Dog Day's of August

Jon and I have been doing some big cleaning in the garage, and it feels good to get rid of things now that two kids are gone. We no longer need bikes that need tune-ups and new tires, skateboards, life jackets etc. This is the good side of becoming empty nesters. For all the new storage we created with the addition, we've been able to get rid of just as much, and that feels great! 

One item that has been stored in the garage is this massive oil painting I did for my family room. Once, when friend, Mary was over, she asked where it was. I told her it was stored away, and I wasn't sure what to do with it. She told me that if I were to ever get rid of it, to please consider giving it to her. I texted her this photo and asked if she still wanted it. "Yes!" she said. I did pull out my paints and fix a little bit here and there the best I could. It feels a bit cringy, but also flattering that she would want it. She has a large vaulted wall in her front room, and that is where it will live.

I reached my FOUR year milestone with A Child's Hope! It really has flown by.

My good work friend, Leksi came into town to see her mom off on her mission. It was perfect timing, because we just hired a new CEO to help us with fundraising and oversee the organization. Her name is Kim, and she lives in New York. We wont see her too often in Utah, so we organized an open house at the office one evening so that people could come meet her. (When I say "we", I mean "me". This is part of my job to get the office spruced and supply refreshments etc.)

Anyway, Leksi and I do enjoy each other so much, we've often had to clock out during our "meetings" because we are so busy catching up. She is tiny, and we had just received a 4x shirt we special ordered for a trip volunteer, so she held it up for size.

I ordered a lot of the same treats I did for the wedding, from BYU To Go. I also put together some fruit skewers and brought my table cloths from home and arranged some flowers. I chose the same colors I did for the viewing recently, and they looked lovely.

I set up the backroom for mingling and chatting, dimmed the lights and re-arranged our "HOPE" sign to give off some glowy light.

It looked warm and inviting for board members and spouses to come and say hi.

 

And now it is time for the LAST FIRST day of school for this guy!

Zekey is starting his Sr. year at PHS! I really cannot wrap my brain around this. To think this is my last year in the public school system. Wow! It is hard to believe Zeke, my little baby is here- entering his SENIOR YEAR. He is not looking forward to going back, but also is hyped for this significant year. 

Off he goes! Love you Zekey!!!

 

Just the next evening, Jon sent me this photo- "Look who I ran into on the River Trail!" Leksi! I couldn't believe she even recognized Jon as well as happened to be out there the same time as him. Funny! Also, I'm glad she finally met him. Jon laughed later and said he wasn't sure if she realized he knew so much about her life. Ha!

 

We have had some CRAZY summer storms! It is so refreshing- and unbelievable how much rain pours down in such a short amount of time.

Late summer house

"Sold" this wonky chair on facebook marketplace. I listed it for $10 OBO. A lady and her son came right away. I told her it was FREEEEEE!

This room puzzling me since 2001. What to dooooo???

 

We were all saddened to hear Dolly Parton passed away. Paisley was the one to break the news to me. It was shocking to hear, even though I know she's old! To pay our respects, we watched 9-5, Steel Magnolias, and Paisley wore my Dolly shirt to work, much to the delight of the residents. 

On a busy chore and project Saturday, Jon and I took Paisley to lunch at the Riverwoods. We didn't realize Chalk the Block was going. It was neat to walk around and admire all the artists working away.

Paisley works at the front desk as well as Activities at Jamestown. I thought she looked cute heading off to work, ready to do some chair aerobics with the cute old ladies that join her class. 

To be honest, August for me is like January in the cold winter. Because I am so tired of the heat, the month drags on a bit. I have lost my motivation to keep the yard looking nice, the pots on the porch need re-potting because they got too dry, and pretty much any gathering or event that takes place outdoors is a no-go for me. Here's to looking towards cooler months!