Back to School

I guess I’ve been left the lone blogger in the family. Bridget, who helped me set this thing up has abandoned me (too busy with her own facebook, school, etc.) Weston couldn’t care less about this kind of thing, Trevor hasn’t caught on yet and Lana doesn’t know how -- and doesn’t seem to want to learn (Eric and Tiffany talk to her won’t you?) So here I sit at the office during lunch, just finished a Taco Bell ranchero chicken soft taco, catching up on all of your blogs and breathing a big SIGH because summer is over and it’s time to focus on the daily mundanity, mundanassity? (mundane-ness) of life (school and work) pleasantly sprinkled with moments of oddity, intrigue, challenge and excitement.

Thanks to everyone who visited us over the summer, and those who allowed us to visit them! OUR lovely time of year is coming up, so any of you in cooler (freakin' cold) climates who want to warm up during the winter a little later -- come on down! I understand Jenny and Tyson are moving this way – woohoo, more family in the ‘hood.

Trevor has been slowly coming down off his mission high -- at times feeling lost, bored and overwhelmed at the decisions he will have to consider over the next few years of his life. Going to the gym to get back in shape and meeting up with old friends has helped the transition -- he'll be JUST fine! He has had an Italian friend visiting for the past week. They’ve been having fun riding motorcycles, cliff jumping, site seeing, shopping and dating the pretty ‘American’ girls we have around here. Trevor heads up to school in a couple weeks.

Weston is in full swing with band practice every morning and the occasional evening under the lights as they prepare for the start of football season -- or more appropriately referred to as “marching band season” as they look forward to their festivals, competitions and trip to a Florida bowl parade (which Weston thinks he will forego since some of his friends can't go.) He is keeping his part time job at Little Ceasars for the time being. This Sr. school year will be a test of his time management skills. School, band, job, YM, the occasional date and getting his Eagle project done before November will keep him busy.

Bridget is the quintessential teenage female (I’m so glad we didn’t start out with a girl!) My stomach is in knots just watching her get ready for the day each morning! What an ORDEAL! She had a great time at EFY in Provo, made some long distance friends and looks forward to next year. She is cooling down on the ballroom dancing for now and warming up to the guitar. She is also going to try out for the tennis team just for the fun of it. She doesn’t really know how to play, but that shouldn’t matter should it?

Lana will be the favorite substitute teacher of thousands of kids this school year (or the bane of their existence if they get out of line.) BREAKING NEWS 19.Aug.08: Looks like she has been talked into taking on a full-time kindergarten class. I would have thought she has enough of my infantile and childish behavior at home to deal with, but I guess not. Now back to the update in progress... She is excited about an upcoming trip back to her mission homeland of Ecuador with her best friend Pilar (who is from Ecuador, but living here) and Lana’s brother, Alan. That will be a fun October getaway for them. Lana last visited there with her youngest sister 14 years ago, and can’t wait to get back and see familiar places and hopefully familiar faces.

As for me – I’ve had more than my share of fun for the year and need to get back to the grind stone to pay for it! …but no tears for me please – I’ll be having fun along the way. Thanks for the call the other day Tobey, was nice chatting with you. Yes, we'll have to hold off on our joint business venture another year or two until timing and opportunity come into alignment -- we still need to work on getting your dad on board though!

Y’all enjoying the Olympics?

Go USA ! …and Italy …and Japan …and Ecuador ...and Germany and France (for our good friends there)

Anyone else we should we be rooting for?

ItAusGermaFranaly

A sampling from the 4-hour slide show of Trevor and Rob's European road trip. ...sorry 'bout the cheesy music.

Together again

Together again.

(quick trip report and a picture or twelve forthcoming)

In a Land of Enchantment

Trevor and I are in Fussen, Germany right now (on the border with Austria.) Having an awsome trip so far. Trevor looks great and had a great mission. He is anxious to get home, but kind enough to humor me while I look around this most interesting part of the world. We went to each of his areas and visited with many of his peeps. Everyone has glowing things to say about him -- makes a parent proud. We also looked up an old Italian friend of my Dad´s from when he was stationed in the Napoli area during WWII. The gentleman has passed away, but we met with his wife and some of the kids who (with tears in their eyes) remember my dad, his friendship and generous help to them during such difficult times. We have had some great experiences, met tremendously interesting people and seen some wonderful, beautiful and amazing places.

Beware anyone who might consider visiting us anytime soon -- you may be subjected to a 4-hour slide show (an estimate for sure, times may vary.) ...will post just a few after we get home.

Rob

Summer is here in full force with a string of temps over 110 -- but that's life in the desert.

Since we last 'spoke' the kids have finished the school year and are glad to see another year of their schooling career GONE (remember those days?) Bridget's math teacher had a traumatic experience that inflicted her life with depression toward the end of the school year. Bridget sprang into action with some comforting acts of kindness including a fun project which had us looking for 'peace-sign' magnets on the internet (not something you can pick up at the corner market.) This teacher, a self-proclaimed hippie, once said that she would like to cover her van (mini -- not VW) with 'peace-sign' magnets so that everyone would think of peace when she drove by. Bridget was able to acquire between 30-40 peace magnets including a 2 ft. diameter monster magnet for the hood. On the last day of school, we all helped Bridget "peace attack" her teacher's car (in the rain.) It was a fun to do, but even funner to watch the smile on the teacher's face (from a covert location) when she saw her van -- the biggest smile I have ever seen. We have a peace magnet on our fridge to remember it by. Bridget will be going to EFY (BYU-Provo)at the end of July.

Weston has just started a job at Little Ceasars Pizza. We have a favorite family pizza place (Barro's for those of you who have been here,) but Weston has always preferred Little Ceasar's. So now he can have as much of his favorite as he can stand. He just started, so I don't have any embarassing photos of him working yet -- I have some from his Peter Piper Pizza days if you would like to see those! After much deliberation, he has decided to return to the marching band for his Sr. year (trumpet.) They will be marching in the Florida Gator Bowl parade in January.

Lana is in the middle of going through, and trying to organize, boxes of memories (photos, love letters between her parents, etc.) She taught part time as a reading specialist this past school year, but is getting calls again for full-time positions. She really enjoyed the part-time schedule, but is considering the offers. She got an i-pod for Mother's Day and can often be found sitting in a comfy chair, with eyes closed, tracing the movement of tunes in the air with her hand.

I have been busy with work (of course) and a couple home improvement projects. The most recent include canopies between the beams over the front entry for much needed shade, and rebuilding and tiling the juliet balconies in front of Weston and Bridget's bedroom windows which have been an eye-sore ever since moving in. Before and After pics shown. If any of you ask which is the before and after -- I will find you and hurt you! Only 139 more home improvement projects to go.

..and I get to, selfishly, go get Trevor and do a European road trip with him (after his tour of duty ends, but before his "release," so I will be his companion for a couple weeks.) We WERE going to wait until he got home and released then all return as a family, but I started making arrangements, added up the numbers and said -- HHyyaah RIGHT! So we whittled it down to Lana and I going to pick him up BEFORE he returns home, and then Lana whittled it down further. I leave Thursday. Trevor and I will get to see much of Italy and visit some of our past exchange students in Germany and France.

Trevor's homecoming talk will be July 27th for any who feel the need to travel to the desert at the worst possible time of year. After a short time at home, he will return to BYU-Provo (Fall) and be looking into changing his focus from business to Political Science and Italian. He will be staying with some friends at the Liberty Square Apts.

'Til next time...

Two Weeks?

Hey - We've reached a blogging milestone! We have been blogging long enough now that our very first post has dropped off the bottom of the page. Woohooooo - rookies no more! ...oops, this will probably knock off another one -- oh well, life goes on.

The letters are starting to come in from Trevor's Mission Pres. (first to our Bishop and then to us) announcing the final stages of his mission and reminding us that Trevor may need a transitionary environment in which to land softly from his spiritual high -- so I guess we'll have to clean up our language, cancel cable, only smoke outside, replace the Sports Illustrated and Hot Rod display mags with the Ensign and Friend, hide the booze and keep our wild rock-n-roll music confined to our earbuds. Think two weeks will be long enough?

Rob

Nothing exciting.

Nothing exciting is happening over here right now. We are just happy that school is almost over. Then we'll have plenty to talk about -- sleeping in, laying around playing video games, complaining about being bored, swimming, eating otter pops (or as Dad calls them "otter poops.")
Happy Mother's Day to 'yall!