Facing the sunset
peaches and sugar,
and the sun inside the evening
Children eat
Federico Garcia Lorca
August was spent . . .
Surrounding . . . ourselves with dozens of Johnsons during the family reunion. The reunion ran from Friday to Monday. We stayed at the same lodge as last year, which was so nice. Highlights included: playing games, the film festival (Mike was in charge of the slideshow this year), Task Master (my favorite challenge was, "Do something that will surprise me," and one team climbed out of a window, drove at lightning speed to the gas station, and came back with a soft serve ice cream cone and a hot dog before their time was up), a giant family photo (including from above, with a drone), missionary stories, watercolor class with Kirsten, good food, and lots of chatting. Lowlights included: getting backed into by a trailer carrying kayaks and Pineview Reservoir, which was in the process of being drained so seemed to be more mud than water.
Repairing . . . the car. We went to the family reunion in two vehicles because the older boys needed to go home early so they could go to a youth activity. Our first stop of the reunion was at Pineview Reservoir. The boys were just a little behind us to get there, so we were quite surprised when they didn't show up. Then they called. As they were pulling into the reservoir, just as they were about to get to the pay station, the truck in front of them (that was pulling a trailer piled with kayaks) decided to turn around and backed right into them. It cracked the radiator, making it undriveable. So much for the convenience of having two vehicles! Instead, we had just one and the other one was stranded at a repair shop in Eden while Mike wrestled with the insurance. It eventually worked out, the insurance paid us the money, and then Mike had it towed to his friend's who did the repair. What a hassle.
Being . . . ordained an elder and going to the temple. Two big milestones for Aaron, each one bringing him closer to adulthood and his mission. His grandparents were able to come to his ordination, and several family members came to the temple when he received his endowment. As painful as it for me to let go of Aaron, these moments have truly been some of the happiest as I've seen him make his own decisions and feel the love of God in his life.
Having . . . a lake day with the ward. The youth leaders took a couple of boats out to Jordanelle Reservoir. All four of our teenagers went and had fun tubing and attempting to wakeboard. They returned home sunburned but happy.
Playing . . . tennis. At his request, I signed up Ian for a couple of weeks of tennis, as I have the last two summers. He did it with his best buddy, George. Silas and I usually stayed to watch them play, and I noticed a lot of improvement in Ian since last year.
Cutting . . . zinnias. I'm a little confused how I even got zinnias this year since I thought I planted other flowers instead (that never came up). But I love zinnias, so I'll take it. I cut a bouquet of them every week or so and brought them inside, and they made me so happy.
Meeting . . . Mark and Amanda's new dog, Mia. She's a cutie, but training a new puppy sounds like the opposite of fun. Grateful that we could just visit, the kids could hang out with her, and then we could leave the training to them.
Launching . . . back into school. It came so fast this year. (Maybe because it was August 12th! So awful.) In many ways, it felt like a monumental/weird day: there was no backpack or getting out the door on time for Aaron; Bradley started high school; Clark and Ian were without brothers at their respective schools. But perhaps the best and happiest part of the day was when Max came home from school in the most positive and enthusiastic mood I've ever seen him. He gave me a report on each of his classes (which he typically does), but he only had positive things to say about each of them. I think he'd be the first to tell you that the last two years of high school were rough for him, especially socially. But he must have turned a corner over the summer because he entered high school as a confident junior and hasn't looked back.
Going . . . out for lunch. On the first day of school, Aaron and Silas went to McDonald's for lunch. They were gone for a long time because they hit up the pet store after McDonald's. Silas enjoyed it so much that a week or so later, he said to Aaron, "Do you want to take me to McDonald's now or later?" Aaron thought I must have wanted them to go again, but turns out, I knew nothing about it. That Silas--he's a wily little guy.
Losing . . . our sweet bunny, Ferb. And sadly it was not a peaceful end for him. A predator, probably a dog or coyote, got him in the night. He was old and had gone both blind and deaf, but it seemed like such a traumatic way to go.
Seeing . . . all the animals at the zoo. We took advantage of a brief drop in temperature to go to the zoo with my parents. We went on the train, spent a lot of time watching the baby giraffe, enjoyed the playful otter, and braved the stinky reptile house. We also saw the dog show, which we've never seen before but which was quite entertaining.
Continuing . . . to swim. Even though school started, our little pool continued to remain open, all the way until September 26th. This is longer than they've ever kept it open before, and it was the best. The hours were a little sporadic, and sometimes there wasn't a lifeguard on duty, but it was worth it just to have a few more days there when it was still so hot.
Selling . . . stuff at a yard sale. All of our summer decluttering culminated in a yard sale. Personally, I was opposed to a yard sale; I just wanted to donate the stuff as it got decluttered. But Mike said this was the perfect opportunity for a yard sale and it would be a rite of passage for our kids. So all summer, we stockpiled stuff in the toy room. On the day of, we got up bright and early to get everything out on the lawn. It was priced to sell (meaning, we told people to "fill a bag for $1" or if they made us an offer, we took it or we gave stuff away). Even doing that, there was still so much stuff left at the end, which we then had to pack up and donate anyway. When all was said and done, I think we made about $125, which didn't really seem worth all the effort it took to get there. However, we did have one moment that I felt happy about, and that was when a family pulled up from out of town. The mom asked if we had any boy clothes. Obviously, she had come to the right place! We loaded her up with clothes for all the ages of her boys, and she honestly acted like it was an answer to prayer, so that was a win.
Honoring . . . fifty years of marriage. Mike's parents celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary this month. Many of the film festival entries during the family reunion highlighted this beautiful milestone. But then Paul and Jill also borrowed their friends' pool for a fun afternoon/evening of swimming, pickleball, games, and food. So grateful to be a part of this family and for Paul and Jill's example of love and sacrifice.
Wrapping . . . up piano lessons. For the last three years, Aaron has taught piano (and guitar) lessons to several kids in our neighborhood. He loved this job so much, and it was a bittersweet day as he had his final lessons with each of them.
Unlocking . . . the magic of reading. Silas and I started doing some reading lessons over the summer, but it wasn't until this month that things really started to click. I hope I never forget the day he read the words: "That rat is sad." The joy he experienced when he realized those words actually made a cohesive sentence was palpable. That day, he greeted everyone (to their confusion) with the words, "That rat is sad!" I've said it before, but being beside each of my kids as they have learned to read has just been one of the sweetest joys of my life.
Searching . . . for pictures at the library. Silas loves going to the library for the ever-changing scavenger hunt. Unfortunately, it's not at the library that is closest to us, so we don't make it over as frequently as he would like. It happens to be the library that I used to go to all the time when Aaron, Max, and Bradley were little (because it was within walking distance), so it's always very nostalgic for me, especially this month when literally any memory of Aaron as a little boy made me cry.
Throwing . . . a bridal shower for Angela. Anna and I planned a shower to celebrate Angela's upcoming wedding. We split up all the tasks: I took care of the invitations and the food; she hosted it at her house and did the decorations and games. We had a good turnout and enjoyed eating and talking together, hearing more about Angela's engagement and her fiancé, Maguire, and watching her open some lovely gifts.
Celebrating . . . Angela and Maguire's wedding. It was a sweltering hot but joyous August day. It's a beautiful thing to see two families mingling and blending together in celebration of the union of two people. They were sealed in the Payson temple (it was the first sealing Aaron had ever been to). A luncheon followed with a reception later that evening. We sent them off amid a shower of paper airplanes.
Competing . . . at Night of the Century Date Night. Mike's brother Matt and his wife, Brittany, host a date night competition for the nieces and nephews every year. Aaron went with his girlfriend, Annie, and Max took his friend, Miriam. Also, one of Aaron's good friends, Mary, went with their cousin, Josh. It was a super fun night. Their cousin, Andrew, came out on top.
Giving . . . his farewell talk. Aaron had his missionary farewell at the end of the month. Add this one to another beautiful, happy day in August. He had not shared his talk with me ahead of time, so it was lovely to sit in our pew and look up at him at the microphone, sharing his thoughts so eloquently. He talked about the companionship of the gospel and the different relationships that are contained within it. Bradley also participated in the meeting and played a solo on the piano (We'll Bring the World His Truth). The chapel was full of family and friends, and then they all came over to our house afterwards for lunch. We all felt so loved and supported, and it was just really nice.
That wraps up August and summer. But as always, more to come.
