September 28, 2018

Awesome hike with Lorien to Lake Blanche.  The whole hike was pretty with lots of fall colors.  Then at the Lake, Sundial Peak was shoring off with beautiful yellow leave in front of it.  We had an awesome moose sighting on the way up.  A bull moose that totally startled us even though we had just been warned he was close.  Pretty sure he was flirting with a cow mosse across that trail that we couldn't see.  Pretty cool. 

September 26, 2018

Good temple day.  But Adrienne who I love working with in the temple is leaving.  It makes me so sad.  I love seeing her every week.  It's hard when people are in your life a little and you really enjoy them and then they're not in your life.  I'll bet missionaries experience that a lot. 

September 25, 2018

"When you go into the woods and you look at trees...some of them are bent and some of them are straight and some of them are evergreens and some of them are - whatever.  And you look at the tree and you just allow it.  You appreciate it.  You see why it is the way it is, you sort of understand that it didn't get enough light and so it turned out that way and you don't get emotional about it, you just allow it.  You appreciate the tree.  The minute you get near humans, you lose all that and you're constantly saying, 'You're too this,' or 'I'm too this,' or - that judging mind comes in.  And so I practice turning people into trees, which means appreciating them just the way they are." - Ram Dass

September 24, 2018

Mason is headed back to Arkansas.  He'll be in Little Rock in a place called Pinnacle Mountain.  Go Razorbacks.  "I'm also gonna miss our branch mission leader.  I have lucked out with them.  First Brother Simmons who's awesome and now Brother Jackson who is just as awesome!  Hopefully the luck continues.  I tried my best to pick up the work in Midtown because when I got here it was slacking.  Other than Nathan (the guy we baptized) there was nothing going on so I hope I did something for the work in Midtown and left it better than when I got here."

My favorite line from his emails - "Thanks for raising me in the gospel.  And kicking my butt outta the house to get me out here."  :)

September 23, 2018

In church I've been asking the girls to write down some things that made them smile each week.

This week for me -
Changing leaves, Darren, hiking a new part of a trail with an awesome view, road trip with Eric Church Pandora radio station, seeing my parents, watching Cam with her friends at soccer practice, BYU soccer game with Sadie, Rylie's pic from the football game, Kenzie's blog post, mission biking pics from Mason.

September 22, 2018

With soccer games being cancelled due to the wildfire smoke, D and I decided to go visit my parents.  We had a good day with them - lunch at the Koosheram Cafe which was totally crowded (who knew) followed by a drive to Fishlake to see some fall leaves.  It was really pretty and I enjoyed the time with my parents.  Then D and I grabbed some ideal dairy for the drive home.

September 21, 2018

Yeah for Friday.  It was hiking day with Lorien and Sariah where we hiked a new part of a connector trail over to Dog Lake.  The view was amazing and there was a part right before the connector trail that had awesome yellow leaves just popping in the sun.  In the evening D and I took Sadie and Jessie to a BYU soccer game.  It was the most beautiful fall evening with some good soccer.

September 20, 2018

This was a month to remember playing Rylie in Dr. Mario while eating pre-unwrapped mini Starbursts and Rylie saying, "I'm going to come back like a boomerang."

September 18, 2018

Mason sent some good mission photos this week.  Love that boy.  From his email, "This week has been a long, hard, and really good week. I know that those don't go together but its true. It was good and it was hard. We put a lot of sweat onto these Memphis streets and you know, the lord blessed us for it. He really does have his hand in this work."

I read this quote from Elder Bednar that I like.  "Ordinary people who consistently do small and simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results."

September 16, 2018

Just a good Sunday.  Good church meetings and good evening hanging with K and T with laughs from Taboo.  I had the thought that I'm especially thankful to know of our Savior.

September 15, 2018

Typical date night tonight - out to eat followed by Netflix.  Living the dream.  At least living my dream.

September 13, 2018

I like -

• New, good fitting socks.  With tennis shoes.  (Are they still called tennis shoes?  I'm thinking they're not.)
• Listening to prophets and apostles voices and identifying them.  I especially like it when I read a quote and can say who it's from.
• PB M&Ms and Chick O Stiks.  I could eat them for hours.
• The smell of pine trees and green.
• Singing along to a really good country song when no one is around.  Think "I'll Name the Dogs" and "Shotgun Rider".
• When it rains and it's warm outside.  And you can sit outside and soak it all in.
• Laughing.  Like when something is just funny and you can't help but laugh.

September 11, 2018

Took a picture of Rylie doing her homework and it makes me smile.  You can see her new backpack, she's got headphones in, wearing jeans and the maroon Vans shirt, no sling, and there's an applesauce squeeze thing that she just loves.

September 10, 2018

Mason emails and Grace Wilkins (Dale) calling me Mama D when she saw me made me smile today. 

"We did a tonnnnnn of finding this week. I swear that's all we do in Memphis. Not a ton of service and not a ton of games or sports, just a ton of finding. Which is good I guess but it's super exhausting! But it's fun talking to all the crazy people in Memphis.

We rode our bikes a ton this week too. Part of the finding is riding and riding. My thighs are gonna rip through my pants pretty soon here. Jk but my butt is definitely sore. Elder Perkins hates sitting down now cause it hurts haha."

September 9, 2018

Happy Birthday to President Nelson!

September 8, 2018

Commence fall soccer season.  It's not bad coordinating only 2 schedules.  Also - Cam scored her team's first goal of the season.

With only two games D and I were able to go on an afternoon hike with Baylie.  Summit trailhead has been our go to.  Fun, I know.

September 4, 2018

Mason has been out 11 months!  He is getting to be a Memphis expert.  He's working hard finding and teaching via bike.  I love his weekly emails.

September 3, 2018

My dad is always so great to fill my vehicle up with gas whenever I'm at his house.  I think this is the first time he's filled it at 4am though.  Silly dad. 

September 2, 2018

Subway top down hike in Zion was crazy.  So pretty and so many obstacles.  Thoughts:

Loved Russell's Gulch at the first of the hike.
The sky was amazing for the top part.  So was all the red and green.
Skipped some rocks after getting down into the canyon.  Skipping rocks is always a good idea.
Didn't see another person for 3 or so hours.
First rappel was easy peasy.
Dry bags are essential.
Didn't mid the swimming in the cold water as bad as I thought.
Getting down to swim in the cold water on a few occasions was the hardest part.
The log part was really cool.
Just when you start to warm up there's another water crossing.
You might slip on the slick stuff.  Then just go ahead and slide down.
Don't be afraid to bum scoot.  Sariah and I did in a few parts.
The avoid the log rappel was a bit difficult.
The last rappel was awesome.  You land in water and it's just so pretty and carved in so many different ways.
Wouldn't have made it through without help from the Caldwell boys.
I was a little anxious wondering what obstacle was next.
The subway part was as cool as it looks in pictures.
Seeing a bunch of dry bags floating down the middle of two close canyon walls was cool.
The last half of the hike after the cool stuff is long. 

September 1, 2018

"Two Lanes of Freedom" by Tim McGraw - I just love that song.