Saved by Family

Coming home from Utah was hard. Harder this time than I think it's ever been. I miss it a lot. Of course, it doesn't help that I was coming home to a 5:45 am alarm and bratty students who don't listen to me. But my family has made it so much better. I'm so grateful to be living with Tessa and her kids, who make my life much happier. 

This first picture cracks me up. The twins are both pretty compliant - they don't mind having pictures taken of them, though they always want to see them afterwards. Remember when you used to have to develop pictures before you could see them? Crazy. Anyway, I told Cooper to smile and this is what he came up with the first time. Hilarious!

Today for Labor Day we went down to my Grandma Shoaf's house to have a picnic lunch. A lot of our Shoaf family was supposed to be there to help cut wood for her to last through the winter, but by the time we got there everyone was gone, so it ended up just being our family and Grandma. That was alright with me. After lunch we took the kids for a little walk down to the creek to give them some good country experience. :)

I have so many fond memories of playing at my grandma's house with cousins when I was younger. Her farm provided plenty to do, and I loved playing with my cousins. While we were there, I remembered about the old barrel my grandpa turned into an outdoor drinking fountain for us, playing Ghost in the Graveyard when it was getting dark, and eating popcorn out of cake pans. When we went down to the creek today, I tried to find the spot where I broke my leg sledding when I was nine. I was working from an 18 year-old memory, though, and couldn't quite pick out the spot. I haven't been sledding since.

Poor Campbell had a true country experience, when she got her flip flops stuck in the mud. I think a true country experience, though, probably wouldn't have had shoes at all.

We were all pretty worn out on the way home - three of the four kids cashed out, and I went straight down to my room afterwards to take a nap. I'm sure I'll regret that here in a little bit when I try to go to bed for work tomorrow.