Already-back-to-school-August

I was right.  August has been much safer and a lot more relaxed.  Maybe it has something to do with everyone getting back in the school routine again.  I don't know.  Even still, we have had some important events this month, the most notable of which is Joshua's return from his faithful service in the mission field.  We are so proud of him and thankful for the righteous example he has set for his younger cousins. Dallin and Stetson are also serving in their respective mission calls, and are setting a good example as well.  Allison, Devynne and Bethany didn't just start school, in the normal sense, they stepped out and started life.  Going to college is a big step and it looks as if they are really enjoying what they are doing. Also, I have been working on Dad's book about his parents' lives.  It is coming along nicely and I hope to have a copy ready to show you at Thanksgiving. It is important to me that you know that you come from noble, great people on both sides of your family tree, not just one.  And besides that, turnabout is fair play.  He spends a lot of time managing Grandpa Hiatt's finances.
Oh, and thanks to Lillian who re formatted the blog so it has been easier to do.
   We celebrated some very special birthdays in August.

Tyson turned 30 on the 14th

Brynlie turned 6 on the 17th

Camille turned 6 on the 17th

 
Brody turned 2 on the 17th

Bethany's golden birthday! 18 on the 18th

Carson turned 5 on the 22nd

Stetson and Levi received their Eagle Scout awards at the end of July, but I didn't have a picture until August.  Actually, Stetson earned his award two years ago, but waited to officially receive it until Levi was ready to receive his.

Dallin went to Argentina just as Stetson went into the MTC.  This is a picture of him with President and Sister Peterson 

He has already had a baptism!

Stetson is enjoying the MTC, as you can see by the expressions on all of their faces...they are having a lot of fun.  However, he is very eager to get on the road (in the air) and go to Argentina to actually begin the work.

A Captain in the Army of God

School started in August.  I will never understand why Arizona schools start so early in August when it is still so hot and they have to run their air conditioning full blast.  It seems as if it would be cost efficient to start later, after Labor Day and go later in May.  May is not as hot as August.  Oh well, no one asked me, so they started the 2nd week in August...except for Daniel's kids who started the last Monday in August.  In Colorado where it's not so hot, they are the ones who could have started earlier.  Like I said before...Oh well. 

                                                    First  Day of School pics

The Brown Kids with Soren and Brody getting ready to walk them to school. Harrison is in 6th grade, Marlie in 4th and Bridger in 2nd.

Brianna with an apple for her teacher... maybe hoping to be the teacher's pet? She is in 1st grade

Crew, already at school, with his Phoenix Suns backpack-He is in 4th grade

And Docker at the front door, contemplating 6th grade.

Levi, at a restaurant, probably celebrating the beginning of his senior year the next day.

Daynen in front of his house, starting his Sophomore year in high school
And Reygan, an 8th grader in Jr. High

Here are the other kids, in the foyer of their beautiful new home, getting ready for the "long" walk to their school...it is just down the street. Tayte is in 6th grade, Hayden in 4th and Ellie in 1st. Their mom is also going to school. She is going to ASU Tempe as well as their Western campus.

How happy is Hannah to be starting school?  Nathan took this on the way to school the first day. She is a Sophomore in High School and is a member of the top choirs, so she should be excited.

Kirtlyn does home school, but they have also taken a summer break and now it's time to get back to work. They have backpacks and school supplies just like everyone else. She is in 2nd grade.

This year, Thomas will join Kirtlyn in home schooling. I think it will help her not to feel like the only one who has to do "homework." He is excited to be included, actually. He is in kindergarten.

 No, it's not a private school student body, it's the Daniel and Connie Biggs kids, loading up their huge van. Parker is a Junior, Porter a Sophomore, Shadrach a Freshman, Albert is in 6th grade, Shannyn and Jonathan are 4th graders, Analynn is in 2nd grade, and Emma is in kindergarten.
Here are the Alder kids.  Rylie's will be added on Monday.  I'm sure it will be worth the wait, so if you are checking the blog now, be sure to check back on Monday

Luke-2nd grade

Camille-1st grade

Brynlie-1st grade

Isabel-6th grade

Rylie is in 8th grade

The Evanses on their front lawn excited to start school.  Lillian is starting high school, Polly is starting middle school and DeWitt is starting his senior year.

Devynne in front of her new dorm at BYU. She was the first student to get her room. She was personally escorted by the BYU housing director.

Bethany on her back deck getting ready to go to Iowa Western where her  mother also attends and where Joshua will go.

Allison at Dixie.  She is loving the life.  She starts tennis next week.

When we went to Mesa near the first of the month, we had lunch with Joel and Steph's family.  They just happened to have Tayte and Hayden staying with them.

Levi is letting us use his car while Stetson is gone.  He will be using Stetson's because it has more room to pile in friends. Do you think he is as happy to turn over his keys to Grandpa as he looks?

We had dinner that night with Esther and Shad's family

And breakfast the next day with Jeremy and Erika's family

Brianna had to start first grade with a black eye that she received during a knock-down, drag-out water volleyball game at her uncle's house.  So with missing teeth and a shiner, she looked like a pretty tough little 1st grader.

Time to start school is time for new pencils.  Here are the Safford kids with their new personalized pencils.

Just before Allison left for Utah, her aunts Rachel and Mary arranged for all of us, and Grandma Sherry, to have lunch together.

The night before, we went to La Paloma so she could have her last taste of Arizona-style Mexican food

The twins had their 6th birthday party at our house. It was a "baking" party.  The girls all got fancy, homemade aprons

We had Temple service that day, so we really weren't there for most of the party, but Rachel wanted to document that we were there for a minute anyway.

When Carson turned 5, he wanted to have a Halloween party.  So Mary decorated her house with Halloween stuff and we all came in costume.  Here we are with Carson Batman.  I am in my Korean hanbok and Dad is in his "get up" as he calls it.  He was so embarrassed to be in a costume at all.  I told him all he had to do was take off his beads and he looked like any normal guy.  To him, though, normal is white shirt and tie.

Dead Isabel

Susan Rylie Boyle

Grandpa called them the "twitches"

Scary Brianna

lindsay the cat

Luke the masked spider guy

DeWitt the soccer player, Lillian the pioneer and Polly the sumo wrestler

Lillian received her Young Womanhood Recognition award.  She wanted to do it early so she had time to do it again, just as Hannah is doing. That way she could have a gold medallion and a silver medallion

We went to Mesa near the last of the month so I could have a 5000 mile checkup on my knee.  We ate dinner with Esther and Shad

I put this picture of Brody's 2nd birthday party in, even though we weren't there, so you could see his amazing cake, made by Shad's sister

On our way home from Mesa, we had lunch at Filiberto's with Jeremy and Esther and Soren and Brody




Joel and Jeremy and Bert and Chris went to Hawaii to set things up for their big Pearl Harbor 50th Celebration in December.  Here they are, practicing watching the parade go by, I guess.  Anyway, you can tell they are hard at work at something.  It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it, right?

Devynne and roomies with BYU football players

Devynne with Cosmo the Cougar

 Allison with her roommates

Where she is going to be spending a lot of her time


Later-Monday, Sep. 4th- We just got back from seeing Joshua and even though these pictures technically belong in September's blog, I am putting them on here so you don't have to wait a month to see how good Joshua looks.  Of course, I took more pictures than this (you know me) but those I will use to start off September.

We were renting a car, so we didn't expect to be met at the airport.  What a pleasant surprise to walk up the ramp and see these four beautiful, smiling faces waiting for us!

Daniel and Porter and Shadrach and Albert all drove to Omaha to see Joshua and be with him when he received his plaque in church and bore his testimony.  Parker had a game (he is the team's manager) so he wasn't able to come. We all enjoyed just hanging out for a couple of days and enjoying each others' company.

On Sunday, Joshua's Bishop presented him with his missionary plaque and invited him to bear his testimony.  He offered such a heartfelt, sincere testimony of the value of his missionary experiences and his love for the Gospel.  We were proud to be his grandparents and are so thankful that he was such a good missionary and that he is home safely.  He has to have some surgery on his nose (the doctor said he has only seen such horrible deviated septums in noses that have been broken) and then he will be going to school and looking for work.  He really looks good, everybody, and seems so mature.  It was a pure pleasure to see him and his whole family.  They are all happy to have him home.

That trip closes August...a good month, and also opens up September, which promises to be just as good.