End of Summer 2020

 It seemed like our summer ended when our vacation came to an end. We got home from our trip to southern Utah on the evening of August 11, and the very next day I was working in my classroom preparing for school to start the next week, and the day after that, my back-to-school meetings started. It was a whirlwind getting back in to the swing of work and school once we returned from our family trip! 

My friend Jen with me to work in my classroom on the 12th, and I appreciated her help SO much! She's the first person who's helped me put my classroom together in the past 4 years, and I couldn't believe how much more I got done in just a few hours with another person's help than I would've been able to get done alone. She organized my books and crafts while I adjusted table and desk heights (since I had older, taller students this year). I had an hour-long meeting with my Principal and Superintendent about some concerns I had regarding my class list and last year's yearbook stipend, and that went pretty well. The whole time I was gone, Jen stayed busy getting some things I needed done in my classroom, and when I got back, we worked on doing a couple bulletin boards together.  

Now that I teach older students, my classroom book inventory
needed to be reorganized. I took out a lot of younger-level books
and added a lot of chapter books, and Jen helped me organize
them all on my shelves according to my criteria. I absolutely
LOVE this corner of my classroom SO much!

Jen also organized my crafts (you can't see them in this photo),
and the seating area under the large bulletin board. The wall looks
a LOT different now that the bulletin board is complete, but the
 placement of the rug and benches and pillows has stayed the same.
It's the area of the room I use for read-alouds and group meetings. 

Jen also helped me do 2 bulletin boards: one in my classroom by
the mailboxes, and the big one above their backpack hooks in 
the hall. Nobody has EVER helped me with my bulletin boards
before, and it meant so much to me to have another person help me
lift and staple the long paper and also give their input on colors & layout. 

Jen and I went to Idaho Falls after working all morning. I had my follow-up eye tattoo appointment (which, thankfully, wasn't as long or as painful as the initial one), and she went school shopping for her kids. Afterwards, we had dinner together at a Thai Restaurant. I love Thai food! For dessert, I got coconut rice with ice cream, and it was divine! I just love sticky rice! The gift of Jen's company all day was a birthday gift I treasured! 

The very next day, I woke up at 4:30am and got ready to go BACK to Mud Lake for my teacher work days. I took Kanyon with me so he could go to XC practice with his team, and he and his friend Jackson helped me and some other teachers throughout the day, moving furniture and office supplies, etc. I got a LOT done in my classroom, thanks to their help, and by the end of the day, I was starting to feel more prepared for school to start. 

Friday the 14th was my 41st birthday. I finished my 40 Things List just in time, and it felt good to be in my 40's! I started the day by performing with my band of Shane, Jeff, and Amanda at the District back-to-school meeting. We sang both songs from the fair, and it was fun to have a live audience! We were fed a nice lunch, provided by the district, and the staff even sang happy birthday to me, which was a fun surprise! 

When I got home to Salmon that night, Josh and I went out with Phil & Darcy. We went bowling and had dinner at the bowling alley, too, then we continued the party at their house with games and snacks. It was a fun, laidback birthday night!

The bowling alley in Salmon has my
favorite loaded fries! They are so yummy!

I got some very thoughtful gifts: My mom sent me some beautiful dish towels she embroidered and I've already hung up a few for decoration in my kitchen. Josh got me a new bike--my previous bike was 20 years old! Gina got me an awesome t-shirt with a hot air balloon on it, which is my classroom theme, and it was such a thoughtful surprise! Amanda gifted me some hair product to help me with my new hairstyle, and I was so grateful!

Additionally, Micah surprised me by decorating the house for me while I was gone at work, and when I came in the door, I was so happy to see the birthday banner hung! I usually hang it above the table, and by the desk area, but he wanted to make sure I saw it when I first walked in, so he put it directly above the kitchen cabinets, which was so thoughtful! Kendra also baked me a mini strawberry rhubarb pie, my favorite! I loved the mini version, especially because I'd been watching my sugar intake all summer. It was the perfect size, and so delicious!

Josh took me on a jeep ride up above Williams Lake on the afternoon of Sunday the 16th. We both had never taken that route before! It was fun to see the lake from a different perspective, and to spend some one-on-one time with Josh, too!

The first day of school at West Jefferson was Wednesday, August 19. I teach a 3rd/4th split class this year. I started the year with 17 students (and am now up to 19). I wore my new shirt that Gina gave me, and got lots of compliments! It was so comfy and I loved that it went with my classroom theme! It was the perfect shirt for the first day! Kanyon is now in 8th grade. He got a large locker for all his help with the principal and staff the previous week, which he was pretty excited about. He's got the same core teachers as last year, but also has a few elective classes in the high school, too. He has a good schedule, and a great group of friends! Additionally, he was on the XC team, and since he's an 8th grader, he was one of the team leaders, which was fun to see. We were asked to wear masks in the halls of school, but each teacher could decide if masks were required in their classrooms. One of Kanyon's teachers has cancer, so the administrators have been very respectful of their health needs. I thought it was a good compromise. 

It was hard to start school 2 weeks ahead of Salmon, and know that Josh and the twins were still on summer break while we were in school! West Jefferson starts so much earlier because they have a 2-week Spud Harvest break in September/October. The day after our school started, Ammon ended his summer internship job in Victor, and drove home to Salmon to pick up his clothes/belongings and head up to Moscow to start his junior year of school at the U of I. I drove back to Salmon that evening so I could see him, and literally only spent about 15 minutes with him before he left, but it was worth it! 

Check out his packed car!!

Ammon's official first day of school was Monday the 24th. The students at the U of I had to be tested for COVID before being allowed back on the campus. Even then, only half of his classes are in-person, and the rest are virtual (which he hates!). I'm glad he was allowed to be back on campus! Not all universities started that way this fall!

There's a new wildlife fence north of Leadore, which was under construction all year, and finally got completed this summer. The very next morning on my drive back to Mud Lake (after I came to see Ammon before he went to Moscow for the new schoolyear), there was a mama moose that had been separated from her calf. The calf was on the wilderness side of the fence, and the mom was on the road side of the fence. It was a bit stressful driving along side her! She kept running, halting, and changing directions, because she was unable to make it to where her calf was, and it was running along the opposite side of the fence trying to stay close to her. The fence is only 3 miles long--so I don't know how effective it will really be, but on this particular morning, it wasn't a safe zone for the moose OR the drivers on the road! Thankfully, she never hit my car, but I thought about her all day, and hoped she made it safely back to her calf!

That's the calf on the other side of the fence.

That's the mama running frantically between
the fence and the road.

There were several days at the end of August that the skies were filled with smoke from wildfires. This usually happens at the end of every August, but this year, they weren't from local wildfires. Apparently the smoke blew in from California and also covered the skies of Utah and across and Idaho. 

Josh found a large toad at the golf course one day in late August; it was in a drain pipe along a cart path. It's an animal he doesn't see often at the golf course, so it was a fun surprise for him to run into one that was so large in size, too! He sent me the photo while I was at school, and I instantly responded that I wanted him to catch it and save it because I wanted it as a pet!! I love toads and frogs! Unfortunately, he didn't follow through with my request! 

Josh and I went camping at Meadow Lake as our final summer shindig the last weekend in August. He took up the camping trailer with his motorcycle in it on Thursday night, and he went motorbike riding and hiking all day on Friday. After I got off work on Friday, I drove up and met him at the campground. None of the boys were interested in joining us, but we had a good time! Josh loved exploring the mountainous area north of Meadow Lake, and seeing territory he'd never covered before. There was lots of old settler cabins and old mines and even property for sale, and he happily explored and dreamed of his future cabin in the mountains all day. After I arrived, he grilled me dinner, and we went to bed early. On Saturday, we played games, read books, lounged around, and I floated over the lake on the paddle board, and even convinced Josh to join me at the end...much to his chagrin!!! We couldn't get it to balance correctly with both of us on it, and unfortunately he fell right in the water before we could even do a proper lift off!! We took a ride in the truck together to Leadore Saturday afternoon, and cooked over the campfire that night. It was such a peaceful getaway for the two of us! It was a wonderful final hoorah to Summer. 

This cabin was still in good shape, and the family
of its deceased owner even had a registry for passers by.
Check out the oval rainbow that appears as a halo
over the cabin! I've never seen this effect before,
and Josh didn't notice it until I pointed it out! So cool!

This photo is of the same cabin, and is the essence
of Josh's hope for retirement: a cabin in the mountains,
with acres of land (and NO neighbors!) surrounding it, 
and a view of the nearby scenic mountains!

I finally caught Jonah using our new hot tub at the end of summer! The boys haven't loved it near as much as Josh and I have--in fact, Kanyon and Ammon still have yet to try it! Regardless--it's been a joy to have!

Completed FORTY for 40 List

I struggled with the thought of turning 40 last August. When I was younger, I often thought to myself "by the time I'm 40, I hope to have accomplished____". Sadly, on the cusp of actually turning 40, I felt like I wasn't anywhere near where I wanted to be. 

Two months before my 40th birthday, I decided I needed to change that. I made a list of 40 things that I wanted to accomplish...and instead of getting them all done before my 40th, I would work on completing them all when I WAS 40!

A lot of thought went into creating the list, and it was edited multiple times before my birthday reveal. I wanted items on the list to represent different aspects of my life, so I ended up creating 5 categories and listed goals in each category that I felt would help me feel successful and happy as I completed them. I needed the list to include tasks that were simple, and also ones that were fulfilling. I made sure to include items that would require planning and money, and also things that would require effort but were free. The list included components that would bring me enjoyment, make me grow, help me relax, and also challenge me to work hard. 

I published the list on my Instagram account on my 40th birthday in August of 2019, and posted about it on my blog, too. Once a month, I posted a monthly update on my Instagram page with my progress, which also helped me to check in with myself and stay on track with my goals. I knew I would need to accomplish about 4 items per month in order to complete the list on time before my 41st birthday. 

There were items that I had to budget monetarily for, and I basically had an idea when I published the list that I would have to stay on top of my monthly budget in order to accomplish them. When COVID hit in the spring, there was a complete month when not a single thing got crossed off, but it was because the events of the world were out of my hands and I was unable to do anything. However, I got back on track, and I can happily say I accomplished EVERY SINGLE ITEM!!! Thankfully, I completed many items before COVID hit that would have been impossible for me to cross off during the pandemic. It's a tender mercy that I was able to accomplish them before the world changed. 

I loved accomplishing this list over the course of the year! From the simple tasks, to the more challenging ones that required time and effort or money and planning, I grew as an individual. I became more confident in myself, I felt like I was more in control of my life and my future, and I felt happier that I was doing things that brought me true joy. 

It was an incredible year!

I am a goal-oriented, task-driven, list-making lady, and this list was the essence of me for an entire year. I am a MUCH better person now at 41 than I was leading up to my 40th birthday! It was a life-changing year for me completing this list, and actively working on it provided me with purpose, direction, and fulfillment--which I so desperately needed once COVID hit and turned our world upside down as we knew it! 

I'm happy to present to you with...

My COMPLETED List of 40 Things to Do When I'm 40:

TRAVEL

1. Ride in a hot air balloon - DONE 9/30/19

This was the #1 item on my bucket list for so long! I've wanted to go hot air ballooning since I was 7 years old! Josh went with me on this magical adventure of balloning near Arches National Park in Utah. The entire ride was incredible! It almost didn't happen due to the weather, but the owner made it work since the man whose company made the balloon in the Czech Republic was on our flight with his family, too! It was so cool listening to him (and his accent) and learning about the process of making hot air balloons! The scenery was divine from the aerial perspective, and Josh and I both loved the entire experience--even though he's afraid of heights!

2. Go on vacation to Mexico - DONE 11/27/19

Josh and I took the 3 younger boys to Puerto Penasco over Thanksgiving and we all loved the beach there! We hadn't been there before, but it was so beautiful from our rented condo right on the coast. We loved the sunrises, sunsets, beach, and overall atmosphere. The downside: it was an 18 hour drive there one-way! 

3. Hike Zion's National Park with the family - DONE 8/9/20

We had planned to go to Zion in March, but due to COVID, that got postponed to August. The hikes we wanted to do were all still closed and the shuttle bus had no availabilities, but thankfully we were able to take one hike in the park! We hiked the Canyon Overlook Trail along the Mt. Carmel Road. I thought it was an awesome hike! We can't wait to go back and see more!

4. Visit a new National Park - DONE 7/16/20

Josh and I drove through Teton National Park on our motorcycle, which was incredible! I want to see more National Parks this way now! While in the park, we also hiked around Jenny Lake and saw the stunning Hidden Falls. 

5. Take a scenic flight to the Flying B Ranch in the wilderness - DONE 6/10/20

I've been wanting to do this FOR YEARS! We went with our friends Dallin & Jen, and flew with Gem Air. The views were truly incredible and breathtakingly spectacular, and the breakfast was delicious! It's been my favorite flight EVER! It was SO worth it!

6. Go snowmobiling - DONE 1/30/20

I've never ridden on a snowmobile before. My friend Tanis let me drive hers on their family farm. It was awesome and exciting and so exhilarating! It was freezing the afternoon I went, but the excitement I felt inside totally overruled my frozen cheeks as I revved the gas and drove through the bitter fog!

7. Go parasailing - DONE 11/30/19

I've wanted to go parasailing since the last time I was in Mexico in 2015 and saw parasailers from my view on the beach. It almost didn't happen due to the crappy weather, but I lucked out and the weather cleared up the morning we left Mexico, and they were able to reschedule my appointment--it was the last thing we did before coming back to the U.S.! 

8. Float a different section of the Salmon River - DONE 7/6/20

Josh and I went with the Judy family from town to The Ranch. We loved it! It's an easy, beautiful stretch. 

9. Go to a new temple - DONE 8/14/19

I went to the Cedar City temple, which I hadn't seen since it's construction was completed. I had a beautiful experience, and even saw a Cedar City celebrity inside!

PERFORMING ARTS

10. Watch a play at the Shakespeare Festival - DONE 8/14/19

I saw the play "Twelfth Night" with my high school friend Sara. It was my first time at the festival, and I can't wait to go again!

11. Watch a Broadway play - DONE 3/10/20

I got to see "Dear Evan Hansen" on tour from Broadway with my high school friend Heather. It was a stellar show at the Eccles Theater in SLC. The cast was outstanding and we even stayed for a meet-and-greet afterwards with some of the cast members. The show was emotionally heavy at times, but was also very beautiful, was well written, and had touching music. Just 2 days after we were there, the rest of the tour showings were canceled due to COVID--I felt SO lucky and blessed to have seen it when we did!

12. Watch a movie at the theater on its opening day - DONE 12/19/19

I saw the newest Star Wars in a packed theater with Kanyon as my date. I laughed, I cried, and I joined the audience in clapping at the end! I love movie premieres for that reason! It's so new and exciting and fresh and audiences clap in response!

13. Have a TV or movie marathon for 12 hours - DONE 12/26/19

The day after Christmas, we watched Star Wars Episodes IV-VIII all in one day at home while laying on our new couches, and finished by watching Episode IX together as a family at the theater in Salmon (my 2nd time watching it!). 

14. See the Piano Guys perform in concert - DONE 12/20/19

Josh and I went to their Christmas concert in SLC. It was wonderful! I loved all the guest performers, and I was captivated by the performance skills that the duo showed on stage. 

15. Learn to play the harmonica - DONE 6/6/20

I learned how to play from the internet! I taught myself 2 songs: one of which was "Mary Had a Little Lamb", which I memorized and even videoed! It's a fun instrument!

16. Learn a new song on the ukulele - DONE 12/5/19

I learned and played "Jingle Bells" while my class sang at the Mud Lake Museum's Christmas Tree Lane event. 

17. Memorize a song to sing - DONE 1/26/20

I was asked to sing the song "Jealous of the Angels" at a funeral for a lovely lady I knew from Salmon. I'd never heard the song before, and didn't have access to a piano at my rental in Terreton, so I played the song on YouTube nonstop for a few hours until I could get the tune and the rhythm of the lyrics and memorized it within 3 days as a result!

LEARN & TRY NEW THINGS

18. Learn to play a new game - DONE 10/13/19

We played the game ITZI (from the makers of TENZI, which I've always wanted to play, but still haven't yet!). We were given the game from DFY (Drug-Free Youth) for participating in their Family Dinner night. We posted a picture online of our family having dinner together, and won the game as a prize! 

19. Cook or bake a new recipe - DONE 12/30/19

I made mini meatloaf. I don't ever make meatloaf, but thought it looked interesting in this form. 

20. Try a new drink - DONE 3/9/20

I tried the new Dr. Pepper/Cream Soda blend. I'm a fan of both drinks, and I really liked it! I was inspired to put this on my list because if I never tried new drinks, I would never have found another favorite of mine: Ginger Lime Diet Coke (which sadly, I can't find anymore now). 

21. Learn more Spanish - DONE 6/10/20

I worked on this one for many months. I passed off the Intro section and Level 1 on the DuoLingo App which included 700 mini lessons and I learned 1,000 new words! (I struggle with retaining them all, though!) I also practiced my language skills with friends from work and parents of my students, too. 

22. Take a photography class - DONE 8/11/20

I took an online photography class through Udemy for my specific type of camera, and learned how to adjust it for exposure, shutter speed, and aperture and I'm still practicing these new skills. 

23. Go to a new sit-down restaurant and eat something different - DONE 8/21/19

I went to the restaurant Smokin' Fins in Idaho Falls with my dominoes friends. I ordered a shrimp ramen, which I NEVER would've gotten since I dislike ramen. It was decent, but I wouldn't order it again!

24. Read a book outside my normal genre and DON'T skip to the end first! - DONE 11/28/19

I read "Goodbye, Sweet Girl" while we were traveling to, and in, Mexico. The author was from Salmon, and it was her memoir of her abusive marriage. It was well written, but not something I would've normally chosen for myself to read. After Josh read it, I decided to as well!

WITH JOSH

25. Go on a day trip with Josh on the motorcycle - DONE 6/25/20

This has been on my bucket list for several years now! We drove over 700 miles in 2 days and went to 2 new hot springs on a big loop through Idaho and Montana. It was beautiful, wonderful, memorable, and our butts were SO sore!

26. Go Jeep/tent camping with Josh to a new place - DONE 5/8/20

We camped a few miles from Deer Gulch access, right along the river as a Mother's Day retreat. We had the place to ourselves, which is just how we like it! Josh cooked me a steak dinner, we took an evening walk along the river, soaked in a nearby hot springs, slept comfortably (with the exception of nearby geese squawking all night long), and made a campfire. We liked it so much, we went back to camp there for Father's Day, too!

27. Soak in a new hot springs with Josh - DONE 11/8/19

For Josh's birthday, I took him to Elkhorn Hot Springs in Montana, which was the first time we'd both ever been there. The pool and sauna were so relaxing, our cabin was quiet, and the food at the lodge was excellent!

28. Have intimate relations in a new location - DONE 1/1/20

Well...wouldn't YOU like to know? ;)

29. Go dancing with Josh - DONE 1/11/20

We went with our friends Amanda and Ryan during her birthday weekend celebration in Ogden. We went to a cowboy bar with a big dance floor. Josh is a great dancer, and dancing with him is one of my favorite pastimes!

30. Beat Josh at Scrabble - DONE 11/12/19

When Josh and I were newlyweds, we played Scrabble together quite often, and sadly I only beat him about once every 10 times (I used to keep a record of our games!). When I watched 'Handmaid's Tale' last summer, I was inspired to start playing him again! We played head-to-head 5 times over a month, in addition to teaching and playing with the boys, and I finally beat him by just 3 points!

31. Get a couple's massage - DONE 11/29/19

Josh and I got a couple's massage on the beach in Mexico by sister masseuses! It was a nostalgic, heavenly experience, especially with the sound of the waves behind us!  It wasn't even planned or scheduled, but I loved how it all worked out!

A BETTER ME!

32. Finish reading the Book of Mormon - DONE 11/29/19

It took me 13 months, but I finally finished it while laying on the beach in Mexico! I got a new Book of Mormon in October 2018, and highlighted each reference to the Savior as I read (per President Nelson's challenge). 

33. Pay off my credit card - DONE 2/25/20

My credit card had a balance for over 5 years, and it felt so good to finally have a zero balance! 

34. Get my weight under 200 pounds - DONE 8/7/20

I was completely devoted all summer to intermittent fasting and exercising, and it paid off! I lost 15 pounds in 2 months, and for the first time in over 10 years, I dropped under 200 pounds! I was ecstatic to have finally reached my longtime goal!

35. Write every day for a year in a Joy Journal - DONE 8/13/20

I kept a daily journal in cute, decorative notebooks all year about things that brought me joy during my day. It was a positive mental exercise to help me find the good in my life, even amidst the hard times. I've already enjoyed looking back and recounting my experiences and heartfelt sentiments!

36. Create a wall in my home of family pictures on canvas - DONE 9/7/19

I ordered canvas family photos, imprinted the years on them, and placed them in a circular design around our wedding photo above the piano. I've thought about doing something big on this wall for years now, and I love how it turned out! The emptiness on the left is for future photos!

37. Print off all my blog books to the current year - DONE 6/3/20

I have gotten behind the last few years ordering the books. In just 6 months this year, I ordered 4 years' worth of books! The 9 books totaled almost $700! I loved looking through them when they arrived in the mail and reliving our family's memories!

38. Tattoo eyeliner - DONE 7/1/20

It was a strange and painful experience for my eyes, but I have loved the new, subtle look and have been wearing mascara more since then, too! In fact, I put this one on the list to inspire me to take the time to wear a little makeup!

39. Get a new tattoo with a small design - DONE 11/15/19

I got a music note on my right wrist because music is in my blood and 2 eighth notes are the rhythm of my name. Music is part of me, and teaching elementary music in Salmon was the beginning of my career in teaching. Although that job was taken from me, the passion for music was always there and still remains. 

40. Sleep under the stars one night - DONE 7/8/20

Josh and I slept in the back of the pickup truck at Horse Creek Hot Springs. It was my favorite experience of the summer! I never expected this one to be so fun, especially because I put this item on the list to help me tackle my fear of the night sky and I'm SO grateful for Josh and his ideas and support to help me cross it off and make it so fun and memorable for me!