Jazz Band Camp = Trip to Idaho (Part 2)

One thing I failed to mention in my last post is that Wednesday was the first day since the codes got wiped on my van that the warning lights started flashing again. It happened mostly in the evening. I started to worry again since I still needed to travel around and back home but fortunately I said some prayers and the lights turned off again on Thursday. They did not turn on again until Saturday right before leaving to go home. Again I said some prayers and we made it home safely Saturday evening. 

Back up to Thursday again and it was another day for seeing friends. I contacted the mother of a couple of friends of the girls (their names are Alice and Layla) and they were able to get together with them for several hours. Garrett contacted some brothers that he was friends with from our rental ward (30th) and he hung out with them. The funny thing was that at Garrett's orthodontist appointment that morning we happened to see friends from 37th ward, Sarah and Kayla Karl. Garrett had already made plans to get together with Kayla on Friday. I talked with Sarah and we decided we should go to lunch. At first we were going to do that on Friday but a little later I called her up and said since all of my kids are gone this afternoon, how about we do it today? So after dropping off Garrett to his friends' house a little later I drove over and picked up Sarah. We were going to do Mongolian BBQ but they were closed until 2pm and it was 1pm when we got there. We did not want to wait an hour so we decided to go over to City Buffet for Chinese food. It was nice being able to get together with one of my old friends and visiting for awhile.

Sarah and me.

The girls with their friends.

Later that same evening we had several friends come over to grandma's to hang out. Jack had Porter come over after he got done with band. Garrett's friends brought him from their house over to grandma's to hang out. Then I invited Whitney and Tamara over to work on a puzzle and play games. Dad and Laverne and Blake came to play as well. Blake didn't play long but it was fun while he was there. I learned this week that he is going to propose to his girlfriend after she gets home from her mission. She comes home in a month and I think he'll propose Labor Day weekend up in the mountains. I'm excited for him! 

Our finished puzzle.

Garrett helped with the states (the middle) part of the puzzle but this is the group that finished it.

Friday morning I decided to go exercise at the Rec Center with Dad and Laverne and Grandma. I had dropped the girls off to play with their cousins at Tamara's house. Then dropped off Jack to camp. Grandma and I met Dad and Laverne at the Rec. I had one extra pass I thought I was going to use but it turned out to be a free day at the Rec Center that day so I didn't have to use it. We were there for a couple of hours. Grandma did her own thing but I walked the track with mom and dad. I was a little extra tired that morning so I only did a few arm exercises in the weight room before I was done. Grandma and I left while mom and dad finished their workout.

Laverne needed to bake some cupcakes for their ward pioneer day activity for Saturday and I thought it would be fun if the girls helped but we took too long getting ready and over there so mom already had them baking in the oven and the girls just played with toys and watched a video. The Butterfields were having a potluck and I had decided to make deviled eggs to bring so I left for a little while to go boil and prep the eggs at grandma's house. Then I needed to pick up Jack. After dropping off Jack I went back to get the girls and we got a picture.

Playing with grandma's toys and watching a movie.

I decided to go with straight hair that day, something I haven't done in years. It's fun to be able to do an old hairstyle again. I did straight for the next 4 days!

As soon as we got back to Grandma's, I finished making the deviled eggs and then we were off to my in-laws for the Butterfield potluck dinner. The potluck was starting at 6 but Jack and I had to eat a little and then take off at 6:15 to get him to his final jazz band camp concert. He needed to be there by 6:30 and the concert started at 7:00. I dropped him off and then picked up Grandma so she could come watch. Dad and Laverne couldn't come watch because they go to bed at 7pm on Fridays for working the early shift at the temple on Saturday. Jack had told Blake about his concert and not only did Blake come but he got his dad, Nathan, to come along as well. I was so excited to see both of them because they were the only family to come watch Jack and I know it meant a lot to him. Although, afterwards Jack said that he got nervous when he saw Nathan. He says Nathan scares him. Ha ha, I used to be scared of a couple of my uncles too. We really enjoyed watching Jack play in the band. He had 3 solos and he's improving all the time. Nathan gave grandma a ride home afterwards so I could get back to the Butterfield potluck. However, I ended up dropping Jack off at Stella's ice cream shop because the band kids that went to South Middle School that were at camp were getting together there after the concert. The band teacher is switching schools and so it's kind of a last good bye for him.

On the way back, Garrett texted and I called him. He was in tears and feeling upset and wanting to go home. I had a talk with him when I got there. He doesn't really know why he was feeling that way he said. After calming him down everyone was leaving the party and so we started packing up as well. Jack got dropped off by Porter and his dad. They had gone to his concert as well and to the ice cream place (even though Porter isn't in the band). We love Porter and his parents. They are good friends but also distantly related. Tracy Ballantyne is Melvin Ballantyne's nephew. Melvin is married to my great aunt Ada.

At the beginning getting ready to start.

Jack is wearing Curtis's Australian hat. He loves wearing it.

Garrett was able to cheer himself up after we got back to grandma's by watching one of his favorite tv shows with the girls. I let the kids put themselves to bed that night since we weren't waking up early for anything. We all slept in and took our time getting up and moving. I got the bed sheets in the wash that I had used so I would have time to dry them and put them back on the bed before leaving. I was in no hurry to leave so I contacted mom and dad after they got out of the temple to see if they wanted to come play a game before we leave. They had a couple of errands to run but then came over. We played a couple of rounds of golf before I had the idea to show them the videos from Jack's concert. We were able to connect my phone to the Roku and watch it on the tv. I'm glad they were able to watch it that way. At about 3:30 we started packing up the van and got a couple of pictures before hitting the road.

Alice playing.

Grandpa Tony playing a game with the girls.

Picture with Grandma Vernie while the boys and I were packing stuff.

And with Grandpa Tony. Dad also helped me load suitcases and stuff into the van so it went very quickly.

Picture with grandma.

And picture with mom and dad.

It was a great trip and I'm so glad we got to see so many friends and family. Garrett was doing better on Saturday and when we got home to Kennewick, we were happy to see that his Zelda tie had come in the mail. He was happy to wear it on Sunday. We went to our ward on Sunday but then rushed over to Lewiston so we could be in person to watch our nephew Alex open his mission call. We made it just in time, even with the van check engine light on the whole way. Alex got called to the Ventura California mission and he's excited! He'll be speaking English. I'm so glad we went because it got BOTH of our boys excited about going on a mission. Jack said he can't wait to get his mission call and Garrett said he wants to either go to Japan, Italy or England. It was totally worth it to make the trip just to hear those words from both of our boys!! 😁

Wearing his new tie and clip.

Alex reading his mission call.