06/19/16 Getting a taste of Empty Nest syndrome

Binder boys hanging out while their mom visiting teaches me

It's been a "cool week" for us as the thermostat went down to about 95 this week.  The weather is supposed to hit 111 this week give or take and stay that way for several days.  I bet you aren't that warm up there!!!  You are probably enjoying the coolest summer you've ever had!

It's been a quiet week since Katie went to youth conference for 3 days and Holly spent a night at Gma's house just cause she could.  Holly also had a birthday party that was 4 hours so we were basically empty nesters for Wednesday night and Thursday night!



Monday, Wednesday and Friday night we played pickleball.  We have been starting at 8:30 p.m. and playing until 10 or 10:30 most of the time to combat the sun in our eyes and the heat.  The girls usually stay home and just settle in for the evening when we leave and then go up to bed.   Sometimes they come play soccer or pickleball or run around or whatever.

Katie unhappy that the building is locked

The girls started piano lessons just for the summer with Sister Black since Sister Wright doesn't want to teach this summer.  I'm excited because Daryn Taylor took from her and he is really talented.  So is Sis B and her daughter.  Plus it's nice to get variety in teaching techniques so they will probably learn some things from her that will be a new perspective on things.  Both girls have been doing so well I didn't want them to stop.  Katie was excited.  Holly, not so much!  But so far they are practicing and I think it will be good.

Wednesday we dropped Holly off at Gma and Gpas house after work.  We stayed a little while and mopped the kitchen and helped out a little.  Gma has been having a hard time breathing since her trip to pine valley so she doesn't mind a little help.  Her dr changed her meds this week and it seems like she is improving so hopefully she just had a little virus or something.  She had a hard week though!  Holly and the gparents enjoyed the evening and Thursday together.  I'm pretty sure Holly loved it!

Funny thing though...she was supposed to sleep upstairs and she was so excited to have the bed all to herself.  Only Randy and Kay had kids visiting who had already reserved the bed so Holly had to sleep on the couch.  And she fell out of the couch and slept on the floor!  Silly girl!  I think they tired her out because she slept until 11:30 Saturday morning (took her a couple of days to hit her!)  Honestly I can't remember her sleeping past 8 a.m. so she must have been pretty exhausted!

A very empty church building

We enjoyed a "date night" on a Wednesday night and ate at Rumbi and then played with McCallisters.  Felt like we weren't parents!

Thursday Holly came home and then headed to a birthday party from 5-9 p.m.   We invited the Taylor's over for dinner and games since their girl and ours were all busy.  We had a fun evening.  We taught them how to play golf (the card game) and then they beat us at it.  They said that happened last time they came over and we taught them bounce-off.  We must be really nice hosts, huh?!

Friday we went to Chili's with gma and gpa.  The girls wanted to go to movie in the park and see Zootopia so we played pickle a little earlier (ouchy sun and heat!!!) and I was able to do both.

 We had the twins and Linda and her grandkids sat by us.  Her grand kids are Mr Robinson's kids (the janitor from Washington Elementary).  So it was funny because we've played with the kids before and they really like us.  And the girls know Mr. R really well.  But he didn't know we knew his kids.  So afterward he was like, WOW my kids really warmed up to you guys.  When I told him we weren't strangers and they played with us before I think he was a little relieved!! haha.  And he was surprised too.  The girl's like Mr. R a lot too.

Yesterday was a busy day.  Started off running errands -- washing the cars and shopping for father's day.  Then we went to Cedar City and took pictures of TaeKwonDO, basketball and ultimate frisbee.  We ate at Dickey's for lunch and then dad came home and put together a story for stg news.  Then Katie went to the stake dance and we went to Zion Lion's Football game.

Funny story about the dance.  So the dance card said the dance was at the Washington Fields stake center (by Julene's house...the 2 churches together).  So we go out there and one of the church's is totally packed (WAY too many cars for a dance...more likely a wedding) and the other is completely closed and empty.  And it's like 8:02 so SOMEBODY should be setting up for the 8 - 11 p.m. dance.  So Katie goes in at the first building and it is a wedding.  We drive around and one car is stopped at the other building but a man and some kids look like they are going in to play basketball.  So we stop and ask and they say this building is NOT the stake center but it is out the road on Sandia and point off in the general direction.

So we head down the road to where I think they mean and find another completely empty and closed church.  So we google it and decide to keep heading in the same direction because we found Sandia road.  We find another church with too many cars.  Katie goes in and finds a girl that points us a little further down the road and we find the building.  Finally.  Like 1/2 hour later!!!  Sigh.  Good think Dad went to his game without us and made us drive separate!  Not only were we late to the game but then the game went super long and we had to leave about 40 minutes before it was over to get Katie.

Stake conference is today so we are heading to church pretty soon.  And it's Father's Day!!! Happy Father's Day to all our Dad's in our life!!!  We are singing in the choir so we'll be sitting up front and center.

Dawn Wright texted me last night and said the ac was broken and that everyone was dripping wet and stinky by the time the meeting got out lats night and it was miserable.  She said they promised they would have the air conditioning fixed by meetings this morning....I'm worried!!!!

This week I have been reading about feeling younger and living a happier life.  I have read several books and they all seem to hit on a couple of different things.  They are meditation -- quiet time in the morning when you reflect and study (scriptures); prayer; and exercise. And then start your day.  Interesting that is very similar to the way your days are structured on the mission. I feel really blessed to have the gospel in my life to help guide us to living a full happy fulfilled life.

One of the books suggested reading from proverbs every morning.  So this week I'll just pick a verse from proverbs for my scripture of the week. Proverbs 1:7:

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I googled proverbs popular quotes and there are a ton of good ones!  I had a hard time picking one!

Hope you've had a wonderful week and I can't wait to hear all about it!  I don't have much in the way of pictures this week.

LOVE YOU LOTS!!!! xoxo mom