You Are My Sunshine

For me the best part of this week, without question, was having Wyatt home! He is just so great. He is wonderful at inviting me to play with fun questions. Examples: Who is your favorite person? Who is your favorite fictional character? Do you like regular or weird getting to know you questions better? In addition, he just makes all the things more fun whether it is Costco or a failed trip to the Nelson-Atkins or the barbecue museum. Wyatt is currently sans mustache, and is currently considering applying to medical school--a fun and surprising thought!

My guys in step on a neighborhood walk.

When the Nelson didn't work out we went to the Kemper. I love Louise Bourgeois spiders.

Another best was hearing the light in Willa's voice as she reported on her first days at her NEW JOB! Hooray for better pay, using her skills, and working at a much, much better place! She is considering moving closer to Lehi, where she now works.

I also loved reading stories to Mariah's kids a couple of times this week. Wyatt made that easier by being my cameraman once, but he decided that is a boring job. Wyatt is also considering visiting Mariah before school starts. I told him it's the best thing to do in the summer. I think he may go. Mariah's new bowl for washing hair in her basement salon came this week. It looked perfect, but I didn't get an actual report of how it was to use it.

This kitty has taken to hanging out upstairs with Kattalin when she is home. This pic is reminding me of her eye injury. Usually her pupils look normal now.

Another on my list of favorites was hanging out with Jayla a bunch. I loved helping her accomplish a couple of things at her school and finding people who care about her and were willing to help her. I loved helping her find information about both of her grandmas so she could take their names to the temple and be baptized in their behalf. As we were leaving I asked her how it was for her, and she said she kind of felt like crying, but in a good way. I told her that was normal. I felt the same way.

Eve and Griffin started school at Indian Hills. Seventh grade! They have come home happy every day, but it is a lot to get back into the schedule of going to school every day when you have been on vacation. Eve is a little dismayed that she doesn't own the right clothes for the 7th grade girl uniform (a lot of high end athleisure pieces).  Griffin said he did the very best on Spanish translation and counting. The kid who did second best could count to quince, and Griff counted to treinta y nueve. 

Another way Wyatt makes things more fun: encouraging silliness on the back to school pictures.

Eve is always up for silliness. She had to try a heel click jump in one of the missionaries' shoes as we had them over to dinner, just because they were so big and it looked so funny.

Kattalin also started school! She is volunteering in Mrs. Regier's class at Briarwood three days a week. Those three days just wipe her out, and she spends most of the next day sleeping and recovering in her room. She had a terrible adventure on a very hot day when she got lost biking back home. She seemed to take it in stride, though it added to her tiredness.

Eliza and Evan are just doing such a great job growing three little kids!  Barry gave us real smiles this week as he let us see his adorable cheeks, belly and thigh.  Juliet had her kindergarten placement assessment and will start school on Tuesday. Frank is still all the things--loud, rough and so much fun! He starts school on Monday. Eliza convinced a girl in her ward to quit her job and nanny for her until she leaves on a mission in January. That will start in a couple of weeks I think.

As we were leaving her high school, Jayla saw her very favorite teacher and found out she will be in his creative writing class!

One of the silliest things all week was a trip to the BBQ museum. A couple of times we had a hard time getting pictures because we were laughing too hard.

The bean pit was so much funnier than I thought it would be!

Another favorite thing was having Kayci and Lucy stay with us for a night as they were on their way driving Lucy out to university in Virginia.  I just love them!

Checking out my sunflowers. Sunflowers are the Kansas state flower.

Kattalin's first day in Mrs. Regier's class! She has been too tired to give full reports, but says she is enjoying it. She did say the kids peppered her with questions at recess on the first day!

Wyatt took out a tree and some serious vines that were growing up to the overhead cables for us.

Alan and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary by going to Paros Estiatorio for a fancy dinner. We had a flaming cheese appetizer (I pretended not to be vegan for a night), a gorgeous stack of zucchini and eggplant chips on a bed of tzaziki sauce, a wonderful Greek salad with no lettuce, scallops and risotto (me) and lamb shank with potatoes and carrots (Alan). For dessert we had warm baklava with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Then we came home and watched the final episode of This Is Us. It was a perfect way to celebrate!

The temple looks like a castle. I told Jayla it is because it is teaching us to be kings and queens. We invited Kattalin to come at least see the temple, but she was too tired from school.

The youth that were there and their excellent leaders.

Last night we took the kids to Spin Pizza and watched Ferris Buhler's Day Off, which is one of our favorite movies. Kattalin came to dinner but opted out of the movie, as her family called just as we were starting. Kayci arrived on her way back from Virginia and watched the end of the movie and went on a warm night walk with us to stretch her legs after her drive.