UVA Stuff, the Rodeo, and Everything In Between

A couple weeks ago it was "Paint the Town Orange" night, so we donned our best UVA swag and headed to the downtown mall to watch the festivities-- welcome back, students!!!

We ended up being right next to where the drums were playing, so that was fun!  (But could Craig have gotten a worse angle on me???)

Which reminds me-- this video that UVA released a couple years ago was so great!!!  (And goodbye, Jim Ryan, sniff!)

And then the YM went to a fire station for their weeknight activity:

Craig was super excited to see how the jaws of life have changed since his firefighting days

There's Wylan showing them stuff

And now all the young men (and half of the leaders) want to be firefighters!  Success!

We went to another football game, just to watch the marching band!

As they marched past us, Camille commented, "Ryder looks taller in a uniform!"  They all do, Camille, they all do...  (That's Ryder in the back, holding an FSY bag in one hand!)

Camille was very proud of this sunset picture that she took

There's Kendra playing the bass drum

They held a multi-ward YM/YWs activity to watch a church broadcast.  Everyone watched it outside at a member's home, and I love the young men all grouped together being adorable:

And there's a pretty sunset!

Can you read their shirts?  It says, "I read the whole Book of Mormon and all I got was this T-shirt...  And a testimony"  😂

Camille got a Costco hotdog with her father

Craig and I had another temple date (I'm wearing the same dress as last time!) and then went to Torchy's after-- a lovely evening!

Tracy sent me this awesome picture of the family-- 

My Aunt Ann, Tracy, Cora, Adam, Dad, and Bentley!

To celebrate Adam's birthday (my friend, not my BIL), we joined him and the Holbeins for a little kayaking!

But then Hazel was offended by something (probably me asking her if she wanted to get in the kayak?) and had to go sit and pout at the end of the dock....

THAT FACE!!!  No one can hold a pout like Hazel!!!

Adam with two of the Holbein children on the paddle board

Craig and Camille took a spin in the double kayak

They rowed so perfectly in sync!

Camille really likes paddle boarding

She decided this little hideout should be called Camille's Cove

Oh, look, I got in the water, too!  (But not for very long-- I'm pretty happy sitting on the shore letting everyone take their turns)

Colton went home with the Huffs after church one Sunday, and then after my nap Craig and I called Bentley and were chatting with him when we suddenly realized we should probably pick up Colton!  So Craig headed out and I texted Megan to let her know Craig was on his way, when she suddenly called me back to inform me that she had dropped Colton off at our house a half hour ago!  Somehow we'd missed him!  I felt terrible, until I went looking for him and this was what I found:

Well no wonder we hadn't seen or heard him!

Parents of the Year, right here!

Within a week of arriving in Seattle, Bentley started his new job at Ace Hardware Store on the island!  We were very proud of him for finding work so fast.  It pays slightly less than the job he had here at the SPCA Store, but they give him way more hours AND overtime pay, so he's making more (and keeping busier), so that's all great stuff!  In the same vein as first day of school pictures, Tracy sent us a first day of work picture:

The really funny thing about this is that Tracy has always thought it would be really great working at the hardware store on the island!  She was literally telling me this as Bentley was on the plane flying to Seattle and I was like, "Actually, I'm pretty sure he has a job interview there this week!"  You can't plan stuff like this!  A few weeks later Adam stopped by and got a couple pictures of Bentley working so we could see!  

I'm not sure what he's doing here, but I DO know that sorting out all the screws (in the foreground) is the bane of Bentley's existence these days!

And THIS is a very Bentley look!  I'm glad he gives it to his uncle, too, and not just his parents!!!

A couple more Bentley shots-- here are he and Cora enjoying some time on their electronics.  Cousin bonding at its finest!

And here the Nilsen's decided to go out in their boat one evening-- it looks very windy!

This picture makes me laugh

Meanwhile, back in Virginia, we hosted another new member open house (I feel like this was the third one we've had, but there could have been more and I've just lost count).  It was...  not well attended: several people who said they would come just seemed to forget or something.  Which is kind of annoying because I cleaned the entire house and made a ton of food for it.  But the good news is, that should be the last one we ever do!  (Fingers crossed...!)

But the bishopric was all there, and they were all wearing blue polo shirts!  How cute are they?

Kendra loves calling people "silly little guys" so this random bumper sticker that I saw in a parking lot made me laugh

Gotta love a girl using power tools!  Craig has been taking down the wreck of our deck stairs...

Colton manages to grab my phone when I'm not looking...

Oop, and he did it again at home!

And THEN, on another night, we decided to go to the rodeo in Orange!  It was the last one of the season, so even though we were all really tired, we decided it would be a shame to miss out.  And I'm so glad we went-- I LOVE the rodeo!!!  (It was two nights in a row sitting on very hard bleachers since this was the day after a football game, but our tushes survived!)

(Ryder was at a friend's house, and Camille spent the entire night standing by the fence so she could see better)

Like so

Watching the horses warm up for the barrel races

At one point they put out a line of candy and then let the kids race for it.  But who wants to eat a tootsie roll that's been sitting in that dirt???  (Camille threw hers away)

Craig lucked out and video-ed one of the best rides of the night!

This is the absolute craziest thing ever, right?  But it's so awesome!