August 2021

We continued to stay at our friends the Sheffield's house for a few more days into August. This house is tiny and it's hot outside and we found it hard to keep ourselves entertained and everyone happy. As a last stitch effort to keep everyone's spirits high, we decided to try some more pour art like we had before moving. It worked for a little while.

When we moved to the Shefield's for the month, we already knew we'd be moving into the Schill's home for the school year. But we were still unsure of where we would go during a two week timeframe before that could happen. Our friends, the Evans invited us for dinner and swimming one day and mentioned that they'd be gone for two weeks just before school started and if we knew anyone who could dog sit. I quickly replied that we'd love to dog and HOUSE sit for them. They were ecstatic and I knew immediately that the Lord was in the details. The dates of them being gone lined up to exactly the dates that we needed somewhere to go.  

When we arrived at their home, we were greeted by this adorable sign that their children had made for us. And my dear friend Emily even left bath salts for me to enjoy her bath. (She knew I love baths)

There were so many great things about their home: comfy couches to sit on, and a place for us all to sit was a blessing. Our last place didn't have great furniture, even the beds were awful. Yet, we are still incredibly grateful for their willingness to let us stay there.  The kids loved playing Mario Kart and the pool was a huge bonus.  Every morning it was a race to who could get in the pool first. Plus we got to watch their adorable puppy Pluto! This place was seriously the "staycation" that our family needed at this point. We were going on six weeks without a place to call our own and it was beginning to wear on us. 

And on another exciting note, Carmen passed Behind the Wheel and is a real licensed driver now!!! She's a very responsible driver and so ready to take on this responsibility. Plus, this mama is tired of driving her everywhere, especially those late nights waiting for her to get off of work. As soon as she passed, I took her to pick up the car from David at work and she drove it home...following me. She wanted it to be able to get herself to work later that day. 

After our wonderful two weeks at the Evans home, we moved into Mike Schill's home in Sugar Hollow! What a treat to get to experience Sugar Hollow and the River Song property!!  Mike is getting married in September and will be moving into her place for a while and offered his home to us. This is incredibly generous of him and we know it took a lot of effort to get his home ready for us to move into. He left all his furniture, but moved out enough that we could make the place feel like our own. We are here indefinitely until we have a clearer understanding of where David will work and where we should buy a house. 

Even though we didn't go far, it was far enough that Dallin had to move schools. We left the beloved Meriwether Elementary (which I thought was a small school) for the even smaller Crozet Elementary. There were very mixed feelings about this change. This picture was at the open house before school started. 

Now, it's hard to describe River Song, the Schill's property, in adequate words. We have to drive over a fjord across the Moorman's River to get to the home. There is a lovely foot bridge to use as well. The river runs right through the front yard and provides endless entertainment. Tubing, fishing, swimming, flooding... Mike had warned us of the occasional flooding and that we needed to be prepared for high waters, like parking on the other side of the river so we don't get trapped. Well, I didn't realize how often this was going to happen! He made it sound like once in a blue moon it might happen, but it was a weekly occurrence and we learned to read the river and when it was safe enough or too dangerous to drive across the water. And trash duty was always an adventure! Sometimes we would carefully walk it across the river, but most of the time someone had to hold onto the trash cans and sit in the back of the van with the hatch door open while another person drove your across. I so wish I had gotten a picture of this! I'll just say, EVERYONE wanted to help with trash duty because it was so funny. 

Also,  since Mike isn't actually getting married until next month, he continues to live at the house for a few more weeks. He said he'd just stay in the basement, but he really was staying in this cabin that he had built - no electricity or running water...for the next 3 weeks! He used the outdoor shower each day which was right outside of the master bedroom. I was so worried the entire time either he or I would see each other in the shower, but I think we learned each others schedules and thankfully this never happened! 

First day of school came only a few days after settling into the Schill's place. We didn't have printer to make our cute 1st day of school signs, but markers work great too! Dallin started 4th grade with Mrs. Garbaccio. And because we live way out in Sugar Hollow, his bus comes at 6:50 am....not too fun. He's up with the seminary kids. 

Charlotte into 7th grade

Aliza's first day of high school!!! 

And Carmen started 11th grade. 

It felt great to be starting school in person this year. Masks are still required at school, but everyone is just happy to be in school and not on Zoom. 

The girls all get to share this one giant room together. They all went from their own rooms and own bathrooms to sharing everything, but I think they kind of like all being together. 

Here comes Dallin across the bridge from school!

David got him a pole to learn how to fish. This first time he didn't catch anything, but the next day was the funniest thing ever when he actually did catch something....

He came straight home from school and grabbed his pole and went fishing. I watched from the window and was so worried that he would catch a fish because I have no clue how to get a fish off a hook, nor did I even want to try! But within seconds of dropping his line, he had a bite and was calling for me to come help him. He would not even go near the fish!!! He just kept screaming and running away from it all the while I'm holding the pole with the wiggling fish on the line inwardly freaking out that I'm going to have to get it off. I told myself to be brave and grasped my hand around and tried with all my might to get the hook out...it wasn't easy, but finally game off. Then I tried to get Dallin to at least touch it, but he wouldn't. But he took a picture of me holding it. Then I threw it over the bridge and back into the water, where it immediately floated to the top....DEAD!. It had stayed out of the water too long and suffered too much trauma I guess. RIP little fish. I did eventually get better at this as Dallin loved to fish every day after school. But Dallin never ever did touch one. 

Each Saturday we worked to earn our keep at River Song. We wanted to get the property looking nice for the wedding reception that is in October. We raked a lot of leaves, pulled a lot of weeds and painted the bridge. But before each work day, we started off with a big breakfast. Mike taught us about Flying Waffles. He says food that you catch always tastes better. One has to catch a waffle that he would fling across the kitchen. He says it's a family tradition and we love that we caught to be part of that tradition! It became a Saturday morning ritual.