Jared and Weston go camping

Weston and Jared had the opportunity to go hiking and camping in the High Uintas for a scout activity this past weekend. They backpacked in a half mile to the lake and had some great tin foil dinners and fishing. They reported that the area was beautiful, Weston out-fished everyone, and they didn't sleep much the whole night. Sounds like camping! Jared and Wes hiked to Provo River Falls on the way out. Weston was battling a head cold but didn't complain and had fun anyway. Glad they survived and had a good time.

Savanna Fiora and I went shopping while the boys went camping and bought some shoes and some body sprays at the mall. I was glad I had the stamina, they were fun and it was a great mother daughter date.
Jared came home Saturday and took a nap then took me on a temple dinner date. It was Lillian's death day so we wanted to do something special. Karli and Grant met us for dinner at an Indian Street Food restaurant in Sandy and it was so fun. Jared and Grant talked real estate for a while, ha ha, and hopefully Karli Sue's stomach handled the curry ok.
We all fasted for Chad and Robin and their family this Sunday and have them in our prayers as Chad starts a new treatment. Our Stake president gave us a challenge to fast once a week and read scriptures more intently and say prayers more often for 40 days. We could use an added measure of the spirit in our home so on with the challenge! I would love it if my kids could feel and recognize the spirit more and have a glimpse of the connection between God and His children.
Otherwise we are just trying to get back in the groove of a school schedule. Up at 6:00 am, lunches and breakfast, prayer, carpool, exercise, shower, work, gym, homework, house work, dinner, scriptures, bed, repeat. Life is good!

Wrapping up summer

Here we are at the end of summer break. School starts next week. We have worked hard and played hard. This week was "play hard and get read for school to start mode." We had some shopping to do, carpooling to arrange, hairs to cut, and Fiora got to participate in a personalized tour of the junior high where she will be attending. Her friend's mom is related to a staff member there so she got the royal treatment. Fiora is nervcited for school to start.

 Lindon City Days was the first week of August and Jared made sure to attend all the events he could. He says it feels like summer to him when he participates in the small town community events. I went to a couple as well. I didn't do the ones that require you to stay up late, like fireworks. But he and the kids enjoyed it all.

Weston showing his gymnastics calloused and scarred hands

Lindon Days rodeo

 Of course I'm still working hard in addition to playing hard, I still work my garden and make meals from scratch, here is a veggie pizza made with vegetables and herbs from the garden. I also made it to the end of summer break doing my "hike a week" and ever time I asked the kids to come too but only Fiora ever was willing to go with me.

 Another member of the family joined us this summer. Shawna had her baby and we were able to take her older three kids with us to play at the ward party. I even got in the Lindon swimming pool and played with my nieces and nephews. My kids were very helpful playing with them too

Samantha Kate Schauers was born August 7th, daughter of Justin and Shawna

 But the fun doesn't stop there! We visited Holly's baby and Heidi's baby Sunday and Fiora gave them their quilts she made herself. Then we took Heidi's kids home with us for a sleep over. They played together so nicely I was sad to tell them it was time to go home! But we had another fun obligation that evening. Savanna's BFF Aislyn's family asked us to go with them boating. We are not experienced water sports people, but we all tried our best to ski and wake board, the only thing we managed to do was knee board. A freakish storm hit the lake while we were out there so we had to cut it a little short. The little kids were disappointed we couldn't tube, but the boat ride was fun like a roller coaster anyway. They were nice to take us.

Jared: "My hairs not done"

Going boating with the McIntyres

In other news, Jared found some trac phone "smartpones" for only $5 so he bought them and asked if Fiora and Weston would like to pay for them and the service minutes so they could be theirs. Fiora and Weston jumped on the opportunity and have been very happy with their cheap phones. So all the Schauers have cell phones now! Hope they will be responsible with them.

Weston rocking his new ukulele, he picked up how to play that fast!

Sav earns her phone, and Weston nails double backs

 Savanna has been working hard all summer as a nanny for Shawna Schauers which was an answer to her prayer because she needed some steady employment. She loves Shawna and her kids and would gladly have taken the job irregardless of a motive, however, whether she would have stuck with it is another question as we all know how hard it is for a 14 year old to see their summer slipping away and most of the time is spent working. She stuck with it because she has been determined to earn $700 to pay for a years worth of phone service (our conditions if she wanted to have a phone was that she had to earn enough money to cover the cost of the phone and a year of service, and she wanted a nice phone.) She didn't always love working, and she let us know many times she disagreed with our parenting decision on this, but she stuck with it, and yesterday her efforts finally paid off. She got her long awaited for phone. Boy was she in a good mood! All the sulleness of waiting finally over she couldn't stand the joy. I could have asked her to do anything for me yesterday and she would have agreed. I'm trying not to be concerned that all her happiness seems to be dependent on having a phone. Crazy world we live in. But we are proud of her, life lessons were learned and I really think she will take better care of it than if we just handed it to her.

Cousins who made it (not all pictured): Heather Schauers, Leilani Christiansen, Devin Rappleye, Trisha Ann Wight, Adam Terry, Clarissa Chapman, Cassi Davis, Krystal Williams, Karli Sue Searcy, Rachel and Joseph Barrett, Christopher Terry, April Briney, Noelle Rowe, Rachelle Wilkinson, David Rappleye, Meadow Alexander and their families.

A representative from each Rappleye family made it, and several members from the Terry's. In either picture there are several not looking at the camera, but someone else got a more professional shot. Also my parents came and brought Holly Nielson's kids.

 We attended the Rappleye cousin reunion at the end of July.  My mother Kathy Sue (Rappleye) Barrett always made sure we attended the family reunion with her siblings ever two years faithfully when I was growing up, so I have many fond memories of my cousins as a young child. This year the Rappleye siblings took a special trip to Vermont with my 94 year old grandma Rappleye, and none of my generation were invited. So we cousins got together ourselves and had our own "reunion." My cousin Devin Rappleye headed it up, and I'm glad he did. It was fun to visit with some cousins and see their beautiful children. Just goes to show how much we still love each other!

My sister Holly had her sweet baby Jamin the day after the reunion on July 26th.  So wonderful that we have such a big beautiful family, lots of love to go around. He is just a perfect little bundle! Shortly after is when my parents left for Vermont, so I took a trip to Eagle Mountain to visit Jamin and have dinner with my youngest siblings Joseph and Rachel still living at home and left behind. :) We played cards and curses and had a great time.

 Fiora has been creative this summer. She made a tent for Link the cat, and interestingly enough he actually plays in it. She loves her sewing class this summer, and even extended the learned skills to do her own projects, and has made some little quilts for babies that I won't tell who because it is a surprise. I got to babysit this other beautiful nephew Bourne Fire while his parents hauled some sod for their yard, and it was a delight. Love my nephews!

 When my parents got back from their Vermont trip I invited them over for dinner so I could get a trip update, and mom surprised me with my own little souvenir jar of pure maple syrup from the Maple Museum in Vermont. So cute! And tastes great. Thanks mom and dad!

Weston has been working hard all summer to learn his level 8 skills for next gym meet season. We got his schedule all worked out for the fall as he will miss an hour of school each day to make practice. The teachers were happy to work around that, whew! Because this kid is no slacker and is determined to be a gymnast. Here is a 10 second teaser of what he is learning. These are called "double backs" on rings.