June 19th-July 28th 2021

Saturday, June 19th

Liz, Jenna, Judi, and I left our house at 3:15am to head to Vegas to catch our flight to Dallas to pick up the kids for our surprise trip to Disney World. We only had a 45 minute layover there so I wasn't sure how the surprise was going to work. I was in for a surprise when I got a text from my daughter letting me know that they were driving to the airport while we were trying to hurry to our gate to make meet them to make our flight. I couldn't believe that they weren't at the airport yet! We got to our gate just before they started boarding the flight and I got a call from the kids mom letting me know that they weren't allowing the kids to check in with out me there since they were minors. Just at that time, the gate agent called the Green party to the counter. I went to the counter and tried to explain our situation and was appalled with how rude she was. Fortunately an employee on the other side of security was nice enough to help with the situation and get us all on. So much for the surprise! We were all sitting together orriginally but because we were so late, they split us up so I sat in the back with Shelby and Lizi, Trey sat with Judi, and Liz sat with Jenna. I handed them their folders as I passed them and went to my seat. We arrived in Orlando and we were all so excited. We made our way to the baggage claim, where we waited about an hour for our bags, and then to the Magical Express, which is Disney's free bus service to their hotels. We checked in at the counter and were guided to lane 7 where we would wait just a few minutes to board our bus. We boarded the bus at 6:02pm and left at 6:12pm. Our bus stopped at Pop Century and Coronado Springs Resorts before arriving at All Star Movies at 7:00pm. I went to the lobby to check in and our rooms weren't adjoining so we were told to bring our bags back down to the bell services in the morning and the next night they would change our rooms into adjoining rooms. Our original plan was to go to Disney Springs that night but we decided to just eat dinner, do our pin draft, and stay at the hotel that night. 

Sunday, June 20th

Animal Kingdom 8:00am-7:00pm 

Ate at Restrauntasaurous. 

Monday, June 21st

Epcot 11:00am-10:00pm 

Ate at Sunshine Seasons. 

It poured rain on us in the afternoon as we were in the butterfly exhibit! Trey lost his cell phone as he was running back to our hotel room to escape the rain. Fortunately, someone found it in the rain and, miraculously, it still worked!

Quote of the day: While getting in the long line for the Frozen Ever After attraction at the Norway Pavillion, which is right next to the China Pavillion Trey said, "Wow, this line goes all the way to China!"

Tuesday, June 22nd

Hollywood Studios 9:00am-8:00pm 

Ate at Rosie's All-American Cafe

Rained on and off all day. 

Quote of the Day: As Lizi was getting ready for the first big drop on Tower of Terror, she said to Shelby, "Hold on to your sweatpants!" She meant to say it just to Shelby but said it a little louder than needed and it gave everyone in the ride vehicle a good laugh. 

Wednesday, June 23rd

Magic Kingdom 8:00am-9:00pm

Ate at Pinocchio Village Haus

Rained on and off all afternoon.

Thursday, June 24th

Magic Kingdom 8:00am-9:00pm

Ate at Pacos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe

Rained on and off all afternoon

Friday, June 25th

Magic Kingdom 8:00am-9:00pm

Ate at Cosmic Rey's Starlight Cafe.

Rained on and off all day.

Saturday, June 26th

We woke up around 8:00am to get all packed and bring our luggage down to the service desk to hold it while we ate breakfast at the hotel and then head to Disney Springs. We knew we wouldn't have much time because out Magical Express bus left for the airlport at 12:45pm. We got to Disney Springs at about 10:30am and headed to the Pin store. After picking out all our pins, we headed to the World of Disney Store. Trey and Shelby bought mugs. Judi bought the Simba baby wrapped in the blanket to go with her collection. At 11:30am, we hurried to the bus stop to head back to the All Star Movies Resort to get ready to board our bus to the airport. Thunderstorms had started poping up and had delayed many flights from leaving. We got though security and to our gate where a lot of people were congregating waiting for their flights to take off. Our flight was originally scheduled to take off at 4:10pm out of gate 54. But there was still a flight scheduled to go to Philadlphia at our gate that was delayed by the weather. Our flight connected in DFW and then went on to Vegas. We only had a 50 minute layover. When it was time to board for our flight, the Philadelphia flight at our gate still hadn't boarded and our plane, still full of passengers from the incoming flight had been sitting on the tarmac waiting to get to our gate for quite a while. The passengers finally were allowed to board the plane (the ramp was closed due to lightning) and once the passengers were all boarded, the luggage started being taken off the plane, apparently from the previous flight. They then started to load the luggage only to stop when more lightning struck again. We were told that they had to wait 10-15 minutes from the time of the last lightning strike before the workers could go outside again. At this time I knew we wouldn't make our connecting flight and it was also announced that our flight had been moved to gate 55, across the hall. At gate 55 was a flight getting ready to board to Charlotte so there were already a ton of people over there. In fact, the whole end of that terminal was packed shoulder to shoulder with people. I have never seen a terminal that crowded before. It was a chore to try to get around because there were so many people. I went out to check the big board with all the departures and it confirmed that we were now at gate 55 (at the gate, it didn't mention our flight at all because Charlotte was the next flight out). To make things even more crowded and confusing, when I came back to gate 55, I was informed that another Dallas flight - flight 398 was also moved to that gate. I got on the phone with American Airlines and tried to see if I could get seats on a later flight out of Dallas because we were going to miss our flight. While we were talking, a small ticker ran across the bottom of the screen indicating that flight 1716 to DFW had been moved to gate 58. So I went down there, still on the phone to stand in line to talk to the gate agent to try to get some help with my connecting flight. There was announcement made that the flight was boarding at gate 58 so we got excited and got ready to board. We were in boarding group 8. At boarding group 4, another passenger that was trying to get to Dallas as well, informed me that this flight that was boarding was to Washington DC - they never announced where the flight was going when they announced that it was boarding! All they would say was, "now boarding group 1" but never said where the flight was going. There was also still no mention of our flight on the screen at the gate. So I went back out to the big board with all the departures and arrivals and confirmed that our flight had been moved to gate 58. I went and stood back in the line. The people in front of me were also going to Dallas and tried to speak with the gate agent but she refused to talk with them because she was trying to get the Washington DC flight out. As I'm waiting in line, the Service agent I was speaking with on the phone said, "I'm going to see what's going on with flight 1716" since at this time it was over an hour and a half late. He came back on and said, "Flight 1716 has already taken off." I was in disbelief and said as much but he confirmed that it had taken off out of gate 55. There were no announcements made over the load speaker about it boarding or anything. I have never dealt with anything like that in my life before. It was the most chaotic airport scene I have ever witnessed by far. The service agent on the phone was able to book seats on a flight the next afternoon at 5:54pm through Dallas to Vegas but since we missed our flight, he wasn't able to get a hotel room for us. There was a hotel attached to the airport so we went there. They said they only had a Jr Suite available and charged us $498 for the room. It was a nice suite (and it better have been for that price). 

Sunday, June 27th

The kids slept until about 10:30am. We had to be out of our hotel by noon. So we got all packed and headed back to the airport early and sat at our gate passing the time. It was much more quiet and pleasant in the early afternoon. Fortunately the weather was cooperating and everything seemed to be going almost as planned. We boarded just a few minutes late, around 6:15pm but as soon as we got on, the pilot announced that Dallas was experiencing bad weather and had put a ground order on all planes coming from the East meaning that we would have to wait 30 minutes until it was lifted. We started heading to the runway when the stewardess announced that some passengers weren't complying with the mask rules and that if they didn't comply, we would have to take care of the situation now or divert the flight. Then the pilot made a similar announcement. Just a couple minutes later, the plane stopped and the pilot announced that Dallas had put another hold of an hour on all airplanes taking off. I couldn't believe it! But after only about 10 minutes he came back on and said that since we were already away from the gate we would be allowed to take off. We taxied until we were first in line for take off, but instead of taking off, we went down the runway at taxying speed. I knew that wasn't good, and then as we started heading back to our gate, I knew we were in trouble. They ended up escorting about 5 passengers off the plane that weren't complying with the mask rules. So after getting them off the plane, we headed back out and took off about 2 hours later than we were scheduled so the only way we would make our connecting flight was if it was deayed too. While we were waiting, I called American Airlines and spoke with someone about any other flights from Dallas to Vegas and was informed that they were all booked until 4:40pm the next day. When we landed in Dallas, I looked up our connecting flight information and learned that it had been delayed until 10:30pm and it was a few minutes before 10:00 at the moment so we were going to make it. Better yet, our flight went out of gate C19 and we were pulling into C20, just one gate away. We pulled into our gate and the stewardess made an announcement for passengers to let those with close connecting flight deplane first so we could make our connections. We ran off the plane and got to the gate at 10:10pm onlu to find the gate doors had been closed and no one at the counter. There were about 15 of us in the same boat and we couldn't believe that they would close the flight early, knowing tha they had 15 passengers arriving in the next gate over needing to get on the flight. I overheard someone mentioning that they needed to go to the service counter near gate C25 so that's where I headed only to be greated by a line that dwarfed many of the Disney World lines we had just waited in. Liz and the kids made it over to me as well. While I had been waiting, I called American Airlines and secured seats for us on the earliest flight out which was at 4:40pm the next day, connecting in Austin. The connction wasn't ideal, especially with all that we had been through, but all the direct flights were booked. While we waited in the long line, we heard an employee telling customers in front of us that id they already had flights booked and just needed a hotel or meal vouchers to come with him into a much shorter line, so that's what we did. There were only about 4 people ahead of me in this line and the lady I spoke with said that they were out of rooms but offered me 6 $12 meal vouchers for us. I asked her to put us on standby for the first direct flight to Vegas the next morning which left at 9:05am. She did and mentioned that there were only 2 people in front of us on the standby list. While I was waiting, Liz found a spot for all of us to try to get some sleep and we laid down.  

Monday, June 28th

At about 1:45am an American Airlines employee came over to us and asked us if we would like a hotel room. I said sure. So he went over to the counter and printed us a voucher for 2 rooms and transportation. I explained to him that we were on Standby for the 9:05am direct flight to Vegas and that we had tickets on the 4:40 flight connecting in Austin and then on to Vegas. I mentioned that with the weather I was nervous about that flight being delayed and us missing our connecting flight and being stuck in Austin. He told us not to worry about standby in the morning and to just sleep in and get on the 4:40pm flight. We gathered all our luggage and headed for the exit but I couldn't shake the feeling that this was a very bad idea. I was a little scared to mention that because I knew Jenna and Liz wanted to go to the hotel but I finally made the call to stay in the airport that night because I knew that we needed to get on early morning direct flights to Vegas, if possible, before the weather rolled in. So we found a quiet spot and tried to sleep. We woke up after an uncomfortable nights sleep in terminal A13 at DFW Airport. At 7:15am I immediately went to the counter at gate A8 where our standby flight was taking off at 9:05am. There was a flight to Miami that was being boarded when I got there so I waited until the gate agents were finished with it. There were 3 agents and 2 seemed amicable but one seemed grumpy. Wouldn't you know that the only one there when the fight was done was the grumpy one. I went to the counter to talk with her to see if she could confirm that we were still on stand by since I was nervous that the employee that offered us the hotel room might have taken us off of standby. Sure enough he had, so she put us back on and we were 5th-11th on the standby list. We had a plan that if only one person made it on, we would send Jenna. If 2, Jenna and Shelby; Three, Jenna, Shelby, and Trey; Four, I would be next. They started with 2 so Jenna and Shelby got on. They then had 2 more so Trey and I went. The flight was delayed about 1.5 hours because a flight attendant didn't show up so they had to find a replacement. Once we pulled away and headed to the runway, the plane stopped and the pilot annouced that they had to stop there to figure out a new flight plan due to weather. We sat there for about 15 minutes and finally, to our relief, were on our way. The next flight Liz could get on standby for was at 10:46am. They ran to the gate and were #2-4 on the list but there was only 1 seat for the 3 of them so they didn't make it. They then tried for the 1:01pm flight and were #1-3 on that standby list and there were 3 seats. It was hectic with the gate agent giving Liz a seat that belonged to a passenger that ran to the gate at the last moment only to be informed that his seat had been given away. Liz had put her phone in a carry on bag that she stowed in the overhead compartment so we didn't know if she had made it on the flight because she wasn't responding to our texts. Jenna, Shelby, Trey, and I got some Wendy's and waited in the Las Vegas airport and when 3:45pm arrived we tried calling and texting Liz and she answered and told us that they were in Vegas. We were all so relieved, especially on the drive home when I got text after text informing me that the 4:40pm flight we were originally scheduled on to Austin was delayed 30 minutes, then an hour, all the way to 4 hours by the time the texts started coming. In other words, had we waited to get on that flight, we would have missed our connecting flight and had to spend another night in another airport - this time Austin. We made it home and the kids went outside and played with the pets, did all our laundry, had a nice dinner, and went to bed.

Tuesday June 29th

Today we all slept in after our long airport adventures. Judi was the first up just before 9:00am. Trey was next about 9:45, then Lizi around 10:30, and finally Shelby around 11:30. The first thing we did was all got our pinboards down and organized our pins. We also watched Spaceballs while we did that. After the movie we ate some lunch. Trey helped me make sandwiches for everyone and then Shelby, Trey, and I played Villainous. Trey was Pete, I was Cruella, and Shelby was Mother Gothel. It was a really fun game. Lizi and Judi played with Lego and then went outside to play wild animals. Trey then wanted me to take him to Walmart so he could buy me a Father's Day present. He is such a giving person. I am so proud of how he thinks of others. The funny thing is, when he asked me to take him to Walmart, I was thinking that while I was there, I should buy another Villainous expansion set and that is what Trey wanted to get me. I love that he loves to play games! Walmart was out of them so we came home and ordered one online. We then ate dinner and watched 2 episodes of Lego Masters. I love watching that show with the kids. I then got Judi to bed and Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I watched the episodes of Falcon and Winter Soldier that I hadn't seen yet. Good show, but very has very liberal political narratives, as most tv shows do these days. After the show, we actually talked politics which was fun. Then we went to bed. 

Wednesday, June 30th

I woke up early to help Gus Arscott with his RV that he is selling. On my way home I got a call from Liz because Trey was anxiously awaiting my return so we could go hike Mollie's Nipple. We got our gear together and drove 5 minutes to the trail head. We were doing this hike to get ready for our Rim to Rim Grand Canyon hike next week. Trey did so good! I was so proud of him. For not having hiked much - especially gaining elevation - he took very few rest stops. In fact, we hiked there and back in 1 hour and 37 minutes which was 12 minutes faster than my first time of the year. When we got home, Lizi was just finishing breakfast and we went to wake up Shelby. Trey wanted to play Villainous so Shelby, Trey, and I played Villainous while Lizi and Judi were playing in the clubhouse. I made some hotdogs for Trey and I. After we ate, Trey, Judi, and I played Villainous while Shelby played the Ukulele and Lizi played in her room. Trey and I then went outside to throw the football around and a Doctor stopped by to look at Shelby's ear which had been hurting her for about 2.5 weeks now. Lizi and Judi played wild animals outside while Trey, Shelby, and I watched Jurassic Park. We then all watched 2 episodes of Lego Masters and went to bed. 

Thursday, July 1st

I got up and mowed the lawn and pulled some weeds. Trey came out and found me as I was just heading back inside and when we went in, Lizi was awake as well. So we all ate breakfast with Judi. We then went in to Shelby's room to wake her up. Lizi and Judi started playing with Lego, Shelby, Trey, Judi, and I rode our bikes to check the mail. When we got back, Shelby played the Ukulele and Trey and I played a game of Stratego. Lizi, Shelby, and Judi then started working on their diamond paintings and Trey and I went outside to throw the frisbee around. Shelby was still working on her Alice in Wonderland diamond painting and Lizi and Judi had switched to lego again. Lizi is working on a hotel with 4 rooms. I made lunch for everyone with Trey's help and then we watched 2 episodes of Survivorman: Bigfoot. Shelby went outside to brush Daisy and Trey and I went out there with her while Lizi and Judi played with their Lego bricks. Shelby, Trey, and I walked the dogs to the mail to check it after it had run in the afternoon. When we got back, I made salmon and Mac and Cheese for dinner. Trey said he liked the salmon and he usually doesn't like fish. While we ate dinner, we watched Luca which, while not great, was better than I thought it would be. I tucked the kids into bed, chatted with Lizi and Shelby a little bit, and then went to bed.

Friday, July 2nd

Trey and I woke up and hiked Mollie's Nipple to train for the Rim to Rim. It was hotter today and Trey struggled a little with an upset stomach but he pushed through it and did good. When we got home, Shelby, Lizi, and Judi were all working on their diamond paintings. Liz, Trey, and Shelby then played a game of Villainous. I helped Liz on her turn and also uploaded a few videos onto my YouTube channel. Lizi and Judi played with lego bricks. I made lunch for everyone and then I did a diamond painting with Shelby and Lizi while Trey took a nap and Judi played with stuffed animals. I then went out and threw the football around with Shelby while Lizi and Judi played in the sand box. Shelby, Lizi, and I did our diamond paintings a little more and then Trey woke up and got a kick ball game organized. Liz and I played Shelby, Trey, and Judi and Lizi watched. We came in and moved our diamond paintings off the kitchen table and then Lizi and I went outside and threw the frisbee around. We then had diner and then Trey and I rode our bikes to check the mail. Shelby made some of Grandma Judi's chocolate chip cookies and we ate them and some ice cream while we watched 2 episodes of alone and then went to bed.

Quote of the Day: Trey, after trying on my glasses said, "It's like I ate something that didn't taste good but with my eyes."

Saturday, July 3rd

We woke up and hurried to the 4th of July festivities and races. because the 4th is on a Sunday this year, I forgot that they were today until this morning. When I realized it, I went in and woke all the kids up and off we went. When we got there, the races had just started. Judi ran her race and finished about in the middle of the pack. Lizi did hers and finished 3rd. I was so proud of them both for trying. Shelby and Trey both decided not to race. Judi climbed across the monkey bridge and then we came back home and ate breakfast. After breakfast, Shelby and Lizi worked on their diamond painting and Trey sat on the couch on his phone, and then vacummed the floors for us. We then painted our rocks for Aspiration Trail - Lizi's painting of the Tea Cups was amazing! And Trey's sence of humor always shines through, as you can see in the picture below...Trey and I then went outside and shot some baskets. We then came in and looked at the map of the Grand Canyon and did some preparing for our hike. Judi and Lizi cleaned up their legos and then filled up some waterballoons and brought them outside to the trampoline to jump and pop them. Trey, Shelby, and I rode our bikes to check the mail. Lizi and Shelby then worked some more on the diamond painting. Everytime Shelby works on it, Lizi feels like she needs to as well because she wants to finish it before Shelby. Trey and I went to the backyard and kicked the kickball back and forth for a while. I cooked some diner for Lizi and Judi and Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I went out to Cracker Barrell with Eric, Jenn, and Jack. It was fun to have them meet my kids. When we got home, we watched an episode of Alone and then went to bed. 

Sunday, July 4th

It's the 4th of July and we started the day by going to church. Our church is from 10:30-12:30 right now. It would be so hard for me to go to my class as a youth, not knowing anyone, and I know it is for the kids but they did so good and Lizi told me about how she talked to a couple of people and Shelby and Trey did ok too. When we got home, we got ready for Eric, Jenn, and Jack to come over. They arrived at 1:00. We showed them the Disney room and then ate some Pizza. After Pizza, we went outside and showed Eric the back yard and then came in and Eric and Jenn distributed the presents they got for all the kids - Trey a Star Wars Pop, Shelby some choose your own adventure books, Lizi a coloring book, and Judi a bunch or miscellanious little items. Then Eric, Jack, Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I played Disney Family Feud and Disney Scene it while Jenn, Lizi, and Judi painted and did crafts over at the table. I then showed Eric the rest of the Disney stuff. Judi had already taken Jack around and showed him everything. Jack and Judi had a fun time playing together in the clubhouse, sandbox, and then they played a game of Disney Monopoly with Liz/Trey while Eric and I chatted and Jenn and Lizi did crafts at the table. Shelby read books in her room. Liz then made some spaghetti for everyone and we ate outside. Jenn then picked some apricots to take with her and a couple of plums. We then went to the front yard and Eric lit some fireworks. After fireworks they went back to their hotel and We got ready for bed because we have to get up early in the morning for hiking. 

Monday, July 5th

We woke up early because Eric, Jenn, and Jack were coming to meet us at our house at 7:00 to head to Zion National Park to hike the Narrows from the bottom up. They were right on time but we were running a little behind so we ended up getting to Zion about 7:45. We were lucky to find a parking place but the lines for the shuttle were really short so we got on the first shuttle and headed to the Timple of Sinawava which is the last stop on the shuttle route, and the one you take for the Narrows. We really had a fun time on our hike - Judi and Jack were loving trying to find the deepest parts of the water and walk through it. Trey was being such a help to them if they needed assistance crossing a log or getting up on a high rock. It was really fun to see how helpful and involved he was with making sure they were ok. He reminded me a little of when I would play with my cousin Zachary when I was young. Lizi and Shelby took the lead and were anxious to keep the pace going. On the way back down, they nearly got run into by a deer that was walking down the trail in the opposite direction. They were talking with their heads down and didn't see it until it was ony about 5 feet away! We stoped in the Visitors Center to stamp our pasports and then went to the rock shop in Springdale to look around. We also stopped at a snow cone place in La Verkin where we all got snow cones and at an antique shop in Hurricane. When we got home, Shelby went into her room to sleep, Trey helped Jack and Judi play Sorry! and Lizi worked on her diamond painting. Eric and I went to another antique shop to look around. Jack was tired so the Dollins' family left and Trey and I rode our bikes to the mail (and also got the new Villainous game on our front porch). We then got all our camping gear together while Lizi and Judi played wild animals outside. We woke up Shelby and all watched an episode of alone. We then got ready for bed and Trey and I got our packs ready for the Rim to Rim hike in a couple of days! Then it was off to bed.

Tuesday July 6th

We all slept in so we could be rested up for our campout. We packed our things and got on the road around 1:00pm. We arrived at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon about 2.5 hours later and went to the visitor's center to have our passports stamped. We looked around a little in the gift shop and then headed to our campsite - #70. It was a really pretty area to camp and our site was great. We started setting up our tent and then Liz heated up some chicken, potatoes and gravy, and mac and cheese for dinner. Judi and Lizi played around camp while Trey and Shelby sat outside the tent in our camp chairs and talked. We all looked at the stars when it got dark and then headed to bed early so Trey and I could get sleep for our big hike in the morning.

Wednesday, July 7th

Trey, Liz, and I woke up at 5:30am to get ready for our hike. Liz cooked some potatoes, bacon, and sausage for us before we left. We arrived at the trailhead at 6:30, took a couple of pictures, and were on our way. For the couple weeks before our hike, I went back and forth on whether or not we should do it just because of how hot it was and how maybe we weren't prepared enough. But I really felt that doing it would be such a great sense of accomplishment for Trey, so I decided to give it a try. After about 1 and a half miles, Trey mentioned that his stomach was hurting and I became concerned that maybe we should turn around and head back. At 3 miles, my fanny pack strap broke, forcing me to carry it in my hands the rest of the way. The beginning of the hike was cool and nice but once we caught our first rays of the sun around 8:30am, I knew it was going to be a hot day. We got our Frog Togs out a short time later and put them around our necks to cool us off. They really helped as did the periodic soaking of my shirt in the nearby streams. I was comparing our time to certain landmarks to the time I made it to the same landmarks when I did the hike 9 years ago. We left 45 minutes before I did back then but by the time we reached Cottonwood Campground 6 miles in, we were already behind the pace. But it was hot and I knew that we needed to take our time and hot overheat. We got to Phantom Ranch around 1:00pm and saw some people helping out a lady who was suffering a little disorientation from heat exhaustion. The rangers were called and soon a park ranger was helping her. After refilling our water and trying to eat a snack (when you're hiking in the heat you have no appetite but have to force yourelf to eat salty foods), we headed the short distance to the Colorado River. I love the Colorado River because there is something so raw and rugged about it. We crossed and were quickly met with the hottest part of the hike, through a sandy surface where the trail parallels the river. Although picturesque, as it runs above and parallel to the Colorado River, we couldn't wait to leave that portion of the trail because of the extra heat reflected back up from the sand. We arrived at the resthouse and emergency phone at 2:41 and Trey wasn't feeling good so I told him to take a nap (that's what helped me feel better when I did this hike years before). So Trey laid down for about 25 minutes and slept for about 15 and then felt good enough to continue. Our next landmark was Indian Gardens which seemed like it took forever to get to. When we arrived, Trey laid down again and I refilled all of our drinks. I saw a temperature guage and took a picture - it was at 122 degrees! Trey was ready to go but the sun was getting low in the sky, I knew we weren't going to make it out before darkness at that point, so I suggested we rest a few more minutes and wait for the sun to go behind the canyon walls to the west so we could hike in the shade. It was once again slow going to the 3 mile rest house, but once we got there, Trey really kicked it into gear. On the way out we saw many deer, a family of about 10 goats, and a big horned sheep. The goats were seen in the pitch blackness and startled us quite a bit. As I mentioned, Trey did so good after the 3 mile resthouse. I had him lead the way so he could set the pace and there were a couple of times where I had to ask him to take a break because I was tired while he was ready to continue. After seeing the family of goats, I got out my headlamp and Trey used the flaslight on his phone to help lead the way. We started getting cell phone recption about the 3 mile rest house and I was able to get a text out to Liz who was going to pick us up and drive us to our campsite - #241. Trey and I finally made it out, We were both extremely tired, my knee was killing me and Trey was showing mild symptoms of heat exhaustion. We headed back to camp, which Liz, Shelby, Lizi, and Judi had helped set up while we wee hiking. It was such a relief to take my hiking boots off and to get out of my gross, sweaty clothes. Trey threwup a couple of times but finally felt good enough to come back to bed. It was such a great accomplishment and I couldn't have been more proud of Trey. While we were hiking, the girls took down camp, drove from the North Rim to the South Rim and set up camp at the South Rim before meting us at the exit point of the hike at 10:15. 

Thursday July 8th

We slept in (as much as you can while camping), but Trey was the first one up, as usual. We had a cold breakfast and then started taking down our tent and packing our things. A little comotion was caused when I misplaced my phone and I couldn't figure out where it could be. We found it wrapped up in my sleeping bag. We headed to the Visitor's Center to get our passports stamped and to buy Trey and I "Rim to Rim" shirts. After that we headed home, stopping at a Burger King for lunch. Trey sat in the far back and was surounded by a wall of sleeping bags and other items from our trip. When we got home we all took showers and then ate dinner and watched 3 episodes of Alone before going to bed.

Friday, July 9th

Everyone slept in late to catch up on the lost sleep from the campout. Judi was up first, followed by Trey. I had Judi and Trey pick their top 10 props in the Disney Room. We then all ate breakfast together. Lizi woke up shortly after them and she ate and ranked her top 10 Disney items as well. We went in to rouster Shelby out of bed. She ranked her top 10 items and then we did the Disney draft where everyone picks what they would want. It's fun to see how it changes from year to year. Shelby, Trey, Judi, Liz, and I then played Villainous. It was so much fun - one of the most fun times I've had playing board games. Trey helped Judi play and it was so much fun to watch him with her. He is such a good brother to her. Trey ended up winning the game too! Lizi wanted me to work on my diamond painting with her so we did that together which was also a lot of fun. Lizi finished hers and it looked really good. Judi came in and worked on hers with us and Trey came in and out and ordered another Villainous game for us which was really kind of him. Liz cooked dinner for us and then we went swimming at the Arscotts. It was a lot of fun. Shelby, Trey, and Lizi played with the diving toys. Judi also dove for a diving stick and started getting used to swimming again. After swimming we got cleaned up and Lizi and I worked on our diamond paintings again. Trey asked if I had another one and I only had Beauty and the Beast so I ordered him one to do. Shelby went to lay down while we worked on them. We then all watched Lego Masters and then went to bed.

Saturday, July 10th

Judi woke up first, followed by Trey. I did my diamond painting with Judi and Trey sat with us until we decided it was time for breakfast. We went in and got the girls up and then they ate breakfast while Trey and I put the sleeping bags away from our camp out (we had put them in the washer and let them hang dry). Shelby, Trey, and I then watched Jurassic Park 2 while Lizi and Judi played with Lego, in the Sand box, and then with water balloons on the trampoline. After the movie, Liz, Trey, Shelby, and I played Villainous while Judi and Lizi played wild animals outside. After Villainous, we ate dinner and then went swimming at the Arscotts. The girls did dives and Trey did flips and cannon balls. Judi worked on going underwater without plugging her nose. When we got home, Judi and Lizi played with the remote cars while Trey, Shelby, and I chatted in Shelby's room while Shelby tried to put a 3d Tinkerbell puzzle back together that I accidentally knocked off the shelf. I then got Judi off to bed and Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I watched 3 episodes of Loki, before we all went to bed.

Sunday, July 11th

We woke up, ate breakfast and headed to church. I love having my kids with me at church. I know it has to be difficult for them to go to their youth classes when they really don't know anyone (it would have been terrifying for me as a kid) but I'm so proud of them for doing it. When we got home, we ate lunch and the kids had a webchat with their mom. Shelby went first and while she was talking, Trey and I had a nap on the living room couches while Lizi and Judi played with the RC cars on the racetrack. Lizi talked next and Trey and I hung out with Shelby in her room and just chatted mostly about what books Shelby likes to read and about her friends. Trey went last and Shelby and I played the Ukulele while Lizi and Judi played "Surviving Family" outside. (Judi explained it that they made up background stories about themselves and then had to survive in the wild. She said that one time when Lizi "died" saving Judi, that Judi got tears in her eyes). When Trey finished, Shelby, Trey, and I watched Jurassic Park 3 while Lizi and Judi kept playing outside. When the movie was over, Shelby went outside and picked some grapes and checked out all the fruit trees, then went to lay down in the hammock swing. Trey watched Lizi and Judi play with the RC cars for a while and then came outside and saw what we were doing. It was overcast today but still over 100 degrees so it was tempting to want to do something outside but still a little hot. We came in to eat dinner and after dinner, Trey and I shot some hoops while Shelby sat at the kitchen table with Jenna while Liz talked with Holli about her wedding. I got Judi to bed and then Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I watched 2 episodes of Loki. After Loki, we went to bed. 

Quote of the Day: We walked home from church today. As I was walking next to Trey, when Shelby had something to talk to me about so she kind of stepped in front of Trey to talk to me. Trey then exclaimed, "Shelby! How do you think you'll be a good driver? You can't even walk without cutting me off."

Monday July 12th

Trey and I woke up and went to help Gus Arscott with his waterslide at 9:00. We got the slide taken apart but Gus needed an extra part that he didn't have so at 11:30 he ran to the store. When I got home, Lizi and Judi were playing with the RC cars and Shelby was still sleeping. So Trey and I went in to wake her up. We ate lunch and then I started working on Disneyland ride charts. Trey played a game on his phone called clash of clans, and Lizi and Judi went outside to play. Shelby got up and ate breakfast and then played the Ukulele on the couch. Gus called me so Trey and I went back over and helped him put the slide back together until about 3:30. I called Shelby to come help up lift it to put it back on so she came and helped too. When we got home, we cooled off for a bit because although it was slightly cloudy today, it was still very hot and unusually humid as well. Trey and I rode our bikes to the mail and then Shelby, Trey, and I played Villainous while Lizi and Judi played outside. After the game, we ate dinner and then went swimming at the Arscotts. The kids had fun today using pool noodles to blow water on eachother. When we got home, we watched Prop Culture on Mary Poppins and then Liz put Judi to bed. Shelby, Trey, and I then watched Dr Strange. We all got ready for bed and then Lizi and I chatted in the Disney Room for a little bit before we decided we better get to bed. I sure love my kids!

Tuesday, July 13th

For some reason, I forgot to type what we did this day. Looking back on the pictures, Shelby and Lizi orked on thier amazing paintings - Shelby's was a swing hanging down from a tree and Lizi's was a couple of elephants on the savanah. In the later afternoon, we did a pin draft for our upcoming Disneyland trip and got all of our things packed. 

Wednesday, July 14th

We woke up at 6:30 and ate breakfast and got on the road early so we would have time to go to the beach and meet the Dollins at CA Adventure. We stopped in Barstow for gas and a potty break and made it to Huntington Beach at about 1:30 CA time. (We also stopped at South Coast Plaza to get a gift card for Jenn Dollins for her birthday). We spent 2 hours at the beach. Trey didn't want to get sandy at first so he stayed up with our things while the rest of us went down to the water. Shelby and Lizi went in pretty deep and Judi got her feet wet as well. After a few minutes Trey was down as well. He didn't go in the water because he remembered an experience he had a few years ago where he was dragged under the waves by the current. I didn't realize how traumatic that was to him, I guess. Pretty soon Trey and Lizi were building a wall to try to keep the water out. It turned into a big round circle fort. Judi helped them as well. It was fun seeing them have fun at the beach. We left the beach about 3:35 and headed for the Del Sol Inn across the street from Disneyland. We got checked in, got cleaned up, and Liz started dinner for us by warming up Spanish Rice that she had made the night before. Just as we were finished eating, the Dollins came and brought a bunch of Disney props I had Peter frame for me as well as a bunch of gifts for the kids. We walked over to Downtown Disney with them and ended up staying to watch the fireworks with them. We came back to the hotel and went to bed - Judi and Lizi on the bunk bed, Shelby and Trey in one bed and Liz and I in the other.

Thursday, July 15th

Disneyland

Got in a back up boardig group for Rise of the Resistance in the afternoon after missing the one in the morning but we still got to go on it! It was like group 276. We saw all the PC changes to the Jungle Cruise. Went on Splash Mounain before they gut it to turn it in to Princess and the Frog - Ugh. Judi went on the Disneyland version of Splash for the first time. We went back to the hotel for lunch and naps around 2:00pm and went back to Disneyland around 5:00pm.

Quote of the Day: Lizi after going on the changed Jungle Cruise - "They took all the good parts out and replaced them with monkeys."

Friday, July 16th

CA Adventure with the Dollins. Went to Animation Academy for the first time and drew Stitch. Shelby and Olivia went back later and drew Tigger and Mickey. Also went in Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind for the first time. Trey and Shelby went on Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time and we all went on the new Spiderman: Webslingers ride which was a total disappointment. We had to get a boarding group for it, just like Rise of the Resistance.

Saturday, July 17th

Disneyland

We went to Disneyland for it's 66th birthday. There were no celebrations, no lamp post signs, no banners, nothing. Strange that they wouldn't have anything made. Crowds were very big, especially early on. Trey, Lizi, and Shelby ran to Space Mountain at 9:55pm (5 minutes before the parks closed) from Fantasyland and made it! They didn't get off the ride until 10:50pm. Judi and I went on Peter Pan and got off at 10:20pm. We did Rise of the Resistance again. I forgot to get in a boarding group in the morning until 7:00am exactly (which is the time to try to get into the virtual Queue, but you have to hit the button at 6:59:59 to make it into a boarding group). So we tried again for the afternoon and got group 143. It was fun to see it during the day. We went back to the hotel for naps and lunch around 3:00pm and went back to Disneyland at 6:00pm.

Sunday, July 18th

We woke up around 8:45 and got the van all loaded up. I met up with someone I bought some old Adventureland Shooting Gallery targets from because I bought all the ones he had left at 10:00am. We then went to the Antique Shops in the City of Orange. Shelby had a good time looking around, I think. After we were done, we went to Frank and Sons which Lizi seemed to like better. We met up with the Dollins there at 1:00pm. We left Frank and Sons at 3:45pm and started back home. We stopped at our normal spot in Barstow to get gas and eat at Subway. Judi got sick and threw up twice on the car ride home. We made it home at 11:02pm. Trey and Shelby walked to the mailbox when we got home because Trey is really excited about the Villainous games he ordered for me. 

Monday, July 19th

Judi was the first one up, although she slept in much later than normal. Trey got up shortly after and we ate some breakfast. Trey and Judi then went out to the garage with me and helped me inventory my shooting gallery targets. Lizi woke up and had breakfast and then she and Judi played with Lego while Trey started his diamond painting. Shelby woke up around 12:00. I had to go to a job interview at Dick's Sporting Goods at 1:00. When I got back, Trey worked on his diamond painting some more, Lizi and Judi were still playing Lego, and Shelby went to lay down because she wasn't feeling well. I re-arranged the Disney Room while Trey worked on his diamond painting in there. It was fun being in there with him. Shelby and I walked around the garden picking apricots and peaches from our trees and then Trey and I rode our bikes to the mail.  We ate dinner and then watched Cheaper by the Dozen which was funny. I put Judi to bed and then Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I watched the season finale of Loki. We then all chatted in Shelby and Lizi's room for 30 minutes and went to bed.

Tuesday, July 20th

Trey and Judi woke up about the same time and Trey started working on his diamond painting in the Disney room. We then ate breakfast and Lizi got up. They had a webchat with their mom. Trey went first, then Lizi, then Shelby. While the girls took their turn, Trey and I worked on our diamond paintings. Then Trey and I did car races just like we had done in years past. It was a lot of fun! Lizi and Judi played with Lego and Shelby read her book. Shelby, Trey, and I watched Jurassic World while Judi and Lizi kept playing with Lego. Trey, Shelby, and I then went outside to play knock out. Trey is still really good and I was really proud of Shelby too. They are both athletic. Lizi is extremely athletic too but, unfortunately, doesn't try very often. I then made some dinner and after dinner we watched Lego Masters and Alone. I tucked Judi and Trey in and then talked a little with Lizi and Shelby who are excited to paint again tomorrow. After chatting for a few minutes, we went to bed.

Wednesday, July 21st

The kids all slept in for a long time today. Trey and Judi were up first and we ate some breakfast. Lizi woke up shortly after. I went in to ask Shelby to help me pick some tomatoes and all the kids came out to help. Shelby and Lizi started painting in the kitchen - Shelby painted an island with a sunset and Lizi painted a parrot. They both turned out really good. Trey and I rode bikes in the pit and shot some baskets. Shelby and I then went to Walmart to try to find her some hiking boots for the narrows on Friday. We had to run to St George because the Hurricane Walmart didn't have any. It was fun to spend one on one time with Shelby. When we got home, Judi and Lizi were watching Raya so Shelby finished watching it with them and Trey and I worked on our diamond paintings in the Disney Room. I then cooked some dinner and Shelby, Trey, and I played Villainous while Lizi and Judi played Lego. Lizi started making the Incredicoaster. It looks really good so far! We then went swimming at the Arscotts and came home and watched Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Liz then put Judi to bed and Shelby, Trey, Lizi and I watched Guardians of the Galaxy 2. We then went to bed.

Thursday, July 22nd

Trey woke up first and we ate breakfast together. I then went to get our permit for the Narrows for tomorrow but the ranger advised against it due to the thunderstorms and flash flooding that is expected. So we decided to do the West Rim trail again. We did it 2 years ago and Shelby got really car sick on the way up so hopefully this year, we'll all make it without getting sick. When I got home Lizi and Judi were playing with Lego, Shelby was sleeping, and Trey was in the Disney Room playing the game on his phone. I worked on the diamond painting with Trey and Shelby for a little bit and then made some lunch. While lunch was cooking, Trey's package came. He ordered 2 games of Villainous and he has been so excited to get them for a week now, opeing the door to check to see if a package is there periodically. But they finally came and he opened them right away and started reading up on the new villains. Liz texted and said she needed help making the bed on the top bunk at an Airbnb that she was cleaning so Shelby and I went over to help her while Trey set up Villainous. When we got back, Shelby, Trey, Judi, and I played Villainous while Lizi played with Lego, in her room, and then outside. Our game lasted over 2 hours! I made dinner for everyone and we watched a little bit of Olympic rowing while we ate. Lizi and Judi then went outside to play in the sandbox and Shelby, Trey, and I played knock out. While we were playing, it started pouring rain on us. It was so fun and we were laughing so hard! The basketball felt like it weighed about 10 pounds heavier than when we started! We came in and watched Alone and then Shelby, Trey, and I got our gear together for our hike in the morning and we went to bed.

Quote of the Day: Trey, as we were getting ready for our hike in the morning: "Daddy, how hot is it going to be tomorrow?" Me, a little heasitantly, "Probably like upper 90's." Trey, relieved, "Oh good! That's not to bad." (90 degrees is hot but not compared to the 122 degrees we experienced in the Grand Canyon!)

Friday, July 23rd

We all woke up early this morning around 6:30am to head to the Lava Point Campground which is where the Zion National Park West Rim trail starts. Trey and I drove my car and dropped it off in the parking lot and then met everyone else just outside the entrance station to head to the trail head. We got there at 8:30am, got our gear together, took a few pictures, and got on our way at 8:40am. It was a really pretty morning and Shelby didn't get car sick on the way up this time so I was excited that she would have a better time this time. We made really good time the first 5 miles and then we came to the first uphill portion of the hike. We stopped for a break and Shelby had some huge blisters on the back of her feet from the new hiking boots we bought her a couple of days ago. We put bandiads on them which helped a little and started the climb again. I felt bad for Shelby who had to walk so gingerly up the hill with every step. We stopped periodically to rest our legs and to have a snack but made really good time. As we continued on, we saw a massive storm over the eastern Zion area, exactly where the Narrows and many of it's tributaries are, and I reallized that we had made the right decision not to do it today. Shelby started to feel a little sick to her stomach due to sun exposure. She put a Frog Tog towel around her neck to cool her off and dumped water down her back and both really seemed to help. Trey, meanwhile, was hiking like an all star. I could tell that the Rim 2 Rim hike had really gotten him in shape and given him a lot of confidence. And, by the way, we both wore our Rim to Rim shirts on our hike. We only passed one couple on the whole hike before we got to Scout Lookout, which was unusual. I guess the heat and thunderstorms scared most people away. Walters Wiggles was difficult, considering our legs were tired from the 10+ miles we had already hiked. We made it to the Grotto Bus stop at 3:50pm, just 7 hours and 10 minutes from when we started. Once in the bus it started pouring rain and it was really cool to see the waterfalls coming down the high canyon walls. We surprised everyone by getting home earlier than expected. Lizi and Judi had watched Incredibles, played in the sand box with plastic animals, and played on Lizi's tablet. When we got home, Lizi was painting some sheep figures and then she went outside with Judi to play Stranded Family, a game they made up about surving in the wild. Trey and I ate dinner (Shelby wasn't hungry) and then we all watched Kronk's New Groove. After the movie, Shelby went into her room to read her cousin Kiley's book on her bed and I taught Lizi to play the Ukulele. She really did good! The song she learned first was "Let's Go Fly a Kite" from Mary Poppins. Trey sat on the couch in the living room with us for a while but then went into his bed to go to sleep. Lizi then decided that she wanted to go to bed to and since we all got up extra early this morning, we all went to bed early tonight.

Saturday, July 24th

Judi, Liz, and I woke up early to decorate the 15th Ward float for the Pioneer Day parade. We got there at 7:00am and the parade started at 8:30. I watched Judi start going in the parade and then I came back home. As I was getting ready to eat breakfast, Trey woke up and ate with me. I had a job interview and when I returned home from it, Trey was working on his diamond painting, Lizi was practicing the Ukulele and Shelby was still sleeping. I went in to wake up Shelby because Liz needed our help cleaning an Airbnb. While we were gone, Trey kept working on his diamond painting and Lizi and Judi were playing outside in the sand box with their animals. They made a really cool river. When I got home, I made lunch for everyone and then Shelby, Trey, and I played 2 games of Villainous. I absolutely love playing that game with them! I went outside and pulled some weeds while Lizi and Judi did sidewalk chalk. Trey worked more on his diamond painting and Shelby played the Ukulele. I then came in and worked on my diamond painting with Trey and started some beets cooking for dinner. After dinner Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I watched the olympics. I have always loved watching the olympics and it's even more special to watch them with my kids. Lizi and Judi were outside playing stranded family and lightsaber fighting with sticks. Trey and I then went in to the Disney Room to work on our diamond paintings and Shelby played the Ukulele for us. Then Lizi and Judi came in to work on diamond paintings too. Lizi started a new one - a Christmas one. We then decided it was time for bed.

Sunday, July 25th

We woke up and got ready for church. I went early to go to choir practice and everyone else came just before church started. I had to teach a lesson in Elders Quorum today. When the class was done I went out to find the kids and I saw Trey with a big smile walking down the hall towards me. His class had gotten out a little early and he went to pick up Judi from primary. While we were waiting for the girls to get out of their class, Buggy Wheeler (Kathleen) said "hi" to Trey and commented on how tall he was. We all walked home, which has become such a fun tradition. When we got home, the kids had a webchat with their mom. Lizi went first, then Shelby, then Trey. Actually before Trey talked to her, we ate lunch. While Trey was waiting to talk, we worked on our diamond paintings. After lunch, Lizi practiced the Ukulele a lot and she had already gotten so much better in just a very short time. She was excited to show her mom how well she could already play. Trey kept working on his diamond painting and Shelby worked on her book that she's writting. It's a follow up to the epilogue that she has already finished. Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I then played a game of Villainous and Lizi kept practicing on the Ukulele. After the game the girls all made Tie-die shirts while Trey and I worked on our diamond paintings. We then had dinner and Shelby and I made Grandma Judi's chocolate chip cookies which turned out really good. While the cookies were finishing baking, I got Judi off to bed and then we all watched Avengers: Infinity War. When the movie was over, the girls wanted to look at the Art of Animation drawings from our visit to California Adventure and then we went to bed. 

Monday, July 26th

Judi and I woke up first and did our diamond paintings. Trey then woke up and the three of us ate breakfast. After breakfast, Trey and I went to play pickleball. Trey played really well today. It was so fun to play with him. We played three games in about 45 minutes and came home. Shelby and Lizi were just waking up. Trey, Judi, Lizi, and I all worked on our diamond paintings and then Shelby came in and played the Ukulele. Shelby, Trey, Liz, and I then played two games of villainous while Lizi and Judi played with Lego and then went outside. Outside they played wild animals, with their plastic animals in the sand box, and stranded family. It started pouring rain around 2:00 and they both got soaked outside, eating grapes they had picked on our lawn. I love how they play together. Shelby and I went outside to pick tomatoes, cucumbers, and weed the garden. Lizi and Judi did tie-dye shirts and Trey finished his diamond painting and then played on his phone a little bit. Lizi came in and played on the Ukulele and Shelby and I played catch with the football. She can really catch it great and is a natural at throwing it too. We came in and had dinner. I then gave all the kids another pack of pins for doing such a good job on their chores. Judi has been emptying the silverware in the dishwasher and the other 3 kids have been unloading everything else. Trey has also vacuumed and Lizi and Judi ran cherry tomatoes from our garden over to the Arscotts. They have all cleaned blinds too. After pins, I put Judi to bed and then we watched Avengers: Endgame and went to bed. 

Tuesday, July 27th

Trey and Judi were up first, as usual and we ate breakfast. Judi and I did diamond paintings and Trey came in the Disney Room too and he and I recorded the first episode of Collecting Disney for my YouTube channel. Lizi woke up and ate breakfast and then Shelby woke up. Because of the blisters on the back of her feet, she has to take baths right now so it took her longer than normal to get ready, but after she got ready and ate breakfast, she asked if I wanted to play Villainous so she, Trey, and I played 2 games while Lizi played the Ukulele and then went outside to play with Judi. Actually before we played, I made some lunch for the early risers. Lizi and Judi played in the sand box with their plastic animals and I went out to look at the garden. I showed them a Grape Leaf Skeletonizer that has been eating our grape leaves. Trey was having a hard time figuring out what to do today, probably because there is so much we could do but our time is running out here. I think I understand how he feels because I have a pit in my stomach thinking that they leave in just a couple of days. I had a good talk with Lizi telling her how talented she is and to never underestimate herself, and with Shelby, thanking her for being such a good kid, willing to go with the flow even when it's not necessarily what she wants, like possibly sharing a room with Lizi instead of having her own room when Jenna moves out. We had a light dinner and then went swiming at the Arscotts. After swimming Trey and I recorded another episode of Collecting Disney and then Shelby and I sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather. Lizi got most of her Lego put away so they don't get ruined while she's gone. Shelby came in and worked on her book a little and tried to think of good boy dog names for the new dogs they are getting when they get back. Trey played on his phone on the couch, and Lizi played the Ukuele. I love listening to her developing her talents! We then watched Bog Hero 6 and went to bed.

Wednesday, July 28th

Our last full day is always difficult because you don't want to fill it too full of things because then the day goes by faster. But we hadn't put our rocks on Aspiration Trail yet so we decided to do it in the morning. We ate and waited for Liz to paint her rock and then headed for the trail. The trail had been changed because of planned development in the area so the new summit is across a large canyon. We only found Liz's rock from last summer, none of the other ones (they had been moved because of the trail being moved). Lizi, Trey, and I hiked all the way to the new summit and Shelby and Judi put their rocks near the canyon before ascending up the ridge. Liz put hers at the start of the hike. I was so proud of Lizi! She did such a good job hiking today! We stopped to get a snow cone on the way home and when we got home, Lizi had a bit of a headache so she took a nap and the rest of us ate lunch. Shelby then painted a lighthouse painting on a canvas, and Trey and I watched the Olympics. Liz, Trey, Shelby, and I then played two games of Villainous while Judi and Lizi played with Lego. Shelby and I then went outside and Shelby picked and ate some grapes and peaches and then relaxed in the hammock swing while I pulled some weeds. We came in and had some dinner. Everyone - even Lizi and Judi - then played knockout and Lizi even won the first game! It was SO fun having everyone play. After knockout, we watched Incredibles 2, and then got all packed and ready to go. It was fun that Trey wanted to take a few of his things to Texas with him like his Pop figure he got from the Dollins and his signed Star Wars card. We chatted for a few minutes and then went to bed. 

Thursday, July 29th

The day we go to the airport is always a very hard day for me. I always have a pit in my stomach. We woke up a little before 8:00am to get ready to go to the airport. Shelby said goodbye to Daisy and the pets, as she always does before she leaves. Trey sat in the very back by himself and watched youtube videos on his phone. Lizi sat in the middle seat in the middle row and I had a fun time talking with her for much of the way. We got to the airport about 10:00am Las Vegas time and we got to the gate about an hour before the flight took off. I sat next to Shelby and we had a fun time talking about her book that she's writing. When it was time to board, we gave eachother hugs and I watched as they got into the line, and then boarded the plane. We watched the plane take off and then drove home. When we got back home, the house felt so empty without them there. I really miss playing Villainous with them. I think that's what I enjoyed the most this time. I can't wait until November!