Mother of a sophomore!!!

I remember my sophomore year of high school like it was yesterday. So it has been difficult to believe that Tanner is now a sophomore. I think I have been more anxious and nervous for him than he has. He has been pretty excited for this upcoming year. I hope he has an awesome year!! Going from a charter school to a huge 5A public school is going to be an adjustment!!

First Day of School!!!

WOW! Summer is officially over for Spencer. I just dropped him off for his first day of school at Channing Hall! He is in the 4th grade this year. I cannot believe my baby is now in 4th grade. I feel like 4th grade was just yesterday for me. I remember my first day of 4th grade. I went to Bonneville Elementary and had Mr. Holyoak as a teacher. Great times. Spencer is car pooling with his best friend this year. He is pretty excited for a new school year. I hope that excitement lasts through out the year. School shopping for the boys isn't too bad. It is great when they have uniforms.
Spencer's school teacher this year is Mrs. Winnie. He sits right across from his other best friend, Gabe. Spencer and Gabe spent a lot of time at the water park this summer. It is great that he will have a good friend in class with him.

Rock Hill

Ha! I said I would get back on sometime before summer was over and write more about our trip to Rock Hill. The above photo is a shot of Catawba pottery. It looks like it was made on a wheel but it is all hand shaped and a wheel is not used. My great grandma Sanders is well known for her artistry. Aunt Mahovie gave me a wedding vase that my great grandmother made.

The above photo is where my dad went to school when he was little. It is now a cultural center. The photo below is what it looked like when my dad went to school. My great grandma worked in the small cafeteria. One of my dad's memories of his grandma was her saving extra deserts for him after school. I think that is a cute memory.
The shot above is the old school house that has now been converted into a cultural center.
This is a water hole. This is the same little creek my dad used to get water from to  do dishes, etc. He remembers bathing in this little water hole too. One time he was playing in the water and he remembers his dad yanking him out pretty hard and fast. There was a water moccasin coming right toward him. His dad was able to get him to safety.
This is my great grandma Arzada Brown Sanders. I was able to see some of the tools my great grandma used to make her pottery. Grandma made pots to sell to people for money for her family. Her mother, Rachel Brown, was also a talented potterist

Summer!!!

Kayla, Anna, Tanner, Dusty, Spencer & Trevor at the Moab Diner.

This summer is getting away from us. It has been enjoyable. Busy, but very enjoyable. Our summer typically starts off with the Martin Family Reunion in Moab. It is Tom's favorite day of the year. The boys love it too. It is a great time for us to see lots of cousins we don't get to see a lot of. It is a great time for me to hang out with Ruth (she is fun). The boys also spent a week in Moab with Krappa Louie and Grandma Zan. They went fishing and spent time at Brown's Hole. They also went camping with a few other cousins as well.

Our next trip was 10 days in South Carolina. We flew out to Charlotte, NC and met my parents. We drove to Rock Hill, SC. Rock Hill is where my dad is from. We got to visit with lots of family. The last trip I took out to Rock Hill was when I was 4. It felt so good to go back with Tom and the boys. We stayed with my aunt Mahovie and Uncle Dennis. I was able to interview some people and get great information for genealogy.

Tom and I were able to go to the Columbia temple with my parents and aunt Donna. It was a wonderful experience and a memory I will never forget.

Tom and in front of the temple. The weather was humid and there were palm trees all around. It reminded us a lot of Taiwan.

We went to the book store across the street from the temple and picked up a few things. Then we headed back to Rock Hill. But not with out stopping at Bojangles (thanks Jonathan). Gotta love them southern style biscuits! We actually ate at Bojangles a few times while we were out there.

Tanner, Spencer and Dad

We were able to spend time on the Catawba Reservation. Tanner and I were able to enroll in the Catawba tribe and get our names on the roll. Spencer's information was never recorded so I sent everything for him to be enrolled in the tribe after we got home from our trip. Dad and I were able to attend a tribal council meeting. It was very interesting. I am anxious for my tribe to pull together and prosper. There are great opportunities out there for the tribe. They just need to pull together and work as one to make things happen. Currently the Chief of the tribe is Chief Donald Rogers. I met him and had a minute to visit with him. He is a great man with lots of connections in Washington DC and with the BIA. It is great to now that a man like him is leading the Catawba Nation. Tanner and Chief Donald Rogers

Chief Rogers was at Walmart when we stopped to pick up a few things. He was kind enough to let us get pictures with him and to spend time speaking with us about some of the politics going on with the tribe.Aunt MahovieUncle Dennis

We stayed with Aunt Mahovie and Uncle Dennis. I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity. It was great to get to know them and for the Tom and the boys to have an opportunity to know them. We got to know them and love them more than imaginable. Aunt Mahovie looked out for the boys and made breakfast every day. She shared stories about her brothers and sisters and memories of her parents. We loved staying up late talking with them and playing Phase 10. Dennis let the boys use his pellet gun to shoot targets and they got to help feed the chickens and collect eggs.Spencer and Uncle Dennis

One of the memories I had of my last trip back to SC was Aunt Mahovie taking Kevin and I to Carrowinds. I really wanted to take the boys, Tom and Kevin and go to Carrowinds again. So we did. We had a blast. Here are a few pictures from Carrowinds.
Well, I am running out of time here. I will have to finish our summer in a "part 2" post. The above picture is Tanner, Spencer and Kevin in front of one of the 12 roller coasters. Spencer is with Snoopy in the next picture.

The trip did a lot for me. It reminded me of who I am and where I come from. It made me so thankful for the gospel and the knowledge of eternal families. I got to know family members that have passed on from stories of family still here. I feel like I got to know my great grandparents. It has been a great jump start on genealogy. I will go back. I won't wait another 34 years this time. I would love to be able to go back at least 2 times a year to participate in tribal counsels.