Summer 2022

 If you read my last post, you know that summer of 2022 started with a very broken wrist and no knowledge of how long I would be one handed. I was finding things to be very difficult with one hand, especially on the farm. The boys and I had scheduled weeks of farm camps and parties, but I just didn't feel comfortable holding these events without the use of both hands. I knew that I could not harness and drive the minis or make sure all the farm camp kids were perfectly safe in my condition. And I had no idea when I would be recovered enough to do those things, so I made the difficult decision to cancel all the farm camps for the summer. It was a sad day for me. I felt like I was letting a lot of kids down. They were all so excited for farm camp! 

June started and we visited Daniel's grave in the rain.

School let out and my mom made enough time to drive all the way down to pick up me and the boys for a couple of days at the ranch to enjoy it before I had surgery on my wrist. It was so nice to just be there and relax and rest and for the boys to take a break from all the work they had to do for me at home. I really needed some time at the ranch and with my mom. Sometimes even as adults we just need our moms.

The same goes for mother-in-laws. Sometimes we just need them. Alice was there so much this summer with food and grocery store runs and help with whatever while I only had one arm. I am grateful for her and that she lives so close. We found a really good new Korean place.

Alice even helped me late at night when Penny had her piglets. The boys helped a lot too. They were the cutest little spotted piggies in the world!

Farm life certainly doesn't stop for a broken wrist. We get our hay from a farmer in South Weber. He gives us a good deal if we pick up the bales out of the field. But this means we have to be ready to get two loads as soon as he is done baling. If you know anything about hay you know that when they get baled depends on so many factors including the weather and there is no telling exactly when it will be ready. This year the bales just happened to be ready at the same time I was scheduled to have surgery on my wrist. I was able to ride up with Mark and the boys the evening before surgery. I was at least able to help drive the truck slowly through the field as all three boys loaded and stacked.

 

We got back pretty late at night. But at least we got one load back to the farm.

The next morning Mark dropped me at the hospital for my surgery. I don't remember much. I just wanted to get it all over with so my wrist could be on it's way to healing instead of waiting for it to only hurt again. Basically my distal radius was shattered so I needed this big metal plate to hold it all together. Just call me Wolverine now.

While I was having surgery Mark and the boys (Alice went and drove the truck) got the other load of hay. Then they got all of it put up in the barn with the help of a friend. I am sure they were exhausted. Alice came and got me from the hospital after my surgery. Sadly, my family had planned a 50th wedding anniversary party for my parents that same day, which I missed of course. I needed a few days to recover from surgery. My wrist hurt worse than when I originally broke it and once again I was feeling pretty sad. It did bring a smile to my face when I got to go out and visit Penny's cute little piglets though.

Mark had to spend an entire week up at the stake girl's camp. The boys had to fill in for all his help while he was gone. Also, during this time Timmy was taking daily tennis lessons and Brian began running with the high school cross country team.

Mark was gone to girl's camp, so I had to drive myself to the doctor for my wrist check up. This was two weeks after surgery and the first time my arm was unwrapped since surgery. It hurt so much to unwrap it and looking at it made me sick for some reason. I suddenly got super dizzy and I was very very close to passing out. I was a little worried I couldn't drive myself home one handed (I still couldn't use the broken side). But after sitting in my car for awhile and drinking a bunch of water I was able to safely make my way home.

I was able to go from an arm cast to a wrist brace which was extremely nice. I still couldn't use that arm much and it still hurt, but doing things felt easier.

By now it was the end of June when my family had planned the yearly trip to the Shakespeare festival. I really really wanted to go, but I knew I shouldn't be driving that far on the freeway with one hand. So I asked my family for help. My mom drove Timmy and I down to Cedar City and Brian rode with my sister Melanie. Melanie drove us all home afterward. 

It was such a nice vacation. I enjoyed just sitting and watching the kids play in the pool and it was so nice to see some of the plays.

We also went on a nice hike up in Red Cliffs area. I couldn't do much climbing around, but I enjoyed getting out and about and watching the kids.

Here are some of the cousins at our hotel. This is the last picture we will have here. It will be converted to apartments by next year. We have stayed here each summer for years and years!

Getting a Job

Since February, I had been applying for teaching jobs for the coming school year. Earlier this year I just felt like it was time to renew my teaching license and get my district application all ready in case the right job came up. I had several interviews, but none offered me a job. At this point it was the end of June and I basically decided that it wasn't a good time to go back to teaching anyway. Maybe I just wasn't ready. It had been 14 years since I had taught 9th Grade Geography and I was thinking maybe I forgot how to be a teacher. 

Well, while I was at the Shakespeare Festival I got two different calls from two different high schools asking for an interview with me. One was my home school two minutes away where my kids would be attending. It was one of two places (the other being the boy's junior high) that I really wanted to teach. They were looking for a Freshman Success teacher which was something I thought I could learn to teach.  However, they needed to have me in for the interview that Friday morning. I was so sad I was in Cedar City without my own car and we weren't due to leave Cedar City with Melanie until late Friday morning. Luckily the school let me interview that morning over zoom and I just happened to have my computer at the hotel. So I convinced Melanie to wait until after my interview on Friday morning to drive home. I put on the best shirt I brought on our vacation and kicked the kids out of the room. I had a few technical issues and ended up started the interview late. And it was a little more awkward and difficult over zoom on my tiny little screen, but it went well enough. 

The next week I interviewed at the other school, which was a good option for me too, and they offered me a job the next day to teach Geography there. I still hadn't heard back from my first choice school though. So I asked them to give me a few days and I waited not so patiently. I finally heard from my first choice school and they offered me the job! It was at the right place, but I was not so sure about the subject of Freshman Success. But, I knew that is where I wanted to be, so I gladly accepted and told the other school sorry. Just like that I was heading back to teaching after 14 years! And it was already July! One month later and I was back to being a working mom. What a whirlwind!

The fourth of July came quickly and we got as many members of the Evans family together for a family picture for my parents.

Look at all those grandkids (minus Clayton who is on a mission in Colorado).

I love my parents so much!

I was able to take the boys to the rodeo that night.

Finally I felt like I could drive well enough with my healing wrist. I met Emily and her kids to see the airforce museum.

At home on the farm we got Penny's piglets ready to sell.

We took a day to go to Lagoon with the cousins.

We spent a night at the ranch. Sunsets there are my favorite.

Then the boys, including Mark, went to Young Men's Camp. They stayed up by the lake and had a great time!

While they were gone I was busy trying to find a new home for all my pigs. I knew that with starting a teaching job I wouldn't have time for them. Funny enough one of my old students 14 years ago was trying to start a little farm and she wanted all three! Saying goodbye to Rosie was the hardest. She is the best pig and the best momma.

The boys and I went to the temple before I had to start teaching trainings and meetings.

We also stopped at Daniel's grave. We miss him!

We had a good dinner at Ombu hot pot.

Brian went to FSY at BYU.

Mark went to Scotland for a work conference.

While he was gone some good friends came and helped me do some farm work. I had gotten so far behind with my wrist being broken and they were so sweet to come help.

When Mark got back from Scotland we were able to take a day up in the Uintas getting logs for firewood. Mark taught them how to use the chainsaws and how to cut down the dead trees.

Then suddenly summer was over. My teacher meetings started on August 8th.