Senior and Freshman

Tim and Mark are attending in-person classes at our high school. We hope school can continue at least long enough for them to get to know their teachers and for Timothy to be able to finish his armoire he had to abandon for five months in the school woodshop. The high school has a lot fewer students attending, as many opted for at-home learning. Attending school was the best option for us, and once we landed on that idea, I felt it was right. Tim and Mark seem really glad to be back in school.

I am not home alone on this first day of school. Richard is here, working from home, and Daniel has a few more days until he moves to Provo to begin BYU. Woot! We have been busy collecting things for his apartment while he wrangles his ever-evolving schedule.

Happy Crafty Birthday

When Paige was young, we would often do crafts to celebrate her birthday. I thought it would be fun to do something like that again. Mark and I set up an array of succulent plants and ordered lots of little woodland animals and buildings to populate the pots.

Squee! So cute.

And then Paige and I watched this movie. Happy day!

A big day

I was able to hike this week, which is something I have been working on since my surgery in April.

Healing is not a steady slope upward; it is a loopty-loop, a song on endless repeat, triumphs followed almost immediately by days in bed, isolating, and boring.

This snail on the trail enjoyed the little details I would have missed at a faster pace. It is so good to be able to hike again.

Resilient and Creative

I challenge you not to raise the pitch of your voice as you comment on the cuteness of these mini Jeeps.

Tim and Daniel have some new projects. Tim bought a mini jeep, and Daniel claimed a free piano. At the appearance of the mini jeep, our next-door neighbor said incredulously, “Another vehicle?”

Daniel is gutting the old piano to make an electric keyboard desk with speakers, lights, and a place to put a computer. One night in the garage, he removed all the keys but those from a jazz chord progression so he and Mark could do some improv, worry-free, since only the notes they needed were available.

Tim installed more lights on the jeep and ordered a pretty fine helmet and *chrome* goggles to wear as he drives. He offers rides around the neighborhood to our family.

These guys teach me new levels of fun and creativity.

I have decided to shift the way I think and talk about school restrictions and realities for our kids. This is not a time to paint our children as victims, but a time to help them know they can be resilient. Just imagine how much stronger these kids can be because they have been challenged to find new ways of connecting, finding fun, and working to become educated. I think we can remind them they are stronger than they know, especially as they rely upon God. We can look for possibilities more than limitations, because new ideas await. This is a time for creativity and resilience!

Take What You Need

I am enchanted by little jars of rocks with words printed on each, such as peace, joy, contentment, love, rest, etc, with a label on the jar which reads, “Take what you need.”

I made this scripture pep talk a few years ago, and I don’t think I shared it here. Take what you need.

(If you are on a PC, you can right click on the image, then select the option to open it in a new tab. This will make it larger for you to see.)

The glue of traditions and memories

2020: all together and a new son-in-law

All of our children at the cabin (first time since 2017)✔️ River runs✔️ Wildlife✔️ Wildflowers✔️ Extended family ( ) Memories and thoughts of extended family✔️✔️

Our 2020 Sanchez family reunion is being done in shifts, with each sibling and my parents invited to take a day at the cabin. Memories and traditions fill voids when we can’t be together. This year is just a blip in a very long story.

This is the usual crowd at the cabin each year:

2019 (Daniel was in Chile)
2018 (Paige was in New York)
2017 (the last time all of our children were at the Weber with us)

What did we do with our 24 hours at the cabin this year? We read, played a couple of games, went on walks, collected rocks, and went tubing!

On Living in the Covid-19 Age

My mom, cousin, sister, and I gathered outdoors for a socially distanced movie night with a projector and screen (we are pictured behind the screen for light). We were responsible and cautious and happy.

My friend shared this, and whether the quote and citation are perfect, I do not know, but I like these ideas from C.S. Lewis. Just read Covid-19 in the place of Atomic Age and there you go. We have permission to live joyfully.