TOO Long!

It has been forever since I have posted anything.  I have missed it so much.  I have to say that I have had a worry with another site that I am unfamiliar with that has been visiting this site, so I have not had this site available for view for a few months.  I am still trying to research who it is that is viewing.  It makes me nervous.  But, I am a nervous person.  Please know that no one is allowed to copy or otherwise use any of my blog pictures in any way, without my written consent.

Summer has flown by.

Parker returned from his mission on May 17th.  He had eye surgery and has healed.  He returned to Russia a week ago on Monday, September 1.  He is having a hard time getting back into the routine of being a missionary.  He said it is very, very, very hard to be back, and that he is nervous and unsure.  Things you don't usually hear from Parker.  Usually he is too confident.  Those of you that know him, know what I mean!

Stephanie had arrangements to extend her mission to September 23.  The companion that she was supposed to stay to train never entered the MTC, so never came out to the mission field.   So, she was offered the opportunity to go home at the time she would have originally been coming home from her mission.  She came home on August 19th.  It was a scramble for us, as a family because we didn't expect her home for quite a while yet!

It has been good for her and Parker to see each other for a little bit.  We were able to have family pictures taken!  It has been a challenge for her to re-adjust.  She is still struggling a little bit with it.  Today she has a job interview.  So it is great that she is getting into the swing of things.

It has also been nice to have her home, because she has been keeping a lot of things tidy.

Lucy is excited because she got braces on yesterday!  She loves them and it is funny to watch her getting used to them.  She was sitting on the couch last night just feeling them with her tongue and fingers and lips.  It was fun to watch her.

 She is excited that she made first chair cello in orchestra.  I am also excited about that!   Her soccer season has also started, and after having such an awesome team and coach, she isn't thrilled that it is different this time.  I think she will get used to it, and be back to loving it quickly.  Her uniforms are cute.  We all like them!

Barrett and I have been on quite a journey!  We decided that we would do school from home for the 6th grade.  I KNOW!!  It is nuts.  I am rolling my eyes, even as I write this.  Barrett is doing an online school.  Today is the first day that we have been fully operational for that.  So, technically, it is his first full day of school.  We have had other lessons and we have done some of the online stuff, but didn't have everything all in order.  There was some mix up with our registration paperwork, so we were quite delayed and it was extremely frustrating.  We almost gave up twice.  But now we feel on track, and we have committed to stick with it for a month, at least.  People say though, that we need to stay with it a bit longer than that.

Barrett is also pretty happy that we have new neighbors.  Melissa and her son, Bayden, are living next door to us.  Barrett and Bayden play on the same soccer team!  It is so fun to have someone next door that has so many common interests and similar likes.  They have had a few quarrels, but overall, they are pretty good friends.

Robert is still bishop.  I think he is doing a pretty good job for the most part.  He has been busy updating our bathroom, which has been lovely.  One thing that is good about this remodel, is that we know better about how to shop for stuff together than we did before.  So, it hasn't been as stressful as in times past.  I still want new light fixtures, but he isn't willing to do that.  Sad day.

We also debate about whether or not we will get a trampoline.  I want to get one, but he doesn't.  I think we will be getting a trampoline in the near future.  He is also still coaching soccer for Barrett's team.

I am very tired lately and cannot seem to get enough sleep.  It is better when I ride my bike while Barrett runs, but he has had a sore foot, which we are tending to, and has had to have the last three days off, in hopes to heal in time for games.

The days seem to be turning to autumn.  It is so lovely.  I love the cooler weather and the flowers that are still in bloom.  I love the changes in the weather.  It is just so amazing to me, the variety and beauty that is all around.

We have had a ton of rain recently.  Yesterday it really, really rained a lot.  It rained so much in southern Utah and northern Nevada, that part of the freeway (I-15) was completely washed away!    It has been crazy.  And I am thankful that we have been safe and dry.  So thankful.

And now, for some pictures from the last couple of months...

 On our way to family pictures.  It was fun to have the van all full again of my children!  That didn't last very long.

 Stephanie and Maria!!

 The friend group of awesomeness!

 Uncle Hal photobomb!

 Megan always brings delicious treats to us on Sundays!  This time she brought brownies for Stephanie's homecoming shin-dig!

Thanks, Megan!

 Right in the middle of the missionary coming and going, Lucy started school.  Here is her 'first day' picture with Ivie!

Cute girls!

 The sign.

 Barrett and The Great Calvino at In N Out after the Adidas Cup 2014!  Those two are so funny and fun together!

Barrett's second team.  These are the boys that are his age.  This picture was taken at the Park City Cup 2014. 

 Lucy and I had a night all to ourselves, so Lucy wanted to go downtown and eat at the Lion House.  So we did.  We also went to have a tour of the Conference Center, which was wonderful!

We also took some pictures of Lucy, because she is a scoundrel and would not let me take any on her birthday.  So these pictures count as her birthday pictures, even though they were almost a month later!

Scoundrel.

 Barrett reading for the local library's summer reading deal.  

I thought it was a pretty creative idea.  He got his reading done, for sure!

 Maria's birthday party! It was so fun!

Barrett finished the summer reading program at our local library.  It is the first time for a while that he has finished it!  He was pretty proud of himself.  I was proud of him too!

 We got to meet Nat Borchers after the RSL game.

It was awesome.  Barrett asked him if he could feel his beard.  He said yes.  So Barrett got to feel the beard!  I laughed and laughed about that!  I still think it is hilarious.  And I think it is awesome of Nat to be so sweet with his fans.

The same night that we got the picture with Borchers, 

Lucy WON THE PINEWOOD DERBY!! 

Yes.  It is true.

Someone, in our immediate family, actually WON the pinewood derby!

That has never happened, to our knowledge.

We are all deeply impressed.

Way to go, LUCY!