Summer 2022 Part 1

 By golly, this was a long school year!!! Starting out in Sugar Hollow and finishing in Mattawan. These kids sure showed what true endurance looks like this school year.  Carmen moved smack dab in the middle of her Junior year of High School. Aliza was just getting used to High School we moved her the middle of her Freshmen year. Charlotte, moving in the middle of 7th grade, which is the middle of middle school in the middle of a global pandemic. (wowza!), and Dallin started a new elementary school at the beginning of the year in Crozet, VA and then we uprooted him again a few months later to a new school in Mattawan, MI. And they all thrived this year! True resilience is what these kids have. 

One night for mutual we all met at the Jean Klock Beach for swimming and the sunset. It felt so strange to go to the beach for a church activity, but I guess it's pretty normal here. We loved sitting with all the families and getting to know each other more.  We played until it was too dark to play anymore.  I could definitely get used to these kind of church activities. 

Dallin and all his buddies organized a father/son campout and had a blast. These are the only two pictures I got from David. 

While the boys were camping, us girls went strawberry picking. It was the very last day they were open for picking, so it was slim pickins' but we still had a great time together. 

Carmen had to go to South Haven to take her test to become EMT Nationally Certified. Afterwards we took a quick stroll along the pier and stopped at an ice cream place that was recommended to us. It was so hot we had to eat that ice cream quickly!

We made a quick trip back to Virginia for the Washington DC Temple open house. It had been closed for 5 years and we were all anxious to see it opened back up. It was spectacular to take all our kids inside to see where we had been sealed together as a family. We also made a quick visit to church and our friends, the Evans, threw together a spontaneous BBQ for us and all our friends. It was so amazing to see our dearest friends from Virginia. We love and miss them all so much. 

David with his good friend Jared Harris.

Carmen at the favorite spot, Beaver Creek Reservoir where she rowed for a few years. 

Dallin with his buddy Cash Barlow.

We of course had to stop in Waynesboro for some Willy's ice cream.

And in Charlottesville for some Market sandwiches. 

Later in the month of June we rented a pontoon boat and took it out on Gull Lake for some tubing and explored the area. I thought when we moved to Michigan we would become boat owners, but after this day, I'm happy to just rent one every now and then. It was a fun day throwing these kids off the tube and letting them learn to drive a boat. This was Dallin's first time tubing and I think it's safe to say he's a fan!

Late in July the kids and I went to Lillian Anderson Arboretum to see the Magnificent Pines. These trees line the trails standing like tall straight soldiers. This trail gave me a glimmer of hope that Michigan really can be beautiful. We arrived here in early winter and it's all we've known. So to see lush trees like these gave me hope.