Summer's End

Dear family,

Thanks so much for helping me to keep this blog going! I really do love hearing about all your lives. Here we go:

Logs, logs, logs! 

Grandma and Grandpa

Our efforts to remove the piles of logs on Grandma's Mountain have taken a bizarre turn.  First we thought about burning them.  Not allowed.  Then we considered having them run the through a giant chipper.  Too expensive.  So we bought a sawmill. Now we realize that we will be milling lumber into our late 70's.  That might be a sign of mild dementia, so keep an eye on us.

We are waiting for the hydraulics upgrade we have ordered.  In the meantime, everything is manual.

The log cabin bunkhouse makes progress.  Check back next month for a report.

P. S.  We went to visit Grandma Davis yesterday.  This is what it looked like in Overton when we came home this morning.  It had cooled off to 90 degrees overnight.

Home Sweet Home

Lisa and Kids

School is back in session and the first few weeks have been pretty good.  Went to back to school night for Ani and Tessa last night and got to meet a few of their teachers.  I'll go to the boys back to school night tonight and then the school year has officially started.  I'll be subbing for two weeks at Valencia for a teacher who is taking care of a new grandbaby.  The class is tough, full of punks and kids who are at high risk for dropping out or flunking their other classes.  They quit caring a long time ago.  I'm definitely rethinking my career path, especially after today!

Jeremy and his son Jared are fitting in nicely with the chaos at our house, learning to share the bathroom with Ani, Tessa, and the crazy little boys, and settling in to daily living.  They've brought their routines and are learning ours.  We love having both of them in our home!

Ani is on the job hunt and doing well in her classes so far.  She is a huge help driving her siblings around and getting things from house to house.  She's also very helpful in getting things from the grocery store last minute for me when I'm trying to make dinner.

Tessa is in her women's choir at West Ranch, and made it into Encore, an additional small choir that meets outside of school and sings for special events.  She's excited to continue her journey in choir and looking forward to their next choir trip.

Mason started soccer last week and has several friends on the team.  He also starts learning the trumpet next week in music class at his elementary school.  He really likes his teacher (Tessa had her too), and just has a good time learning and socializing with his friends.  He keeps us laughing!

Noah is becoming a better artist every day!  He told me he would sing in his school chorus and I've almost talked him into taking piano this year.  He is very thoughtful and has very insightful comments and questions when we have family scripture study every night.  He definitely thinks about things on another level than I do.

Viewing the solar eclipse!

It's been scorching the last few days and will continue to be blazing hot for the rest of this week here in our valley.  It was 117 yesterday and over 110 today.  We're hoping we get a break here pretty soon for sure; we're all melting!  We are most excited for Kai's arrival from Ireland on October 2, at 7:10 pm!

 We're hoping that you can join us on October 22nd for his homecoming talk in our ward.  

Block parties and Surprise Parties

Michele and Joe and Kids

August is gone! Not sure how it left in such a hurry! Here's the update...

Joe and I kept busy with work mostly. But we were able to fly to Phoenix to watch Ali play in a couple soccer games. While we were there we took a road trip down to Tucson to take a stroll down memory lane. It was the Sunday, the day of the Tucson Temple dedication. We didn't have tickets to go but we got to walk around the temple grounds and watch the sunset over the sahuaros.  Something I never thought was pretty until a few years after we moved to Tucson.

Tanner and Lauren took a trip to Cali where Lauren filmed a wedding in San Diego.They made the best of there time there with a day-trip to Disneyland...the happiest place on earth!! Tanner moved back to Hawaii on the 25th and Lauren is leaving headed back September 2. We will miss them TERRIBLY!! But we're planning a graduation trip next June!

Sarah celebrated her 21st birthday this month and Derik decided to surprise her with a party. His gift to her was a song that he co-wrote with his friend Ian (the graduation scooter ride guy...remember that?). Such a fun night!

Ali started her classes and is now on the soccer circuit, traveling more than not and trying to keep up with her school work. She is playing so well and it is so fun to watch her! She loved being able to make the trip back to Tucson to see her old stomping grounds. And besides the temple, getting a little Eegees slushee was the best part!

Larissa decided she wanted to organize a neighborhood block party for one of her personal progress projects. It was a lot of work and she didn't even get to be there the night of the party because her boss wouldn't give her time off work, but it was AWESOME! The whole neighborhood loved it and are hoping she will do it again next year. We shall see...

Texas Stalking

Brian and Tanya

I didn't hear back from Tanya this time around so I stalked her Instagram and got a couple pictures.

School's Back in Session

Colin, Kathryn and the Kids

We tried to party till the very last second of summer. The first week of August Madi had girls camp at our friends ranch in Utah, and the day after she got home we packed up and left to Lake Powell with two of our neighborhood families the Madsen's and the Whitaker's.

Blake was at home in Vegas with her grandma Kelly because I was too nervous to bring her (and I don't regret that decision- plus she had a good time with her grandma swimming and playing.)  We had the best time! The secret ingredient was that we all had matching ages in our families, meaning the kids were super entertained!

The next week the kids started school. This came two weeks earlier than last year and it went about how I thought it would... everybody was EXHAUSTED! Cambrie and Rox started at a brand new school built closer to us and they have to be there an hour earlier than their other school. They wake up at 6:46. Right when Luke leaves for seminary. Meanwhile Madi is still sleeping for another hour. The little's get out at 2:11 which makes if feel like a half day of school everyday.

Two weeks later our last one started preschool. I'm still not sure how to feel about this... cry, or go shopping. Clean the house or take a nap, or cry again. It's weird for me.

Luke started his Junior year. Junior year. What the?? Here he is vacuuming the church on our cleaning night like a ghost buster. He's got a drivers test next week for his license. I'm thrilled and completely terrified at the same time. For his student ID picture he borrowed his friend's glasses and his eyes are totally crossed. Definitely some Colin in him. :)

Collin and I turned 17 at the very end of July! He's still busy being Mr. Director and just happened to be in Nashville the day of the solar eclipse for meetings! He face timed me as we watched it outside- they got a total eclipse and it went totally dark for a bout two minutes. He said even the bugs started chirping! We are gearing up for fall: sports, chili, and awesome Vegas weather!!

Provo Living 

Hadley, Kal, and Sal

Kal starts school next Tuesday and I won't be starting school for the first time of my life. Woohoo! I can't remember if I mentioned it in the last post but I got my thyroid checked because it was swollen but the tests came back negative so all is well for now. Kal has started working at the hospital. It is long hours and a lot of crazy stuff.

I am getting ready for September, my busiest month for wedding videos, and am excited to keep growing my list of clients. 

Sally is walking! She is getting more and more fun. She says "momma" for me and "bobby" for Kal (not really sure why haha). She waves to everyone and loves to run away when I need her to follow me when we are out in public.

I am flying to California with Sally at the end of September to see Hamilton with my dad and sisters! Oh and to see Kai fly in haha. 

Thanks!



Here are important dates for the month of September!

1- Blakely's Birthday 🎂
2- Collin's Birthday🎂
4- Tanner and Lauren's Anniversary (2015)💑
14- Noah's Birthday🎂
22- Derik's Birthday🎂

23- Tessa's Birthday🎂

June and July

Sorry this is a little late, but it's here! The blog post you've all been waiting for! Ha. Okay here are updates from June and July from everyone.

Grandma and Grandpa went on a trip to Alaska and had their first experience with a cruise and it sounded like a ton of fun! Panning for gold, eating buffets, and riding buses through gorgeous landscapes.

From Lisa:

"Hey there family!  Summer is winding down and the kids are getting so excited to get back to school!!  I know I'm excited for school to start, for more reasons than just to get some structure and routines back up and running.  I'm hoping to get hired on full time starting this Fall, but will at least be subbing again.  I've taken the CSET and RICA teacher exams this month and still trying to keep up with my credential program.  I really do like learning and challenging myself, but I also like naps and watching a movie occasionally...someday...

Ani and Tessa are so looking forward to hitting the books again, Ani starting her junior year and Tessa her sophomore year.  Tessa will be involved in her choir again, hoping to sing in the combined choir this year.  Ani will be getting a job in addition to babysitting for several families in the ward whose kids love her!  Noah and Mason will be in fourth and fifth grades, respectively, and are looking forward to seeing their friends again and finding out what teachers they will have for the new school year.  Noah is interested in art and creates these interesting comics about social situations and things he's learning about in school.  Mason will be playing the trumpet in the orchestra and starting soccer next month as well.  

It's been a great summer with lots of new things happening!  We got to know the King family better by spending the week with them in Park City, we enjoyed cousins and Shaver lake and added a wedding to the mix, the kids went on lots of boating trips with their dad, and spent a lot of time with friends in and out of the pool.  We're most excited to welcome Kai home on October 2nd!!  I can't wait to give him a big squeeze and then send him out into the world to see what amazing things he'll accomplish!  We're looking forward to seeing everyone in October for Grandma Great's 95th bday, and then again at Shaver Lake for Thanksgiving.  Love you all!! "

Next up, Michele's peeps:

June and July have come and gone but luckily we've had some fun memories to take away. 

June was spent anticipating our trip to Shaver Lake. We decided to take a chance on standby and fly part of the way and it worked...for the most part. Meaning we did eventually make it home. We always love our time in Shaver. Some of the best memories we have are made there.

Happy Independence Day! The 4th of July is a holiday we all look forward to (not including Kona of course! Poor thing!) We love going to watch the fireworks at Thanksgiving Point with family and friends and the sparklers always conclude our festivities while we patiently wait for a million cars to leave the parking lot. This year we spent that evening with our friends and neighbors, the Burrs, the Herberts, and the Condies, Lauren's mom and her sister's cute family, Sarah's brother Ryan, and Shane and Morgan and their two cuties. 

The rest of July went on without a hitch with Larissa doing cheer everyday, going to cheer camp, girls camp, youth conference, and working at the car wash. Ali kept busy working a produce stand at various locations around Utah as well as trying to keep her sanity keeping all the kids happy while working at the Natural Curiosity Museum at Thanksgiving Point. 

Larissa and I got to make a day trip to Park City while Lisa, Jeremy and kids were there for a King family reunion do some shopping with the girls! And of course we stole Ani for a night. Gotta get that cousin time in whenever possible! We even got to see Madi when she came for BYU Volleyball camp. We took her and her friend to a concert in the park and got rained out...the first rain those Vegas girls had seen in a while!​

Tanner, Lauren, Derik, and Sarah spent some time in Costa Rica and obviously had a blast. They also decided to try the standby approach which was definitely an adventure. They ended up spending the night in Fort Lauderdale as part of their unplanned adventure. But they made it home thankfully in one piece. 

While they were away, Joe and I and the girls were sitting around on a lazy Sunday afternoon and as we were talking we realized that none of us had obligations the following day so we took a look at the flight loads to Long Beach and hopped on a plane early Monday morning thinking we would make a day trip to the beach. We laid out on the beach and watched construction crews create a hot spot for the Vans US Open complete with a beach stadium for skateboarding and bmx as well as a makeshift Vans clothing store. We missed it by a couple days but it was fun to see it all coming to life. We didn't make it on our flight home that evening so we found a nice little hotel, spent the night, and made it on a flight the next day. 

Because Ali is leaving Monday July 31 to go back to school and Tanner and Lauren are leaving the end of August, we decided to take a family pic. Try as we may, Kona did not want any part of it but I think it turned out just fine without him thanks to our photo specialists Sarah, Lauren, and the tripod. 

Love you all!!​

Thanks Michele!


On to the Texas gang:

Have you heard this joke?

Q: What do you get when you play a country song backward?

A: You get your dog back, you get your wife back, you get your truck back, you get your house back…

If May and June were our sad country song, then July has been the exact opposite - and we are so grateful!!  Brian has his health back, we have our dad and husband back, new jobs, a new-to-us car (the truck finally died after 16 years).  Instead of a huge summary, here are some of our high points and pictures.

Jack turned 8 in June!  He’s such a kind and helpful soul - and a man of few words and simple tastes.  We love him so much!

We spent some time collecting tadpoles and crawfish.  Nothing survived terribly long, but the memory is there and it was fun!  The kids remember doing this for the past few summers, so now it’s tradition.

Julia learned to swim!  And decided she likes her boots better than her flip flops…she’s a native Texan, after all.

We’ve been learning how to fish… with mixed results.

We had a fun weekend in July celebrating Jack’s baptism!

Our town does outdoor movie nights once a month in the summer with free In’ n’ Out for dinner… which is another awesome perk of living in a small town!  

Ella is a little bit of a Shawn Mendes groupie, and I picked up some tickets in November for his concert in July.  She loved it!  

We’re so grateful for this little family and thankful for the simple adventures we share.

Thanks Tanya!


Here are some updates from Kathryn's Instagram:

Kathryn, Collin and Luke took a trip to Canada for some epic mountain biking while Grandma and Grandpa hung with the girls.

Madi had volleyball camp and Cambrie celebrated a birthday! 

Kathryn's family all got together in Washington for a big family reunion.

Kathryn's family all got together in Washington for a big family reunion.

Hadley, Kal, and Sally:

Kal was at Advanced Camp in Ft. Knox all of June and I am not looking forward to him being away for that long again any time soon. This July I have been working still for VIPkid and Kal just got hired to be security at the Utah Valley Hospital. He get's to be tasered so that's exciting. 

Recently we went on a road trip to California for my cousin Michaella's wedding. I got to film it and we had a blast visiting with family. On the way we stopped and saw Grandma Davis, hiked at Zion's National Park (which we got into for free thanks to Kal's military ID), and stayed the night at Hotel de la Johnston. 

At Michaella's sealing we saw Grandma and Grandpa working at the temple and we decided to take a trip for a night up to Shaver Lake. We drove the jeep, ate Huckleberry shakes, and saw the plans for the mini cabins Grandpa is building. 

Provo has been beautiful this summer and we have spent many days at the Rec Center pool where we follow Sally around as she crawls through the kiddy pool and tries to avoid getting trampled by big kids. Sally is SO close to walking and we are working on the feeding herself thing.

 It's so weird for me that school will be starting soon and this will be the first time EVER that I don't go for a new semester. Crazy stuff. 

Thanks so much for the updates! Here are some upcoming dates of import for August:

12- Sarah's Birthday🎂
18- Tanya's Birthday🎂

26- Hadley and Kal's Anniversary (2014) 💑
30- Brian and Tanya's Anniversary 💑