Homecoming parade

In 2019, I didn't realize the homecoming parade was something I should know about. Rebekah was on the band float, but I didn't witness it. In 2020, the parade was canceled due to rain. In 2021, I saw my girls on the parade not once, but twice. 

Ana was on the ballroom float; Bekah was on the band float. I was too slow getting to Summit Hill Elementary to see the parade there, so I hightailed it to Discovery, parked in the parent loop (a big no-no as parents are supposed to remain in their cars to keep the line moving ... but kids weren't out of school yet, so I justified my actions) and caught sight of them there. Then I went to Rocky Mountain Middle School for a second sighting.

1st sighting

Ana tosses me candy. I gathered it off the grass and handed it to the teacher of the kids who were sitting on the sidewalk closest to me.

Rebekah sticks her tongue out at me. The trombones were on the side of the float opposite of where I was at Discovery, so after they passed, I crossed the street and ran ahead of them to shoot pictures. One kid wondered who the lady with the camera was. Bekah knew.

2nd sighting

Ana and her ballroom friends.

Seeing me again.

Rebekah's expression when she saw/recognized me again.

She still smiled for me, though.

Hike #10: Menan Butte

The house was quiet for the first time in ages. All the girls were back in school, and I was admittedly looking forward to having some time alone at home to catch up on all my projects. But as soon as school started, I got sick.

"It's just allergies," I thought as I dealt with a head full of fluff and a sore throat.

"Oh, shoot. It's not allergies," I thought when I started feeling nauseous.

"Oh, no. I know what this is," I thought when I lost my taste and smell.

I went to the doctor's office, and their test confirmed I had COVID. Because Seth, Bekah and Ana are all vaccinated, the doctor said they didn't have to quarantine at home with me; they could continue to go to school and work as long as they were always masked. The two younger kids who were not eligible to be vaccinated, on the other hand, did have to quarantine.

Thus began our 10 days of being at home together with me feeling sick and tired, and them feeling totally fine (thank goodness). The girls were eager to do any online work their teachers assigned, but where the classes were just barely getting started, teachers hadn't yet posted assignments online. So we spent a lot of days just hanging around.

When I had mustered enough energy to do more than lie around but we were still officially in quarantine, we spent a morning at the butte so we could be socially distant outside for a while. Out of necessity our pace was slower than usual, but it felt good to do something.

(Miriam was a little sniffly that day, so I took her in for a COVID test. It was negative. Nobody else in our family got it. It's two a half months later; it took a week or two to get my full strength back, but I still only have part of my taste and smell. I'm hopeful that it's coming.)

Headed along the trail.

Using the chain to go up the steepest part.

Three girls and a dog on top.

Back to school

 Good grief. It's nearly Thanksgiving and I'm just getting around to blogging about this.

Ana was the only kid of ours who attended school on Monday, August 30. The district reserves this day for incoming freshmen and seventh graders who could use some time to get oriented at their new schools. So here is Ana on Monday ...

Holding up a nine for 9th grade.

... and here are Winnie and Miriam on Tuesday--their first day of school.

Winnie's four for fourth grade.

Miriam's six for sixth.

And since Rebekah had to leave so darn early for marching band, we finally caught up with her to take a "first day of school" picture on Saturday, September 4.

It's harder when you get to double digits. I promise that's an eleven and not a two.

Ana has been enjoying seminary, journalism and ballroom, along with all her core classes. Math has been moving a little slowly, so she's going to try doing in online next trimester. Winnie has Mrs. Jenkins (the third of our kids to get her) and loves going to GATE and book club and being a conflict manager. Miriam has Ms. Moore and therefore gets tons of book recommendations. She enjoys GATE and student council. Rebekah continues to take all the band classes (she was drum major this year for marching band) along with her college classes (duel credit courses and ASL through ISU).

Summer miscellany

 Since I have an earlier post that played catchup from the summer, this one will only include photos taken after July 16.

Porch love: Sunday, July 18

We bought a little pad for Peach to sleep on, and the girls generously moved it for her several times a day so that she could bask in all the right places.

Winnie, Miri, Ana and Bekah all giving Peach some loves on the back porch.

Silly Winnie: Monday, July 19

Winnie smashes her face into a toy while shopping with me at Walmart.

Winnie ready for bed in the submarine she and Miriam made out of a giant box. Winnie set it up in the music room and slept in it for several nights in a row.

Rigby Lake: Wednesday, July 21

Every summer needs some time spent at the local lake, so we invited Tyson and his family and met them there for a few hours of fun in the sun. Tyson shared his kayaks and paddle board, and we shared our sand toys and giant rainbow island floatie.

Winnie taking a break from the water so she can snack and warm up.

Me taking a break from the water as well. Seth was out of town for work (San Diego), so I shot and sent this selfie so he could see what we were up to.

Oakley, Winnie and Easton burying Miriam in the muddy sand.

Brace face: Thursday, July 22

Because Miriam is growing faster than her sisters, she got braces a year earlier than anyone else in our family.

Before braces. Lying in the orthodontist's chair ready to go.

Two hours later, she's got them!

Seth's back: Thursday, July 22

After being in San Diego for several days, Seth got home from his work trip and passed out souvenirs to everyone.

The girls each received a geode, and I got a tiny painted bowl to put my rings in.

Bowling: Thursday, July 29

Miri and Winnie each chose a coupon for a game of bowling as part of their summer reading challenge rewards, so I took them both bowling for the first time.

Group selfie at Skyline Lanes after playing two games.

Roaring Youth Jam: Friday, August 13

The day after we got home from our church history trip, I took the younger two girls to the Snake River Roaring Youth Jam to make all sorts of undersea-themed arts and crafts. We also enjoyed a Jamba Juice each.

Miriam helping Winnie to color her entire styrofoam bowl as she makes a red jellyfish.

The paint I accidentally smudged on Winnie's nose while she painted a seascape.

Kids' Town: Friday, August 20

Another prize from the summer reading program was a BOGO coupon to Kids' Town. Winnie invited her friend Annalise along, and the two of them had a grand ol' time.

Winnie trapped in the block house she and her friend built.

Stake youth activity: Saturday, August 21

Our ward needed another driver, so I volunteered and got to help the youth with a service activity. We went to area elementary schools to pull weeds and rake bark, then we went back to our church building for hamburgers and hot dogs.

Sam Memmott and Bekah eating lunch and chatting. I took this stalkerish photo while sitting with Ana and her friends on the grass.

Back yard teepee: Monday, August 23

Winnie decided to build a teepee in the back yard, and Peach immediately claimed it as her own. Winnie later added some old sheets to enclose it.

Peach in her domain.

Audiologist: Wednesday, August 25

Every year right before school, Bekah gets a checkup with the audiologist. Since getting hearing aids five years ago, her hearing loss has remained stable, much to our relief.

Bekah in the booth while the audiologist tests her hearing.

Banding and ballrooming

 Both of our high schoolers have been busy with their respective extracurriculars before their first days of the school year. Bekah has had fund raisers, camps, a parade and meetings. Ana has had classes, camp and a retreat. I don't have pictures from everything they've been up to, but I've got some!

Bekah and the BHS marching band participated in the shortest-ever parade Tuesday, August 24 honoring the American Legion team from Idaho Falls that won back-to-back world series. We went for the blonde trombonist and stayed for the hot dogs and huckleberry ice cream. 

Bekah marching along Memorial Drive. They marched from the corner of Broadway and Memorial to the courthouse. It was less than half a mile.

Playing on the courthouse lawn.

Clapping for the team.

Getting ice cream with her friends.

Ana's ballroom team had a retreat August 27-28 after a weeklong camp getting their choreography worked out for the season, and I was asked to help chaperone. The kids went to the BYU-Idaho ropes course and bowling, then to Pizza Pie Cafe for dinner and Rigby Lake for camping. Since I was spending the day watching kids, I brought my camera along and snapped pictures of them especially at the ropes course.

Seth joined me that evening and stayed in a tent with me. The kids were told to retire to their tents at midnight. I only managed to stay up until about 10:30 and then asked if I would be shirking my duties if I went to bed. Terri (the ballroom team manager and a friend from our ward) and her husband are much nicer than I am and stayed up with the kids.

Ana, Lilli and Samantha during a group game.

Ana making it through the spider's web with the help of her team.

Ana ziplining.

Pretty soon we'll have pictures of both girls at halftime performing with their respective groups.

Hike #9: Monument

 After hiking South Leigh Creek, Winnie asked, "When are we going to hike Monument?" I can't let the kid down, so we scheduled a time when a few of us could go (Thursday, August 26) and took off for Darby Canyon. We had originally scheduled to go the week before, but some crazy rain necessitated a change of plans.

Seth stayed for work. Bekah and Ana stayed for band and ballroom camps. Grandpa stayed for volleyball practice. So it was just Winnie, Miri, Grandma and I hiking the 6.5ish miles. We met several groups along the way, including people from very far away (Philadelphia and ... Russia, maybe?) who had come on the hike because it was recommended to them.

Winnie at the big bridge crossing.

Miri and Winnie with the Wind Cave in the background.

Attempt at a group selfie with the Wind Cave in the background (upper right).

At the monument. Grandma was feeling dizzy and Miriam's bunions were hurting her, so they stayed here while Winnie and I went up into the cave.

Going into the cave.

She found bat guano and didn't like it.

Cave selfie.

Back by the monument eating lunch.

Checking out bugs at the waterfall.

Group picture at the waterfall.

Hike #7: South Leigh Creek

 The mountains were calling. I didn't know which ones. So I did some research and found the South Leigh Creek Trail. It's an easy (500' elevation gain) 8-mile there-and-back trail, so we gathered the troops on Saturday, August 14 (minus Rebekah who had to stay for band meetings) and checked it out. The scenery was gorgeous. I'd like to go back sometime earlier in the season to see the wildflowers in bloom.

One of the many creek crossings.

We were trying to decide what kind of print this is. (Seth's hand for scale.) After some research, I think it's a mountain lion. I'm happy to hear other theories, though. We also saw old bear scat/prints.

Three hardworking girls sitting on a log.

Miriam and Winnie playing in the creek.

Seth and Peach at the creek. We ate lunch here on the way back out.

Couple selfie with the creek.

The fuzzy caterpillar Winnie befriended.