2025, July 7-13

Summer has brought with it unexpected changes. Some are welcome; some are not. 

Through it all, "Happiness is a warm puppy," as the saying goes. 

The kitty is enjoying the summer warmth himself. Here we see him getting into Eliza's business on the lounger chair out front. 

Pablo from down the block seems to like hanging out with Ferg. He's not as fond of getting caught while doing it. 

Kai really can't stand to be apart from his people, especially his mama (AKA Hallie).

Hallie got fancy summer nails this week. 

Kai got to hang out with Kohar's new addition, Enzo the shih tsu/poodle mix she got on Sunday.  

Hallie received some very unwelcome news on Wednesday when Mr. Flemming at Springville High said Mrs. Kelly wanted to go in a new direction at the preschool and that Hallie's services would no longer be needed. The news came like a heavy blow. Fortunately, someone as good and kind and competent as Hallie has friends everywhere. Her Starbucks friends came through for her especially. 

And of course, holding a newborn baby always helps too. 

Isn't Brooklyn a cutie?

It was only a matter of time before the babies got together. 

Oh! We caught her (almost) looking at the camera! 

On Thursday, Mike took his morning students to his former alma mater to see the Museum of Art, the library, and some other parts of campus. They had fun and hopefully added some new vocabulary along with appreciation for the arts. 

Before he went back to PACE for the afternoon class, Mike and Eliza collaborated on some potential art for Hallie. The image is one of a torii gate topped with Minnie Mouse ears within which are the number 50 and a cherry blossom. It's a good thing they completed their work today because Mike lost Adobe Creative Cloud (again!) with Hallie's departure from the school district. Those people are fast! 

Let's appreciate a slumbering Fergus for a minute here. 

Silvi needed some bling, and Hallie brought it with some stickers she owned and accumulated after we bought the car. 

We finally put this Michigan sticker we've had for a long while to its intended use. Much love, Detroit! Plus, here's a bit of Montana love in anticipation of our upcoming move. 

We love you, California, and of course Utah is BeaUTiful (?, why not "Be-Utah-ful"?).

Eliza discovered that she could make an inflated blanket tent over the office AC vent. Of course, it only works when the air is blowing. 

Aww! Here again is Enzo (or maybe Potato? How about Wolverine? Kohar isn't set on Enzo). Hallie and Eliza looked after him and Ruben on Friday for a little bit while Kohar worked. 

Mike even got to hang out with the doggos (and Kai too). Later, Priscilla came by to chat and enjoy the pups.  

Hallie only has a few more shifts at Starbucks at Smith's before it's back to being full-time in Eliza's school life. Summer is going by way too fast! Apparently the baristas have made friends with the owner of a restaurant in Springville called Goong Korean BBQ, and she brought sushi for them. 

Forasmuch as she won't be at the preschool come fall, Hallie has lots of little friends and their families who no one can take away. It was a special treat, Hallie said, to look up and see brothers Mark and Charlie at the store today. After also seeing one of her previous high school students, she had to step away to take a break after shedding some tears.

 

2025, June 30-July 6

We're halfway through 2025?! Already?!

We had a fairly mellow Independence Day week by our standards. No travel; just running around town. 

On Tuesday, Eliza and Lexi went to the movies to see How to Train Your Dragon. They had fun. Moms and a brother joined too.

Eliza got to hang out with the new colt Bowie at Leslie's.

Speaking of babies, Hallie and Brooklyn got to hang out for a while. 

Mike had wanted to get a few things in Japan that he didn't end up finding. One of them was a noren Japanese-style curtain) with his kamon-inspired personal emblem. Kamon are the Japanese version of a family or clan crest, and we saw them all over while on our trip. A couple of weeks back, he ordered a noren online, and it arrived this week. 

Here it is hanging in the dining room. 

Eliza broke her glasses at taekwondo early in the week, which meant she needed to get a replacement pair. She's too powerful for ordinary eyewear, it seems. She didn't settle on anything new yet. Esplin Eyewear are rockstars. They fixed her old pair, and away we went.

The first of the month meant a new Dutch Bros. sticker. 

In addition to ordering a noren, Mike got his emblem on a shirt and a hat. The hat arrived this week. The shirt and hat aren't a kimono and helmet with kamon, but they'll do nicely. 

Before he went back to Brittany's for a couple of days, Kai got to hang out with some of his friends in the neighborhood.

Such an adorable puppy! 

On Thursday, Mike had the day off from PACE, and he, Hallie, and Eliza went up to University Place so Hallie could exchange a LEGO set and they could window shop. Eliza got a Japanese beverage, and Mike got food court ramen. It was . . . fine. 

We celebrated Independence Day at home. Hallie had to work for most of it, and Landon had to put in a few hours at Jimmy John's. Here's to remembering the values upon which our country was founded. 

Before she went to work, we stopped by the home of one of her regular Starbucks customers to buy lemonade for a fundraiser she was doing for Doctors Without Borders. Somehow we managed to drive with several open cups of the lemonade down to Smith's so Hallie could share with her fellow employees. Hallie is the Lucy Ricardo of this household.  

While Hallie and Landon worked, Eliza and Mike hung out at home. Mike had some University of Montana work to do, then he went out to fly his kite. It's always a little tricky to get the kite aloft in the summer with the shifting winds, but today he managed. 

Fergus joined him. 

For a minute. 

When Mike went to get Landon from work, he had a chance to catch the dramatic skies to the west. 

Speaking of dramatic, Mike and Eliza went riding their bikes in the later evening and stopped to see some local fireworks. For being relatively small, they were nonetheless impressive. And loud. 

Fergus spent Saturday hanging out sleeping next to Mike while he worked. 

One final thing Mike had wanted to get in Japan but never ended up finding were some B-Side Label stickers like he had done on the Cal Lutheran trip. He ordered a bunch, and they showed up. If you want any fun and unique stickers from the Land of the Rising Sun, let him know. 

In a little bit of evening weirdness, Mike looked up at the living room fan to find that a wee spider had made a beautiful web between the pull cords on the overhead fan. Lamentably, he had to destroy the web when he escorted the spider out of the house.

This is nor an optical illusion. Eliza joined Dad for some winding down time and fell asleep in this doubled-up position. Hallie had to capture it. 

On Sunday evening, we had our back alley social. Brooklyn likes taking in the breeze. 

This is Mike doing an excellent job at baby whispering. 

Again speaking of babies, our neighbor Kohar got a new puppy. Hallie's in love. His name is Enzo. 

And as a parting note, Eliza made it onto BUH's Instagram this week. She did gardening in the recent past.