Carsyn August brought the first of many cross country meets. Carsyn's team is currently ranked top in the state for 4A schools and the coaching staff is one of the best around right now. Carsyn is one of the top 5 runners on the team and they brought home the first big meet cross country trophy for the school. They placed 3rd and the two teams that beat them were in higher divisions. They had a perfect score in the tri-meet last weekend. They have 1 more regular season meet and then Region and then State. We haven't been able to go to all of his meets because of Covid 19, but he is very grateful for this opportunity. His coaches did a great job of having an almost "complete" schedule - meaning they only didn't have a meet 1 week, but they took that chance to hold a fundraiser color run. Carsyn ordered his graduation paraphernalia a couple of weeks ago. He is 2 1/2 weeks away from the end of the first quarter. He has been attending classes on campus with 3 online classes just so that he can get a couple more credits out of the way. He attends the Special Needs Seminary class as a mentor, and is busy helping plan lunch activities with the seminary as part of Seminary Council, working on his new business adventure, hanging out at the reservoir, and picking up an occasional shift when it fits in with his meet and practice schedule. A week or so ago was Homecoming Week. Wednesday they had their Homecoming Parade and Powder Puff football game. Saturday was the Homecoming Dance which was held on the football field and got shut down soon after his group arrived because some of the other kids weren't following the Covid rules. He, and most of his group, got back from a cross country meet at 3:00 and then headed out for pictures, back to our house for pizza in the pizza oven, to the dance, and then to play a few games. Their day date happened Tuesday night where they went biking, to the sand dunes, and then played some games and ate ice cream. Like most people he is keeping the groups he is hanging out with to a more limited number of people. Brooklyn In the last month they have picked up 4 new investigators. I don't think any of them have been from a digital source. They did pick up one just on a random street conversation, and one from a member referral. They have also been stuck inside for several weeks recently because of wildfires. She said that with the most recent one she had ash falling from the sky when they were outside. There was also an earthquake nearby this past weekend but they all slept through it. There are 4 sisters in her apartment. She and her companion are serving Spanish speaking and the other two sisters aren't so that is a bit interesting because technically they are in different districts.They do get to get together as districts for Sacrament meeting and P-days. A member who owns Winchells feeds them every Monday. She said other members feed them too, but it is kind of random and they often get phone calls saying "we are on our way with your dinner" and they didn't even know that dinner was coming. They appreciate it for sure. One of the sisters in her apartment is an awesome cook so Brooklyn is trying to figure out how to room with her in college. Brooklyn is a sister training leader now and the car driver. In her apartment they are each taking a week to celebrate their "birthdays" so they are making sure to find joy and bring in some fun. They do get to go shopping and they have been going to the cultural hall on Pdays to play games such as chair soccer etc. Ashly & Jesse Jesse got a new job as a janitor as Dixie Applied Technology College. He still picks up a shift a month at Kay jewelers, teaches 5 piano lessons, and donates plasma. He is loving his new major of filmmaking. Ashly cleans my brother and sister in laws condo and it's been pretty solidly booked. She cleans about 3 times a week, teaches 2 adult dance classes for Southwest Dance Company, picks up a shift at the art gallery, and started back up at Tuacahn this week as Tuacahn has booked more concerts for the fall. She is working her way through her dance major and I think she is a Junior now - or will be at the end of this semester. Most of their classes are in person and on campus. In their spare time they go for hikes and hang out with friends - often at a park, or in our yard. They went to the Southern Utah Lantern Festival last weekend and in early August they went up North to celebrate their anniversary. They said the festival was beautiful/magical and the wind died down to make a perfect setting to launch into the reservoir the "balloons." If anyone is curious there are boats out in the reservoir that scoop up the balloons. Eric & Nicole The biggest thing is that I have been back in the school! Yeah! The faculty and the students are sooo excited and happy. The buzz and happiness is just brimming over and we are almost done with the first quarter of school. We have about 850 students on campus and about 150 with online or hybrid schedules. On the day I wrote this we are starting our 8th successful week of school! We do have protocols in place in case we have to modify the schedule, but right now we are happy to be together and I most definitely see a TON of smiles each day. Their eyes twinkle! And in case anyone wonders the kids, for the most part, are doing fine with the masks. It's really been a non-issue in the classrooms, and I teach grades K-8. They are also good at keeping things clean. Carsyn said it's the same in the High School. They are all just glad to be back and to get opportunities for clubs, dances, sports, etc. even though they look a bit different if you look at the big picture with the safety protocols including masks in place. We had a super fun activity Friday and I posted a thought about it here on my blog. (On days that I work Tuacahn I have my mask on for 13 hours - I'm a pretty good mask connoisseur now!) We are SUPER excited to finally be out of the triple digit heat. It's been a LONG time. We did have a reprieve one Sunday night a few weeks ago when the heavens opened and we got 1 inch of rain in 30 minutes. Literally there was nothing forecasted for that day, even in the morning forecast. We said someone sure prayed hard. The kids were all out in it trying to drive home. Ashly and Jesse's car literally started floating at one point and Carsyn had to back out and try a different route home. As he was backing out the police came to shut down that road. They had already shut down many other roads. Then our 30 degree drop in temperature this week in an hour hour time frame, but at least we didn't get near the wind that Northern Utah got. There are a couple of pictures below. Eric's boss found out he has a brain tumor so Eric has had to do a bit more at work. He spent 12 days going in every night at 3 am for 15 minutes because they had just started a new treatment. He is super glad that treatment is over. His Scout troop had a Court Of Honor and he worked hard to get all of the badges in order since this was the first one for this community troop. Eric and I started two new things these past 2 months:
Hope you are finding peace and joy even when things are tough and stressful and look a little bit different! Enjoy this song: God Is Watching Us! Enjoy The Pictures!
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AuthorWe are just a family sharing ideas and our family's experiences with our friends and family. Archives
January 2022
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