It was not a very busy week. The weather was beautiful, though. The heat has broken and we're having cool temperatures with blue, blue skies and still everything's green. We even had a couple of thunderstorms and those are exciting, too!

Bethany is still having cross country practices afterschool everyday, though they missed a day because of a thunderstorm. She had a race on Friday at Salem Jr. High and she ran strong and finished fourth for her team. She is a team captain and is really enjoying leading stretches and learning names of the eighth graders so she can cheer them on. A lot of the ninth graders ran at the high school and she was worried that she wouldn't know many on the team. But, being one of the only older ones is giving her a chance at leadership that she is really enjoying.

Benjamin's favorite class this year is college and career awareness. This past week they held a mock trial. Ben took the role of the defendant who had hit another car in an accident. The question was whether or not he was looking at his phone and thus guilty of distracted driving. He lost but had a great time telling us about it later! Bethany got us all watching "The Secrets of Sulphur Springs," and Ben especially wants us to turn it on as often as possible!

Savannah worked at Funfinity this week. She had some problems with her back later in the week but was able to still go to work.

I worked on my Spanish class. Estoy trabajando en mi clase de Espanol. It's a little class I found online that touts "Learn Spanish in one month!" It was only $19. I thought it'd be pretty easy since I took Spanish in high school and it was only $19, but it's challenging! I spend at least an hour on it every day and I've learned a lot especially in the area of grammar where I forgot a lot. 

I'm also still working on my online Research Methods class for BYU. I'm not as impressed with it as I am with the Spanish class. (Funny, right? I'm paying a whole lot more!) I did talk to someone who finished the BYU MSW program a couple of years ago, though, and she raved about it and said it was incredible. So, I am hopeful that this particular independent study class is not indicative of the program as a whole.

I got a job this week! I applied about a month ago. Then I had an interview. Then I had to get references that had to be checked. Then I missed a phone call. Then this week I got offered the job! I have orientation next week and will maybe start. I will be working from 6am to 9am at a school for troubled teen girls. I'll be helping them get up and off to school. Sounds like stuff I have experience with, right? It'll be interesting to see what it's like.

I cleaned the windows on Saturday and finished listening to "The Strangers on Montaque Street," by Karen White. It was a good read and my windows are sparkling!

On Monday, I had a booth at the Springville Farmer's Market again. I love the ambience--being outside in early fall, people walking slowly through booths arm in arm, someone on guitar with notes floating toward you on the breeze--but, I'm not selling any books. So . . . I won't be going back. Still, it was fun to try! Bethany hung out with a friend who makes stickers and phone cases and sells at the Farmer's Market in a kid's booth. She had a fun time (partaking of ambience!) and being with her friend.

On Tuesday, Beth and Ben had karate. Savannah helped me pick peaches from the neighbor's tree. We had to be brave about the Box Elder bugs because, apparently they really like peaches, too!

On Wednesday, Sarah came over and we canned peaches together! We canned 17 quarts. We got them done pretty fast and it was great fun! Avery did a great job sitting in her chair and munching on peaches. She made it about an hour but then we had to let her out. She crawled around the table about three times chasing the dog. She never caught up to her but she didn't lose her excitement! She's such a happy baby!

That night we had a ward party up the canyon. It was rainy, but the kids didn't mind and the adults stayed under the pavilion talking. Fun times!

Thursday, Beth and Ben had karate again. I went to bookclub with my friends from Brookside.

Friday, Bethany had a cross country meet. Kevin and I were there and she looked really strong and did great!

That night, Kevin and I got to go to a fundraiser where the Cook Foundation had a $2000 table. It was up Hobble Creek canyon at one of the multi-million dollar estates. It was pretty fancy and fun to have such a different experience. The food, of course, was amazing!

On Saturday, Ben had a tennis lesson. Kevin and I went to the temple. Chey and Cali and Sarah came over to play tennis with Kevin in the afternoon. I fixed the flat tire on Beth's electric scooter which would have been easier with an engineering degree. That night, because Beth and Ben got their work lists done, we took them and their friends to Nickle Mania. What a day!

 Monday was Labor Day! We didn't do anything as a family but I did have a booth at the Farmer's Market from 4 to 9 and Kevin, Beth, and Ben visited me and we all had dinner from food trucks! Fun times! Megan and Ammon came by, too, which was super fun! I sold two things all night but everyone assured me that it was very slow because of Labor Day. I'm signed up to do all the Mondays in September so we will see what tomorrow brings!

Tuesday was back to school. Ben is getting more comfortable and liking school more. He's getting better at 8-square (the game they play during lunch) so that makes lunch more fun! Bethany went back to cross country practice and they both had karate that day.

Wednesday Mariah came for a visit! Ok, she really came to be a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding, but we got to see her! 

The wedding was Thursday so Riah was busy most of the day with the wedding, the lunch, and then the reception, but we saw her inbetween! And we went to the reception and it was lovely.

Friday was Beth's first cross country meet of the year and Mariah was still here! Yay! So, Mariah picked up Chey and Cali from their respective apartments and Sarah came up from hers and Kevin and I and Ben and Savannah were there and so was Grandma and Grandpa. Beth had quite the crowd of cheering fans! She had a hard time not laughing when she passed us the first time! She did great and it was so fun.

Afterwards, I picked up Megan who got back from working in SLC and Kevin bought Jimmy Johns (Beth's favorite) for the whole family who was suddenly together! Yay! Then, as a wonderful bonus, McKay was playing for Springville's first ever Art Festival and we all went and listened to his concert. What a great family activity! Mariah had to drive home that night but we were so glad we got the visit!

Saturday, Kevin was the keynote speaker at a sex-addiction conference and needed to be in SLC until 2:00. Ben had tennis lessons in the morning and listened to Harry Potter for most of the rest of the day. Bethany volunteered to help at the Art Festival with our young women's group in the afternoon. At 4:00, Kevin and I met in SLC to see The Unsinkable Molly Brown at the Hale Theatre. It was really fun. That night, we watched BYU's first home football game on the television while Cali watched it in person at the stadium! They won! Go cougars!

Cali started school on Monday! She seems to like all her classes and says she likes her Family Processes class best so far. She is excited about the organ shoes she needed to buy for her organ class, though, and her ultimate Frisbee class sounds like it has the potential to be a ton of fun, too! She has cut down her hours at work but is still working. With all of that and trying to spend as much time with Richmond this week as possible, she's been busy! Richmond gets set apart for his mission today. We are excited for him!

Cheyenne looks like she is in the middle of her semester rather than just the second week. She is writing papers and reading textbooks and taking notes like a crazy person! She and her roommates were thinking of going to their friend's cabin for the weekend since it's Labor Day, but they all decided against it because of all the homework. Ah! College life.

They both took some time on Saturday to go to Splash Summit one last time with Bethany. Richmond went too and Beth's friend, Macie. Ben opted out because he wasn't feeling well. They said they had a good time! Afterwards, Sarah, McKay, Megan, and Ammon came over and we had burgers together and played gaga ball. It was really fun.

Mariah had her first race in her cross country season on Saturday! They ran at NAU, home of the national champs and an elevation that makes us normal people winded walking up a flight of stairs. And she did great! She came in as Utah Tech's seventh runner. She's pretty much a rockstar and we are super proud of her.

Beth and Ben had karate this week. Beth had cross country practices and they even asked her to be team captain! Ben had guitar and tennis. We watched a movie together Saturday night after everyone left. We are hanging in there, trying to make good use of our house that suddenly feels empty too often.

I've been sick all week with a bad cold. But I did work on my class and my book. I even went clothes shopping with Megan and Cheyenne. Megan knows all the best places! It was fun.

Kevin's company is working on developing a system that would use tech to determine when a person is stressed and then offer coping strategies in real time. Apparently it is an exploding field and they are exploring what they can add to the options out there.