No Car; Fourth of July; House and Yard Projects; Sarah Here for a Month

We had sold both our cars when we left on our mission. That meant when we came home, we had nothing to drive. The Church works with several dealerships to allow Mission Presidents to buy vehicles at a good price.

Glen had been working with one of those dealerships and had ordered a car, but then on the day we arrived back in town, we found out the car was on back order and it would be weeks before we could buy the car.

What to do...???

We thought of asking Dad and Mom if we could borrow one of their cars. When I called Mom, she said she had just been thinking about that very thing that very morning and very happily agreed to let us borrow one of their cars.

What a blessing!!!

We called Ben and Haley to see if they could help us get the rental truck returned and take us to my parents' home to get their car. Ben was a very good chauffeur. They were happy to be with us that day and especially happy when our time together included lunch.

We had so much sorting, organizing and putting away to do as we were moving back into our home. What a mess!! 

My goal was to get everything put away in the kitchen before the family joined us for dinner on July 3rd.

We were happy we were back in town in time for the North Salt Lake fireworks that always happen the night before Independence Day. It is a big family tradition to have a cook-out and then go up to the golf course to watch the fireworks. 

Abe and Klarissa surprised us by having a 24-hour layover in Salt Lake City on their way to Hawaii. Great planning for them to be here for the festivities. 

It was a good time to do a cousin photo with the youngest grandbabies born two days apart and both weighing in just under 10 pounds at birth.

Anyone notice the kitchen countertop is void of clutter and junk?????? I was patting myself on the back for accomplishing that little feat!

I was happy to get the photographer in the photo. Klarissa and Newland were missing as they were out running errands together.

While waiting for the right time to leave for fireworks, family members were biding their time by playing games together.

Haley had some help from Brooke and Caroline making the festively-themed sugar cookies we ate for dessert. (I am noticing I didn't get all the back countertop cleaned off before the dinner. UGH!! Moving in takes so much time and effort.)

Time to make popcorn--our treat at the golf course while waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Off to the golf course we went to claim the chairs that had been hauled up there a little earlier in the evening.

Meanwhile, Sarah's family was enjoying their own fireworks show with Jeff's family in Panguitch from the comfort of their van.  

We continued to work like crazy in the house all through the holiday. The next day we decided to give ourselves a break and went to the Jordan River Temple. It was beautiful and relaxing and a much-needed break from all the physical labor we had been doing. Our poor aching bodies!!

This was the view coming out of the temple. Look at those mountains!! So majestic!! I have missed them.

We had two of our former missionaries stop by to see us. They are now married to each other. We LOVE it when that happens!! Jared Hopkins and Lexie Skabelund Hopkins were very interested in Glen showing them how he used to teach as a missionary using his flip chart.

Work, work, work we did the next day until time to get cleaned up to go out to dinner with Glen's sisters. We met in Ogden at Longhorn.

While in Las Vegas, I was telling Sarah how sad I was that she has moved away and I won't get to see her as often as I used to and she said, "Don't worry, Mom, because I'm going to come live with you for a month."

True to her word, her family arrived the week following our arrival home and they are here with us while Jeff goes out of town on some work trips. Sarah says "everyone in Las Vegas goes to Utah for the summer" to try and escape the heat.

I am wondering where I can go to escape the heat because I have been DYING of the HEAT ever since we arrived home. It feels like the air conditioner has been running nonstop--and that is with it set much higher than I would like to keep it.

Now we have little people around as we continue to try to get our house (and yard) put back in order.