Back

We are back.

Back from the trek.  Let it be said, it was a wonderful experience.  A friend asked, "Did you enjoy it?"  NO.  I did not enjoy it.  It was considerably more physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging than I expected.  I was constantly overheated.  There was dust in my eyes, up my nose, and between my toes.  I didn't comb my hair ONCE.  I cried every day, not from my utter exhaustion and exertion (I came close to crying for that reason on occasion, however), but from tender spiritual moments occurring frequently throughout the day.  Every day.  From the realization that the  pioneers sacrificed more than I could have imagined prior to taking a meager 3-day journey in their footsteps.  From the first-hand observation that our youth are strong, courageous, and amazing, even in difficult and trying situations.  

 Clean and fresh.  For a few hours.

Our trek family at Martin's Cove.  Love those guys.

I will post more on the entire trek experience tomorrow.

For now, since time is limited (isn't it always?), I'll get back to "BACK."

Taylor's back from school until January.

 Guess how I can tell.

We are searching high and low for a tidy place to store all his belongings, since the garage is nearly full to the brim with all the basement stuff.  Once the basement is done (it's getting closer!), we will hopefully find relief to our lack-of-storage problem.  And I plan to have another purging party and a yard sale or two, once I can more easily access all the crap items consuming precious square footage in the crawlspace.  I love having Taylor home, and wish we could see more of Britt.  She's coming for a wisdom-teeth-extraction visit in a couple of weeks, though.
I'll take what I can get!

And finally, Mauri's back to school.

She started back today for her final year of elementary school.  Boohoo.  She asked me yesterday if she can start wearing make-up next year in 6th grade, since she WILL be a middle-schooler.  I told her more thought and discussion would be needed before a final decision was made.  And we have a whole year to think about it.  She is excited for 5th grade, and all signs of last year's anxiety attacks have disappeared.  She was excited and ready to head out the door to embark on a new adventure, since this is the first year the school is off a year-round schedule (YAY!), and classmates have been shuffled every which way, instead of staying with the same group of kids, give or take a few, year after year.  Since Kindergarten.  And, after three years of teachers of the male gender, she finally has a female teacher.  AND, as soon as her dad secures a job, she gets a dog.
Yep, life is good for Mar.

Blog break's over, I need to get back to the work of getting back.