Labor Day weekend

ISU had their first game of the 2021 season.  This is so hard.  Watching Owen die a little more on the sidelines every single game is going to be too much this season.  He understands that he is a Freshman and he needs to put in the time and work to be able to play more, but watching the team try over and over and over again to do something that I know for a fact Owen has done before and would do it again if given the chance, just kills me.  I want to pull a Sandra Bullock on the Blindside movie and call the coach on the sidelines of the game and tell him what to do.  

It took him a little bit to relax after the game, but I am proud of him for coming around.  We went and got dinner, then I was going to go home, and he was going to sit at home and have some alone time.  Although Kylee was tired from work, he realized he didn't just want to sit home, so I stayed in town and Owen and I went to the Eastern Idaho State Fair.  I haven't seen so many people for a long time, but we had fun.  We watched some bull riding, and walked around to look at the crafts & animals.  This ice cream was the best I've ever had, they are in Idaho Falls.  Definitely worth driving up there after games in the future.  

Sunday afternoon I drove home.  I'm excited for the temple to be done and to come back up for the open house in a few weeks.  I drove around the temple and then took a detour home.  I just wanted to drive.  I went to American Falls and saw the reservoir there then I stopped at a really shady spot on the Snake River for lunch.

Meanwhile Gator had her own road trip this weekend.  She went with Krissy & PJ to Milford.  Besides the majority of them getting sick with colds, they had a fun weekend.  

Surprise visits at work

This is going to be a tough school year.  The students are hard.  Not all of them, but the hard ones are really hard.  This morning I was sitting at my desk and in walks Davis.  Amazing what a surprise visit can do, I was smiling the rest of the day.  

A full day

 This was the last Saturday that there isn't a football game or I work for 3 months.  And we had Joey for the weekend, so we had to fit a lot in today.  We still had the paddle boards from last weekend, so we took Joey swimming/paddle boarding at Willard.  Like everywhere else, there just wasn't a lot of water, but still enough to have a fun day.  After swimming, we went and got a drink and a puppachino for Joey.  He needed a bath and Gator loves the portable dog bath.  We then went for a bike ride that turned out to be a lot longer than we thought.  But we had started it so the only way to get home was to finish.  We rode to Clinton on the trail and around Clinton to get potatoes for dinner tomorrow and Coasta Vida for a burrito.  All 3 of us were exhausted by the end of the day, but it was a good day.

8th Grade

 Gator started 8th grade this morning.  After a year like last year, we were hopeful for a normal school year.  We aren't required to wear masks, but Covid is still very real and very dangerous.  Gator was excited to see her friends and to go to school.  I wonder how long the excitement will last though, she's not much of a morning person.  But for today, she was up and dressed with her hair curled.  Her leggings will be back on tomorrow though.  

Even Owen sent me a picture for his first day.  I think it was only because Kylee wanted one too, but it's okay, I'll take it.  

Celebrating Owens birthday

Owen had football on Friday so we couldn't celebrate his 21st birthday.  But Gator, Davis, and I drove up to Pocatello today to make up for it.  I should've known better though then to plan an afternoon on the water.  My boys are not water people at all, and it wasn't all that warm, but thank you Gator and Kylee for paddle boarding with me.  Gator was brave and went swimming.  I marinated some chicken and brought up lunch to cook on the grill.  

The boys were party poopers and stayed on the beach the whole time.  They did look up from their phones long enough to play a game of corn hole though.  

The Twisted Sugar cookie for the month of August is "Happy Birthday".  Well, I had to get some of those last night to bring up today.  This was the first birthday that I didn't see Owen on his actual birthday.  The growing up stuff kinda stinks, but he's happy and him & Kylee are doing good.  I am glad that we got to spend the afternoon together.  That is why I've always celebrated so many fun little days, an excuse just to spend time with my family!  I love any time we get to be together.  

Rained out

 We had planned on a smore and hot dog roast to celebrate the last day of summer, but the weather didn't cooperate.  And that is okay because I absolutely love the rain,  we just moved the party inside, and a few brave kids took a walk with me in the rain. 

Lemonade & Birthdays

This picture made me so happy for so many reasons.  Any picture from my kids makes me happy, I got to "see" Owen on his 21st birthday, and Owen & Kylee celebrated National Lemonade Day.  All the years of silly little holidays and Owen remembered this one. Owen had football pretty much all day, but he did have a couple hour break to go out with Kylee for his birthday.  

 

Bear Lake

Out cold within two minutes of the drive home....that is how you know the weekend road trip was a success.  I love Bear Lake.  It is so close and so beautiful, even when the skies are full of smoke from all the fires.  We got home just in time because it was super stormy today, good for clearing out the smoke, not so good for playing in the lake.  But it was hot while we were there.  Everything was perfect except for the swarms of mosquitoes that came out at night.  Davis and Kin came up for an afternoon and dinner.  So that was a lot of fun to have them there to play with too.  Cheyenne was also there for a day and let me know that Zipz had the best pickles.  They were so good, I'm planning on a fall drive to Bear Lake so I can eat at Zipz and get more pickles.