August: Get Out Ma House!

 Oh August. You've been hot (but not humid), smoky (thanks, California), and SCHOOL STARTED. 

Addie and Aani went to youth conference in Capitol Reef Nat'l Park just a couple of days after we got back from SC. They had a good time and we're thankful they got to go! I don't have one picture from it, since they weren't allowed to take their phones, and no leaders have posted anything. 

Dad hanging with his girls while I talked to my brother. This was at my niece Haylee's homecoming breakfast yesterday. 

For Nils' birthday, we headed up north to the Ogden area for two things: Smith and Edwards, and to try Nils Swedish Creamery. Smith and Edwards is a Nils favorite, and I read something about this creamery a year or so ago. Obviously we had to try it. The 13 year old girls working there didn't seem impressed that Nils' name is Nils, though. 

Nils went on a man outing on Saturday with some friends from the neighborhood. They went to Diamond Fork Canyon to Fifth Water Hot Springs. Good times were had, and dad bods abounded. 

We often walk up to the top of the neighborhood, where there's a park that has an exercise loop. The other night we got up there and there was a cow. Sometimes we feel like weird things happen to us and no one else. 

 Nils 3D printed this guy, so now we have something appropriate to adorn the piano. 

First day of school! Glory Halleluja. Ava's in 6th grade. 

Aani's in 9th grade. 

Addie's a junior. She gets up when it's dark so she can go to early morning seminary; she takes early morning seminary so she can have more room in her schedule for electives. 

This is what our days looked like a lot before school started. We're not sad about school starting. 

Nils got a VR headset, and it's not possible to look normal while using it.

Our stake had a fast for rain. The evening the fast ended, the heavens opened. We were at my mom's house, and sheets of water were coming down. Her outside stairwell started to fill up with water, and the water started coming in through the basement door. We had no choice but to get out there and bail water. Fully clothed, we ran up and down the stairs with buckets and buckets of water. The rain was relentless. We did that for about 30-45 minutes before it slowed enough that we could stop. It was insanity. We were soaked to the bone, and had to wring out our clothes and put them in the dryer before we went home. Good times. 

The Saratoga Springs temple got Moroni a couple of weeks ago! We were told about it, so I got to go watch. It was really cool to witness. Rumor has it that this is one of the last temples they're putting him on. I don't know if that's true, but it likely is since it was posted on Facebook. Facebook=truth. 

Life updates: YouTube plugs along. We started a new woodworking channel in hopes that it will grow and develop a more loyal audience than LRN2DIY. We've done a lot of research and feel like this is the best course to take. This makes 3 channels to plan for and manage, but it will be good in the long run. 

Anders is still working for OC Tanner and enjoying it. He's had a few people reach out to him to apply for positions at their companies, so he's a hot commodity. He's planning on moving out by the end of October, and wants to have his car paid off by then. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and he continues to be loud every chance he gets. That could be with his voice, the piano, his subwoofers, his whistle, his footsteps, his squeaky office chair, etc. He works from home most of the time, so we hear him a lot. 

The girls are well. Addie's doing swim, and deciding if she wants to work at the indoor pool during the school year, Aani wants to join swim as well and babysits pretty regularly, Ava's on student council and in tumbling. They're good girls and we're thankful for them. 

I got desperate with my crappy skin situation and started taking a medicine that I was prescribed years ago and had a bad reaction to. I've been fine this time as far as reactions go, and I *think* it's helping. I still have some break out areas, but it's less. Will go back to the doctor for a follow up in a few weeks. I've been flaring since December, and enough is enough. It's bad. 

Thanks for reading. You deserve an ice cream sundae.