Each month has had something good.

I had a feeling the rest of this year would go well. Yes, there has been an few hiccups, but looking back it has been wonderful. We love to see Spence and as we knew we would be going to Utah for a concert, he got in a few extra rides with us. Its amazing how he is so pleased with a ride in our van, some popsicles, and going into 7 Eleven. Im so grateful for our time with him. Emmy and Joe get to go on the rides with him too. We traveled a bit, going to Utah. I loved all the shopping. They have different stores there and of course all the game stores were a hit! We went out to eat, enjoyed the hotel and listened outside in Sandy at the amphtheatre to Lower Lights. It was nice. I like to see the family together, even if we were running errands to gather my painting and to get gas and sodas. We sing a lot and make memories in that van. I wrote my article early and set it off. it didn't end up making to the publisher, but I sent it off when I heard it hadnt been recieved. We were driving on I 15 but it worked out for the best and my article made 2nd page and I felt so good knowing it worked out. Celia is homeschooling now and we are getting into the groove of it. She has taken a few horseback riding trainings. I think I like it more than her, but it feels so go to head out the farm and be in nature with all the horses. I feel this homeschooling thing is right and that brings me peace. It isn't easy, but we are plugging a long at it so far. I've been amazed at the ease of transition and the clear path to graduation that I see now that was unclear before. I thank the Lord for that. All the out of town kids are back doing their work and school work, so its a time for the grind, but I'm looking forward to the holidays and all the gathering and happiness that will bring.

Families that play together, stay together

August came and went. With Kids coming to town to visit, a lot of celebrations and activities, the month Flew by. Joe took me out for a birthday lunch to Kitchen 747 which is a resturant near our house that I had been wanting to go to. He and I have had a grand time. We've been going on walks to pokemon go and have played a lot of Magic the gathering card games. He is my shopoing and errand buddy and of course we've cleaned cars and gone for sodas. Its a burn its almost time for him to go back to Idaho for school. Good thing I have Celia at home with me for school. I tell her I'm so glad she is around to keep me young. We have a fun time together too! We watch shows together, eat meals super often and walk around the block. She wants me to be an ebayer, but so far I've been just learning hehe. God providing we were able to find a great situation for her to do independent study. This year will be quite produtive and it seems to make success in seminary and High School so possible. We all have enjoyed having Emmy around for a week in August as well. Her and I went to The Killers concert in SF. They put on a fabulous show, wow. It was fun going there with Emmy. She had the uber app ready when things got a little sketchy. Emmy's my super adventurous one, so we had lots of activities going. She and I ate at Buckhorn grill in the Palladio then biked the Johnny Cash Trail in Folsom. Emmy leanred riding up hil is challenging, but she loved the down hill. I can't even list all we did ogether and do, but we lot to talk and go adventuring. Bri and I did that a little too. We went to a 50th Birthdayy skate party, 80's themed. Bri didnt skate, and I did skate for a little. I'm prousd of how he goes out and socializes so well with me when needed. I like working with him in our church calling and we do a lot of of decions togerther and I respect his careful way and ideas. We got a electric water heaer after coming home from Colorado to no hot water. I like it alot. we have an app for it and its energy saving so we got a rebate from our city. I noticed our gas bill is soo small this month because of not usnng gas for the water heater. We will see how that reflects on our electric bill. Im glad we have enerygy saving on our van as wellsince we drive all over with Spence. He has been doing pretty good and we've been bringing Emmy and Joe to ride with him when they are in town. It warms my heart to have the siblings get along so well together. Im trying to reduce contentnion in my life and seeing peace in our relationships makes my mama heart happy.

A Different Experience

Each year, almost, we go to our family cabin. We hike and see meadows and waterfalls and cook food in the back yard of the cabin. This year was very different. Coming from drought stricten California, It was a shock and surprise to see so much rain in Colorado. We avoided a flood warning near La Veta pass on our way home from Denver. The sand dunes which have been so dry for over twenty years had a river running through it and we were hailed upon in the shadow of dark clouds there. We made the most of it. Some of us were sick while others were healthy, but we still we able to hike Zapatas falls trail and see great views. We had fun having a picnic by the Rio Grande with many chipmunk visitors. Taos had deal on beautiful southwestern gifts, we just had to avoid of the waterfall like streams from the roof tops moving the water to the drains around the square there. I can't help but feel grateful for the good times we did have even in the prescence of adversity and concerns. We were rained upon while wwalking down to the river, but we were resuced in the van and enjoyed the warmth of the cabin and I was happy we had plenty of clothing. We had a grat experience spending time with each of our kiddos that were there. We ate, played games, and spent quality time. We had fun in Denver going to the temple, a food truck, a concert and seeing all of Brian's old stomping grounds. We all were impressed and decided he had a pretty good upbringing in such a nice area. I even got to do my mall walking I like to do and it looked like a cabin in the mall there and it was so cute. We saw the other mall that was there and it had a beautiful garden area to walk around in. We all fot along really well despite us grilling each kiddos on what was going on in their live. We sang songs in the car, and did take out trash friend and did laundry wwith no bad attitudes at all. It was just so great to have a family strengthening time together in the mountains. Its good to be home, but it was a memorable, different time.