Soccer tournaments, Priest Camp in Manti, Elisabeth Missionary Field Trip to AZ, Stitches for Charles

Annabelle and Nora had their soccer tournaments in the end of July and beginning of August. Annabelle's games were so hot, but the weather for Nora's games were a little better, although we did have to stop a game and reschdule it because of the lightning. I took this picture during that game when I ran to my car just as it started to rain and made it back in time just before the sideways downpour from all the wind that was blowing. 

Nora's team ended up getting 2nd place in the Murray Max Cup tournament! 

Charles' priest group did a river rafting overnight trip to Manti. And Rachel Eccles(she did cheer with Elisabeth) just so happened to be one of the guides on their river run! I knew she worked there because I hike with her mom Shauna and she had mentioned it so I hoped they'd run into each other. 

These boys had such a great experience! Some of the guys are already planning to go back next summer so they can do it again. 

I am grateful for all the leaders who go with them on these each year. I know it's a sacrifice as you're using your own vacation time at work to take days off, and there's no pay, in fact, they probably each had to pay to go on the trip, but either way I am so grateful as it helps shape these boys into the great men they will become. It's so good for them to be surrounded by good, strong, faithful men who love them and are there to go on these adventures and have fun. 

One of our neighbor friends got baptized; I was grateful for all the young women and ward members who showed up to support her and her family. 

Elisabeth is doing well at the MTC. The day to day life is pretty monotonous, and the food isn't her favorite, so she was super excited when she was able to take a field trip for the day to fly out to AZ with a few other missionaries! This isn't just some fun sight-seeing trip  (is there stuff to sight see in AZ?), they go to appear before the consulate so they can receive their Visa's in order to travel to Ecuador, but they didn't care! They were just so excited to get out of the MTC, to visit with people, and to eat different food (they went to texas roadhouse or something like that). They made an "emergency companionship" for elisabeth, which is one sister missionary with 4 elders(because she was the only sister who needed to travel there that day & these elders needed to travel there too)...and her companion Sister Hupp had to do the same thing in the Provo MTC that day while Elisabeth was gone. 

Scott had both of his teams go to watch an RSL soccer game one evening, which is something he had Nora's team do last  year as well. 

Charles had an accident while at work. Over the summer he did landscaping full-time (and Subway part time), and while at his landscaping job one day near the end of the summer, he was bringing the trimmer down and it sliced the top of one of his fingers. Whit (he's wonderful boss who's also our neighbors dad) took him into urgent care and Scott met them there (I was in the temple and didn't know about it until an hour later after I got out) and Charles got 7 stitches in the top of his finger. This happened on a Thursday and he didn't have work friday so he had the weekend off (although I think he still worked at Subway that weekend). He's fine and the finger is healing well. Charles is such a hard worker and we're proud of all he does. 

I mentioned above how I love our youth leaders, and that goes for the young men and the young womens! They are consistent and steady and they plan fun and uplifting activities and provide opportunities for these girls to grow their relationship with God and with the other young women in our area which I love. 

 

2nd half July-Grama Smith, Elisabeth provo MTC, Women's Epic Race

We had to go swimming one last time before Elisabeth was set apart as a missionary, because she won't be going for the next 18 months. 

Elisabeth was set apart two days after we got back from our St George family reunion on Sunday July 16th. 

Jane went home with Becca from St George and we planned to meet up half way near Burley Idaho on Tuesday. Nora was a little sad that she was missing out on all the fun they were having there in Idaho (Becca of course planned fun things to do every day she was there), so Nora and I decided to have a  date at Boondocks! This is a big deal because we don't ever take our kids here. I think I remember going one time to do bumper boats years ago. We tend to avoid family activities that cost a lot of money so we can afford to take them on a family trip and do the sports etc they enjoy. We did a ropes course (I liked that one the most, but it was nora's least favorite because of the height)

We drove bumper boats and go karts, and we played lazer tag. 

Scott's mom came out to visit us while Elisabeth did her first week of at-home MTC, from the 19th through the 23rd. We hadn't seen her in a couple of years, and it'd been 4 years since she'd last been to our house so it was good to spend time together. Scott took the week off, although he still had soccer tournament games during the day for a few days. 

Elisabeth's first week as being a missionary involved her sitting in zoom classes for most of the day with short breaks in between classes. Ever since COVID, they begin all missions with this at-home MTC experience. I think it's smart. She liked getting to meet her companion and district  and spending hours with them each day during that week prior to meeting them in person, because it made her excited to be with them. Scott and I  liked having a missionary in the home for a week because it elevated our conversations, our music and the things we watched. I'm not sure how the kids felt about it...I think they loved having her around a little longer, but they also missed their music; although Charles and Annabelle both have airpods so they still listened throughout the day. 

I liked this Do Not Distrub note Nora made for Jane's door while Elisabeth was in her zoom classes(since that's where she did her classes):

Saturday morning Kim, Tiffany, Shauna and I hiked to Desolation and Dog lake (plus up a little past desolation to the wasatch crest), and then Kim and I trail ran back down. We went early enough in the morning that it stayed pretty cool, although the last mile or so got pretty warm and buggy. 

During Elisabeth's week of at-home MTC, we also spent any of her free time, which wasn't much, packing her bags and packing up everything left in her closet into tupperware's since Lani and Spencer would be moving back in a few days later, and that's the room where Lani would be staying again.

Jo Darton, a friend we sometimes hike with, recently created a hiking and mountain biking trail in butterfield canyon so she took a group of us and lead us along the trail. We did some hiking and jogging. 

The tournament games were uncomfortably hot. We brought umbrellas to shade ourselves, but we were still dripping with sweat. Grandma was a good sport and came along to support Annabelle and Scott despite the heat. The umbrellas helped you feel like your skin was not burning,  but because of how close they are to our heads, they also created a sort of sauna feel. 

We made a trip to Ikea while grandma was here; I think the last time I went was when she was here! Here are Nora and Skylee doing the Elf splits on the escalator. 

Kim, Annie and I hiked the 7 lakes loop Brighton (we actually just went to 6 of the lakes) and hiked and jogged throughout. 

It was so beautiful! I think this is my second favorite hike in our area (first being Lake blanche). 

On Wednesday July 26 we dropped Elisabeth off at the MTC in provo. Before dropping her off, we met up with her companion and her friend Jared outside the Provo temple. 

Our last family picture for awhile. Probably for 3 years since Charles plans to go on a 2 year mission once he graduated next summer. 

Saying goodbye to a loved one for a long period of time is hard. But I'm so grateful we get to video chat with her every week! 

Later that night we got a text from our friend Ben Arkell. He'd gone to the MTC with their youth group for a tour and they ran into Elisabeth! Tender mercies. We were glad to see her smiling face. 

She loves hermana hupp, her companion and is doing so well that we're not so worried. 

I loved this painting I found by Greg Olsen, of sister missionaries praying together. 

Kim and I signed up to do the Women's Epic trail race after CSE posted about it on their social media page. Kim and I have done several road races together but this was our first time doing a trail race (hence all the trail running happening lately). We loved it. And it was fun meeting the owners/founders of CSE, Erika and JJ Peterson. I thanked them for all their work in creating balanced recipes and protein powders and products that are delicious. And then I ran into them again a couple of weeks later because their daughter started practicing with Nora and Scott's soccer team :). 

We hiked most of the first half of the hike, which was almost all up and pretty steep.

Erika caught up to us and we hiked together for a little bit. 

Half way point

And then we ran all the way back down! That's my favorite part! It's so fun running down a mountain! 

They had ice bath's there so Kim and I went in for a dip. That was another first experience. It was shocking at first but then it got better. 

I sat in there for 2 minutes! That's the length they tell you to stay for if you can. I loved the lady standing there next to me who coached me through my breathing and how to stay calm and find peace during that intense cold. 

Kim ended up getting 3rd place in her age division! And I didn't even know until a few days later when the results were sent out because Scott and I left before the awards began. Boo. I wished I was there to cheer her on and see her on the stand. She won some pit viper sunglasses and a bag of CSE protein powder. 

The merchandise we got from this race was hands down the best I've ever gotten. And CSE was the sponsor that gave the most. We'll definitely be signing up again if they're sponsoring in the future. 

Spencer showing off his missionary tag after church one sunday so we could send it to missionary elisabeth. 

Charles always wanted a brother. Now he sorta has one :). They mostly have fun together. Spencer loves and looks up to charles so much, it's really sweet. 

Read the caption on the picture. Annabelle finally got her drivers permit! 

You can take the written exam 3 times for a $19 fee (although you can only take it twice in a day, and then you have to make an appointment to come back to take it the third time), so we did end up having to pay the fee a couple of times. After her third failed attempt, we decided to grab one of the DMV handbooks so she could take it home to study...before that she was just doing practice tests on the DMV Genie app which wasn't enough for her (that's all Charles and Elisabeth did to prepare as well). When we paid it the second time they told us she'd get three more attempts until we had to pay again. She read and highlighted that entire booklet. Her fourth attempt she still failed, but it was super close. And then finally, attempt number 5 was a success!! We did a little happy dance there in the DMV while we squealed our congratulations. 

I still have bumps on my leg, a month later, after that hike in St George where the catcus thing stuck to my ankle. But now that we're in the end of August (that's when I'm writing this), I feel like it's finally beginning to fade.