School, sports, dances, and a snack that shouldn't

Aww that one time my kids were in the same class in high school. They told their business law teacher they needed to use their phone for one second because their mom wanted a photo. It's one of Henry's favorite classes. I know it's because Sarah is with him.

I started a new job as an instructional technician at a nearby elementary school last month. I only had a vague idea of what the job entailed so my first day of meetings and training was full of thoughts like, "I don't know what I got myself into" and "I have no idea what any of these words mean." So much jargon.

But then I saw my name on the wall and got enthusiastic and optimistic.

I had no idea of what these posters below meant on my first week. I know and use the closed syllable now! During training at the district and with the interventionalist, I had to remind myself daily that this isn't hard, it's just new. It's not hard, it's new. I can do new.

If you asked me the first 4 weeks of my job if I liked it, I would tell you so far so good but I don't really know because I'm not really doing the job yet. We had to be trained and then the kids had to be tested and then put into intervention groups. I've had 2 weeks of actually doing all the things and I can say I work with grades K-4 in reading in math plus a half hour of SPED each day. I feel like a middle schooler going to a different classroom every 30 minutes. The afternoon goes by pretty fast.

This is my half of my classroom that I share with another technician. I'm only in here an hour per day as I go to classrooms the rest of the time. At this table I teach reading in a way I didn't learn, using a method I've just been trained on. Do you remember learning how to read? I don't but I now know how to teach it.

I love all the wonderful adults that I work with. It's a very supportive and positive environment. I like most of the kids.

Speaking of kids I like, I am already sad that the years of my kids dragging all the squishy stuff out onto the tramp early Sunday mornings will end. It's a rare sight nowadays. It's pure playing magic all morning long that ends when I call out the window that it's time to get ready for church.

If you like it when you chew a food and it collects and thickens and gets stuck in the space between your gums and cheek, you know, nice and high and deep and stuck, I have the snack for you. 

My love of cinnamon rolls takes me down some ridiculous paths, sometimes. Let me know if you'd like me to try more things I find on clearance at Walmart.

Saturday was Homecoming! Sarah got asked by a boy named Ryan from her seminary class. I had never met him but she said she was pretty good friends with him.

Henry asked a girl in their friend group. In addition to chauffering them around all day (another reason kids shouldn't date until they're 16) I got to take their group photos.

I have like a million more poses of these boys being goofy.

Proof that Sarah and Henry were at the dance together and acknowledged each other's presence.

Erica has some oral surgery coming up! She is not excited. I had to take a picture in this creepy procedural room while we waited for her consultation. When we met the doctor, we told him we were coming up with all the movies that have scary scenes in rooms like this. He was a good sport but I hope he does something about it. At least change out the creepy bluish lights.

James had his last flag football game tonight. He was supposed to have his last game on Monday but it got rained out

He plays football like he plays chess. Strategy, anticipation, precision. 

He always had at least one big play each game: interception, pick 6, touchdowns, big run. He had best friends George, Calvin, and Eli on his team so it was a great season.

Some fun outings and my birthday

I found some lovely baking dishes at my local HomeGoods that I just couldn't pass up. Some people buy decorations to get in the fall spirit while I buy fall baking dishes. The white one is just screaming peach cobbler while the green one is speaking shepherd's pie to my heart.

Erica had a cake decorating activity at church. She does not like cake or frosting but she does like cake decorating.

Labor Day weekend. The little finished their summer reading challenge in August and it was time to take them out to dinner. Erica read 16 books from different genres and James read 3,000 pages. Sadly my teenagers did not want to participate

We told them they could choose where we went if they could decide on a place that wasn't Chickfila. Well, they couldn't decide (James wanted orange chicken while Erica wanted Indian) so Justin and I made the choice to take them to the place with the novel length menu: Cheesecake Factory

 

Overpriced? Yes. Can I find a better version of everything on their menu somewhere else? Absolutely. Can James get orange chicken and Erica get French toast in one place? Why yes. We discussed books and ate lots of bread. They do have good bread.

It wasn't hard to talk them out of a $12 slice of cheesecake and into a choose your own adventure frozen yogurt place across the street. So after a trip to Trader Joe's (they had never been) we got dessert.

Some Sundays our ward does treats on the street. Three selected houses have some snacks provided and the neighborhood folks mingle and eat and wander between the locations and it's a good time. Justin captured the mountain as the sun was setting and also the new family that just moved into our neighborhood.

On Labor Day we went up to Poop Canyon. It's really called Packer Canyon but I don't know anyone who calls it that but everyone I know calls it Poop Canyon. There are a lot of cow pies from the cattle that graze up there. A favored spot among our high school friends, Poop Canyon is a great place to get away from all the crowds at other spots up the canyon. And our kids had never been. You park and then walk/hike a ways to the end where it turns into a series of small waterfalls.

First up, hiking around a bit and staying out of the way of the cows.

On our way up we bought a 12 pack of 7Up so we would have something to shoot at (we are such classy people) with the BB gun.  

Erica was the lucky one that got to ride home on Justin's motorcycle.

Our holiday weekend plans kind of ended there. Justin had to leave for Elko for work that afternoon. Monday holidays are a little deceiving when you have to be in bed early since it is a school night.

Thursday was my birthday. At first Justin didn't think he was going to be back until Friday but the job in Elko came to a halt and he made it home Wednesday night. Thursday I went to work, afterwards I opened some presents (a new luggage set and lots of my favorite treats) Justin made dinner and then I made my kids play a little game called "Can Mom guess her kids' handwriting?"

I only needed 2 tries. I mixed up the boys' handwriting. I thought Henry had the handwriting of a 9-year-old. I still think that.

 

Then we went out for ice cream. I didn't have any preferences for my day except I didn't want to have cake at home. I was in the mood to go out.

These are my kids.

James wanted to try photo-bombing. I think he's a natural.

Family ties

Sometimes when your dad is bishop, the only time he can help you with your tie is before sacrament meeting.

 A thank you to Sister Beutler for capturing this moment for me.

Back to School 2026

It's that time of year again. Of mixed feelings of sadness, anxiety, excitement, and relief. And that's just me. 

Sarah started her senior year! She has a very light schedule this semester with only a couple of "real" classes. 

Henry is in 10th grade and at the high school this year. He's taking his first concurrent enrollment class (chemistry).

For the first time in 6 years, they are at the same school. This is the last time any of my kids will be together at a school unless they go to the same college. Sarah and Henry even have Business Law together and assigned seats next to each other.

 

Henry's just glad he's got a ride and doesn't have to take the bus.

Erica is in 7th grade and at the middle school again. Here's hoping the transition is smoother than last year. I loved 7th grade and I hope she does too. She's taking art and orchestra and is thinking of running for student council.

James started 4th grade. His teacher is Mrs. Ralphs and this is her first year teaching. She is so short; her class is going to outgrow her by the end of the year. She seems really nice and eager to make this year great. James has a lot of friends in his class so he's excited.

I bought a large pack of mechanical pencils and James decided to take ALL his share to school at once.

All reports were good when they got home. I also started a new job (more about that later) so I had a first day of school as well. We ate ice cream out of the cartons as an after-school snack and then the teens had double stake back-to-school bbq that evening so it was quiet at home.

Friday we went to Heber Valley Camp where Justin's parents are serving a mission. We got to stay over and do the activities the youth do with Justin's brothers, their kids and his aunt.

We got there in time to eat dinner and then went to the lake.

Apparently squirting fellow lake-goers is the thing to do.

Justin showing me the one spot he didn't get soaked.

That evening we went to the faith walk. James and I hadn't done it but Justin and the other kids went up for an activity earlier this summer.

James loved it. He wanted to stop at every picture, video, sign. It was so sweet. He read every handwritten note until I pointed out we were getting long left behind by the rest of the family. He is such a sweetheart.

This was my favorite response to "What would Jesus say to you if he was here?"  Don't we all want Jesus to recognize himself in us?

After a night of no sleep due to a creaky cabin and Justin's very loud air mattress (I call it the thunder bed because that's what it sounded like every time he moved), we ate breakfast and then went to our first activity of the day, rock climbing. Nana got to open the activity for us and show us how it's done.

And then my kids harnessed up and went for it. They've all done climbing walls before so they were all about it.

Then we went to the high ropes course. I did this too. I went up then directly across to the zipline and went down and that was plenty for me. This is the course that I was most afraid of doing and the only one that I did which is a little ironic but I'm proud I did it.

We even got to see the Mosses--our friend Brandon's parents and good friends of Corey and Nadine who also serve there and on this course.

 

Meanwhile my little adventurer couldn't get enough. Strange how none of my kids have a fear of heights.

Then it was time for the big swing. I took only videos of my family so no pictures to share. After that we went back to camp to eat lunch. I took a nap while most everyone else went to the axe throwing.

I tell ya what, we all liked having an entire pavilion to ourselves for the 20+ of us.

After dinner we made smores and other campfire desserts. We went home that evening so we could be home for Sunday meetings the next day but I think everyone else stayed through Sunday.

It was a great way to end the first week of school and our summer break. The kids had so much fun and Erica even asked to go back for her birthday (sorry, not open in February, sweetie). We hope we can go back next year when Corey and Nadine serve their second summer. We are also looking forward to them coming home next month for 6 months.