for me at the lodge."  😄

It wouldn't be a week if I didn't get to see or talk to a grandchild!  

Thursday Lily spent the night because she wanted to stay after school for a football game.  It was a last minute decision, so of course, after I picked her up we needed to go to Old Navy so she would have something the wear to school the next day.  We both found t-shirts and then brought home dinner from Chick-fil-a.  When I picked her up from school I was so happy she was "BYU Proud"! 

Jake went to summer school for a few weeks in June/July, and Adam promised him a trip to Dart Wars to make it more appealing 😊.  

So here we are - ready to take on the world!  We spent an hour hiding from small children with dart guns, big adults with blasters!

We had a lot of fun and I have to say that Jake is fearless!

Saturday afternoon Hollie came over for some Grammie time.  We managed to squeeze in Target, 5 Below, and Walmart before dinner.  After dinner, we went to Barnes and Nobles and had a great time looking through books and all of the other fun things they have there.  

Hollie did a great job of getting up early to get ready for our 8:30 departure for Church on Sunday.  She looked so cute all dressed up but I forgot to take a picture so I made her pose before she went home -

It seems like ages since we have seen our California family and so I wanted to share these photos of Mike and Barbi that Mike sent this week - 

Feather River Temple Grounds

I hope you all have a wonderful week and love and enjoy your families.  I'm starting to think that Adam's idea of a family compound might have some merit.  Life can be challenging so we need to stick together, pray for each other, talk to each other, and find the good in each other.  We are always here for you so let us know how we can help!