New Post About Newport Coming! June 30th—July 7th 2024

 

Donut Seem Like Summer? June 2024

Oh my goodness. We are in a donut phase! Judy's in Midway is equally as good as the Thai place. I am not a fritter person (after-taste!) but if you can get a warm fritter from Judy's, do it! They are as big as Matt's face!

But...maple bars for the win.

We justified that we were now celebrating Mallerie's birthday!

I sent her a peace necklace, "Peeeeeaaaaace."

Which is exactly how I feel when I drive down majestic Provo Canyon and see the glory. Pure glory.

 

 Views on my morning walk...

Time to plant! There is the horse's head on Timp!

Haven't planted anything since before I went back to school, so a good four years. Matt and I added soil to the garden boxes since I had robbed them of their dirt to put in other areas of the yard. We also replaced the surrounding bark. Callie helped me decide on where to place which seeds and committed to helping water.

Planting Day, June 5th

June 18th

 A late cold snap threatened to freeze the tender plants.

June 22nd

Horray! Plants!

My peony bushes look like they just may come through for me...next year. In the meantime, I will keep loving the flowers from a friends garden.

They are tearing down the house next to our church parking lot to expand it. The travesty is the gorgeous, decades old peopy bushes that will be torn out. I thought I had had time to go snag some while in they were in full bloom. 
I waited too long. 

I thought of all the memories a house holds—they are what make it a home. I know this family, have for years. I saw the machines tearing down the hose as I returned from my walk. There was a group of YM who had gathered for a campout in the adjacent parking lot. One might think they would be hooting and hollering as the claw dug away at the home. Instead, there they sat on the curb in a row, silently. I believe they were feeling the sacredness of the occasion, just as I was. I stayed with my friend's house as they leveled it. It hurt my heart. I felt like I was staying with the dying because it was too hard for the family to be in the room. 

I dropped a note to the bishop of those boys to let him know how touched I was at their respect—mourning with those that mourn is honoring our baptismal covenant. I also let him know a little about the family who had lived there. No need, she is now in his ward!

Home.

Sometimes Poe gets tired of resting outside, so she has to come inside to rest.

It is a bonus when Callie is also enjoying an afternoon nap.

Speaking of beds, I post lots of pics of our main living space, but seldom of my space. I loved the way the late afternoon sun was coming in. 

As any homeowner knows, a house takes upkeep to maintain. Matt is a sucker for a good radio ad. However, I despise when worker bees are in our house. I make myself scarce while Matt deals with them. One such day was when the ducts were being cleaned. I skedaddled. 

Wings for Graham

June 8th

Graham paid as he went for flight school. He drove down to the Provo Airport to inch towards his 40-50 hours of flying time. It was amazing to watch his determination. The scholarship he planned on hadn't come to be, but he found another way. It seems that if he wasn't working, he was flying. I am glad I didn't know beforehand when it was time for him to take his first solo ride. 

Graham flew SOLO for the first time!

As per tradition, they cut his shirt tails when he landed (he was relieved to have worn an older tee). 

EFY

June 10th - June 15th 

Youth Conference for Callie and Judy, I mean, Jessie, who works at Judy's.

These two cuties got in for FSY at BYU. We could not find where to go! The lack of signage was cramping our style, BUT we got to their dorm in time to meet their counselor and for them to head to their first activity. 

Her report was that every year is different. Sometimes the counselor stands out, sometimes the gals, and sometimes the guys, but it's always a fun time. 

Bryce and Price

This was my second year attending the UPCA Conference in Bryce. I was an intern of sorts last year and could only stay one night due to Livie's wedding. This time Matt came along! He was in charge of keeping himself busy while I was at the conference. The timing worked out well since Callie was at Girl's Camp that week. The opening night keynote speaker was the one and only Rulon Gardner.

Most of the conference was held in Ebenezer's Barn.

We did get to go out that evening for Matt to see the canyon. When I went for the first time last year, I went at sunrise. It was breathtaking. I also started at the main lookout. Matt did it in reverse order and seemed to be somewhat underwhelmed, "Is this all there is?" Whaaaaa? I was glad it wasn't my first time seeing it.

The next evening, I treated him to the dinner show. We are suckers for a cheesy performance. I bought a cowgirl hat and everything. I fiddled all day with it at the conference, trying to get the safety pin out that held the price tag. When I brought it back to the room, Matt straightened out the pin, and it came right out. Didn't think of that!

Some of the other gals had brought their husbands as well. We drove to Tropic to explore some slot canyons, which was a first for me!

There was something magical about the whole night, like summer had been bottled up and was waiting for us. A live band was playing during dinner as we watched the sun set.

When the conference was over, Matt and I took an alternate route home. 

We picked up some snacks at a boutique in Marysvale.  I wish I had known the return trip included dinner, or I wouldn't have filled up so much on snacks. The steakhouse we ate at in Richfield was delicious.

As we ate our picnic, a young girl walked up to us (the town is small enough, she probably knows everybody else). She gave us a tale about how the town got its name. 

Supposedly, the story goes...

There was a new bride, Mary, who, many years ago, died on her wedding night when her long veil caught in the wagon wheel she was riding away in. 

We sort of had the haunts after that (though I believe it to be a wives' tale).

My next training was in Price, Utah the 24th-26th of June. It is a charming town as well, seems to be stuck in a time warp. I feel awfully grown up going on business trips by my lonesome—had my own hotel room and everything.

I made it back that weekend to take Callie to our annual tradition of the Miss Wasatch Pageant. We always have a swell time together. Especially going to Crumble afterward.

Sparkles were the thing this year!

Made me think of Taylor Swift's "Bejeweled" lyrics:

Best believe I'm still bejeweled

When I walk in the room

I can still make the whole place shimmer

And when I meet the band

They ask, "Do you have a man?"

I can still say, "I don't remember"

Familiarity breeds contempt

Don't put me in the basement

When I want the penthouse of your heart

Diamonds in my eyes

I polish up real, I polish up real nice!

Nice!