It's been two weeks already!!!

July 22, 2007
Dear Family,
It has been two weeks since we got home from the reunion. We hit the ground running when we got here and you all probably did too. We celebrated our wedding anniversary by stopping by Belva’s after church to check on her and Louie and they were eating soup so invited us to dinner. Then we came home and crashed. Monday was laundry, weeding the garden and yard and cleaning house. Arlene came up Monday afternoon for the week. Tues we loaded as much bottles and her trinket stuff into her little car as we could and then started proofreading Grandma’s life history that Lavina had typed. We would weed in the mornings and read in the afternoons when it was hot and we were downstairs. Lavina had typed almost the whole book but some of the pages were out of order with typing errors . She had done a good job. It was just a good thing that we proof read it before it was published. Dad worked for Lynn in Othello so we met them down there for lunch on Tues. and had a good visit. We really enjoyed our time together and got a lot done. Dad worked up here on and off and down in Othello on the off days. She left on Friday morning and took the histories with her to do in the next two years. I had wanted to do them for Mama but it looks like I won’t even get my own done. We even figured out how I can back up all the picture files and documents without having to do it one at a time…pure accident. It will also be a pure accident if I can remember how we did it. This past week Dad worked for Lynn everyday but Wed. We woke up to a thunderstorm—which was rare—about 5 am and couldn’t sleep anymore. It rained had for about 3 hours and cooled a little but made it awfully muggy. About 10 we stated loading boxes of books from the basement into the pickup then from there onto the shelves in the storage rooms. We got most of the stuff from the N bedroom and all the books from the Pine bedroom . We were about to die carrying all those boxes upstairs. We aren’t sure if there is going to be enough room. There are still the books from the bookcase in the family room and the ones upstairs, plus lots of other stuff---yeek!!!! Dad is in the “let’s throw it all away” mode. I basically told him to go “flot on his head”. He worked for Lynn Thur and Fri until noon. We went to Spokane for the evening and met Summer and Steve for dinner and Harry Potter at the IMAX. That was quite a way to see it. However, my stomach acted up about 3 times through it and I had to leave for the rest room so now I have to go see it again. We had a good time but were sure tired when we got home. Summer and Steve had offered us their bed, but we needed to get home. I actually thought Umbridge was the best actor for the movie and the special effects were good. There was a lot of ground to cover in two hour and they stayed pretty close to the story. I enjoyed it all very much. Dad didn’t care for it but he doesn’t like mystical anyway. He will barely watch Lord of the Rings when I have it on. Yesterday Dad stayed home and started digging a 4x4x4 ft hole by the downstairs window of the north bedroom. We have to put egress windows in both bedrooms. I might be able to get out of the bedroom, but I might not be able to get out of the hole. He found only one rock and lots of roots. It was much faster and easier than the windows he dug out at the Simpsons. The dirt is beautiful sandy loam so it is going into my flower beds. The roses have shut down for the cycle. It has been so hot for them. I have been gardening and weeding this week. I got all the weeds out of the flower beds. Ususally by this time of year I give up and say forget it, but I conquered and will have to do a fast once over every week. The tomatoes are slowly putting on. I think we have put too many grass clipping on them and they have lost their Nitrogen to the breaking down of the grass. We got some fertilizer from WilberEllis and it has helped. The squash has been doing well and the cucumbers are the best we have raised. They are supper crunchy and tasty . We even have little watermelons growing. The birds got the raspberries again even with the net over them, and the corn is tassling out. Next week I am going to replant lettuce and peas. Jon called and we bought tickets for DC in Oct to watch the kids while they go to the Virgin Islands for a government audit. Steven and Kathy, Michelle said you got caught in that wildfire in Southern Utah on your way home. What happened? We are so glad you all stayed and enjoyed each other’s company some more. We hated to leave, but it had to be done. Our year is over half over and there is so much left to do. Does anyone want the set of Encyclopedias that we got when we started homeschooling? I bought the updates up to 2002. Thank you to Kari and Michelle for taking care of the details for the reunion. I think the fact you still wanted to be together speaks of the positive experience that it was. Thank you Kari for sending off that fan. Did you get the check for postage reimbursement? Did you get that towel to grandpa yet? He will need it for Max’s reunion in another week. Michelle, it was good to talk to you---what’s the rest of the story? Shaunae and Jon thank you for your calls. I guess Karl and Becca’s are back to school except for Michael and Joanna. Your summer sure disappeared in a hurry. It doesn’t seem quite fair. What have the CA Barnums been doing since you-all got home? We think of all of you often and hope you will write when you can . Becca, we have some relatives that came to Utah with a handcart company . I think it was Sarah Ann Farrar. It is in the Mayberry history. Love you , Mom and Dad