August Rest

OK...so I thought August was a Rush, but it feels more like a rest right now.

Let me backtrack a bit...Greta told me I forgot to say anything about our last trip to Utah. Maybe that's because it was important to her because it was her 13th birthday while we were there. Cari and Josh bought her a crown, Becca got her some balloons, and we all got her up at 7am and took her to breakfast "all dolled up" and in her pajamas. It was great fun! Kneaders makes most delicious breakfast food - especially the syrup! (Becca got the recipe and then Steve did, too, from a coworker at Children's Hope. It his new favorite thing that he even made himself on Sunday!)

That day Greta also got to go to Lagoon for the second time in one week with Chris, Spence, Becca and her fiancee Montie, and Montie's sister, Mary. The first time was when she went with her cousins Candace and Katelyn when the three of them were staying with Grandma and Grandpa Hepworth for a few days (which was also a great experience for her). She is no longer afraid of rollercoasters.

Greg took us out on Utah Lake on Saturday afternoon and Greta got up on the wakeboard. Chris and Spence spent their time behind the boat on the tube for a wild "Greg ride." Greg and Becca showed us how to surf behind the boat...so like a dummy I said I wanted to try it. I think Greg knew I was a dummy, but he let me try anyway. (He personally seems to get pleasure out of "great bodily harm" type sports.) It only took me about three seconds to pull a muscle in my leg. Greg's only comment was, "You should have warmed up first." I think he really wanted to say, " Whoa, Mag, you are really out of shape! What were you thinking, old lady?" It's just a good thing I love him anyway.

We had a delicious birthday dinner for Greta and Jane, Scott and Natalie's baby, when we got back. I just wish Steve had been able to come, too. He was home recuperating from a hernia operation that he had earlier that week.... Oh, and mowing the lawn, and rototilling the garden, and playing with Ava.... not a whole lot of taking it easy from what I understand. I do love that he is loving the garden, however.

We got to visit for a couple of hours Sunday morning with Grandma and Grandpa and Steve's brother Alan before we drove home. Grandma Ginny grows the most gargantuan hybiscus flowers in her garden. Her gardener friends can't figure out how she does that in Utah.But check them out in the picture.

You gotta' love Nevada's speed limit on the freeway, except for the fact that every summer there are miles and miles of "road construction," or at least the cones where it might be happening at some point. So the trip was a little longer than usual getting home. But when we got there the flowers were still all blooming, the vegetables ready to be picked, and we all had some time before Chris had to go back to Texas so he got a little time to play with Ava since at the front end of his trip he got to play with Helaman and Isaiah.

OK so the "rest" part? School doesn't start until August 31st this year. Teachers don't technically have to be back until the 25th. So I have been able to do a little gardening, some shopping, and even some cleaning out of drawers and cupboards (and a little work at school). Best of all is that I have had time to read my book, "Three Cups of Tea" about Greg Mortenson, a mountain climber that had some amazing experiences in Pakistan and now builds schools for the children there. It's a very inspiring story that Billie told me about two years ago and I have been wanting to read. My favorite quote from what I read today was, "the British policy was 'divide and conquer.' But I say, 'unite and conquer.'" He was talking about the group of men in Pakistan he had gathered to help him build the schools, observing that as they all sat there together laughing and sipping tea- "an infidel (that would be Mortenson) and representatives from three warring sects of Islam." He had learned that in order to accomplish what he desired it was just as important to build relationships as it was to build projects. I have believed that for many years, and as a teacher one of my favorite sayings is, "They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." My friend Cynthia and I say..."Relationship, relationship, relationship." And one last fun poster that I had on my refrigerator for years as my kids were growing up. It was a picture of a cute bear family that said, "The most important things in life are not things." Whether it's peace in the world, the workplace, or the home, if what we are looking for is having meaningful lives I believe we can do that best by losing ourselves in the service of others.

I'm so thankful for the rest this August to help me "regroup" and think about caring, learning, and what is really most important. September here we come....