We went to Lake Powell over Labor Day for our Bonner family reunion. The kids had to miss four days of school, which was quite difficult to prepare for and to make up, but we had a terrific time and fully enjoyed ourselves. The daily high was in the 80's, so it was inviting to get in the water, but it wasn't torture if you didn't. We were missing Kelsi's family and Aleah, but everyone else was together.
There was lots of boating, wakeboarding, card game playing, book reading, swimming and using the houseboat slide, spike ball on the beach, wrestling on the floating mat, cliff jumping, and paddle boarding.
We drove home on a Wednesday, and I turned around and got on a plane Thursday, flying to Colorado to have a girls' weekend with some of my old dinner group friends from our newlywed days. It was nice to catch up with Jill Dabo, Courtni Muir, Amy Naseath, Laurie Hansen, and Christine Ryan. We ate well, hot tubbed, rode a mountain gondola, and played a card game I taught the group, but most of all, we just talked and talked and talked.
Meanwhile, Todd took the kids up to the cabin with a coworker named Kevin and his two kids. The men fixed the cracked beam in our living room, and honestly, I don't know what else they did, but the pictures they sent back were beautiful.
Hazel has been busy with volleyball. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and some Mondays, she's had a game, keeping her away from home until 7 or later. On practice days, she's often stayed on campus since it takes up so much time to drive home and back again. We wish her practice had been right after school, but instead, they have been two and a half hours after school ends, for another two hours. She has been keeping Todd-like hours, leaving the house for seminary around 6:30 and not coming home until after the family has eaten dinner. She is having a blast, but we miss her! She serves so well that she is usually the starter for the team. Her position is setter, so she runs all over the court, trying to get that second hit and set it up well for her teammate to slam it over the net. She's got great team spirit and an open mind to learn from the coaches.
Jack has been participating in cross country. Neither running nor competing are favorite things of Jack's but he's spending time with friends and getting valuable exercise. We are proud of the efforts he is putting into it. Some days have been really hot; his dedication is impressive. He had two meets in September, with two more in October. He had a great time on his first meet; not so much the second one.
Todd and I got tickets for Five for Fighting when we saw they were performing at the Bankhead. Todd was torn when the ward announced the annual Daddy Daughter campout would be the same night. Although he always feels ripped off because the kids hang out with their friends and not him at these events, he went and spent the night in a tent, giving his concert ticket to Jack. Jacko and I enjoyed our date night immensely, and of course, the good night's sleep back home afterward as well. I do wish Todd could have been at the concert with me, though. He's more a fan than me and it did feel like a bit of a ripoff.
We were all excited to travel out to Utah for Chris and Jodi's wedding. We were trying to miss as little school as possible (after Lake Powell) so we pulled the kids from school between noon and one (it takes a while to make the rounds to three different schools!) and took an afternoon flight the day before the wedding. The flight got delayed about an hour, and then the rental car pickup took longer than usual, so we arrived at the family dinner as most everyone was finishing. We were able to participate in the program; everyone was sharing memories of the happy couple.
The kids found out the next day that temple weddings are actually quite boring for the guests waiting outside. They were less than thrilled to learn that there would be picture-taking for a long while afterward!
It was a beautiful day for those of us who got to watch Chris and Jodi gaze emotionally across the altar at each other.
We helped out at the reception, visited with cousins, and devoured mozzarella balls and tomatoes by the dozens. We cheered the couple out with sparklers, and then headed to bed ourselves, with an early morning flight the next day that got all the kids back to school within the first thirty minutes of class. It was hard to be so rushed and not get to have a long, satisfying visit with anyone, but we are grateful we were all able to be there.
My birthday was also that week. I had my game night friends over for a daytime hangout, with takeout and games while the kids were at school. I was in the middle of a dessert-free streak that lasted five weeks, so I made healthy (sugar and butter-free) apple crisp instead of cake. It was yummy and fun, because it was the first fall-ish treat we'd had yet this year.
The very next morning, Todd flew back to Utah to attend our niece Aleah's wedding. I was sad not to be there, but it was the right decision for our family. Our kids had missed so much school in September, and they still needed to be in five thousand places, and we were tired, and it was good to be home to manage everything. But I'm so glad Todd could go out and represent our family and give Aleah and Jerek our support.
I don't have pictures of our activities for the rest of the month, but we were still busy! Hazel went on a kayaking trip with the young women to Elkhorn Slough and saw tons of marine life. Jack worked a volunteer shift at the library and got his first lawn mowing job. Hazel had lots of volleyball, including an all-day tournament in a town an hour away. Gemma attended her best friend Clara's birthday party and her weekly drama class.
