First Day of School 2013 (August 15)!  I'm still not used to saying goodbye at the elevator

door.  Even after two years of apartment-dwelling, it's somewhat of a surprise walk out 

my front door and still not be outside.  A. is a junior this year.  

We have begun our 2nd-to-last year of having children in school (a state of being that began in 1983! 

 Isn't that, like, 30 years straight?)

[I'm purposely not counting college here]

After a few weeks of tender loving care, most of my patio plants have revived.  

Loss was right around 1/3 of all plants.  Not bad for being gone for 7 weeks with the ayi watering them.

And after nasty pollution days through most of August, we've had some days of crystal-clear blue skies.

Marvelous!

***

Thought I'd just throw in some other pictures from the summer

 She had a great time at EFY in Rexburg--and the girl she connected with most was from...

Des Moines, Iowa!  (and her dad is a mechanical engineer, but doesn't work for JD)

Helping with Meg.

 At the Idaho Falls LDS Temple

 Jenny's Lake, Wyoming

Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming.  

Idaho sunsets were SO beautiful this year.  Maybe it was the smoke in the air from

central Idaho forest fires, but the colors each night were vivid and bright.

I guess good things can come from bad!