King's Cross

 I don't want to forget this:

Whenever Tyson returns a shopping cart to the outdoor cart drop, he always backs up to get a running start and runs at it as if he's Harry Potter entering platform 9 3/4.  I watch with a full heart thinking, "Can he get any cuter?!"

Bring Your Pet To Class Day

 One of the many reasons I love school at home...

Class Connect

Mandatory 1-hour reading time

Free Time

Teach to fish...

 The boys and I returned tonight from a quick trip to Utah.  Tyson has been saying for weeks that he wanted to go fishing.  After bringing it up off-hand for a while and then coming right out and asking Randy to take him, I decided to take him down to Utah to go fishing with my Dad.  We left on Sunday after church for a few days of fun.  A perk of doing school online.  

Brennon and I spent time with Grandma Burrell and Grandma-Great Fuller while they went to Causey, East Canyon, and Los Creek.  Tyson would have left before the sun and come home at Midnight if he could have, but he did have to attend some classes.  

Tyson: "If someone were to judge the day, they'd have to say it was a 'super stupendous day!'"

I cannot write just how giddy and full of joy he was when he got back each night as he told me about his days.  Their first morning fishing, they didn't even get a bite.  My Dad was worried since a cold front had come in days before our arrival.  Tyson's words: "It's so much fun hanging out with Grandpa Burrell."  That night, they came home with their first of many catches.  "Mom, it's even funner catching a fish with Grandpa Burrell."

I am so glad that we were able to go.  Brennon played many games, hung out with family, and enjoyed himself just as much as Tyson.  Well, almost.  I'm not sure anyone was flying as high as Ty.

Fence Works

 It's finally happening!  The first time I walked through this house, I noticed the weird placement of our fence.  I thought, "If we buy this house, we'll move that fence someday."  I feel so blessed that it is finally happening, after 4.5 years of imagining!

This is the view I was talking about.  From our dining room windows, the fence cut off so much of our backyard and made our side yard huge.  It has always been such a weird place to put a fence.

Randy could have had this dropped in seconds, but he wanted to teach his sons.  They don't teach you this at school in person.

Even just seeing this view, I could have cried.  I always knew it would open up the space, but without the fence blocking, I can see I wasn't imagining it big enough.

We'd hired a kid to do some other irrigation work for us and then paid him for his labor to help us rip out the posts.  Come to find out, he graduated with and knows Keilie.  He's had his own business since he was a Freshman.  I love hiring kids like that!  Randy loved that he didn't have to tell him how to do anything, he just dug in and got right to work.  The poles were out and loaded into our trailer in less than 2-hours.

Standing at the rock, which is the exact point at which our two walls will meet, you can see just how much backyard we'll add and how much useless sideyard we're removing.  

I've always thought we'd someday stain the fence in the back.  Now that it is open and available to everyone's eyes, I notice it even more.  Where once we had a fence in the wrong place, at least it had been stained a rich, dark brown.  I now see the faded, hideous fence more.  Oh well.  It will have to wait.

Glorious sight.  I just sat here this morning and stared.

Because of some easements with Kennewick Irrigation District, we are not able to have our gate where it used to be.  We will now have to have a block wall directly next to our house and the 12' gate (2 x6', iron) will have to be at the property line.  This means that all of this grass you see here currently will now become a driveway, with a small, circular round-about between to break up the cement.

The rock up the side of the fence as well as where the boat, trailer, and riding lawn mower are will also become cement.  It's insane how much concrete we'll have on this side of the house, but it was necessary because of that easement.  Plus, Randy's always wanted it.

We've been working these last few years to get all of the rose bushes pulled from the backyard.  We finally got the last two yanked to make place for our boat while they work.  Has your yard waste dumpster ever smelled this rosy?

We've decided to keep our trampoline here permanantely.  It was made as a fire pit area, but because the water main directly under it (the reason we have the easement!) broke a few Springs ago, it is all cracked and uneven in places.  It fits our tramp perfectly, so we decided to make that the side of the yard where all of our toys will go.  One day, a swing set will be placed where the boat is in these pictures.  We'll build a fire pit somewhere else if we so choose.  Or we'll make a backyard kitchen and have no need for a pit.  Who knows.

We're all ready for them to begin on Monday!

Update on Wednesday:  No wonder he didn't come on Monday... He has Covid...

Mira Mows

 Whimpering in our bedroom as she watches Randy mow the lawn without her.  Cutie!

Hair

While doing Brennon's hair, I noticed something odd.  Do you see the hair growing in the center of his forehead?!  We laughed as we shaved it off.  Funny!

Recess

 I came home from the gym to find the boys playing outside together.

Recess has never been more fun!

Pool Monitors

 This is the first year that Randy and I took the kids with us to our required night to monitor at our pool.  We usually do it as a sort of date night, but this time took the kids.  I think we'll make it a tradition.  We like to choose a Sunday night late in the season.  Many of our members are also members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, so they wouldn't come swim on a Sunday.  Plus, late in the season means it gets cold early.  Not one single person showed up to swim while we played games together and snacked on all the goodness.

I love these crazies!

Ewe'll die

I'm thinking that the person that came up with these names is pretty much my best friend.  Who wouldn't be friends with someone that hilariously genius, I ask you?!
 

Happier

9th Grade

I can now say that I am GLAD Shelby chose to do school in person.  I miss her during the day, but she is making friends and just happier.  She is a joy to be around, I feel her absence.  It's less of a sting knowing she's thriving.

 

Boys

I didn't even realize they were wearing the same shirt until I asked Danielle to do a side-by-side of them for me.  I love that my boys still twin, even when they don't mean to.

6th Grade

8th Grade

I love that you can tell they are brothers, but that they have differences too.  The part of their hair is on opposite sides.  Brown eyes, blue eyes.  Dark brown (like mine), dirty blonde (like Randy's).  Their smiles have different lips.  They are best friends, but they have differences in temperament and personality, too.

This picture is worth more than 1,000 words.  I sure love them.

Resemblance

 While getting updated pictures of my boys for the first day of school, it hit me just how much I see Caden in my boys, especially Brennon.  Danielle did a side-by-side for me.

They may not have the same color eyes, but there is a serious resemblance between these two.  I always thought Caden looked more Dirks and Brennon looked more Burrell.  The lines are blurred a bit looking at this picture.