Back to School 2023

Our 'Back to School' looked very different this year with Ben at the dome and Andy getting instructions from me to take Matt's picture :)

Ben was pretty squinty this morning as we faced East but we still got a couple of good ones :)

 Can't believe Benji is a Freshman!

I got this blurry pic from Andy that morning so I asked him to retake it the next morning...I know, I'm a picky taskmaster!

Here's Matt the Junior!

I was kicking myself that I didn't really get a good pic of Abby in front of a school sign or something while we were down there so I asked her to take a selfie and send it to me...still waiting :)

Abby Goes to College

Abby chose UVU for college.

At first she was thinking Weber which I liked the idea of better because she would be closer :)

However, after  making  a pro and  con list with T she decided Utah Valley would be a better choice for her....which is fine...I'm fine.

We drove her down (she and Matt in the Corolla and me and Andy in the van...Ben stayed home with Mom and Dad) the Monday before school started.

She found lodging at Raintree which is in Provo so she will have a short commute to Orem.

When we found her apartment none of the other girls were there (it was carpet cleaning day) so she just chose the room that had a cute little note on the door welcoming her if she wanted to stay there.

We helped her get set up, which didn't take long.

I tried not to be bothered by the bugs in the pantry, the overflowing garbage, the ripped up couch and the missing parts of flooring.

I also tried not to worry about the interesting vibe I was getting from her roommate's belongings :)

I was comforted a bit to see a picture of the St George temple in the dining area and something on the fridge about the ward to which they belonged.

Truly, I was feeling very unsettled but, as I was standing alone in the living room for a minute, I was blessed with a brief feeling of peace that allowed me to not break down in tears.

Abby was very upbeat and seemed very excited to be taking this next step in her life's journey.

Matt was super helpful 😂

We went to a pizza place that James suggested and had lunch with him and Merill and Nancy.

(I could have sworn I got pictures with them too but I can't find them anywhere :(

We then drove to the Institute at UVU and got Abby set up with a parking pass that she can use in their lot as long as she keeps 75% attendance :)  What a great incentive!

On the way back to the restaurant where we had left her car, we video called Josh since it was a Monday.

We chatted with him for a few minutes and caught him up on our day with Abby.

He was able to be with us as we said our goodbyes to Abby.

I think she felt a little abandoned as we were all getting in one car and she was left to go back to her apartment alone.  I wish she had had a friend to be with when we left 🥲

I did shed a few tears on the drive home.

However, something that I had forgotten until now as I write this 2.5 months later, even though I was not super comfortable with the situation in which we had left our daughter, each time I thought about her I felt the Spirit giving me peace.  Literally, every time she came to my mind on the drive home, I felt the warmth of the Spirit that I had felt standing in her apartment before we left.  Even now, as I write this, I feel the same comforting assurance.  Such a blessing for this scared, worried, emotional Momma's heart.

August Home Progress

So.  Much.  Painting!!!

I  am not a fan of painting and this project confirmed that.

We decided to do it ourselves to save money...I wish we hadn't :(

I wish I would have gotten a picture of everyone that helped.

In addition to those pictured here we had T, Heather Humphreys and her daughter Sammy, Bri Wright and Amy Christiensen and her dad that came and painted.

Abby helped at times when she wasn't working...

Andy did a ton!

We interrupt this painting to bring you the removal of the wall...

This wall had been up for many months.  While painting one day we decided it was time for it to come down.  It was quite an exciting moment!

My good friend, Chanelle, whose husband did the cabinets came and helped on this epic day.  I was also happy to catch Matt in action.

Mom came and painted in the addition on the same day.

So many long days and nights.

I was so grateful to Mom and Dad who helped with Ben so we could get this taken care of.

It was a chore for sure, and again, one I wish we would have just payed the professionals to take care of for us!

Abby catching a snack after coming home from work...

Also, progress was made in ripping out Andy's closet in the bedroom and tearing down the pantry wall to open up the laundry room!

Our contractor was swamped at the time so we had a good friend, Jim Johnson come and help with the pantry wall and getting the kitchen and laundry room windows in.

So grateful to him!

My poor family had nowhere to sit these days so they ended up on the floor quite a bit :(

Speaking of sitting...

we did get some furniture shopping in at times.

I loved these green couches but they were beaucoup bucks!

August Odds and Ends

Living at the dome has given us lots of "Bapa" and "O" time :)

Before school started back up, Andy took Abby and Matt to the American Fossil Quarry in Wyoming for fish fossils.

Jo and James joined them.

Andy only got a few pics but they all really enjoyed themselves and found some fun things!

In my many travelings between homes I have wracked up quite the miles.

This day, I was noticing the similarities between my odometer and my thermometer :)

 This was either Abby's last official Sunday with us before she moved out or the weekend after she moved out when she came back for our sibling neighbors' mission report/farewell.

I noticed her talking to friends who were all wearing green...except for Psadi, but I let her be in the picture anyway :)

And with Abby taking the Corolla down south since we couldn't find another car for her to buy before she left, we rounded up this cute little Yaris from a neighbor who's son had just left on a mission and didn't need it anymore.

Matt wasn't thrilled at first, he had really been looking forwarding to having the Corolla to himself, but it didn't take long for him to become quite endeared to "The Blueberry" :)