Some of the grandchildren had online school, some opted to go to their schools with protective gear on, and some are being homeschooled. The ones that are homeschooled miss their friends, the ones in school say it is weird, and the ones that do it online think it is pretty hysterical. Everyone is having quite the adjustment to new ways of doing things. I have to hand it to the parents for being so flexible and helping their kids succeed.
We got to meet with our Arizona family a couple of times this summer which was glorious. Our oldest grandchild, Israel, graduated from university and is now holding down a job near to where we live. Princess is still attending ASU and when she visits, she always has homework but seems to have a bit of fun with her cousins. Anna is attending BYU Provo and living in the dorms. She also got a job in the tv studio. JT Fisher (Jake) is attending PG High and finishing up his senior year. He is looking forward to being a professional writer. Ali’i is also a senior and back at volleyball and working towards university. He says that although the players can keep their distance of six feet, they still handle the same ball. Ileina got a cute bug and loves to take her friends and cousins for rides. She has had her first paid working experience taking temps and now working in retail.
Eryn has decided she wants to be a nurse. Her horse, Flash is getting older and she will soon have a new colt. Zion and Bella got parts in a play at school. Zion lifts weights along with his dad. Robbie and Joseph keep their computers connected much of the time, but now that summer is over, hopefully they can get more sleep. Robbie is back into basketball and Joseph is trying weight lifting. Bella has grown a foot this year and loves taking care of her new little cousin, Liam. Lily has had many fun adventures during the summer. She especially likes bird watching in the state parks and reserves. She knows most of the types of birds she sees. I’m so glad that this Pandemic has not hindered the grandkids from learning new things and enjoying one another’s company.
We were supposed to go to Hawaii for our grandson’s graduation, but Covid ruined that. So, we took a road trip to Twin Falls, Idaho. We saw the Snake River and Shoshone Falls. What a beautiful country we live in. We ended up at Bear Lake and met Siope, Liana, and Ileina there.
Whenever we all get together, there is plenty of music, food, and fun. We have all eaten too much and hopefully we can get back on track this fall. We have missed going to church and the temple, but we are trying to follow the church curriculum of “Come Follow Me”. Is it a coincidence that what we are reading about in the scriptures coincides closely with what is happening in the world? It is a reminder of who is in charge and what we need to be doing.
We had a great harvest from our garden this year. We had huge cucumbers and made pickles. Also, we had plenty of squash, beans, peas, tomatoes, and beetroot. It has been a very dry summer, so I was surprised with our bounty.
When I was not entertained by my children and grandchildren, I spent time painting, selling on Poshmark https://poshmark.com/closet/elayne001 Currently having a BOGO sale.
I am working on a commission for a friend. If you want me to paint a person or place, let me know (I am an impressionist, not a realist in case you wondered).
For some reason, the boys decided it was a good time to teach the grandsons how to shoot guns. Joel and his friend arranged for each child to have a turn at several different calibers. They went up high in the mountains to shoot. Here’s proof of their adventure.
So glad we had time together as a family and looking forward to more good times.
Last, but not least, we completed a project we have had for four years. We published a book entitled “Tender Mercies of the Lord in the Tonga Nuku’alofa Mission”. It is now on Amazon and it shares faith-promoting experiences of the missionaries and ourselves while we served in Tonga from 1989-1992. Copy and paste this link to find it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H9R63V9?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Have a safe fall and winter season. Stay well and stay safe!
