Summer YW fun

With the temple dedication coming up, there is a cultural celebration, as well that the youth get to participate in. I am a captain of 10 for our ward, so I get to go help out on the day of the performance. It also means lots of practices in the months leading up to it. The youth are doing great and catching on and getting closer to be ready.

We have 2 dances we've been working on, then just got another dance added at our stake practice this week. They learned it all in about 20 minutes.

We also have been learning several songs.

 The other big summer Young Women fun was Girls' Camp. Two days before the stake leaders and YCLs were going to head up to set up camp the day before the rest of the girls came, a fire nearby had gotten too big and closed down the Mt. Lemmon highway, and everyone was evacuated. I was so glad to not be a stake leader that day. They found another place up in the White Mountains that had enough room for our whole stake and wasn't booked that week. It turned out great for everyone. I got to be with all the YW in my ward off and on, but I was assigned as a 4th year leader. The 4th year adventure trip was separate, so only 4 girls who hadn't been able to go on the big adventure came to camp, plus we had one YCL. On hike day we made our own adventure. We headed over to Sunrise Ski Resort and the girls were able to choose between jumping off high platforms onto a huge air pillow or going on the giant tube slide. Everyone got 5 turns with whatever they chose, and had lots of fun.

Afterwards we went to a nearby lake to explore and skip rocks.

We had scripture study before we went and got lunch then headed back to camp.

There were lip syncs one night, which was so much fun. Lots of flexibility all week, adjusting the schedule based on the new locale.

It turned out great and they're thinking about heading back to the Alpine area again next year.

A week after we got back from Girls' Camp, our ward was in charge of the stake dance. The youth had spent a good amount of time planning it out, and they wanted it done fancy, with a Hollywood Premier/red carpet theme. We spent THREE AND A HALF HOURS setting up. I was so ready to be done. But they did it up real nice. They made the stage into a VIP section, and every half hour or so awards were announced (best dancer, best accessory, celebrity look-alike, etc.) and the winners got to bring 5 friends to the VIP area where they could play air hockey or play games. They had the chaperones dress as bouncers, and a couple of them played it up real good.

Now that camp and the dance is done, we just have the cultural celebration coming up, then maybe things will get back into the regular swing of things at mutual and such. Although our stake is doing a trek next Feb., so I'm sure we'll have preparations for that coming soon. At least there is never a dull moment. :)

Temple Open House

We are so excited to be getting a temple here in Tucson. For most of the month of June the finished temple was open to the public, so we took advantage and went on the tour several times. Since the kids won't be able to go in after it's dedicated until they're 12 years old, we wanted them to get a chance to really see and experience it a few times so they would remember it. We also wanted our friends to have a chance to experience something that we are so excited about. I was lucky enough to go on 7 temple tours with various friends and family, plus be able to volunteer at the open house 3 different times. I was a temple usher once, a parking lot attendant at the stake center once, and a supervisor for the youth doing the shoe covers the last day.

The first day of the open house Jacob and I were able to go through with several of his co-workers.

 Todd and Savannah arrived that evening after we were back from the tour, and the following Tuesday we were able to go as a family to the open house. Megan LOVED the bus ride over. When we got close to the temple she yelled out, "I see Mowoni!" (Moroni)

 It was pretty cool having our entire family there together.

 This was the best picture we could manage of our family that day out front.

 Afterwards we headed over to Eegees to enjoy some delicious Eegees slushies, and we had the kids write down what they most liked or wanted to remember about their time in the temple.


Rachel:

 "My favorite place was the sealing room. It was very pretty and had a super soft carpet. But what I liked most wasn't that. It was the two mirrors representing that you can be sealed forever and ever."

 Annie:

 "The Celestial room was my favorite room because I felt the Spirit more than I ever felt before!"

 Ryan:

Baptism room, the oxen holding up the baptismal font, and the celestial room

 Megan:

 "I liked to see Moroni. I liked the flowers and the windows."

The next day I went with the young women in our ward on a tour. I had volunteered the day before (just before my family came up for our tour), and while on the tour with the YW, I saw one of the supervisors for the temple ushers. She had taken the ushers into the bride's room the day before, before our shift started so we could see it, even though it wasn't part of the tour--the bride's room was downstairs, and they couldn't figure out how to get the tour to flow smoothly with only one staircase and one elevator, so the bride's room was left off the tour. But as we I saw the supervisor, I went and asked her if it would be possible to arrange for our YW to go see the bride's room. She said to have them come around the back to the stake volunteers' entrance and she would meet us there. We finished the tour, took a picture of all of us, then headed around the back.

She met us and took us through the dressing room, pointing out some cool paintings, then into the bride's room. It was really cool for the girls to be in there. They learned a little about the room, then got to stand in front of the big mirror and imagine themselves there as brides. The supervisor told us about the painting in the changing room that was a mother of a stripling warrior. And another of the woman taken in adultery and how it had touched one of the neighborhood residents to know that Christ is merciful and loving. It was a great experience all around. And really special for the YW that they got to have their own "special" tour.

That Saturday I met up with a high school friend, Char, and her husband, PJ. It was fun to finally meet him, though they've been married for 6 years.

 We don't see each other often, so I was glad that Char contacted me to let me know that they were planning on going and checked if I wanted to go with them. The kids went to a splash pad for one last hurrah with Todd and Savannah's kids before they left that afternoon to head back to Washington. After we were done with the temple tour, Jacob came and met us and we had lunch together with Char and PJ. Definitely a fun time that should happen more often.

The following week Rachel and I met up with her friend, Kylie and her family. Her mom, Samantha, and I keep in touch even though Kylie and Rachel haven't been in the same class at school last year, so they don't see each other all that often. Samantha contacted me because she was going to the open house with everyone from her work, but wanted her kids to get a chance to go see the temple, too.

 We totally lucked out and got a double decker bus for the ride over to the temple. It was pretty cool.

 It was a good time.

That week on Friday, we all went again with our neighbor, Shannon. My phone was plugged in to the cord the night before, but the cord was not plugged into the wall, so unfortunately we didn't manage to get a picture with her because my phone died on the drive over. :(
Ryan held her hand the whole way through the temple and she was surprised (and impressed) that my kids, who are crazy loud in our backyard all the time, were reverent and well-behaved on the tour. She especially loved the Celestial Room and could feel the peace that is almost tangible there. We are so blessed to have her as our neighbor--she loves our kids and treats them so well.

The next week Grandma and Grandpa came into town and we headed to the temple at the hottest part of the day on the 2nd hottest day ever recorded in Tucson.

 A friend of mine, whose grandson has been in Rachel's class the last couple of years met up with us and went with us on the tour, too. We didn't snap a picture of all of us at the temple, unfortunately, but we had a good time. When we got back to our car, the car thermometer read 122 degrees. About 10 minutes into our drive home Ryan commented, "Oh, I'm so glad it's cooled down to 115 degrees!" It was a scorcher, for sure.

I thought I was done volunteering at the open house at that point. Our stake had one more assignment for just one shift on the last day of the open house, but I had already done the other two and that shift seemed covered. But a couple days before I got an email asking for more tour guides since they were anticipating it being super busy. I volunteered, then the morning of got a phone call asking if I would be able to be a shoe cover supervisor instead as one of them had family come into town unexpectedly. I agreed, and instead of spending most of the time on the air conditioned bus and in the air conditioned temple, I spent all afternoon on a 115 degree day in the hot shoe cover tent. I brought a spray bottle and they had huge fans blowing, so we all survived, but came home super sweaty. 

Right towards the end of the shift I saw Jacob's aunt Nancy come through the tent with some of her kids and grandkids. It was fun to run into them. I finished my shift shortly afterwards, and as I walked out the to car to head home, they were all in front of the temple getting a family picture.

 (There was more of them than this, I just snapped this at the end.) What a fun blessing for having been at the right place at the right time.

 Next time I go up to the temple, it will be as a dedicated House of the Lord! We are so excited to have one close enough that I can squeeze in a trip while Ryan is at kindergarten, if I'm quick. :)

Summer 2017

The kids are back in school and thus ends the shortest summer ever. We've kind of gotten used to our short summer breaks and usually don't mind so much because the idea of a 3 week break when it's not so sweltering and everyone else is in school is nice. But somehow this summer went by more quickly then the others. But I have to admit, it is nice to get back into a routine. With the coming and going of family and me going to girls' camp we never quite got a summer routine going, and routines make life run a little more smoothly.

Since the Tucson Temple open house was going on for the majority of June, we had some family visitors that planned their trip to coincide with the open house. Why else would someone choose to vacation in Tucson in the hottest month of the year?!

We had a week off of school, then Todd and Savannah spent the first full week of June here in Tucson. The kids loved the cousin time, we had a good time swimming at various pools, and we even got to celebrate Peyton's birthday while they were here. Which is apparently the only time my camera came out that week besides at the temple.

 We did make it to the library a few times over the summer. 

 Annie decided that this was a comfortable way to read her book:

 The week after Todd and Savannah left was quieter, but Jacob's cousin, Susie, and her family did come down that Friday to visit the open house, and spent the rest of the day with us. The kids had lots of fun and Rachel and their oldest, Mariah, decided to be pen pals. (Of course Rachel has yet to send the letter she wrote weeks ago.) They really hit it off and we left saying we really should get together more often than once every couple years.

The following week Jacob's parents came in to town just in time for the hottest week on record. It was the most consecutive days over 110 degrees, and the 2nd and 3rd hottest days on record (116 twice that week!). Needless to say we didn't venture out much. We also didn't pull out the camera much while they were here, but we do have a little evidence that they came to visit. The kids love to crowd around when Jacob is watching Smarter Every Day (on YouTube).

 We did make it to the park for a short time while Rachel was at synchro practice on the day that it only hit 109.

 Besides visiting the temple, we only ventured out on one other outing. We went to the Mini Time Machine--Museum of Minatures.

 It is cool to see so many mini houses and trinkets and figurines. Room after room of them.

Annie decided to put on a show to entertain us one of the days they were visiting. It was a great dance/gymnastics showcase, set to the music from Moana.

 It was a fun visit, and the kids keep asking when it's our turn to go visit them in Utah.

This summer a few friends decided we'd do a basketball camp once a week with our kiddos. I worked with the boys that were all 6 or younger.

 Ryan took to it and really enjoyed basketball. He loved his green ball and looked so funny dribbling because the ball seemed almost half his height.

The girls had the other half of the court and since they were a bit older (8-10ish) they actually got some defense practice and played some real games. Rachel enjoyed it and improved a lot over the summer. Annie decided after the first week that she wasn't interested and she sat out on the sidelines keeping Megan entertained, unless we needed an extra person to step in as a partner down on my end of the court, in which case she willingly jumped in and helped.

 On the 4th of July our ward always has a pancake breakfast and kids' parade. We have been out of town every year they've done this (except the one when Megan was born, then we were in the hospital), so this was our first time participating. The kids had lots of fun decorating their bikes.

 We had gone out to Del Lago in Vail to watch the firework show there the night before, on the 3rd, which was great. We parked in just the right spot. So on the 4th we enjoyed the pancake breakfast, then after lunch we went swimming at a friend's pool, then went home and had a movie marathon while I finished getting ready for Girls' Camp. It made for a great 4th of July.

The boys finally got haircuts a week or so before school started. Ryan got his first, then wanted a turn with the clippers. We made some cool designs on Jacob's head before finishing it off right.

 Me (or at least my floating head) and Annie at Rachel's synchro show:

 Rachel enjoyed synchronized swimming this year for the third year in a row. At the skills meet she placed 6th and her friend, Sara got first place in the beginner/intermediate group.

Their performance was the Saturday before school started and they did a great job. They weren't even going to have synchro available at our pool because there was no coach, but one of the parents called and convinced them to make it happen and our team turned out to be the biggest in the city (out of 4 pools, which was crazy small compared to other years). And our team won 2nd place!

 Way to go, girls!

While Jacob's parents were in town, Jacob and I took advantage and went on a date up to the first lookout point on Mt. Lemmon and tried our hand at taking pictures of the stars. Here's one we got of the city lights and if you look close (and use your imagination a little) you can see a saguaro on the right side.

 We waited and waited for Monsoon season to start this year. With the extreme heat in June and fires burning all over the state, including the one that shut down Mt. Lemmon 2 days before we were supposed to be heading up there for Girls' Camp, we were so ready for the rains to come. Thankfully they finally came the week before school started. We've had several great downpours. Jacob tried to catch some action shots of raindrops. Here's a pretty good one:

 We discovered that there were lots of ripe grapes on our grape vine. It was lovely to sit on our back porch on a relatively cool evening and eat grapes.

 We got to the last week of Summer Vacation and realized we had managed to do everything on our Summer Fun list except a movie night with friends, so we had friends over the last Friday of break and finished off our list.

 Some highlights I haven't mentioned yet:
We went up Mt. Lemmon for a picnic and short hike on Memorial Day weekend.

The kids had a sleepover at Grandma's house and had a super fun time, as usual. It happened to be a day I had a meeting for cultural celebration prep, but Jacob and I managed to fit in a dinner date after he got off work and before I had to be at my meeting, so it was a win all around.

The kids (mostly Annie) decided to sell tomatoes--a lemonade stand, but with cherry tomatoes from our garden instead.

They got maybe 4 customers, including our neighbor, Shannon, who we give tomatoes to for free all the time. She was happy to overpay, and totally made their day. I think they earned maybe $11 altogether. It was super hot, so I was glad when they were done with that entrepreneurial endeavor.

We made it to several swimming pools, including Purple Heart, Clements, Palo Verde, and the ARC pool by the zoo. The kids also went to the splash pad over by Justin and Marie's house while I went to an open house tour with one of my friends.

We got a new couch. The kids had fun couch shopping.

 Until they didn't, then they made sure everyone knew they were ready to go. We didn't end up getting anything that day, but at a different store I found something I liked, and Jacob agreed, so they delivered it a few weeks later.

 We had to move lots of things around to accomodate the huge couch in this room, but everyone loves how comfy it is, and how everyone can fit, and the recliners/foot rests.

We did one movie theater trip, me taking the older girls to Beauty and the Beast, and Jacob taking the younger two to Cars 3. Apparently Megan did not enjoy it and wished she was with me the whole time. I think Grandma took them to one or two others over the summer, too, one on their sleepover, and one while I was at Girls' Camp.

We had a full summer of fun, so that probably helped the summer fly by fast, too. Even though we didn't manage a trip out of town, we squeezed in a lot of fun.