It has been a quiet week and after the busyness and stress of the weeks before that, we've been soaking it up! I've been hike/running the canyon three days a week as usual but had more time to read this week (yes, even more than usual)! I finished two books and started a few more. :)

Ben and I are still working on our engineering class. This week we started electrical engineering. We are learning to use an Arduino kit which as far as I can tell is the adult version of pop circuits. Since Ben and I are trying to wrap our heads around how electricity works and also how to get coding to communicate with our computer, it's a bit of a baptism by fire. We got our LED to light up (yay!) but are stuck on our servo motor. We will let you know how it works out.

Ben's friend, Max, was gone all last week on a family trip which may be why we got more done on our engineering class last week than this week! Hmmm. Anyway, it's been good to see the kids playing together (Beth and the Mila's too)!

Bethany finished another book this week. You go girl! She also had karate and some friends over in the afternoons. In the mornings, she has been going to the high school to train with the cross country team. She's definitely getting her exercise!

Savannah made us pasta salad this week for dinner! She also worked at Funfinity although she wasn't feeling well on Friday and Saturday and had to cut her shifts short. She has been playing a search and find narrative on the iPad and she involves Beth and Ben when they show an interest, too!

Kevin's tennis buddies were mostly out of town this week, so he had a rest there, too! We got some more episodes watched from our current Netflix interest. We are also working on planning our anniversary and some other trips in the fall!

The kids wanted to campout on Friday night and I've been really wanting to try hammocking! So, Friday night, we camped out in our backyard. That's when Savannah wasn't feeling well, so it was just Beth, Ben, Kevin, and I. It was a beautiful night! The crickets were humming, the breeze was blowing softly (mostly), and the temperature was just right. Unfortunately, Kevin and I decided that hammocks are a bit like medieval torture devices. Kevin gave it up around 12:30. I gave it up around 2:30. Bethany came in at 4:30 at which point Kevin went out to check on Ben who then willingly came in to his own bed admitting that he wasn't so very comfortable either! Ha, ha! What an adventure!

We haven't been able to talk to Cali and Chey but we've seen their pictures on Instagram! Cheyenne has been laying concrete all week but also going to the beach, learning to Salsa, and ziplining in the rain! Calianne also has been laying concrete all week, but she also has been visiting the local hot springs and exploring the city and an ancient cathedral! We can't wait to see them on Friday!!!!

Cali and Cheyenne left us this week! Cali flew out Wednesday morning and Chey left Thursday morning. Monday and Tuesday saw us going to the store for last minute items, getting Cali COVID tested, and checking and double-checking packing lists. Also, the twins had to fit in tennis hours and farewell moments with their friends and favorite dinners with us, their family. It was a crazy, busy, stressful first half of the week! The most stressful thing for all of us, I think, was that Cali and Chey had never flown before and now they were both navigating airports and security and deadlines completely alone--with high stakes. If they didn't make it, their whole, exciting trip wouldn't happen. Also, they didn't have each other. They've always had each other! It was pretty emotionally terrifying.

They can't contact us now that they are with their groups. (No phones! They want the kids totally present in their experience.) But we did hear from them while they were navigating their way to their separate airports to meet their groups. They did great (even though that wasn't without it's stress, either)! Now we are getting updates about them on their group's Instagram account and it is fun to pick them out in the pictures. We saw Cali sleeping on the floor of an airport and then with giant Galapagos tortoises and later playing in the ocean of a tropical beach! We saw Cheyenne playing games in an airport and then playing chicken in the waves off of Mexico and then standing in water shin-deep in the road because of a tropical storm. They are both safe and having incredible, mind-expanding experiences, and . . . all that stress was worth it!

Deep breath. So! Back at the ranch (otherwise known as home), I've been trying to get Beth and Ben to do more reading and they did well this week! Both of them finished a book. They also still have karate in the summer so its nice they can keep working on that. Our present screen-time rules are "No screens until 3:00." It seems to be working out pretty well. Beth has gotten together with friends a few times and is also content to play by herself often.

Beth and Annaliese bought fake nails
at the new Five Below store!

Ben and I are taking an online engineering class! Ben heard one of his favorite YouTubers talking about it and asked me if he could take it. Like I'm going to say no to that??? So, we are taking it together! Our first project was in the field of mechanical engineering and was supposed to have something to do with food. After the brainstorming process, Ben decided to make an automatic Ramen noodle maker. It is pretty awesome! We are still running into problems with our latch, but we have to set the project aside for now since we are going on to electrical engineering and our Arduino kit. It has actually been really fun and I am learning alot. Oh, and so is Ben!

It has been 100 degrees or more all week, so Savannah needed to check on her bees. They are "bearding" which is when they sort of hold on to each other outside of the hive since it's too hot inside! They should be fine, though, and Savannah gave them fresh water since that's preferable over sugar water in hot weather. Also, we learned that sugar water ferments! We have to throw a bunch away! We did not know that.

The hot weather has not stopped Kevin from playing tennis in the evenings. He comes home completely soaked in sweat! But he is having a great time and I'm glad he's found some fellas to play with.

In addition to getting Cali and Cheyenne off, I had Circles on Tuesday night, YW on Wednesday night, and bookclub on Thursday night. Plus, of course, I'm learning to be an engineer. What a week!

 Megan came to visit us this week!! She and Ammon have been in Colorado since the beginning of May where Ammon is doing summer sales. We miss her so much and it was so fun to have her hanging out with us again!

She flew in on Monday (to Provo! So nice!) and Savannah and Beth and I took her out to lunch at Jimmy John's! That evening we had a neighborhood barbecue at the Koger's and then had to excuse ourselves quick because we had tickets to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat performed by the local theatre and our good friends, the Youngs! It was so fun! We loved it!

On Tuesday, the twins needed to go to DI to get some old clothes to bring on their humanitarian trip. Chey couldn't decide if she should bring a long sleeved t-shirt or not, so Megan, helpfully, found her a leotard with one long-sleeve and one short. Shopping at DI is always fun but even more with Megan! The girls picked up Sarah after that and did a little more shopping at Target. I cooked an outdoor meal to eat on our picnic table. That night, Chey and Cali had to umpire some softball games, but Sarah and McKay came over along with Meg's friends, Rebekah and Hannah and they played games until late!

On Wednesday morning, Dad and Megan joined the twins in their daily tennis practice (they got three hours every day this week!). After lunch, we went to the reservoir for swimming and paddle boarding. Afterwards, we got slushies! That night, we had movie night at Grandma's! She even provided dinner. It was great to be together.

On Thursday, we had all-day passes to the carnival! Megan played tennis with her friend, Alyssa, that morning and she came to the carnival, too! We brought Ben's friend, Max, and let the kids (including Megan and Chey and Cali and Beth and Ben and Max) ride all the rides they wanted! This ended up being a lot more in number for Ben and Max than anyone else! Ha ha! Savannah and I wandered the craft booths until she and Cali had to report to Funfinity for work from 3 to 7. The rest of us hung out a little longer but then headed home for some dinner and things before going back around 7:15 for more fun, carnival lights, and craft booths!

This is Savannah showing off her new turtle bracelets she
bought at the fair, as well as how much her bird enjoyed
her new turtle necklace!

On Friday, Megan needed to fly back to Colorado. Boo hoo! We were so sad to see her go, but so happy that she came! She has finals next week and had to spend some time while she was with us watching classes and doing homework, but she managed it! And we are so grateful! What a fun gal she is!

That night, Kevin and I went to the Art City Days talent show, because we got to see McKay perform! He did great! Cali worked at Funfinity again and that evening she and Chey went to Provo to see Pirates of Penzance. Beth went back to the carnival with more friends. Ben played with Max and helped sand their shed to get it ready for painting. (We are kind of a busy family!)

Saturday was the parade! Kevin couldn't come because he was teaching for IITAP.  We were glad he could be with us in the evenings though since he's still teaching those through Zoom. Cali and Savannah watched the parade from Funfinity where they were working, but the rest of us were happy to cheer the band and the princesses and the horses and the class reunions all from our usual spot!

That night we went down to the practice football field to watch the fireworks! So fun to feel the boom in our chests and be in the middle of the action. We love Art City Days! We're so glad Megan could come for so much of it. What a fun week!

 On Monday we drove home from Las Vegas and started getting ready for our trips this week!

It was Ben's turn to attend Shadow Mountain this year! That is a three-day camp the school district offers for kids just finishing fifth grade. For Ben, it was all boys. He was in the same session with Kyler, Zander, and Max and made three new friends while he was there! He left Thursday morning, played games, heard spooky stories, went on a hike, and even got to play on a giant water slide. On Saturday he reported that he had so much fun that he felt like it only lasted five minutes! Time went so fast!

On Wednesday (a day before Ben left), Beth, Cali, Chey, and I left for Young Women's Camp! On our way to our campsite in Fremont Indian State Park, we stopped and explored the lava tubes outside Meadow, Utah and had a picnic at Cove Fort where we saw the exhibits on pioneer life!

We set up camp after that and had dinner and a campfire with s'mores and I got to do a star presentation with my cool, new laser pointer! We talked about following your north star and how that can help you "move mountains."

On Thursday, we had a great morning devotional, and then we went to the Fremont museum, learned to throw atlatls, saw rock art, and ate ice cream before we went back to the camp for lunch. After lunch we had workshop rotations where we learned survival skills, first aid skills, painted rocks, and made paper lanterns.  Kevin arrived during workshops. He came to join us once Ben was off to Shadow Mountain. It was so fun to have him with us!

Then we were HOT so we went down to the river so we could all get really wet and cooled off! After dinner, we had songs and a devotional where each of the YCLs ( Youth Camp Leaders), told of an inspirational woman and how they "moved mountains."

On Friday after devotional, we drove to Capital Reef National Park so we could hike the Sulpher Creek Trail. It's a 6 mile hike through a slot canyon where you hike through the creek most of the way and has a fun pool at the end with slides and rock jumps! The girls had a great time and for many, it was their favorite thing! For some reason, I got really sick right at the start and had to have Kevin bring me back. I am so sad I missed it! (Although, at the time, I was relieved to have made it back to the car and not to have ruined the hike for anyone!)

Back at camp, we had dinner and songs and testimony meeting then off to bed! On Saturday morning, we packed up camp, had one last devotional, and headed home. It was a great camp! I'm so glad I got to be a part of it and I'm so glad we do stuff like that for our youth!