Labor Day Week- Back to School and Day of Service

Labor Day was our last officially day of Summer break and I wanted it to be GREAT. So we packed up the e-bikes and come lunches and headed for Salt Creek. Tanner took the kids on rides while I hung out on the beach swimming and enjoying the beautiful day with the kids. The water was warm and clear and we saw a sea lion and some leopard sharks swimming around with us! Jon and Laura came down and met us a few hours later which was fun. It was nice to see Laura because it had been so long and she just recently got back from Argentina. Her mom isn’t doing too well and my prayers are with her.
We ended the beautiful day with ice cream and a movie at home. Bye bye summer!

Well, not really because we’ve had the BIGGEST heat wave this week! The kids have had to stay in half the time for recess and lunch because it’s triple digits. Not to mention the Smokey air from all of the fires. Going back to school was… ok. Nicholas has really been trying my grit and patience. He’s soooo incredibly hard. He’s screamed at me and hit me and just been all around difficult. But I still love being at the school with my kids and I love all the children! I do! Jack had to sign the book for putting up his friends good on his jacket and she also crumpled up his writing paper in his face and said it wasn’t good enough.
 I stayed all day on Tuesday to be with Ray during buddies and she did great. I chatted with some of her friends and they were sweet and kind. I helped in Ella’s class and it was so fun being in there. This week was also the book fair so I spent my whole life savings buying the kids diaries and fancy pens and posters (not books).

 Jack’s soccer practice and games were canceled due to the heat but Tanner came home early on Thursday and made us home made gyros and they are so yummy! Thanks Tanner! Then we had a mini date to get ice cream, wash my car, and run to Hole Goods. Gotta get those weekly dates in! Oh, and Sophia came over to swim! “Watch this, Mrs. Peterson!!!”

Friday I took the kids to Disney after school and I NEEDED it. Nicholas tried my every last nerve and I needed my Disney therapy day. Knowing that it was extremely hot, we worn swim suits and planned to just do the River Rapids ride over and over. But it was like a reverse rainy day- it was empty due to the heat! So we grabbed Starbucks and hit as many rides as we could! Monsters After Dark was so fun (even though it’s still too soon for Halloween) and Ray found (and stole a bunch of) grapes near Autopia! It was a really fun night and it totally re set my mood.

Saturday was literally insane. We were expecting Kim and Monte in the early afternoon so we spent the morning cleaning. We got hit with not one but TWO earthquakes that jolted us pretty good! Kim and Monte arrived just as I was on my way out the door to take Ella to a birthday party. Shannon texted and asked if I could take Amelia because she was still at a rodeo pageant with Emmy. So, I said hi/bye to Tanner’s parents and then took the girls to the party for Leah. Leah’s backyard is extraordinary! It was soooo awesome! There was Raising Canes, pizza, fruit and salad to eat, an ice cream stand, and a gigantic pool to play in! Sophia came and shortly after Amanda (who has MS) asked me to watch her because she was having a flare up. Poor thing. Of course I agreed to help.

Meanwhile, at home, I had texted my friend Kristina about having our son’s do the science fair together. She said yes and the boys were anxious to get started to do finally made a plan to have Alec come over. Well, she didn’t drop him off until 3 and apparently she just came walking in the front door which was kinda weird. Tanner was a little upset with me but Jack was stoked and so was Alec. They actually DID work on their project and were good boys. But Kristina didn’t end up picking him up until 8pm and leaving until 9pm. I don’t know what she was doing but she’s going through a nasty divorce and her life is pretty much in shambles. So, I was happy we could help.

Back at the party- a gal came with a bunch of reptiles that they kids could hold, they broke 2 piñatas, and we had cake and opened presents. When it was time to go 4 hours later, Sophia’s dad came to get her, which was great because she didn’t want to leave. I took Amelia back to our house because Shannon called and asked if they could cool off in our pool. Of course I said yes because they were sweltering at this outdoor rodeo all day. So when I got home, she arrived with herself and Emmy… and a lady with a 2 week old baby and her 12 year old daughter! What!?! Oookkk, Tanner was really not happy but I didn’t know what to do or say! So of course I welcomed them in and stole that baby for some snuggles. I even wrapped him up because I can’t help myself. They, of course, couldn’t take that baby outside in this heat. So we all sat inside for an hour and a half while Tanner tried to chat with his parents and make us steak. AND, Jack was running around with Alec, like I said, it was crazy.

But that’s not all! Around the same time I got home from the party with the little girls and Shannon was showing up with newborn babies, Emerald came over with her parents for the very first time!!! Her parents just dropped her off because they felt a little awkward coming in with all the craziness going on. And I don’t blame them! Parker was so happy to have Emerald over. He showed her his room and his PS5. Ha ha Later, they went to the stake dance together and Parker was VERY popular with his beautiful girlfriend on his arm.

Around 8pm, Shannon packed up her wet kids and her friends with their newborn baby and left. Then, Kristina showed up to pick up Alec but he didn’t want to leave so the boys were hiding and she was telling me all about her wrecked life. THEN, Emerald’s parents came to pick Parker and Emerald up for the dance so we had then come in and introduced them to Kim and Monte. It was wild.

Finally, the house was cleared out- mostly, and we all went to bed. I had a big talk with Tanner because he wasn’t using the skills we learned about avoiding conflict. He kept getting mad at me because of all the chaos. He told me he thought I had planned that all to avoid his parents and I said, “how in the WORLD could I have planned all of this?!?!” 
I felt very proud of how the day went. When I looked back on ALL the lives we were able to bless, it was humbling. I was ministering ALL day and I felt so full of the spirit! I want to serve like that every day!!!!!

Today is Sunday and we’ve had a nice day. I had a quick meeting with Cindy to discuss our new calling together-Activity Days for the boys! Kim and Monte came to church with us and then spent the second hour talking to a stake member who has served several missions (including mission president and MYC president) in the Philippines. We also had a sweet speaker from our ward who is from the Philippines! My parents came over after church to see Kim and Monte and have dinner with us and it was a really nice time. I love my mom and dad!!!! After they left, and Parker got home from Mission Prep, Kim presented the kids with handmade blankets. She worked hard to make them each a blanket unique to them- something they would love and could think of her every time they snuggled with it. They are fantastic and it was really sweet of her to do such a kind thing for them.

We swam for a little bit and I heard a big boom. I thought maybe it was another earthquake but then guess what? It started to rain! It was crazy!! Big old drops of rain from no where! The air was hot and Smokey- like over 100 degrees! So wild. The rain quickly passed and I’m not sure what the future will hold. So many earthquakes and fires and random thunderstorms!

In other big news: Parker got into BYU Idaho so we can anxiously making plans for him to attend winter semester! I’m so proud of him and love him for all the progress he’s made recently. He’s the best!!!

Next week will, no doubt, be just as crazy as this one was.  But if I can help and serve and share God’s love, that’s all that matters and I know I’ll have plenty of opportunities to do so. Let’s go!

Rayleigh wore her Book of Mormon pin to school and kids everywhere asked her what it was. She said it's another book of scripture that she reads in her religion (she said "culture"). She told everyone that it is another testament of Jesus Christ and the kids all said, "Oh! That's cool!"