August 2021

We finally reunited with Chrissy Dix and her boys. Covid kept us apart for far too long! I think we got together with the Dix and Hope families for Easter 2020. That was the last time I saw Chrissy in person until now. I saw Suzanne in August 2020 just before she moved to Colorado. It felt amazing to give Chrissy a hug. I am grateful we have kept close through Marco Polo (an app on our phones that lets us record video messages to each other) because that helps me feel like I see them more often than I really do.  

One of the fun perks of Todd's new high council calling with the Spanish-speaking branch is that we put Hazel and Jack on the piano-playing schedule. Each of them has had an opportunity to play the hymns for the branch's Sacrament Meeting, and are scheduled to play again in September. It's been a wonderful opportunity for them to use their piano talents and serve in a satisfying way. 

I realized our zoo membership was about to expire, so I quickly made plans to go one more time with Katie George and her kids. As always, we enjoyed ourselves. Jack could have stayed twice as long and wanted to return the next day. 

I've been going for walks around the neighborhood on Monday mornings and listening to scripture study podcasts while I'm out. I've been learning a lot about the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history this year and actually enjoying it. Marshland remains a lovely spot to see early in the morning. 

We spent a rainy week in Sitka. The weather was a little disappointing, but the company was excellent. We brought along our old friends Mitch and Jill Dabo, who we met when we first moved out to California in 2005, and their five kids: Derek, Taylor, Brooke, Audrey, and Josh. Everyone had plenty of people to talk with, play with, and adventure with. 

We drove the road that takes you up behind the Fortress of the Bears to give the Dabos a free peek at the bears, and then decided to continue up the road towards Blue Lake and see what it was all about. I don't know if it was because there'd been an extra lot of rain lately, but there were small waterfalls flowing off the sides of the mountains everywhere. It was gorgeous! That drive was one of the highlights of the week. 

We went to the raptor center to see the eagles, hawks, and owls, and we walked the half-mile trail there as well, up to the spot where they release rehabilitated bald eagles back into the wild. 

Traveling on the boat was part of the adventure. The kids all donned life jackets and whenever the weather let them, they sat on the nose and had the best views. And there was plenty of marine wildlife to see; we spotted otters, sea lions, plenty of jumping fish, and ... I'll leave the best part till my pictures of it! 

Even fitting all twelve of us in the truck was an adventure! We usually had kids on laps, and kids going loosy-goosy in the very back. We had to take multiple trips when we were moving luggage to and from the airport, and it was a challenge to fit in a weeks' worth of groceries along with all the humans. All part of the party! 

The main reason we like to go in August is because the huckleberries are ripe. They are addicting to pick and deliciously tart and sweet at the same time, and they are growing all over the place. 

Okay, my best moment of the entire week happened in the boat. Todd said, "That's either a really big rock, or it's a whale," and sure enough, it was a humpback whale! We saw it spout multiple times, and then its back would come rolling up and down above the water. Then, it flipped its tail out of the water and dived down deep. It was an incredible thing to see. 

We made sure to hike to Salmon Lake, my favorite hike we do every year in Alaska. We have to anchor the boat and ride in on the dingy, which only adds to the fun. 

The signpost claims it's only a one mile hike, but everyone we've ever brought agrees with us that it feels more like two. We tromp through rugged jungle steps carved in the rocks and covered in moss before reaching our ultimate destination. 

There's a dock at the lake and an old, dilapidated row boat the kids took across the water to the other side, where they spent a good chunk of time building a fort, while the adults talked endlessly and we soaked up the beauty of the area. 

There was an extra lot of water on the trail, due to recent rainstorms. I actually slipped off a log we were crossing on and got completely soaked! Mitch had an extra sweatshirt in his backpack that I traded my wet thermal and fleece for, but there was nothing we could do about my wet pants, socks, or hiking shoes. I just had to be wet and cold for the next several hours. 

The extra surge of water had left a couple fish stranded in a pool that was never going to reconnect with the river. Some of the kids got in for a fish rodeo. It was funny to see Gemma catch a salmon in her bare hands! 

None of us likes to eat fish very much, so we weren't interested in fishing for anything we could keep. Every year when we try for halibut (the least fishy-tasting fish I've tried) we get nothing. They swim deeper and are difficult to catch. This year, we just played catch-and-release with rock fish, and everyone who wanted to catch anything caught all they wanted. Gemma even brought up a literal rock! 

We used our one day that promised sunshine and good weather to take the long ride out to Goddard Hot Springs. When we arrived, we were the only ones there. There are two hot tub huts that have been built, along with actual mud pots further up the mountain. The hot tub closest to the ocean had been drained, and the one in the middle was only lukewarm, so it took some time and work to get the first tub filled and set to the perfect temperature. Meanwhile, most of our group was daring enough to try out the steaming hot mud pots. We had enough time to enjoy our freshly-filled hot tub before two other groups had shown up, and we turned the area over to them. 

Gemma, Audrey, and Josh all fell asleep on the boat that afternoon. 

From the hot pots, we boated over to the fish hatchery, where our Alaska church friend Andy had told us we might get lucky and see a bear or two. He had a picture on his phone from just a couple days before when he had seen some. And right on the money, we came by and saw two young bears, watching the water for a salmon snack. It was fun to finally mark seeing bears off our bucket list - and to have been a safe distance from them when we did see them. 

We hit the Totem Pole park on a morning before the rain was coming in. We took the Indian River trail to see both totem poles and countless salmon swimming upstream before heading indoors to look at everything the museum had on display. 

We spent more time than expected on the island, playing games at the cabins in the pouring rain. Although I wish we could have hiked outdoors more, no one seemed to mind being together indoors. 

We came home to a ridiculous bounty on our raspberry bushes. We were thrilled! Usually we're lucky to get five per person a day, so a whole bowl full that needed to be devoured was a special treat. 

Todd got his second Covid shot and felt miserable. He got a fever and thrashed in bed for hours, and definitely let us all know he needed to be pitied for the entire weekend. It is discouraging that by now people are getting Covid (via the Delta variant) even when they're vaccinated. Fighting Covid feels pointless. There's no way people all over the whole world are going to get two or three shots every single year, especially when the shots aren't as effective as we first hoped they would be. 

But good news! In-person school started! The kids have to wear masks indoors, and they feel like the only ones who take them off when they're outside for recess or PE, but they've made it through a whole week of school without any news of Covid outbreaks or shutting things down. Everyone was super excited to go. Hazel is in 7th grade, her second middle school year, but her first one really there. 

Gemma is in third grade. She has Mrs. Aguilar, the same teacher Jack had. She's pumped to make new friends and learn cursive. 

Jack has Mrs. Atkinson for fifth grade. I can't believe he's the oldest group at Croce. He has made a goal to try to enjoy recess while he's still got it, and has been trying out wall ball and four square, with goals to try out tetherball in the future. 

We are hoping for a strong year! Praying the schools don't get shut down again. 

July 2021

 Gemma's expander came out of her mouth overnight, while attached to her head gear. We had to make an emergency visit to the orthodontist to get it cemented in again. This is the third time their cement has failed us. Not impressed. 

Hazel participated in a one week volleyball camp through the city rec center. Turns out her friends Kate and Kaitlyn had also signed up, so we had a nice carpool. I was proud of Hazel for working hard, learning some new skills, and making some new friends on the field. She is still hoping to make the school team. Fingers crossed that they will have sports this year. 

We had my dream version of swim team this month: practices every weekday morning for four weeks and no meets at all. All the kids improved in their swimming, had fun, and came home tired each day. We slept in every Saturday. I would sign up again in a heartbeat. Both the girls loved it; Jack tolerated it. Again, we had carpools. It almost felt like a normal summer. 

Ever since Verona Turri taught Hazel how to finger knit, we have had ongoing yarn projects over here, and they keep getting bigger in magnitude. Jack checked out a round loom from the library and taught himself how to knit a hat. His next project is a throw blanket. Hazel made a purse, is working on a scarf, and has branched out into crocheting little animals and mushrooms now. 

Gemma has been going to town with the finger knitting. At first, she was going to make a jump rope, but it's just so hard to stop, and now she's got what feels like miles of braided yarn. 

We had to say goodbye to our dear friends the Wilmoths this month, as they sold their house down the street and are moving just north of Sacramento. It seems like a really good change for their family, so we have to be happy for them, but we are going to miss them fiercely, and plan to visit as much as possible. 

The Turri family also moved away this month. Heartbreak! We went from party central with a constant flow of children in and out the doors to complete isolation in the matter of a week. We had a park day farewell for the Turris and the Wilmoths. 

My sweet game night friend Joleen found out she has breast cancer and started treatments right away. My wonderful group organized a gift countdown for her so she has something fun to open each week as she goes through chemotherapy. We surprised her with the gift basket and a serenade, and silly April came in her dinosaur suit that she always pulls out for special occasions (walk-a-thons, birthdays, etc). 

We had a very toned-down, very illegal Fourth of July. Fireworks shows were cancelled all over the area, both because of stupid Covid and -theoretically- because of wildfire danger. We brought some stuff back with us from Utah and celebrated in tiny chunks, a little bit here and a little bit there, hiding in the house or the backyard between fireworks. It is a shame, a real shame, that we can't patriotically celebrate our nation's birthday and our freedoms with fireworks. It feels downright un-American. 

We bought an above-ground pool for the poor kids to have something to do this summer after the Wilmoths and the Turris abandoned us. Jonah and James helped us christen it during set-up. We've been using it a lot in the hot afternoons, and it has helped sooth our aching hearts somewhat. 

Goodbye, friends. Thank you for giving us such a season of joy! From February through July, almost every single day we had neighbor kids over. Someone was always knocking on the door, and I always had somewhere to send my kids. It felt like heaven after the Covid lockdown. 

We took a quick weekend trip to Bear Valley to see what it was like in the summer. It was lovely. We brought the kayaks and played on the lake. We took them up the road a bit to Lake Alpine, too, and found a fun spot to jump in off a rock. The kids had a good time with that. Back at Bear Lake, we found a rope swing, which everyone but me was brave enough to enjoy. It was a little smokey from the current wildfires, but not as bad as Yosemite last fall. 

Look at the view from those windows! I loved it. There was a patio off that side of the cabin as well where we sat for dinner both nights and soaked up the mountain view. 

We tried going for a hike as well, but it was a little bit too hot for that. We all just wanted to play in the water. If only this paradise weren't three hours away ... we'd be here all the time. 

The last weekend in July was the Bonner family reunion. We flew in Thursday night and back out Sunday morning. It was super quick, but we loved it and are so glad we went. 

We spent Friday at Lagoon, an amusement park in Farmington. I could not believe it, but the kids never, ever got tired of riding roller coasters and trying out all the other rides. We got there before it opened and ran to the Cannibal very first thing. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Gemma b.a.r.e.l.y met the height requirement, and as we flew through the air, upside down and all around and leaning off the tracks like we were going to fall off, I seriously worried she might slip out of the seat and die! Between that thought, and just general shock at the intensity of the ride, Beany got a huge laugh out of the look on my face mid-ride. 

The cousins ran around in a pack, and the adults just did their best to keep track of where they were. Todd and I took a nap at the lunch tables mid-afternoon, but the kids had to get pulled out of the park at 6:00 for dinner, and Todd and his sisters took most everyone back afterwards and stayed until closing at 10. Gemma was bitterly disappointed that I kept her back at the house to get some shut-eye, and cried her little heart out. It was a lose-lose situation. I probably should have just let her go. 

Saturday morning, after sleeping in a bit and enjoying some breakfast, we went for a hike in the mountains. People, it took us five minutes to drive from our rental house to the trail head. Now that's what I'm talking about! It was super hot. It would have been a perfect hike in May or October. And we had Luna with us, so we ended up with the big kid crew and Beany practically running along the trail in the front, with me and Todd and Laura and Erika in the middle, and sweet Missy (and Burke by default) bringing up the slow and steady rear with Luna. 

But the reward at the top made up for the heat. We had to hold onto a rope as we climbed down a steep mountainside, to the base of a lovely little waterfall. It was much cooler near the water, and definitely beautiful. 

Jack was excited that he found a salamander. 

And since the entire hike had been uphill (with crazy elevation gain), it was a scenic and enjoyable walk downhill back to the cars. 

We spent the rest of Saturday chilling at the rental house, playing games. There was lots of ping pong, pickle ball, card games, and Adam even brought a virtual reality video game for everyone to try. And Hazel pranked everyone with a surprise in the bathroom. 

It was good to see everyone and spend that time together.