Griffin Family : July 2016

Sunday, July 24, 2016

07/24/16 2000 Stripling Warrior March and Only one more week!!!!

2000 Stripling warriors were more like 20...but they were a good bunch!

This is it! Your last normal p-day. Your last letter from home. The last week of your amazing adventure! I hope that you will have a wonderful week of lasts!!!!

We've had a fairly quiet week here. Last Monday Sister Schimbeck came and we made salsa together. Seems like we made about 20 jars of salsa - she took home 6 or 7 and I kept the rest. (She had only brought that many jars and said that was all she wanted to keep) It was fun to hang with Katrice - I haven't seen her forever! We did girl scouts together about 5 years ago and used to hang out regularly and then she quit (cause Brooke grew up) and we just don't cross paths very often!

After she left we had BBQ (cause we had Pizza on Saturday) and dad smoked a side of something that was delicious! We played pickleball afterward. So Monday afternoon and evening were very full!

Monday through Thursday Katie and Holly were in a soccer camp from 10-12 each day so they were busy having fun up at the community center each morning. Katie also has a singing group that her and her friends created and they got together from 8-10 Monday and Tuesday. So the girls had a good week developing their talents!

Wednesday I had ladies lunch with Carla, Marilyn, Cristy and myself - kinda the old crew from the beginning of me working at Washington City. Carla is over 70 now, Marilyn is 67, Cristy 57, and me 47. They are such a fun group of ladies - it's always fun to get together and catch up on all our busy lives. They try to get together quarterly for each birthday and then at Christmas time. We ate at Chili's and it was a fun lunch!

The girls made bags out of t-shirts for YW. They were cute. We played pickelball while they were at YW. We actually play about when YW ends because even starting at 8:30 p.m. the temperature is usually still 100. Any earlier and the sun is too bright AND the temp too hot! We played on Friday this week too - which was a particularly hot day and when we ENDED at 10:30 p.m. it was still 100!!! (It was 111 for a high that day)

Thursday Marlee came over and we had pizza (we are kind a messed up this week on our menu!!!) Dallas and McK came too - they don't get over together much because of McK's crazy schedule so it was fun to see them for a little while!! The girls were planning to go to the warrior march on Friday so they were busy trying to find costumes. Marlee and the girls went and played rock band for quite awhile after dinner. They aren't going to want to share her when you get home!!!

Friday was a crowded schedule. After work we met Gma and Gpa over at Olive Garden for lunch. It was really good and we went at the right time - not too crowded! We had a nice visit -- doesn't seem like we'd seen them in awhile!

George Hamer (a guy in our ward) turned 75 and had a birthday party at Sullivan Park. So we went down there and visited him. Then the girls were going to a warrior encampment - an overnight before marching in the parade. We thought it was going to be kind of a big deal but we got there and there was 1 other girl and maybe 15 boys and a couple of leaders. We hesitated -- should we leave them? But they decided they'd stay and we gave them a phone and told them to call if they wanted to come home.

They never asked to come home and seems like they had a pretty fun time. They fed them a whole chicken from costco (2 people split one and ate it right off the bone) and some rolls. They weren't allowed to bring flash lights or anything but gave them torches -- that were fire!!! So there were torches all over the place stuck in the ground. They had about 4 porto-potty and hand sanitizer and just slept under the stars. They were busy playing games at 10:30 at night when I ran over to drop off Katie's costume (we'd gotten the wrong one from Emily Holt by accident). They were having so much fun they didn't even notice I'd come and gone! Holly said they were up until after 2 a.m. playing and talking and stuff and then they got up at 7 a.m. had breakfast, practiced marching and then the parade was at 9 a.m. The "2000 stripling warrriors" were about 30 warriors...maybe. They looked good though and I think they had a nice time. Whoever did the advertising either didn't get the word out or didn't make it sound fun enough.

After the parade the girls were supposed to work the fishing booth from 10-12. Which turned into 10-2. Poor things were so hot and tired!!!! We went up about 1 p.m. and took up sandwiches and chips and cookies because I figured they had to be dying. The Clark's were the adult chaperones and they had just ordered pizza for the same reason. So they kids got double lunch!!!

The girls came home and showered, unpacked and then looked REALLY tired! So we cleaned up the costumes and took the girls out so they wouldn't go to sleep and then not be able to sleep at night. We dropped off the costumes at Wrights and Hotls and then some things at the DI and took them to Carl's Jr. We checked out a store at the strip mall and then went to Albertsons.

Everybody watched Lady Hawk (one of dad's all time favorite movies). I made chili sauce, hot sauce and sweet and sour sauce while the movie played (so I could stay awake for the whole movie!!!) We had a bunch of jalapenos so we were trying something new on the hot sauce. The sweet and sour is for dinner today - making chicken.

Anyway - it was nice to be home and doing Saturday stuff at home -- we also did lots of laundry and cleaning and mowed the lawn etc in between all that other stuff! -- after being gone off and on this summer.

Well I gotta play organ today in church so I need to get going and hope the choir doesn't practice too long before church - I'd like to practice a little before church starts but they are performing today too and usually practice right before the meeting.

Enjoy your last week!!!!

Quote of the week:

Nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute!!!

Haha - ain't that the truth! Hurry and get done whatever you wanted to accomplish before you came home! I'm gonna be doing the same here! Love you!!!! Mom

Sleeping Warriors, on the Turner Turf Farm

Sunday, July 17, 2016

07/17/16 Duck Creek Trip

Ben and Jill Rae and family came over Monday night for a salsa party. Ben likes to garden and had a ton of tomatoes and his wife doesn't like to? or doesn't know how to? or something salsa so they came over and together we made a batch of salsa. It wasn't as big as expected but we made about of pot full and bottled it up and sent it home.

Afterward we ordered pizza and enjoyed hanging out for a little while. The girls really enjoyed playing with Katie and Holly's dollhouse and Wesley liked talking sports with dad. He is a math nerd and likes to memorize all the #'s like dad so I think Wesley really enjoyed hanging with Dad!

I was afraid Tuesday was going to be out of control with our prosecutor out of the country for the past 3 weeks and Judge gone and me gone a week ago...but it was ok. We were out by 7:30 or so which isn't horrible. This week will probably be worse but hopefully not TOO much worse. We always pay when we play!!!!

A fishing we will go!

Wednesday the girls had YW camp recognition night so we got to watch the silly skit the girls always do up at camp, see pictures and hear a little about their experience. They got some certificates and beads and things and of course smore treats (like rice crispy treats only with golden graham cereal).

Afterward we played pickleball until late and the girls went home to bed. They don't really like to come play (bummer). I wonder if we bought a couple more paddles so their friends could play too if they would be more inclined. Right now we only have 2 extra so they just have to play each other and they get irritated with each other easily and the game never lasts long.

Thursday I worked until noon and then we did some car shuffling. The 300 had been at the dealership Wednesday evening getting air bags replaced. Then we went and got it and left the mustang to get it's airbags replaced. Shuffling done we went home and loaded up the 300 and headed to duck creek. We stopped in Cedar City and ate at Sonny Boy's BBQ and then shopped at lins to get some breakfast food and things for the cabin. We heard there wasn't much in the way of restaurants up there so we made sure to have enough to feed everyone all meals if necessary.

We got up to our cabin and it was rustic -- nice but not REAL nice. It had a small powder room with a little shower and a tiny kitchen with a little kitchen table. The living room was tight too - just a couch and a TV. Upstairs there were 2 twins and a full size bed. The rooms were just barely as big as the beds. It had a cute little porch with 2 chairs and some wood benches.

We walked around the duck creek village and then settled in the cabin for the evening playing dominos mexican train from 12 down to 0. Game lasted awhile after 10 p.m. We had cheese and crackers and other snacks while we played. It was fun.

Friday morning we got up and went to find out about renting a 4-wheeler to cruise around in. They were all busy until 4 p.m. so we went to Cascade Falls -- it's just under a mile each way for the hike and kind of steep but not too bad. The falls were spectacular but unfortunately you couldn't actually touch them and get in them. It was all just get to the edge and look at it. We were bummed!

Then we went to a cute little sub shop in Duck creek village - Mark's Subs. We thought they might be lame but they really surprised us and were big foot long subs loaded with toppings. We tried a meatball and a pizza sub and also got a burrito. They were all really tasty and good and there was enough food that we ate the leftovers for dinner and didn't use any of the food we brought up for Friday!

Walking around Duck Creek Village

We chilled out a little while until 4 p.m. and then went and got a 6 passenger 4-wheeler -- like a razor type thing. It didn't have windshields or windows. It had a roll bar and seatbelts. There are some amazing trails up there -- like miles and miles of them -- only for dirt bikes/razor type things. We were able to drive around through the woods to duck creek lake, down an ice cave (not Mammoth -- which is also in the same area) - we were able to go down into the ice cave and walk around. Dad slipped on the muddy ice and was muddy butt!!! (really muddy legs more than butt but it was fun to tease him a little!)

We found a babbling stream and Dad and Holly got all the way in -- helped to rinse off all his mud!

Both girls got to try to drive which they thought was really cool. Dad says they both were a little heavy on the brakes!! Luckily no windshield to slam into, haha!

Is Holly cheating?! She looks guilty!

I think Dad liked it the most because he got to race around and hot dog and be a wild man and I think he loved every minute of it!

Our Cabin

By the time we were done -- close to 8 p.m. we all just went back to the cabin and showered and then hung out watching TV and chilling the rest of the evening. Everybody just had leftovers out of the fridge -- nothing exciting!

Saturday we packed up and headed home. It was about 64 degrees when we left Duck Creek and it was 101 degrees when we arrived in St. George just about 1.5 hours later. Whew!

Holly and I went swimming at the Campbell's pool (they got a nice pool recently and have been out of town for two weeks in Mexico. Riley's are house sitting so we get to go swim with them!!!)

I think he's winning at dominos...

Katie had a stake dance so she spent about 4 hours getting ready...not even kidding!!! Holly went to Riley's. Dad and I played pickleball with McAllisters for hour and half. Everybody had fun doing what they wanted to do! Picked up Katie at 11 p.m. So we had a pretty late evening.

View outstide our cabin

Aj came down with 5 friends - 3 guys and 2 girls and himself and they spent Friday/Saturday doing all kinds of fun stuff...kanaraville falls, angels landing, sand hollow, caves out at snow canyon. So we had lots of people sleeping everywhere. And eating. And showering. They were a nice bunch of kids so it was fun to have them.

He put me on a pedastal!

I taught this week for our family relations class on teaching children gospel principles. It was a basic lesson -- things you'd think everybody should know -- but we talked about how people outside of the church don't know these basics and they suffer for not having these guidelines in their lives. Probably similar to the stuff you teach -- faith, baptism, repentance, holy ghost, walking uprightly -- following the Lord's plan. We also talked about teaching our children to be honest and hard working and all around good people with morals. To pray. I really don't enjoy getting up in front of people and teaching but I survived. We have a good class that makes a lot of good comments so that really helps. If you can go out and serve a mission for two years, surely I can muddle my way through a class or two!!! Thanks for being an inspiration and example. You are awesome!!!

We had a big lunch with all Aj's friends today -- made about 20 cheese sandwiches and salsa and chips. And then had breakfast for dinner at gmas house with Randy and Kay. So it's been a fun social day.

Cascade Falls from a distance

The Wright's brought over hand me down clothes for the girls so they are as I type modeling all their clothes for dad. They had a draft and each picked what they wanted from the pile one piece at a time until everything was gone. Girls are funny.

It's taken me all day to write to you as I keep getting interrupted with things to do!

Trying not to get too excited as we count down the days till we get to see you!!!!! Be sure to enjoy every last day -- enjoy the journey! You've come a long way and done some great things. I'm so impressed by you and all that you've accomplished. Finish strong!!!

xoxo Mom