Going North

Mama prepared for our summer trip on Monday and Tuesday. Packing, cleaning, sorting, and preparing are full-time tasks. Tuesday evening was the boys last swim meet. They both have improved over the season and love to swim.

Underfoot won a race. He was so excited. Emma A., the boys' babysitter, came to the swim meet to help time and watch boys. She and her family will move this week to Texas.

On Wednesday Mama took the boys north. They started their trip with their last swim team practice for the summer.

Underfoot lost a tooth that morning.

They made it to Las Vegas in record time and stayed at the R. home. The R. family used to live 3 doors down from us. Now they live in Las Vegas. 

Underfoot and Miss Sweetness

Hurricane was reunited with his best friend and partner in crime, K-man. (Together they are known as the K-Men!) 

The K-Men

I'm not sure what all exciting things they did in the few hours they had together, but some of their past exploits include bombing the chickens with their own eggs, throwing just about every imaginable item over the block wall fence, and causing mischief and mayhem. The next morning they went to Red Rock Canyon and earned their Junior Explorer Badge.

Miss C. bought some fun road games and presents. The ball maze has become the popular toy.

Their next stop was in Salt Lake City, where they visited Mama's Grandpa Hoggan. 

The boys fed the ducks, turtle, and catfish at Grandpa's pond.

After saying their goodbyes, they went to Deseret Industries (like Goodwill) and shopped.

Lunch was at The Pantry at Temple Square, and on to Idaho.

We also went to see the Christus.

Mama commented that her whole body relaxed once she came within 30 miles of Pocatello. For her, there is something magical about returning to the land of her birth. She and the boys went to the Kirkham Cabin for a few days of fun in the woods. 

Underfoot reported that they went hiking, slept on the couch, and had a great time. Mama's brother taught Underfoot and Hurricane how to shoot a .22. They loved it. Perhaps we will take up a new hobby. 

This is the other brother.....

On a side note, I learned today that one of the men in our congregation was a shooting instructor for the military. I am hoping he can teach all of us how to shoot!

I've been holding down the fort here in Tucson. I have been working like crazy to save some of my vacation time. On Friday morning I helped my friend assemble an above ground pool. It was his second attempt. The first attempted ended in dismal failure when a gust of wind blew over the whole thing before he got the water in it. So, this time around he asked me to help him. I stayed for about two hours. He was able to get water in it before the wind started to blow. It was fun to help him. He is not one to ever ask for help!

There was a small 5.2 earthquake on Saturday night in Tucson.
 
At work I am learning about a whole new kind of math called statistics. Mama calls it sadistics. I thought I knew something about the subject, but the more I am exposed to it, the more I realize I don't know much at all. It is fascinating to me.

Saturday night I harvested 27 pounds of grapes from two of our vines. I got them inside and started inspecting them and realized that most of them were still a little tart. (I had harvested them about a week too early!) so I kept the most ripe grapes and fed the rest to the ladies. When I came out to check on them this morning, they didn't come running to me like they normally do. Instead, they just casually looked at me, like someone who had just finished Thanksgiving dinner. I guess when they are well fed they don't seem to be bothered to eat more or sick to their stomachs!

I visited a couple in our congregation on Sunday morning. I learned that the wife makes cakes for weddings, birthdays, and just about any other event. She had made a huge cake earlier and had all the left over cake tops. (The part of the cake that you cut off to make the cake level.) I told her that I would see some teen-aged boys later in the day who would love to eat the leftover cake. It was delicious! There was so much of it that I will take it in to work on Monday.

Lately I have been thinking about gratitude. There are so many reasons to be grateful in my life. I have a healthy family. I have the means to provide for them. I have hands that can work and a mind that can learn. I could not ask for a better life. The best decision I have ever made was the decision to marry Mama. All good things stem from her.

A brief recap of the week before:

- The boys finished soccer camp. Hurricane liked it very much. Underfoot felt more confident and liked it better near the end.

- We went to Mesa Temple to attend the temple with Alex A. Alex was in the priest's quorum (young men's group ages 16-18) that I am an advisor. Alex will be going on an LDS mission to Madagascar starting in July.

- Auntie Y, my sister, and her children came to visit Auntie M, my other sister. We went to Canyon Lake with them Friday evening. I always enjoy being around my siblings. The boys enjoyed playing with their cousins.

- The boys attended one away swim meet and both got to swim in a relay. Hurricane swam the relay with a goggle full of water. He wants to swim relays all the time.

Be well.