Hiatus

The title says hiatus but I'm not sure you can call the last two weeks a hiatus. Just a hiatus from the overwhelmingly crazy stuff. That science principle of entropy has reared its ugly head: When you don't put any work into your yard, it is naturally going to go to weeks. And I don't care. So I guess you could say I'm on hiatus from my yard duties. I may take that up again some day.

Two weeks ago we were hosting an open house.

Annette and I sighed a huge breath of relief when the night was over. We did it!

That following Monday I dropped Ash off at Beehive camp while we hosted family for a family reunion that week.

It was a week of skating, eating, playing at the park, hiking.

My friend and former sister-in-law even snuck away one night for a concert in the mountains under the stars. Just what my soul needed. A little ABBA with the Utah Symphony. (We even snuck away again this last week with our daughters to the opening night of Mamma Mia 2. My little joke was I got to see Mia [my niece] with her Mamma.)

Our family flew home the same day I sent my boys to scout camp for the week giving me my first real chance to take a breather. I must make a disclaimer here. Our family that comes to stay are the easiest house guests ever. They don't require much entertaining. They bring their own food since they are vegan. And they leave us with gifts! We were sad to see them go but I know after 10 days of being here they were ready for their own beds.

I FINALLY found myself in my classroom surveying the work I had a head of me. I won't lie. I was very overwhelmed and spent several hours just looking through stuff and wondering where to start. I finally told Ash I needed to leave there feeling like I had accomplished something. I noticed many plastic drawers labeled stickers and thought "I certainly don't need all these stickers in so many bins." I commissioned Ash and Alex to combine them all into one large tub.

And some of them didn't quite make it there.

I also found a surprise guest.

Hallelujah for a good janitor who cleaned him up for me. After three days of being there I'm feeling a little more on top of things. I even spent a good chunk of this weekend making me a yearlong curriculum guide to keep me on pace with everything. Doesn't that look so pretty!

There is still so much to do but I know the more I accomplish now, the more my year will run more smoothly.

First wedding shower

I'm really not sure where April has secreted itself, at least according to this blog. I need to make one entry to ensure that it doesn't disappear entirely.

I started a reading class that is scheduled to last 5 weeks, and because of its shortness, my time has been eaten up in the monstrosity of assignments. I knew it would be intense. As of tomorrow I'm halfway done. There is a mote of light at the end of this month-long tunnel.

I'm also adding to my ever-growing list of things to replace when its feasibly possible. My mixer died a fourth death and this time I'm burying it for good. I've fixed it three times in the past but this last time I knew would be it. It was a good mixer, but I need something that can withstand the amount of dough I make. Our push mower is also dying a slow death. It's hard to start and coughs and sputters around the yard as one wheel fights to not fall off.

The Ellis clan was kind enough to throw a joint wedding shower for Kiersten and her "twousin" Naomi (who is really her first cousin once removed). Who would have thought they'd get to experience such a grand life experience together. This photo is old but was the first one I thought of with these two.

They did it on the same day as a big party for Grandma and Grandpa Ellis 70th wedding anniversary. Imagine having that many descendants and that isn't even everyone. What a remarkable life those two have led.

Erik and Nate are in the thick of tennis matches. Oh how I love to watch, especially when they are on the same court at the same time. That sure makes it nice and convenient. Yesterday was a tournament in Ogden where Alex and I enjoyed the day soaking up the sun with little thought of what I should be doing instead. Alex likes the matches just as much as me, although I suspect he really enjoys the attention he gets from the other boys. During one match they all played  Stump Alex on March Madness trivia. He stunned them all with his knowledge of college basketball teams.

Erik has submitted mission papers to the bishop and is just needing interviews before the final submission.

How life just keeps marching on.

Birthdays

I took the day off for my birthday and went walking with several friends in the morning. I've missed that. Ash somehow found out I was going to lunch with Grandma and my sisters and connived her dad into pulling her out of school to come with. We picked up Kiersten on the way and ended up running into my cousin from Idaho at our lunch place. What are the odds!

I only wanted new running shoes that I was desperately in need of and ended up finding a brand new pair of my favorite on Ebay for $30 cheaper than I've spent in the past. I needed cheap.

And Erik and his notes never cease to make me laugh.

Ash had a birthday soon after that made me a mom of four teenagers. Oh what a fun time of life. Her friend Claire has crazy art skills, and she has a crazy sense of style. Shirt came from Kiersten; pants for DI; and socks from Erik.

I again pulled her out of school to take her wedding dress shopping with Kiersten and friends. I brought my ugly veil along not realizing that the rental includes it. She tried it on anyway.

I'm relieved to have that little part done.

Twenty-one years ago this exact month I was doing the same thing . . . trying on dresses. I never envisioned that I would be my mom one day.

Jason's parents came over for dinner and we discussed all the little intricacies of pulling this wedding together. So much to do! I pray every night that I can manage and that we can do it cheaply. Or that the Lord will send miracles in the way of better employment that will help pay for our crazy expensive summer coming up.

Here comes the bride

Well if I thought my life was busy before . . .

I am starting a new chapter in the book of life. Kiersten is engaged to Jason.

And I couldn't be happier for them.

I won't lie though. I'm not old enough for this and thought I had a couple of years before embarking on that journey. It's going to be a busy summer with a graduation, wedding, missionary, baptism, and a month of school for me thrown in there. All good things.

They've created a countdown chain.

I'm not even going to go there. It will be here before I know it. The Lord knew this summer would be a crazy one so there must be a really good reason why He decided it was time for me to go back to school and throw all that into the mix.

I am seriously going to need a getaway when all of this is done.

I love my girl and am excited to add Jason to our family. Had they waited three more days, they could have gotten engaged the same day Tyler and I did -- March 8.

End of summer

I know you've been waiting.

Patiently.

Well, here it is. We've only been in the swing of fall for a little over a week.

Fish Lake
My family loves the camp. But the kind of camping we did as kids was quite rugged, four wheeling into places we shouldn't have taken trucks, let alone vans. Now that I have my own van, there is no way I'm taking it where we like to go. So the hunt was on for a good, fun place easily navigated in a van.

Katie and Jeff introduced us to Fish Lake. Okay, like so many other places I've been to recently . . . WHY DID WE NEVER COME HERE AS KIDS? It is seriously as close as "going up the mountain."

So commenced our first annual Seamons Reunion. Now we tend to get together a lot, but have never gotten together under the umbrella of "Reunion." Just the name reunion makes you kind of want to run and hide. Not really.

Fishing

Campfires

Four wheeling


Air soft guns

Gotta have the right masks for that


Reading


Holding babies


Sleeping

 Solving the world's problems
Games

Nate didn't really want to go home.

But we did. And stopped at the Flying J zoo in Scipio and found a camel.

And then a month later, my baby sister got married. I am so excited for her to start this new journey.

I love all my sisters. They are some of my best friends.


And that, my friends, concludes one CRAZY summer.