Back to School

It's been a crazy week! Monday, Grandpa flew in so that he could be here for Anna's endowment and then fly back with Eileen.  Tuesday was the first day of school for David.  He had his clothes all picked out and ready and then he got to get a ride with Daddy on his first day, since I needed to take Anna to the temple by 8:30.  

Anna took out her endowment Tuesday morning.  Grandpa, Melissa, Sydney, Emmalee and the Shum's were there along with a friend from her single adult ward.  It was a wonderful morning!!  Then after, we headed over to Thai Basil for lunch.  It was yummy and Sandi met us there!  Then Anna and I stopped back by Deseret Book to grab a few more garments.  

Wednesday was back to school for Aaron, Evie and James.  Aaron is excited because the whole of his schedule this semester is Auto Tech.  

James was less than thrilled with having his picture taken and especially mad at a VERY poorly cut bagle....  

Wednesday morning was also Eileen's flight out to Texas with Grandpa to spend time with them for a couple weeks.  We will miss her, but she loves hanging out with them!  She's already been sending me pics of her trip to the zoo with Grandpa and a yummy breakfast of kolaches....  

I also started back to my regular work shifts on Wednesday.  It's always fun to see and chat with the regulars and get back into a routine.  It's also been nice getting to stay after school and chat with friends while the kids play.  

Friday morning, Dan and Anna headed out to Utah to get her back to school and settled back in.  She's planning to do one more semester, then go on a mission.  Then she will have a year when she gets back - since she ended up having to do one more semester because of 2 of the classes she needed were only offered at the same time as the other one....  

This week has been another busy one with water polo - we are still struggling to work out all the kinks with the changes this year, but these kids are amazing!  I've also been very grateful this week for the support of my assistant coaches and the head of BSD Water Polo.  

Open Polo this week was on Friday instead of the usual Saturday, so I headed over after my practice, I was late, but it was great to be in the water playing.  

On Saturday, I went to Parkrose with Aaron, we had a great time with a great group!  After, we went to hang out with the group and have some lunch, then headed home.  Then in the evening, I went to hang out with my friend (Paxton's mom Nicole)  We had a blast talking and snacking and drinking sparkling cider and watching Troop Beverly Hills.  We had such a great time that it was 2 in the morning, before I noticed how late it was and headed home.  

Church today was wonderful!  The talks were both great!  I was playing the organ and even managed to do a decent job, primary went well and we had a couple new families move into the ward - no little kids, but still nice to get some new people!  After my late night last night, I took an afternoon nap, then after choir we had dinner and a nice quiet evening.  

Summer Wrap Up

Weather this week has been hot and crazy!  Tuesday, we were hoping to escape it by heading out to the coast.  Evelyn spent the night with Natalie and went out with her.  Anna drove out to hang out with Megan, but the rest of us were stuck here.  Dan and I are still trying to get over the sinus/ear infections.  We both scheduled video appointments for the morning.  Dan's prescribed him more medication.  Mine said - just wait, you can make an appointment with an audiologist.  So I did and the only one they had was that same day (that or wait until October....) So no beach for me...  Though I'm not sure what the point of the audiologist appointment was - they tested my hearing and told me I had moderate hearing loss in my left ear due to fluid behind the ear drum.... which I already knew....  

This week was the beginning of the water polo season.  Aaron had his practices at Raleigh Hills in the late afternoon, and I was with the girls at Aloha at night.  Working with the girls has been so fun - they are an amazing group of girls and this week of practices has been great!  The biggest stress so far has just been trying to get to know everyone (names especially) and trying to decide on a captain.... 

Dan ran the Hood to Coast this weekend.  He left EARLY Friday morning and was gone until Saturday night.  It was a fun group and they had a great time.  Dan did amazing and came home exhausted! 

Friday, I took David and Evelyn with a group of Evelyn's friends out to Hagg Lake.  The day was hot and beautiful.  The lake was rather low and you had to slog through mud to get to the water, but the cool water felt so nice on a hot day and we had fun!  

Saturday, Aaron and I went to Parkrose to play water polo - it was a good group and a lot of fun!  Also I played pretty well.  It was funny, a new guy came - and he looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out why and I was pretty sure it wasn't water polo.  I finally figured out most of the way through the scrimmage that he was one of the regular swimmers at THPRD.  He had also thought I looked familiar, but with out the red lifeguard shirt, he hadn't placed me either.  Then I went to hang out with Paxton's mom while the boys played and swam.  It was a busy, but fun day!  Evelyn had band stuff in the afternoon, then flute lessons and finally the Youth Music Festival and dance in the evening.  

Church today was wonderful and then in the afternoon we had fun playing Settlers of Catan with David and teaching him how to play.  We did back to school blessings tonight before David's bedtime.  It is such a wonderful tradition! 

More Band and More Baking

Dan has been baking again - he made pinwheels this time with raspberry and peach jam.  Yum!  

This was Evelyn's second and last week of Band Camp - the kids worked so hard this week and also had tons of fun!  We went to the preview Saturday evening.  Dan went early to help grill for the BBQ, then Aaron, James and I went for dinner and Dan and I stayed to watch the preview.  Evelyn has been loving it, but I think she is also looking forward to a the next week off before school starts.  

This week has been crazy getting ready for the water polo season - It feels like things are changing every day.... new changes even as recently as tonight....  I'm really not sure why everyone needs to put stuff off til the last minute....  

We had a fun Sunday afternoon. David played Dominion with us for the first time.  I had to leave part way through for a meeting, but Eileen took my place (but she hated my hand) and David was super excited that he took 2nd.  

Band Camp Starts

We are starting to get back to school year routines.  Evelyn started band camp this week - so she's at the school every day from 10 am to 9pm.  She is amazing and working so hard and loving it!  We are excited to see the preview next weekend!  

I've been sick all week - Dan has been a bit under the weather too and David still has that cough that won't go away.  So we have spent much of the week hunkering down and taking it easy.  I'm still stuffed up, but feeling a bit better.  Good enough to go to water polo - but not good enough that I played well!!  LOL  

Dan is still getting ready for his Hood to Coast race in a couple weeks and running regularly.  It's been fun having Anna back - she has been working a lot and picking up as many shifts as she can.  She's been inviting friends from the single's ward over and she and Eileen have been having fun hanging out with friends and playing games and stuff.  

David still wants to spend every day with Paxton and so they usually do, either here or at Paxton's house.  

Dan and I have been watching Great Brittish Baking Show in the evening's sometimes, and that has been prompting a lot of baking on Dan's part.   Including what I'm calling (in homage to Killer Bunnies) a large prune danish.  It's actually a raspberry danish and SUPER yummy!  

Back Together

We've had a crazy week.  It's been busy and started out hot!  We planned on Tuesday to go to the beach with a bunch of friends.  As we were getting ready and packing up the van, we heard what sounded like a bird in the garage.  Then we saw a bird fly into the house.  It flew up into the craft room, where we spent at least 10 minutes trying to catch it and get it outside.  When we finally did catch it, we still heard cheeping in the garage.  Eileen traced it to a small bird who was stuck - she got it free and set it back  out near where we thought it's nest was.  

We had a great time with friends at the beach and made new friends and got ice cream and enjoyed a beautiful (if a bit windy) day at the beach!  

We spent most of the rest of the week playing and hanging out together.  On Thursday, I took Evelyn to the mall to hang out with a friend and we had fun (mostly) window shopping.  :)  We got her some pink crocs and she is super excited about them.  lol

Friday, we had planned to pick peaches, but the peaches were all gone, so instead we went to the Stevens' garage sale and then picked blackberries.  

Then in the afternoon, Dan and Evelyn and I went down to Woodburn to browse and maybe come home with more shoes....  

Satuday was our anniversary.  Dan and I headed out to get some lunch at the food trucks, then headed up to hike to the Witches Castle and Pittock Mansion.  It was a beautiful day to be out hiking around and we had a great time looking around and diving in to some Portland history.  Then we got some Shave Ice and browsed Powell's Books for awhile.  

In the evening, I took Evelyn to Open Polo and Dan went to the airport to pick up Anna!!!!!  

She's back and we are excited to get to have her home for a bit!  She's starting to do what she needs to do to put in her papers to serve a mission! 

Church today was wonderful - I am subbing on the organ this week and next, which is fun and primary went well.  We had a quiet afternoon with some napping and an evening of food and games and fun.