Keep on keepin' on

It was a full good week and now its going to be a beast to get everyone out of bed this morning because all are tired. And Clara and Lucas have had a bit of a stomach bug. This past weekend (part of the week) Amber (Landon's mom), and I and Clara, and Lucas all went to Driggs for several days to see Jordans and help Robbie pack up and move back home. That was a too-quick summer for Robbie I think. I called Robbie on Thursday night randomly and he was just dialing me to tell me he had been in a pretty bad dirtbike accident up at the Sand Dunes (on their way to Choke Cherry). He landed the jump but the bike got stuck in the sand and flipped him over the handlebars and then the bike flipped over and landed on top of him. Bricky took him to the hospital in Rexburg and the felt like he didnt have anything broken and no internal bleeding. He spent the night at Jordans that night just to have Anna etc watch and make sure he stayed "ok". We came up the next day. He couldn't walk for a day but he is doing better every day and it seems like had a miracle happen. One cool thing--Landons mom Amber was at youth group for their church when Landon told her about Robbie and she had the pastor and all youth gather and hold hands and pray out loud for Robbie. I know that he was protected. How does a 200-300 lb bike land full on top of him from the air and not do more damage. We are so grateful. Ryan and Blake spent Friday night up at a Deacons campout at Smith and Morehouse reservoir and then Ryan attended a leadership session for the region with Elder Rasband and Sister Freeman which was 4 hours long and Ryan said was incredible. Blake and Robbie went to a youth session with them last night (and a whole stake center of youth--with kids even standing along the walls). Hallie was at a Varsity VB tournament in ST George this past weekend which was inevitably a blast, but also seems like she really felt like she "got" playing defense and reading the hitter on the other side of the net and in turn played much better defense at the tournament. I love seeing how SHE finds her own growth and keeps seeking it. I think it helps her so much mentally. Robbie had both interviews today with Ryan and with President Cameron. He will be ordained an Elder and receive the Melchizedek Priesthood on Tuesday night. We sure wish you could be there! The younger three started school on Wednesday and at Waldorf schools they have a rose ceremony for 1st and 8th graders in particular. on the first day of school the 8th graders give a rose to and walk in each child into the "big school" (Waldorf schools if they're private don't have kindergartens) to officially start their formal education. And then the last day of school the 1st graders give a rose and a walk OUT to the 8th graders as they "graduate". Blake got to give Lucas his rose and walk into the school. That's what that atached video is (Aubrie also was matched up with Blake back when HE started 1st grade and then when Aubrie graduated). Time flies! We got to float Teton River with Jordans, spend a day at the ranch Landon, Bricky and Robbie worked at all summer and got the grand tour all day ( Amber Wells and I LOVEd that) on fourwheelers and seeing all the buildings, and projects they did and cabin they helped to build. And we played pickleball and did a fire and BLind Karoake one night. I love Driggs so much. It is hard to leave there each time we go. It has so much to offer outdoors, very little traffic and good people. Add the Jordans on top of that and.....well its super. hard to leave.

Little communion this morning. ;)

My sin is nailed to the cross... Haste the day when my faith shall be sight... It is well with my soul. These are a few lines from one of the new hymns that we have in our new hymn book for the church and it has quickly become a favorite hymn/anthem for me right now. When we were in FL this summer for our reunion, after the meetings, Anna asked everyone ot stay and sing in the chapel. I jumped on the piano and Ryan got on the organ and we sang for another hour harmonizing and singing in a circle. It was a highlight of the reunion for me personally. I love to sing together and its so infrequent now than when we were all at home. Lindsay asked if we could sing "It is well with my soul" which is a Protestant song and she had heard a lot growing up. I loved it immediately. There is a group called Anthem Lights that has a really beautiful version of it that I can't stop listening to. The phrase "it is well with my soul" resonates so much with my heart. I feel like I am so often in a tornado. I try to find still, but it is so rare for me. even when I am trying to be purposeful I get interuppted with something. It doesn't matter how well I plan or am selective in what we commit to, it doesn't matter there is always too much to think and worry and plan for. And its okay, I am sure its part of life at this stage. It feels like it is. and learning to prioritize appropriately. But the phrase "it is well with my soul" just brings me to tears almost every time I think it or hear it. Becuase I believe that so much. My soul is perfectly well cared for by Heavenly Parents who know me better than I know myself...YET. And so many moments orchestrated by the HG to be part of my "plan" and people come in and sometimes out of my life as orchestrated. My soul is okay. This morning I was listening to a podcast about Helaman 1 (the Follow Him podcast) and the women they had on the podcast was a phycologist that has focused for years on youth and children and development of their character. "if you want to know what it will be like before the Second Coming; study deeply what happened before He came the first time". I've heard that before but it hit different this time. She quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson "Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,". Some thoughts I had or heard listening to the podcast: -THe checklist that our kids think of each day or week "read the Book of Mormon", pray, go the temple monthly or weekly, seminary, YW/YM. That isn't a checklist because those aren't "outcomes". They are not the results and when we have checklists they often extrinisically motive us. Them woman they interviewed talked about research available now in the church, and the youth that are being extrinsically rewarded or motivated are often just not strong enough. They have to see the peace, the change, the power that comes to them in their lives as they "grow up unto the Lord". -Jesus is the strength of youth. I love that phrase in the front of the FSY pamphlet. "there aren't rules anymore" (what a lot of youth are saying with the new pamphlet). No, you are responsible for going to the Lord now--yourself. President Nelson prepped us for this "Hear Him" and then "LET GOD PREVAIL". get on your knees, hear Him and then are you willing to let Him prevail (whatever revelation you are given...will you move foward with it). -the new pamphlet is NOT minimums of behavior BUT it is doctrines of discipleship (John Bytheway). You do the work, the book/pamphlet is not doing the work anymore. It ultimately creates a "sin-resistant" generation (joy Jones) -Protect the private moments of our lives. What do we do when no one else is looking? The choices we most make when we are alone or moments that aren't already scripted for us, most determine our success in life. They are the turntabs of oour lives. It is the main building blocks of our character. -Trust that the Lord will give His children spiritual experiences. Spiritual experiences are the number one indicator of someone staying in the Church. Number one. Good friends, seminary, responsilibies--are all oil in the lamp and often are avenues for spiritual experiences, but the number one indicator is spiritual experiences or Time with God. -Hank SMith said if I wrote the book of James I would have said "if you lack wisdom, I will give it to you son/daughter. And then go ask the Lord if its right" HA! That is the wrong way as a parent. If they lack wisdom point your kids to go ask themselves and trust HEavenly Father and Jesus that they will give them answers and spiritual experiences. They will! -Encourage our kids to go seek revelation. Send them to the Lord. -trying to CONTROL, actually hurts outcomes. let your faith work and eventually faith will be SIGHT.

Happy 20th and 18th birthdays to Aub and Rob and Happy 21st anniversary to Ry-guy! It's weird that they are both not here to celebrate with them. I hope you both feel so loved de la distancia! This week was a sweet birthday with pickleball in the rain, a yummy breakfast, lunch with Ryan at Feldmans (a Jewish place) and my favorite I love yous! I received a gift and loves notes from so many people which was season tickets to Hale Center theater. I CANNOT wait! This week also took a slight detour the next day when I woke up in a lot of pain ;). That was random and not fun and now I know when I feel a UTI coming on, take action in the next 24 hours. That was an expensive lesson ( we are assuming we don't know the full extent of the ER yet) and an expensive day date with Ryan who lovingly stayed with me all day and spent half the day working in the hospital room. He's a pretty good guy! Our neighbors invited a bunch of couples to go country dancing Saturday night from 8-10 PM at the Westerner. It was something we rarely do together and I loved it so much. Highlight of the week for me for sure. I love to dance (I'll even take swing and line dancing:)). It was fun to get in that world a little bit and try something unique for date night. Great music too! This morning I went to visit with a sister in our ward who is relatively new to the ward and a 30-minute visit ended up being almost 2 hours. She is 92 and just firing on all cylinders, she has had such an interesting life and I loved hearing about it. She asked if Ryan or I was from SLC and we talked a little bit about where all my family is. When I mentioned I had a brother in Alabama she asked where because her grandson had just moved his family to Dothan, AL to work as a dentist. I mean what are the chances? I texted Carl right away. It turns out Carl just hired her grandson Connor Sheffield to be his newest dentist for a practice that he started up about a month ago. (Carl buys up practices and is running them all-standardizing the business side of them). Such a small world. Friday night all of us youth leaders in our ward had planned an overnighter up to Eden to stay at a cabin that is owned by people in our ward. They took everyone boating at Pineview Reservoir on Saturday. It was just the thing our ward youth needed. Because we are such a small group here in our stake almost every youth activity is stake or at least a combined 4 wards. We very rarely do an activity with just our ward YW and YM. They are good kids and so much fun. On Friday night we played Reverse Charades boys against girls and we all got so into it. They had SO MUCH fun together and today at Linger Longer Pamela (YW Pres) and I looked out into the foyer and most of them were all sitting in a circle talking and eating together. I don't think I have seen that happen since I've been in YW. I just felt so happy and grateful! anyhoo-at dinner Friday night I was talking to the Mangums (hosting us) and mentioned mom and dad are in Spain. Weird, they had served there too. Barcelona...yes Barcelona too. Oh they are in Minorca....you mean Mallorca...nope, Minorca the smaller island. Br. Mangum proceeded to clarify for 5 minutes because he couldn't believe it. They had served there 4-5 years ago and he served as branch president in the branch mom and dad are currently in. I swapper numbers for them and they are just on pins and needles waiting to talk to mom and dad about specific people to go track down and ideas for service (they did NOCHE de PANQUEUES regularly) and today at church he said, "Amber, I can't stop thinking about that your parents are there. This is such a miracle for me personally. He has been so worried about a few particular people". We truly have Heavenly Parents that orchestrate these moments, situations, so timely and perfectly and even use small conversations to create momentum in their work. I love it! Tonight Ryan gave each of the kids father's blessings (great!) and we had a family council/hour-long argument about house jobs, schedules, nights to do dishes, what time to get up, etc etc. Good times good times. Every year we usually finish that feeling super motivated and ready to roll. tonight felt the opposite. I don't know where we went wrong ;). Blake made homemade IC and everyone is getting IN or ready for bed now. Clara, Lucas and I are going with Landons mom to Driggs in a few days to see the boys, what they have been doing at the ranch and to help Robbie pack up and come home. Its been a good job for Robbie and I think we are all so grateful hes had it. Time to get ready to serve a mission now! Also, school starts for the youngest 3 on Wednesday with half days the rest of the week (Serious eye roll). Lucas is headed to the "big school" with the older kids for first grade. Big time. He tells me he is excited to have lunch at school. Whatever it takes. I think he will love it. His teacher is a brand new teacher at the school and grew up attending a Waldorf school. Alright, I'm headed to bed. Love ya'll!

Hey favorite fam! Two weeks in a row....lets go There were MANY veggies picked off and on all day yesterday--the garden is exploding and Ryan has become the harvester. I am so grateful. We have not had a good tomato yield which is super sad since so many of the things we make from our garden to freeze or can need tomatoes. We have been having a handful of blackberries or raspberries from our bushes every morning with breakfast. Unreal flavor! Last night Wes and Amanda and Cara and Kaden were here and as always there was a lot of laughing;) and we all got to meet Dez their new boxer puppy. Ockeys were in town because Ashlyn (Kaden's sister) was married on Friday. Friday night we did a date with Pratts and Johnsons. We played pickleball doubles (the Pratts church down the street put in 4 brand new pickleball courts behind the church and its going to change my life) and went to Spitz and Handels. They are always a lot of fun to hang out with. I love pickleball more and more. I woke Blake up Saturday morning to go play with me because he is so fun to play with and we just rode bikes over there. So many birthdays coming up.. Aubrie--how are you 20 years old! Kind of blows my mind! We hope your gift has already arrived and you can pick it up tomorrow on Pday. We had fun thinking of what to send and making cards. You are soooo loved by each of us and I hope you can feel that on your birthday! We can't wait to hear how the baptism went Saturday. That will be something you'll remember the rest of your life. Robbie--we all watched all the Nett films videos last night (the kids and I) on Wes' IG since mine was blocked;) and we were crackign up at some of them, and we were all so impressed by the filming and editing and some of the things you guys were doing. You have some crazy fun friends. The Pratts came back from NH middle of this week and Blake/James, Lucas/Jacob and Clara/Abby have been together non stop it feels like. They were sure missed. School shopping is in full swing which we all like to do;) Clara and I did hers at Kid to Kid and by the time we checked out and used credit we had there and a discount code, her whole school clothes were $18. we were both so proud of that! Ryan is helping build content for the upcoming year from research and I think feeling super challenged at work as this is his first time involved in the creating aspect of the institute. He will start traveling regularly again next month for their "fall" season. Its been a very nice break for summer though. Church has been good and also busy being bishop. Last week we set up visits just Ryan and I with an older couple and a recent widow in our ward. Going together was actually really good and sharing messages together and mostly soaking up THEIR goodness. Our ward is just a blessing for all of us. Hallie ran a successful kids camp again this week (morning-only session this time) and also had volleyball tryouts (she made varsity starting outside hitter). Kids camp has been a good thing for her and a productive job. She is good with kids because she is so calm. Cottonwood VB should be much imporoved this year. They had twice as many girls tryout and a huge younger contingency of girls that are really good. we can't wait to watch. Football started this past Friday and we were missing Robbie on the field. That was so fun last year. PS-Olympics have been so fun for our family. We watch at least a little bt every night. Love you all! Better go encourage church readiness;) Amber/Mom

There are so many missionaries to write now ;) Both sets of our parents, Aubrie and in a few weeks we will add Robbie to that list. And I am always looking for an excuse to post on our family blog since we use it for printing our family blog books/journals.  Yesterday Hallie came home from FSY early in the morning from BYU. She knocked on our window to wake us up, and then we invited her to come lay down in the king-size bed we are using as of a few weeks ago and tell us all the details; which she did.  Her company at BYU was almost all from Utah which is the first time that has happened. She was excited about that because they can see each other again soon.  In particular, these 2 boys that she and Zoe (one of her best friends that she roomed with) hung out with a lot that they thought were so funny. She told us that her first FSY was just super social, last year's was so good for her spiritually, and then this year was such a boost both ways.  The church's programs (girls camp. Youth conference. FSY. Trek) all help us SO much in parenting.  Hallie has had 3 week long reunions, a week in Boise, week at BYU volleyball camp, 4 days at youth conference, a week at Girls camp, and lastly a week at FSY at BYU.  She has been gone the majority of the days and nights of the summer.  She seems much more mature to both Ryan and I.  She loved her female counselor in particular at FSY and they talked A LOT.  A few days into FSY she was talking with Hallie. ZOe and those tweo boys I mentioned and she asked them, "what is one of the things you like best about yourself spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially?"  It started a really robust conversation btw all of them.  What a great great question I think.  I asked Hallie what her answer was.  She said "spiritually: that I try to ask good questions and try to learn about the gospel, physically: I like my eyes and how tall I am, socially: I care how people are feeling and try to be sensitive and aware of that. "   I loved her answers and thought they were spot on. and showed that she is self aware.  I think that question her counselor is a solid question for teenagers/young adults that are particularly hard on themselves without being aware of it.   THis coming week she has tryouts for volleyball at Cottonwood and she asked us to fast with her about being able to go and just do her best and not feel anxious.  We spoke with her coach (her club and HS coach are both Michaela Hatch) for awhile the other day and talked about what this year could/needs to look like for Hallie.  Her travel team is going to do a lot more local tournaments instead of traveling out the state so much. I think the competition is just as good her locally because girls VB is so big here in Utah. WE did have to commit to her going to Orlando for Nationals next summer.  We just learned that professional womens VB is starting up in a few weeks in 6 cities in the USA.  (right after the Olympics end) and one of the 6 cities is Salt Lake.  Kind cool.  Several players from the womens Olympic team will be here playnig after.  Last Sunday a couple spoke in our ward.  Ren and Ashley. They moved into the ward 4 years ago right after marrying (both second marriages with difficult divorces).  She is very active and was called to teach Sunday school.  He agreed to accompany her to church but would almost always sit in the foyer.  (he said "I love Ashley and want to be around her" when I asked him about it years ago).  I actually had no idea he has ever been baptized.  He was so shut off to even talking to anyone.  He almost always came to anything with Ashley though.  They are very close. About a year ago he started coming to her Sunday school class.  And his face seemed more open to knowing people.  They tried to move out of hte ward in the fall to not have a house payment.  And ended up not moving in the end.  During the April General Conference he decided to actually listen and sit by Ashley and try to engage *basically have a broken heart* and had a pretty amazing experience with almost every talk Saturday morning session and in particular when temple covenants and their power were talked about he just knew he needed to go back to the temple and eventually be sealed to Ashley.  They called and made an appointment to meet with Ryan that same day.  I remember after Ryan met with them.  So much has quickly unfolded since then.  Listening to them speak on Sunday was so powerful.  The main theme that everyone took away was how CRUCIAL it is to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  It is how the Holy Ghost can quickly impress us with things to change or to do or to remember or to feel.  I taught young womens on Sunday with one of our younger girls and spent a lot of the lesson talking about plant growth that I had researched more about the week before. There are "celestial patterns" is how I think of them that exist in anything related to God. And strong life lessons from those related patterns.  One quick example is Germination: the awakening of life within a dormant seed.  You need favorable "conditions" to prompt a transition from a state of rest to active growth.  (a "very good" seed can sit in an envelope for years and nothing will happen and you put it in a wet paper towel or moist soil and keep it moist and it eventually softens and cracks open to let the radicule or primary root out to anchor it once its in soil). SO much symbolism! I just ate it up.  Robbie comes home from Idaho in a few weeks we are going up there to help him pack up but also mostly see a day in the life of the boys just for one day on the ranches.  I can't wait.  He is scheduled to go to the temple for the first time Sept 13th in Taylorsville.  Along with so many other priesthood interviews, going to AZ to hunt with Chad Hatch, get his wisdom teeth out, actually buy mission clothes etc. It will be a busy few weeks before he starts home MTC and will engage fully full-time as a missionary.  I already miss him so much that my heart hurts about it.  Having both him and Aubrie serving together will be just the absolute best and also I just miss them both so much not being "home" in the same sense of us raising them and being here for everything.  The new normal I am still getting used to I guess.  Earlier in the week Blake and a friend Henry decided to do a lemonade stand out on the main street all fancy like.  A few hours into it I look out he front window and Lucas had dragged another table out to the front of our house, put a tablecloth on it. He had a chair for himself, a big stack of red solo cups and a pitcher of lemonade that actually tasted really good once I went out to investigate.  I was kind of shocked that he is mature enough to do all that on his own and thought through lots of details.  He made $41 by the end.   I don't think he knew what "giving change" means  .   He is such a unique boy and lives life at 60 MPH.   Yesterday we had gone to Cafe Rio as a family and on the way home he wanted something that Clara had (I think) and bit her on the arm, Clara is crying hard and Ryan and I are looking back like "What the heck?!?  biting!? he didn't even really bite when he was 2.  So Ryan pulled over and Lucas had to walk home.  Which means I did too ;). It was a couple miles and Lucas was so mad at first but halfway home was showing me how he could skip rocks across the street and jump over huge curbs etc.  And in the end, it calmed him down AND me down.  Maybe we both needed a long walk.  Blake (and us) decided to play competitive volleyball this year and since he and Hallie are both playing club volleyball the coaches offered for Clara to play for free (3 for 2 deal;)) and inadvertently we now are going to be up to our necks in VB for the fall.  One huge perk is that they are all going to be doing it together.  I LOVE that part.  Talking about it, and working on it at home. The same sport.  That doesn't happen often for us.  Blake is really pushing to have Ryan be coach and a bunch of friends and do a fun rec flag football team (mostly just play the games on Saturdays).  We will see.   Ryan and I went and played pickleball, had Mediterranean food and went to the movies (Fly Me to the Moon) on Friday night.  It had been way too long since we had an official planned date.  It was the best.  He really is so funny.  On the way out I was reading about how true the movie is and holding on to his arm since I couldn't see where I was going, but I didn't actually tell him what I was doing, and all of a sudden I fell off a curb and twisted my ankle and dropped down and Ryan is like "what the heck just happened?".  it hurt and it was also pretty funny.  Alright the novel is over.  I need to go help the kids.