Happy Labor Day and Happy September! 

 We had a really busy week, so it was nice to start off with a slower-paced Monday and do only what we wanted to do. 😀 

First of all, after all of our rain last week, it was so nice to have a week of sun and warmer weather.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I am so much more motivated to stay busy and get things done when the sun is out - even if it's cold outside, but still sunny, I'm good.  Maybe that comes from being a California (former) girl. 

I don't know why I feel the need to start with a weather report - but it reminds me of our time in Hawaii, and Sister Williamson, who was president of our Sunday School class (something they don't do anymore). She was elderly and came to Church each week wearing a giant, wide-brimmed straw hat, carrying a large bag of avocados.  At the beginning of our class, she would stand up and give us a weather report - high tide, low tide, wind speed, and surf conditions, and then she would pass around her bag of avocados for anyone who wanted some (grown in her backyard).   

 Monday afternoon, we spent some time with Shannon.  She doesn't try to say too much anymore, but likes to walk, so we walked around the facility and then outside. They have a lovely outdoor area for walking, so we took advantage of that.  After leaving Shannon, we drove over to see Angella, the girls, and Ben.  Angella had to go to Denver this week for work, and she had asked if we could pick up Ben from his bus stop after school.  Dad was on his own on Tuesday because I had a doctor's appointment, so we decided to do a "test run" so he would know where the bus stop was. It was a good thing we decided to do this, because I misunderstood Angella when she told me where the bus stop was, and I would have totally sent Dad to the wrong place! Yikes!! We all went over to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard and a short visit before heading home.  

 Paul went camping with his friends over the Labor Day weekend. He has the nicest group of friends, and it seems they are always doing fun things together. He reminds me a little of Adam when we lived in Okinawa. Most of his good friends were not members of the Church, but he was always a great example to them. 

 WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

 Thanks to the heroic actions of Lily and Samantha, the Monument branch of the family have a new kitten!  As Lily was telling me the story, I could just hear Adam's eyes roll 😳!  Apparently, Lily witnessed a man throwing the kitten out of a car and then driving off, so they rescued him and took him home. After much persuasion (which may have included tears and bribes) Cory and Adam said they could keep him.  Lily named him Danno (yes, after Hawaii 5-0).

Speaking of Lily . . . We got to take her to her soccer game Saturday morning, which was fun because it had been such a long time since we had seen her play.  She was amazing, and the weather was perfect for sitting outside.  After her game we came home and she took a nap while I worked in the yard, and then we went to Trader Joe's, and Costco to pick up a couple of things.  On the way home, we stopped at Circle K so she could get a blue Gatorade.  She and Adam have a tradition that before or after each of her games they stop and get a blue Gatorade.  Lily said it's her "good luck" charm as her team has won 9 games straight.  

 Kim and Chris found time for a date night on Friday ❤  Kim said they took Ralphie for a walk and then came home and fixed dinner.  They couldn't go anywhere because the kids had the cars!  Love it! 😁

 

 

I know by now everyone is settled into routines of school and work, and this is what I am hearing, "I'm hanging in there", "It's going great", "I can't wait for it to be over", "It's fun", "I love it" . . . JUST REMEMBER - every day is a gift - don't waste your time on things that have little value - stay busy with things that bring you joy and help you feel peace.  That being said, we must endure the hard times, and we all face challenges; however, we can know that with prayer, Heavenly Father will always be there to help us.  

I am taking a Statistics class this term, and I am not even sure what a lot of the words mean! I met with a tutor once and actually made it through the first week.  I know when I study hard, stay humble, read my scriptures, and pray, Heavenly Father helps me each day.  Additionally, I have an appointment to meet with a tutor tomorrow (BYU-I offers tutoring through Teams), have ordered Statistics for Dummies, and just found out today that my Relief Society President took and received an A in Statistics not too long ago, and has offered to help.  

Dad and I made it to the Temple on Friday morning.  The traffic wasn't bad, we saw good friends, and it is always a comfort to my soul to be there.  Still no word yet on a groundbreaking date for the Colorado Springs Temple, but hopefully it will be announced before the end of the year.

LOVE these two 7-year-olds!

 In Sayre's Primary class today, the kids built Temples. 

 And Ben just picked out some new glasses. 

🌻Kate, Jonathan, and Sayre visited a Sunflower Farm and came home

Yes, they are real!

with these - 

  

FINALLY, one of my favorite stories of the week ~

 Ben has a small Book of Mormon that is pretty tattered.  The pages look like they might have gotten wet at some point as the book is about twice the size that it should be.  However, he keeps it in his backpack and everyday on the school bus he has it open and "reads" from it.  It was so cute this week when we picked him up at the bus stop - every day he had his Book of Mormon in his hands.  What a sweetheart, and what a great example!

AND a favorite video from the past - 

   Oh Gracie . . .

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK AND MAKE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN 

❤