August 2017

July 31: We floated the Salmon River for the first (and last) time together this summer. I bought Josh a new double floating tube for Father's Day and we hadn't had the chance to use it yet! It was an adventurous float on the stretch between 11 mile and the Shoup Bridge--the water levels were still pretty good, so the float was quicker than usual. At one point, Josh and I got trapped under some tree branches. It was scary for a bit, but we made it through--and surprisingly without popping the tube or dying. And then at the end of the float, when Josh and I went to go get the vehicles, and came back to the pull-out spot, Kanyon was floating away and panicking and we all swam after him. Apparently he'd lost a flip-flop and floated out to get it, but then the current swept him away. He wasn't wearing a life jacket anymore and that was also a bit scary...but thankfully we all lived to tell the tale!

August 2: I picked up the keys to my new apartment in Terreton and dropped a load of classroom supplies to my new classroom.

August 4: Josh and I took a load of furniture down to my new apartment, got everything moved in, and drove back to Salmon. We had game night with our favorite couple! I bought a new game this spring, and we finally played it for the first time! Josh hates Telestrations, but we had a hilarious time with this version!

August 5: I took some photos of Josh's sister Tiffany and her family in Rexburg. We went out to each lunch together at Blister's BBQ, then headed to cousin Denae's baby shower in Parker. It was a wonderful day!

Delicious BBQ from a restaurant in a gas station!

Aunt Linette's foster baby. She was
so beautiful and reminded me of a doll!

Smokey sky made the sun eery on the drive home to Salmon

August 6: Josh and Ammon played in a golf tournament together (I can't remember now which one it was).

August 7: I drove to Terreton for a few days to get my classroom settled in. As I was working there, Ammon was working on his Senior Project back home with Josh. He refurbished/rebuilt a broken down golf cart.

One of the finishing touches--redoing the upholstery.

The view of my new classroom from the doorway

The vew of my classroom from the opposite wall.

August 8: I worked SUPER long days, and at the end of day 2, I'd progressed this far:

August 10: I took a break from working to head to lunch at the Mud Lake County Fair. The mango on a stick was divine! I'd never had a mango that way before--all cut, seasoned, and on a stick, and I can't wait until next year to get another one! My parents came to visit me at my school that afternoon, and then we both drove to Salmon together. When we arrived, I saw that Josh had fulfilled my birthday request and had made me a campfire ring outside our house! I was ecstatic! It was just what I wanted--and then some! He couldn't find the ring he was looking for, so he got creative and welded one the right size, and then surrounded it with inlaid brick. I absolutely LOVE it! I admire him for being so handy at so many things!

August 11: My siblings and I gave my parents a float trip down the Salmon for Christmas last year. They finally got to use their present in August! My siblings and I set a date in April for when everyone could float, but as the date approached, everyone backed out except for us, so it was a small float trip with just my parents, my family, and Ammon's girlfriend Hannah. We had an awesome time! My favorite memory of the day was when my mom got absolutely soaked on one section. A big wave jumped over the boat, and landed in the middle, right where my mom was. She started screaming and it took a few moments for her to stop. It was hilarious!! I've never in my life heard her scream like that. We all got a kick out of it! After the float, we drove around the golf course. Kanyon showed Grandma and Grandpa around (they'd never been there before), and Ammon showed them his newly-built golf cart.

This was the moment right after my mom got drenched!

Kanyon was a brave boy--being the bull rider and up front was his favorite spot!

We saw river otters! Can you see this one?

We also saw a starving mama moose and her baby.

We drove by some bighorn sheep on the way to/from the float as well.

Look how cute they are holding hands!

I love snakes! Hannah found this baby water snake at our house after the float.

Kanyon being the tour guide, driving my parents around the golf course.

August 12: Darcy made a nice birthday meal for me, and we celebrated the start of her nail tech school, the start of my new job, and my birthday that night!

Look who actually won?!!! ME! (I'm blue)

August 13: We tried out the new fire pit. Hannah and her siblings and friend came over. I loved having the benches full of people around the fire. It was exactly what I'd hoped for and envisioned! We roasted marshmallows and played outside until the sun went down. 

August 14: I got spoiled for my birthday! Not only did Josh make the fire pit for me, but he also got me a zero gravity chair (I really liked his and kept using it on the back porch and constantly wished we had another one so we could sit together), some new work shoes--two pretty pairs from Arfmann's that I'd ogled over, my favorite cereal, a new phone cover (in hot air balloons to match my classroom), chocolate, and a beautiful new necklace/earring combo. I felt so loved! My friend Gina also made my ABSOLUTE favorite pie: Strawberry Rhubarb, and gave it to me in a pie dish made by the Pioneer Woman. The pie dish is my favorite, and is the only decoration I have in my apartment kitchen! For dinner, we ate elk roast and mashed potatoes that Josh made. It was such a wonderful day!

August 15: I got my haircut (I needed it, and it made me feel ready for a fresh start in my new job), and sadly headed back down to Mud Lake to work for a few days. Ammon finished up his golf cart renovation for his senior project, which was exciting!

Josh takes such pretty pictures at the golf course--this was of the sunrise

BEFORE

AFTER

August 16: It was my new school's open house. I was nervous, but excited to meet all my new students and their parents. It went really well, and almost all of my students came and met with me after the open assembly. 

Another gorgeous photo snapped by Josh at his work

Meanwhile, at my work...I snapped some photos of my nearly-completed classroom that I'd spent so much time putting together:

The Kiva corner--where we have morning meetings and blending board. The
shelves are organized with books--which took a LONG time to sort!

The Wowee Wow Wow Wall where they put their best work from the week,
and the reading nook with more sorted books and pillows. 

My small group corner with the kidney table. The bulletin boards behind it
are to show classroom behavior rewards and individual reading progress. 

A view of my desk corner from the front of the room. The black table holds
all my daily supplies, and the boxes under it hold the indoor recess games. My
desk is on the other side of the black table, in front of the closet door. 

I love all the built-in cabinetry. It took me days to sort everything where it goes,
but the time has been worth it as it has been so easy to find what I need!

The entry/check-in station and word wall on the dry erase board behind it.

A view of my classroom when you first walk in. 

My class bulletin board in the hallway above my student's cubby hooks.
My theme this year is hot air balloons and rising up. 

August 17: I worked some more all day--organizing, figuring out my classroom systems, working on scheduling, and purchasing a few more odds and ends from D.I. and WalMart to feel ready for the coming week, and then I headed home to Salmon for the weekend. 

A smokey sunrise at the golf course.

A pretty sunset on my drive home to Salmon

August 18: Josh and I went to couple's golf, which was so therapeutic for me. It had been hard for me to be alone in Mud Lake off and on for the past two weeks, and being with Josh on his beautiful golf course did me much good! 

I love this man so much!

August 19:  Kanyon had a going-away party with his closest friends Abby and Aidan that afteroon. I took them to the arcades, and then to the swimming pool. They had a blast together! It was Kanyon's last weekend home in Salmon before moving to Mud Lake with me to start school the following week. 

I got in one last bike ride of the summer with Josh. Riding on his motorbike
with him has become one of my most favorite summer activities!

August 21: THE DAY OF THE SOLAR ECLIPSE!!! It was a pretty big deal in Idaho--as the line of Totality cut across the entire southern half of the state. We had 100% totality in Mud Lake, so Kanyon and I planned to watch it there. Mick and Jen and their girls drove up that day to watch it with us, so we went to the elementary school and watched it from the playground. It was unreal! Way better than what I'd even expected! Josh and the three older boys hiked up to Diamond Peak to view it, and they had 360 degree views of the effects, which was unbelievable! It was a very memorable experience for them, too!

I'm a sucker for soda pop displays--this one says "Eclipse 2017"

It was crazy how much the lighting changed!!

Before Mick & Jen & the girls headed back to Utah (a 4-hour
car ride that took 9 hours due to ALL the traffic), we used the
bathrooms at the school. Jen and I got a kick out of these
short stalls in the girls' bathroom!

I've lived in Idaho longer than I lived in Utah!

Josh said on the steepest part of the hike, he could hear music, and
when he got to the top, he could see why!

Hiking up to the point where they could see the musician

Josh wasn't the only one with the idea to watch the Eclipse
from the 4th tallest peak in Idaho!

They loved the 360 degree sunset!!

They said the temperature dropped drastically up there!

Back to normal...

All the hikers making their way down from the peak.

August 22: This was supposed to be my first day of school, but they postponed it one more day, in anticipation of all the traffic from the eclipse. I was glad for the extra day. After working all day, I finally felt ready!!!

August 23: This was the first day of school for Kanyon and I. It was a fabulous day!

August 25: The older 3 boys had their first XC race of the season at Rexburg. The splash and dash always has a ton of people at it. Right before the race, a wildfire broke out on the highway between Mud Lake and Rexburg, so we had to take a detour through Roberts. Thankfully, they got the fire contained the next day, so the damage wasn't as bad as it could've been. The boys did well in their first race. I was so proud of them! Micah and Jonah were both in the top 20 for 8th graders. They ran 1.5 miles. Micah's race time was 9:21, and Jonah ran it in 9:39. Ammon's race was 2 miles long (not the traditional 3.1). He was 21st and had a time of 12:24. 

Gorgeous sunset on the way home to Salmon after the meet. 

My students are so sweet!

August 27: We went to a family BBQ at the Hobbs'. It was such a delicious meal--I've never eaten Brisket in my life! David did a wonderful job cooking it, and Gina is a fantastic hostess. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the company! (I practically had a therapy session, getting some things off my chest about a woman who'd said some hurtful things about me in a testimony meeting, and talking about the hardship of living in a new place without my husband, and crying about whatever...)

August 28: I had Kanyon eat off the special plate at Sunday dinner in honor of his first week of school at a new place!

August 29: Josh encountered his worst nightmare at the golf course: breeding snakes!

August 30: The Little Savages football team played against the West J Little League football in Terreton, so I spent the evening with my friend Amy!! I made Kanyon come with me, and he ran around with some of his old friends from Salmon--the Petroni boys. It was a delightful evening--I sincerely love Amy. We worked together at the Salmon School District, and were in the same ward, and we really clicked! This was one of the last times I saw her before she moved to Oregon. I really miss her!

August 31: The boys had their XC race at West J. As soon as I was done with bus duty, I ran across the field to watch them race. I caught the very end of the Varsity girls run, but was able to watch the rest of the races. I really like living where I'm closer to all their meet locations! It was nice weather, and the boys all had great races! The Salmon Varsity boys, the Varsity girls, and the Jr High boys teams all won the event! Ammon came in 7th place with a time of 19:32 (this was a 5K race). Micah was 11th in his race, and Jonah came in 16th--so they were both in the top 20 again! Micah's time was 11:39, and Jonah's was 11:54 (their race was 2 miles). I love watching my boys run, and be successful at what they do!

Treygan was right behind Ammon at the finish line