Garbage Truck Watchin' and Other Highlights

 Hayden returned from his mission in the Philippines and is just as cute and as kind as ever.  It was fun to see the Rigbys together again but Brandon and Derek were missing.

 Rosy and Quincy don't have qualms about personal space.  They are attached together physically almost any time they are within sight of each other.  This includes when they are trying to climb onto the roof and also when they think they are big enough to walk down the street to the gas station to buy a soda.  They are living out a long held tradition of Rigbys inspiring mischief in each other when they are together.

Good Morning!

 Daisy and Rocky started school at Burch Creek Elementary.  At that point we thought we would probably be living with my parents for several more months and the girls didn't take any time falling in love with their new school.

 They loved walking to and home from school.  They loved the food in the cafeteria.  They loved the kids, the teachers, the principal and the beautiful building.  The only regret I have about Burch Creek is that we had to leave it so quickly.

 Opa and Ike love to watch the garbage truck go by.  This was one of my favorite parts of the summer.

 Another was Oma and Rosy doing home school.  That girl was so serious about her studies and her schedule.  The older she gets the more I realize that she is a person who loves structure.  Oma was the best teacher and watching the two of them working together was one of those simple joys of life.  Same deal with the sisters...I only regret that home school had to also be left behind so soon.

 During a 'recess' break I took Rosy to Shopko so that she could check out toys and we could give Oma some ideas for birthday presents.  Once again, she was hilarious.
She loved this Baby Alive doll until I explained that her main skill was drinking water and 'peeing' her diaper.  Rosy was completely disgusted.  She wanted me to delete the photo immediately and later emphasized several times that this was not a toy she was interested in.

 I was surprised at how weird some of the newer toys are, and the connection between how weird it was, and how much Rosy wanted it.

 The Barbie Jeep wasn't on Rosy's wish list but it did happen to be the one toy in the 'girls' aisle that caught Ike's attention.

 This little bird was the winner.  Who wouldn't want an electronic bird that you can tell all your secrets to?  She will tell your secret right back if you push the right button, which doesn't seem like much of a secret keeper.  Oh, and she will randomly sing when you are least expecting it.

 Brandon contributed an essay to this book and it was published.  You can have your own copy for $99.  His chapter is about the Dirty War in Argentina and is amazing.

 I consider myself so lucky that even though I didn't get to have my own garden I got to enjoy the harvest of my Mom's.  What a gorgeous chance for my kids to watch fresh produce grow and to smell the smell of a freshly picked tomato.

 We made a few trips to Macy's Grocery and someone let these to jokers drive.

Where's Ike?

Ice Cream, Popcorn, Jilly and a movie.  Heaven.

The Eclipse

 For almost a year I have been planning on being in the path of totality for the solar eclipse.  I heard that it is something worth seeing and secretly hoped that we would be all settled in and living in Oregon.  As the date got closer I was more and more depressed that we still didn't have a home.  Mom and I decided that we were going to make the trip to Idaho Falls to see it.  The news made it sound like it was going to be a nightmare and the closer it got the more nervous I was, but I felt in my bones that I would never recover if I didn't get there.
So that is how we found ourselves setting an alarm for 2:45 AM and hopping in the car at 3.  We had all our food packed and enough water to last us a week.  The traffic was fine, still busy for the middle of the night, but not the apocalypse.
The Idaho Falls website had listed 4 parks that were being designated for public viewing.  I picked one that had 12 soccer fields and was out by the airport.  I figured that even if the crowds were ridiculous it would take a whole lot of people to fill 12 soccer fields.   We got there right around 6 and the place was deserted.
We had a lovely morning.  We ate yogurt and donuts and watched the sunrise.  We went for a walk, played on the playground, read some stories, and played UNO.  It was one of those special moments where I had the time to just enjoy being with my two oldest daughters and my mom.

 As the morning started to shift into the afternoon more people started showing up.  We were a small but excited group.  Everyone was friendly and cheerful.  There was a group of international students who were throwing Frisbees all the way to some serious astronomers with huge telescopes.
And before we knew it, it had begun.  We laid out our blankets and watched through our special glasses as the sun appeared to eat the moon.

 It was cool.
We were having a great time watching something so interesting.
And then it got closer to totality and it felt like the whole world went haywire.
All of a sudden it was freezing and dark.
I had heard that there would be a moment that it looked like a 360 degree sunset.  I took off my glasses and there it was.  A pink glow all the way around.  We were in the perfect place because it was a wide open clear view.  The feeling was eerie.  I put my glasses back on, but then I couldn't see anything, and then I heard cheering.  I took them off and there it was.

 There is no way to describe how it looked.  It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  It was much brighter and so much bigger than I had anticipated.  I could see Venus which looked like a bright star.  And then I could see the corona which was beautiful.  And there were these giant blue rays coming all around.
It is impossible to describe.
It was breathtaking.  I was bawling and cheering and laughing at the same time.  It was cosmic and miraculous and I still get goosebumps when I think about it.
And then just as quickly as it started, it was gone.

I feel like the eclipse was a turning point in my life.  I know how ridiculous that sounds, but it feels like truth to me.  Observing something so universal made me feel small and insignificant in a good way.  How does that even make sense?  It doesn't, but that is the only way I can explain what I mean.  It just helped to put things into perspective.  My worries about the job hunt and schools just didn't seem as all encompassing anymore.  I had the feeling that no matter where we end up going or what we end up doing, it is all okay because there is something bigger than all of us, and it is incredible.

 God is great and everything is eventually going to be fine, for everyone.

It took us 6 hours to get home because of all the traffic but I would have driven across the whole country to see it again.

I will always treasure this memory.  The time with my girls and my mom when we got to experience something truly remarkable.

 Ike has just gotten to that age where he gets into all kinds of trouble.  I mean, he has been getting in trouble as long as he could walk, but now his trouble is just a lot bigger of a mess.  He found some kind of makeup and made sure not only to color all over his own body, but all over the room and the walls.  We never did figure out what it was that he was using.  It was thick like mascara but it didn't have the brush marks so I wasn't sure.

All ready for church is special hand-me-downs.

 Brandon had to go to DC to apply for the State Department and we were all walking on pins and needles until we knew he had passed.  I am so proud of him for making it through one of the toughest interview processes that exist.  It feels good after all the rejections that someone finally recognizes an incredible man when they see one.  Now they are doing the background check so if you know us you will probably hear from the investigator, Mr. McCourt.

After the interview Brandon headed out to Eugene to work at the study abroad office as a temp.  We were glad that he had a job, but we all sure missed having him around.

Movie Night

The girls were so lucky that they got to go to Auntie Judy's Tea Party.  They dressed up in fancy outfits that they picked out themselves and had all kinds of delicious treats.  Auntie Judy sure knows how to throw a great party.  

 We pulled out a box of my old books so that Rocky could pick out something to read.  Ike was immediately caught by this copy of Pollyanna and carried it around for days.  I think that Rocky was interested in reading it, but it wasn't worth trying to pry it from Ike.

 We were still in Utah in mid August when school started.  I anguished for days trying to decide if I should enroll the kids in school or keep holding out for a job.  In the end it seemed that we had no choice but to get them started at Burch Creek.  It is a beautiful new school just up the street from my mom's house.  The girls could even walk there themselves.  I was worried that it would be too stressful but they jumped right in without hesitation.  Kids are so much more chill than adults, at least than the kind of adult that I am.

 Late night Skyping with Daddy made for some silly shenanigans and a lot of escapes from bed.

 The Kool-Aid stand was a lot more fun in theory, just like most jobs.  That boom box played Hamilton and the kids drank their weight in sugar.  All $10 that they made went to help support the Shepherd's Bowl which Oma and Opa help out at feeding the homeless every Wednesday.

Art is Cool

 My mom bought tickets for us all to see a production of In the Heights.  It was this tiny theater company so we had low expectations but it was showing at the amphitheater so we figured it wouldn't matter because it would still be fun.  It exploded my expectations.  I didn't stop smiling or crying the whole time.  I can't remember a show that I have seen that was so well done.  I felt my spirits raise and I can't express how happy it made me feel.  That show reminded me just how important the arts are.  When your life feels like a big mess and you don't have any power to control your future it sure is nice to be able to go to a show and watch talented people sing and dance.  My friend Nicole and I always joke that we know God loves us because he gave the world Lin Manuel Miranda.  Of course we know God loves us for so many reasons, but I truly think that art in all its forms is a true blessing. We can learn so much from pictures, movies, plays, dance, songs, all those things, and sometimes even if we aren't specifically learning something, those things just bring pure joy.  They are a break from monotony and a splash of color when the world looks a little bit black and white.

What also brings color?  Kids.

 We hit up the Weber County Fair and saw all the animals and a bunch of trapeze artists because the exotic bird show had to cancel at the last minute.  I didn't complain.  Those trapeze folks were super entertaining.  We ate some Zeppe's.  Why is it that I can remember so many food details?

 Afterwards we were so thirsty so Mom, Jill, and Rocky went to go pick up some Chinese takeout.  It took forever and Rocky told me that the glass of ice water she got when they arrived at home was the best thing she had ever tasted.

 Movie Nights

Into the Woods

Finding Dory

 By this time Brandon had gone to Washington DC for his State Department interview and then onto Eugene to work temporarily at the study abroad office.  I was so, so grateful for all the help my parents and Jill gave me in taking care of the kids for more than 3 weeks.  We missed Brandon so much but it was a great time for the kids to bond with their grandparents.

Daisy got an honorable mention in the Eccles Art Center Pioneer Day art contest and won $100.

 And we did our yearly Lime Rickey run.  Just looking at this picture makes me taste the sweetness.

Daisy's poster

Peeping Ike

Watching videos of accidents on YouTube for hours

Rocky's poster