2020, August 10-16

This was our last full week of summer vacation! NOOO! We were on quarantine for a bit of it, but we managed to get out. 

Diamond and Caleb sent Eliza a Rey Pop! Doll to celebrate when Eliza legally joined our family nine years ago. 

Hallie took Eliza and Lily to the grands to jump on the trampoline. There was a little sprinkler action added to the heat of the day and they had a great time.

If you're going to wear a mask, have fun with it. We got Marvel-themed ones a little while back. Mike likes his Hulk one particularly. Hallie thinks the mask is great!!

Thursday, August 13, was International Left Handers Day. Mike drew some arms to celebrate for fun (in friendly and vaguely militant varieties). Here's to those who bear the smudge without a grudge! 

He went on campus and saw new signs in preparation for fall semester. They're cute. 

Hallie had an in-service day for her new job. She got presents! It was great that her lead teacher Mijken made sure that our team sat together. It made the first day a little less overwhelming.

We received some troubling news on Thursday. Someone at the gym tested positive for COVID-19, so now we're on quarantine. Our neighbor Julie brought over yummy cupcakes -- Eliza's favorite, red velvet. We didn't get a picture but our cute neighbor Hannah brought us over chocolate cake and now Hallie is beginning to understand why people gained weight during quarantine.

Fergus takes quarantine well. He'll sleep right through it. 

The rest of us are kind of bummed about it. Landon is drowning his sorrows gaming with friends and punching his bed. 

Dad got out his Transformers from the garage. This brightened Eliza's spirits. Three of the four of us have spent a bit of time with the toys that are new to us again. 

We also did a couple of family activities to get us outdoors. On Saturday we had s'mores out in the alley. On Sunday we went on a ride through the Alpine Loop, stopping at Timpanogos Caves and hiking around a bit. It has been quite warm in the valley, and it was a nice time to get out. We finished out night with yummy burgers from In-N-Out. Landon finished a 3x3 -- he must have been hungry!

School starts Wednesday for three of us, and there is a bit of apprehension, especially from Hallie. This next year will be interesting to see how it all unfolds. 

2020, August 3-9

We had a generally quiet week at home. Landon found out his schedule for the coming school year, and Eliza will find out who she has (besides Dad) on Monday. 

Landon updated his LEGO Switch by adding an 8-Bit Super Mario. Clever boy! 

Eliza continues honing her riding skills. Eliza wore her #teamizzy5k for our friend who is getting an organ transplant. Eliza is getting her virtual 5k in by riding Rue.

Coach Sarah celebrated her birthday with the girls with some yummy cupcakes! 

Both Mom and Dad got haircuts. Mom took a pic of hers in process, mostly because Mom can never get it to look the same as her hairstylist does a second time.

Eliza, Lily, and Hallie met Alicia and her girls at a park in Pleasant Grove. Everyone had a lot of fun!

Eliza found a painted rock at the park and we posted this picture to the Facebook PGRocks.

Here is Lily with the same rock.

Hannah, Eliza, and Lily posing after a fun time playing at Discovery Park in Pleasant Grove.

Eliza used Mom's camera to take some candids. Eliza really loves taking pictures of Fergus and even tormenting the cat. Fergus puts up with a lot when it comes to Eliza and her affection towards our feline family member.

Fergus, the slinky lap cat, is feeling no pain. 

Speaking of rocks above, on our date this week, we went up to the outlets in Lehi, and they had painted rocks as part of a promotion. 

Eliza had her last babysitting session with Chloe on Friday.  Chloe finally warmed up to Eliza after the Summer. By the end of the day Chloe was laughing at Eliza and not crying. Phewf!

On Sunday, as Eliza and Mike were on a walk, they saw a bunch of honeybees pollinating one of the last flowering trees in the neighborhood. Mike attempted to catch them in action. 

Two peas in a pod right here. Both kids (Landon and Eliza) thought 5:00 a.m. and earlier would be a great time to be wide awake this morning. Hallie took one for the team and got Landon back to sleep by 6:00. Mike switched and spent the rest of the time with Eliza. Landon said he couldn't go back to sleep because he thought Eliza would eat the leftover pizza. Funny 12 yr old. Hallie couldn't stay awake any longer and curled up with Fergus. Landon spent a long time today riding with his friend Sonny. It is hard as a parent to let them go but I guess now is as good of a time as any and in just 10 days he starts junior high. 

Landon also has consistently solved a 5x5 Rubik's cube and earned a pyramid puzzle that should arrive this week in the mail. Landon always seems to have a Rubik's cube in his hands, and his interest was peaked after watching a short documentary about 2 cube world champions. 

Both kids have been doing great in gymnastics this last month. We are very proud of them and all of their hard work. Eliza's Coach Morgan quit this last week because of school, and we have met Coach Lauren who will take her place. In the next few weeks we will find out if we will even have a competition season due to COVID. We are happy the kids can at least practice regularly for their mental health.

2020, July 27-August 2

We've survived seven months of this annus horribilis ("horrible year") of 2020. Yay! On to the august month of August. This week the kids had a gymnastics camp. They participated in some events and did their own thing on others. 

This week was Camp Week at gymnastics. Practice began at 8:00 a.m. everyday. It was tough on all of us. After practice Monday, the kids watched a movie and had free play at the gym. Afterward while driving to Grandma and Grandpa's, Hallie and Eliza witnessed a fire off the freeway that aroused their curiosity. 

Mike found a random painted rock on campus. 

Tuesday brought rain in the afternoon which threatened to ruin a trip to the Spanish Fork reservoir. Fortunately, it didn't last long. 

Eliza enjoyed burying herself in the sand. Landon got quite a bit of sun. Fortunately, both kids tan up quite nicely. Gotta love their good genes! 

Hallie took Lily on a trip to Starbucks among her other errands. Lily is quite the little companion! 

Wednesday the kids did water games at a local park with their friends from gym at a nearby water park.

Eliza got her nails done at the local cosmetology school -- bright blue for AirTime.  

The Hopkins were the last of our relatives to leave Grandma and Grandpa's. We went up for dinner of Cappellini Pomodoro with some Roma tomatoes we had grown, and then we bid them farewell until our next visit. 

Thursday camp day was cleaning out the foam pits at the gym and fluffing them up for the upcoming school year. With the kids gone from 8:00 - 4:00, Mike and Hallie had their day date. It has been nice getting back to our dates now that the kids are on the same schedule again.

Fergus, love that he is, has really taken to Mike since the outbreak. He can't sit down when Fergus is home without the cat finding his lap. 

We have been participating in fundraising activities for a friend of ours who is receiving a kidney transplant. 

Friday, Hallie chauffeured several girls from gym including Eliza to a hike in Provo. Landon didn't want to go because he said it was too "early". Everyone had fun and it was nice to be home by noon.

On Saturday we did several chores around the house. Mike replaced the tank mechanism on the downstairs toilet, Eliza used the new vacuum to refresh her bedroom floor, Hallie got our CSA produce, and Landon organized his LEGO collection, among other things. Fergus napped in the office, out of sight and out of mind. 

We watched a documentary on speed cubing this week, and Landon managed to create his own monogram in cubes. Now he wants a speed cube of his own.  

He also made a LEGO replica of his Nintendo Switch. Quite the accurate rendition, we must say!

The week ended in a great way! Our awesome neighbor Julie brought us a cooked roast with all of the fixings, including dessert. What a great neighbor!! It was delicious. Julie made the mashed potatoes with the potatoes we have received from our Community Sponsored Agriculture program with Wilkerson Farm.