Memories of May

May is generally a mixed-bag in the weather department.  We did work in the yard quite a bit and I'm happy to report the grass is starting to improve after the terrible vole damage.  How is it that the weeds are the first to show up?  They always beat the blossoms...

Even during this time of social distancing, Brinley and Sis. Judd have been blessed to teach and help others come unto Christ.  Brinley loves serving in a YSA Ward in Dallas where there are people willing to listen and learn via technology.  No mask wearing in this pic and they were the only people allowed in the church building besides the bishop.  All missionaries everywhere are looking forward to getting out of their apartments and returning to a more normal routine!

No doubt there will be several of these selfies - post ride pics.  Glad Aaron remembers because I don't.  It has been nice to get a 'head start' on our biking season since we don't have to get the children off to school in the morning (at-home school).  This has afforded us the luxury of going biking instead!

With the continuation of at-home church, Aaron was also home all day on Mother's Day this year.  This green smoothie and avocado toast were the perfect start to a wonderful Sunday morning.  So was finding this sweet note at my computer from one of the kids.

The annual Mother's Day photo - we didn't get Brin in this one but did get to talk with her for a while.

For the first time in several months, local family gathered for dinner at Chris and Julia's house (it's been almost a year since I've been there).  Then we had an extended family ZOOM call where Aaron and his siblings shared a memory about Janene.  It was pretty sweet and so is she.  I also enjoyed chatting with my own incredible mother earlier that day.  We are so blessed to have such faith-filled examples of Christlike women in our lives!

The kids wrote sweet cards and Aaron's car detailing was especially timely after the soda pop incident two days earlier - haha!  It was a relaxing day and I felt very blessed.  Later that evening, Aaron had to leave town for business.  A day in Boise allowed him the chance to climb Bogus Basin on his bike.  He tackled 3800 ft. of elevation gain in 15 miles (30 round trip) - that's impressive and brutal!

The original plan was for me to drive across the country with Tanner, check out his new digs and then fly home on Mother's Day.  But with the COVID-19 situation, his internship in Washington DC morphed into something very different from what Tanner was hoping for.  Regardless, he was grateful to keep the job and be on their payroll even if the "work" was altered.  Ready for a change, Tanner decided to move into the basement bedroom of my parent's house in Logan.  It seemed a good time to get settled there while finishing up a few BYU-I online classes, working for a professor in the business department and getting started on some pre-req grad work.  He will be ready when classes at USU start end of August.  Everything is still up in the air as to what school will look like in the fall but we're hopeful.

I'll admit - a few tears escaped my eyes watching Tanner drive out of our driveway with his car loaded up.  There was something about the finality of him 'leaving the nest' that tugged on my mom-heart.  Sure love that guy - it's been a joy having him with us again (post-mission) during his undergrad work.

Look who has inherited the position as lawn technician this summer!  

I hardly know what to say about this decision - but we drove to UT on May 14 to pick up this adorable golden doodle puppy from the breeder.  After great deliberations, the kids finally settled on the name Kya for this little girl.  At 8 weeks old, Kya was pretty nervous during our drive back home and hardly made a sound.  We pulled over a few times to let her potty - just like when my kids were little.  Indeed, having a puppy is VERY much like have a newborn!

Aaron dropped me off at my parent's Murray house to foot zone while he and the kids picked up Kya.  When they returned with the puppy, my Mom insisted I pick up the dog - so she could snap some proof. Even holding her made me a bit nervous - I wouldn't consider myself a "dog person" in the least.  What did I agree to?  Let's just say it's been an interesting journey thus far.

After sending Tanner a few pics (he dodged this puppy experience), he commented on how mellow Kya appeared.  Then, I let him see her in action via facetime and his impression quickly changed!  More than once Aaron apologized to me and questioned his own sanity for pursuing this idea.  We have been back and forth about our future as dog owners.  As of this writing, things are improving (people are getting to sleep through the night again) and we hope to get her nippy/biting phase behind us sooner than later.

Ashton to Tetonia and back (60 miles) with Nephi, Aaron, Matt, Bryan

Front: me & Jane

Days after Tanner moved to Logan, Jantzen did a deep-dive de-junking (he is my child with the least amount of stuff/clutter) and moved into a new bedroom.  First time he's changed bedrooms while living in this house (nearly 10 years).  He was more than ready for the queen-sized bed and the clothing closet Tanner enjoyed since Sept. 2018.

Thanks to the picture-taking of Kristen K., I can see what's going on in Logan on occasion:).

Oldest and Youngest Price cousins.  Preston really gravitated to having Tanner as his buddy.

I've been a little slow-to-warm-up but we're all making strides.

We won't mention the auto accident (all people were safe) that occurred in May but this pic is a reminder of the nail-in-the-tire hike.  We also had to call a locksmith for an incident recently.  Let's be done with mishaps in the car department already.  

Aislyn, Boston, Aysia, Elsie - pond time for these girls.

Shawn arranged for a family birthday call for Tif's 49th on May 20.  It was fun to see these familiar faces and chat for a bit.  We are all having a different experience with quarantine based on where we live.  It was clear that P's in Pennsylvania were locked down a whole lot more than those of us out west.

So far so good when it comes to tub time for Kya.  I was surprised by how well she's handled the water.

Another post-ride selfie.

Memorial Day weekend Tanner and G-ma and G-pa Price stopped at cemeteries en route to our house.  Blackfoot Cemetery - Bill & June Price (my paternal grandparents)

They met up with Jackie in IF.  Crazy snow storm hit the day before!  

Fielding Memorial Park Cemetery - Robert & Aloha Kerr (my maternal grandparents)

Rexburg Cemetery - Jacob & Magdelena Spori (my great-great grandparents through Kerr line)

St. Anthony - River View Cemetery - Annie S. & Robert Kerr (my great-grandparents) and MJ & Ella Rebecca Kerr (my great-great grandparents).

Making smore's

We originally had plans to apoxy our garage floors Memorial weekend.  With the cooler weather, we had to push it out for a later date so we focused on getting the garden planted instead.  Great fun to visit the nursery and get a few starts in the ground.  Having Mom focus on our porch planters was awesome.

First time to eat in a restaurant (Fresco's) - post Covid 19.  An early Father's Day dinner together!

While we ate a lovely meal, the kids defaulted to cold cereal?  Ha-ha!  Honestly, I haven't taken many pics this month so a good number of these came from Kristen K.  Thanks!

Grandpa and Kya got along well.

Monday means screen time with our favorite missionary serving in Texas!  Hello Brinley!

Sometimes her thoughtful Dad just randomly sends flowers - she loves flowers:).

 

Last weekend in May the temperatures finally climbed upwards.  We got our garage project checked off the list.  It's been on there for a long time so it felt good to get it done.  Needing to move the puppy into the garage was the impetus as this flooring makes clean-up a whole lot easier.  And it looks great!