July

 Ah, house projects.  We have decided we need to replace our shower.  We've gotten 3 bids...2 of them were around $16,000 for just shower...the third was about $9000.  Ugh!!

We have a California shower
tub set up

Trying to find a shower wall
color I like

Another angle

   The problem with picking colors is they don't always make what you like.  Our current shower is cream with a soft swirl of white running through it.  You hardly see it, but it is there.  The only thing close is this one with brown in it.  If it is too much brown I don't think I'll like it.  I hate doing stuff like this!

Utah State Orientation
No, I don't know why Jason is making that 
face

Schedule

On Wednesday, July 3, we went up to USU for orientation.  Jacob went up the night before and stayed overnight.  We got up and drove there that morning.  We met altogether and then had breakout session separately. They give lots of information and show how they support students.  It was pretty informative. 

We had lunch and then more classes.  We headed home around 4 p.m.

Lucy, Julia, Tanner, Emma, Hannah &
Olivia

MarySue's bday and 4th dinner

Watching fireworks

4the of July!  250 year celebration!

On Saturday the 4th we went to Joy's for lunch with the family.  Elizabeth, Amy, Barry and Linda, Gayle, Joy's friend Sue, Taylor, Mike and us.  It was fun to see the kids and how round 2 of the grandkids (or mom's great grandkids) are beginning to fill in.  By the end of this year I think Mom will  have 23 great grandkids!  

We got home about 4 p.m. and around 5 p.m. Randy, MarySue and Karen came for dinner.  It was low key, but very pleasant and we visited until 9:30.  

After they left Jason and I drove over to South Town mall in time to watch the fireworks out the car window.  

Jacob went with us to Joy's and then he left to go over the Elias' house for a party.  They ate, swam, watched a movie, went to Sandy South Town to watch fireworks and then hiked to the suspension bridge in Draper.  He had a good time.  

Sunday was America's Potluck dinner to celebrate America's 250th birthday.  Not many people came, but Cathey's joined us.  I'm glad we went.  Afterwards we went to Cathey's and played games.

Dinner

Ashlyn, Morgan and me

Happy 4th!

Draper Days parade

Back at the park in the afternoon and staking out
our spot for evening concert and fireworks

Draper Days goes on for a week.  The past couple of years we have participated just on Saturday.  We began by going to the parade with Catheys.  There are a few freebies passed out and it always fun to see what you get.  

After the parade we went to Draper Park for the Fireman's pancake breakfast.  Then we went to Central Bank for their street tacos.  It was very hot, but fun.

We then went home to cool off!  At 3:30 we went back to the park to play Bingo.  There were 8 of us and out of the 8, 5 of us won!  I got a cooler bag.  

Our view while eating. 

We then walked around the park looking at the vendors booths.  As we passed one of them someone said, "Jason."  It was his cousin Tara.  We stopped to talk to them for a few minutes and Tom and Wendy continued looking around.  

When we were done we continued looking at the booths and then met up with Catheys.  They decided to walk up the hill to Macys for deli sandwiches.  I knew with my hip I could not do that hill so Jason and I stayed and split a salad from Costa Vida.

Great spot on the hill, in the shade, enjoying
dinner.

After we ate we went back to our blanket area and as we got there we ran into Jason's other cousin Ty (Tara's brother) and his wife.  Fun to see them.  

We played 5 Crowns with Catheys until the fireworks started.  The day itself was very hot, but that evening was comfortable in the shade and later darkness.

Getting ready for the fireworks

Heidi, Rio and me

The next Saturday I went over to Heidi's to see Mackenzie and the kids.  They have been in town for Mackenzie's sister's wedding.  It was fun to visit.

Sunday nap

Celebrating Rob's 9th birthday

Ethan, Jacob, Grace, Sage. Sarah, Dan,
Lilly, Irina, Rob playing softball

On Sunday afternoon we went over to Jared's

to celebrate Robert's birthday.  We had tacos for

dinner and a cookie with ice cream cake for dessert.  MarySue was not there as she is visiting Jenny for a few weeks.  

Jason's work has been crazy this month.  He has to do a report that has taken him HOURS to do.  Its not just him...his counterparts in other refineries have had similar problems.  

Can't believe July is about over.  It has been a very hot month!  In 3 weeks we take Jacob to school!  Wow!!

June

Hale Theater-My Fair Lady

 We kicked off June by going to My Fair Lady at Hale Center Theater.  It was so good and the scenery was amazing!

Mylee had recently gotten home from her mission for health reasons--stomach and back pain beginning in April.  It got to the point that she needed to come home so it could be figured out.  

Turns out she has a small hernia and a cyst on one of her ovaries.  Both thing explain the pain.  They are doing tests on the cyst to see if it is cancerous and if it is not they will watch it to see if it will shrink on its own.  If it doesn't they will do surgery and she should be able to go back to the field.  In the meantime, she is a service missionary and sister training leader here.  It is fun to have her back around!

The storage room saga again!

  The day after the theater we found ants in our food storage room.  Not only ants, but flying ants.  UGH!! Tried ant bait and that helped, but didn't stop the flying ant problem.  

So we had to take everything out--AGAIN and try to find the problem.  Regular ants leave a path so we found that, but the flying ants you have to assume are coming in the same way. 

Jason took out part of the ceiling

What a mess!!

 We ended up taking down the ceiling completely, found the corner ant trail and they Jason bought some expanding foam and sprayed it in all of the crevices in the ceiling.  We could also see ants outside, in front, right by the steps which are over this room. 


We watched and found that the ants had died, but not the flying ants.  So we sealed up under the door to see if the expanding foam would seal them out.

What a mess!

Every few days we checked and still found them in the closet.  Finally called pest control and they came out about a week later.

Jacob has a job working for the district doing IT sorts of things.  Cleaning and moving Chromebooks etc.  He likes his job, which is nice...for a few weeks he was also working at Home Depot in the garden department on Fridays--which he did not love.  Since he was SO part time they let him go.

After his first week of work, we went down to St. George with friends...Jackson Holebroke and Grady.  They stayed with Jackson's cousin for 3 days, and 1 night they went camping.  I don't know Jackson's cousin's parents, but they must be saints because they had their family, another uncle and family and the boys there!  He had fun.

Jacob went to St. George and we went to
Olive Garden for dinner!

Off they go to St. George

On Thursday Jason and I went over to Jared and Stephanie's stake center to help set up for the wedding luncheon and reception.

On Friday the 12th, Emma and Ethan got married in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It was a beautiful day and they seem so happy!

  

Taking a bow with a kiss

Setting up food

Getting ready to eat

Japanese Drumming

Father's Day!  Chips, a rachet piece,
 and his E-Bike

Tree was getting in the way of 
closing the gate.  It had to go.

For Father's Day we went to Josh and Irina's to celebrate.  

J hanging out in the living
room

My half face picture

Sage tried to teach me how
to get the group picture.  I need
practice!

Jen Stein, Sharon, Kim, Joy and me

Kim Stewart came into town the last week of June.  We got together with her for dinner.  

They came to spray and at first I thought it was wet and not drying.  I put a fan on it, but it actually had set and was like shellack.  When the guy came again we washed it with soap and water and that helped. 

I am so tired of this room.  It all started after
we had the additional cement poured in the 
front in 2023

Jason's birthday was on Saturday.  6 days away from Father's Day!

What could it be?

It was shirts, shirts and more shirts!  I bought a bunch because I never know what he might really like.  He ended up keeping all of them!

A shirt!

Another shirt!

That night we invited Catheys over for ice cream and we watched Sheep Detective.

May

Senior Sunset

 May--the month of graduation!!   One of the activities Alta High does is Senior Sunset.  Jacob went with a few of his friends...Paul, Grady, Wesley and Jackson.

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day we had the Wong's, Joy and Matthew over for dinner.  This is the only picture I took.  Jason had to leave that day for work in Houston that began on Monday.  We went to dinner the night before and Jason got me flowers, Jacob gave me Sees candy.  

 

The following Saturday the Stake hosted a 

graduating Seniors breakfast.  

It was tasty...Chick-fil-a and yogurt/granola bowls. 

My boy all grown up

 
The next day we went in the afternoon with Wendy and Jaxon to take some senior pictures with the boys together.  We went to Draper Elementary, where they met, and to Draper park, where they played over the years. 

Always clowning

One of my fav pictures

Chinese Immersion

Draper Elementary

End of an era!

Just about done!!

Later that night was Seminary graduation!

After graduation I managed to get Jacob over to where we were, gave our phone to Trent Ferguson and asked him to take a quick picture before Jacob got away to the cookies!

Our handsome and amazing boy!!

Busy last week of May!  On Monday we went to Josh and Irina's for Memorial Day.  Randy, MarySue, Karen, Josh, Irina, Sarah, Steve, Hannah and the kids were there.  

Jason and I went out with Irina to attempt Pickleball.  Jacob and Sarah went to the pool.  As they were leaving Jason, Irina and I tried the pool.  We then went back for pizza.  It was a relaxing afternoon.

Tuesday Jacob had graduation practice and then yearbook signing.  His last day at the school!  

Wednesday was graduation!  Jacob had to lineup by 9 a.m. and we went in to get seats.  Randy, MarySue, Joy and Heidi joined us.

Jacob in middle looking towards
us

Shaking the principal's hand

The whole class

My official graduate!!

My baby is graduated!

With Gr. & Gr. Wong

Heid, Joy and me

And he is done!

After graduation everyone came to our house for sloppy joes lunch and cake.  That night Jacob went to the Pepperwood graduation party.  It is put on by parent up there and they have games, food, a pool etc.  He had a fun time.  He went with Jackson Holbrook and Paul Moyer.

On Saturday the guys went down to Lehi to help Steve and Hannah load up their truck to move to Gilbert AZ.  He starts his general surgery residency there in June.  The girls went and celebrated Emma about to get married with a shower.  They had great food, fun games and she got a lot of nice gifts. 

Jacob has started his Home Depot job.  It is part time in the garden nursery.  He begins
his IT internship with the school district on Monday.