Utah Travels

There were several reasons for going to Utah for the long weekend.
One was my MIL's 85th birthday.

Happy Birthday Grandma Hodgman

We also went to an American Fork volleyball game and watched Stephanie coach her girls to an amazing comeback victory. We met her new boyfriend Jon, and had a nice visit with him throughout the game.

Here we are at the Brigham City temple open house. Stephanie and Jon came to see it with us. She has gone to one other open house in Sacramento a few years ago, but it was good to be able to take her to see the whole inside of this beautiful edifice.

 There were amazing touches throughout, and the finish work was just beautiful. (I feel fine, but it appears as though I'm ready to fall over. My neck pain sometimes puts me at an odd angle.)

Steph took this magazine-ready picture of the outside of the temple.

Our Jonathan came to Mantua to celebrate with Grandma too. This is out the front windows toward the beautiful mountain and reservoir.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

….. Or,  I could name this post "Sewage at the Hodgman's - Part 6"

Last month our DD who is a high school volleyball coach in American Fork, Utah, came home and brought her entire volleyball team to play in a tourney in Santa Cruz. They also played against her alma matter high school's team and her old coach who is again coaching at LGHS.
They stayed at our home and so even though the pool wasn't finished and the outside space, not complete, there was room enough around the perimeter for everyone to sleep somewhere. The 3 chaperones each had a bedroom and Stephanie slept in our room as John and I were in and out of town the whole time they were here.

 A few of these mid-state girls had never seen the ocean. Steph made sure they all felt the cold NorCal currents.

 She didn't make me get into the frigid water - good thing since I gave her life, and like the hubby says. "I can take it away too."

 They did pretty well at the sand tournament and they had a great time too.

 The site seeing included the Oakland Temple which was built in the 60's, dedicated in 1964, and has a commanding presence in the city by the bay.

 Some of the Seniors with the coach in the center.

 Fun chaperones/drivers were game to go have fun too.

 Our friends around town provided swimming entertainment, 'cause we couldn't at our house. Thanks Knudsen's!

Stepha and her ex Coach Ripp at the top left.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.

The real story of the weekend was that the girls got to participate in a Hodgman Sewer Story.
The second night at our house everyone was taking showers after a sandy and sweaty day, when the laundry room toilet started overflowing. Steph and I started plunging and bucketing and we hollered at all the girls to get out of showers and turn all the water off. This particular bathroom has no shower or tub, just a sink and toilet, so I had no idea what was going on.
It was 10:15 PM and I called the city to have the water district man come out and check out the street connection to the house. If you read this often, you'll perhaps remember that we had a problem back in June with back up from the street sewer so I suspected this to be the problem again. It was not.  The roto rooter man was called and he said he could come first thing int he morning.
Meanwhile my DD and I were wet vacuuming crap off of the floor in the bathroom while standing in 1-2 inches of sewage in our bare feet and dumping it into the drain outside near the garden. A fun time was had by all.
Yikes - I have 18 girls and 3 chaperones at my house and no water. Oh … I have a Port-a-Potty in the front yard on the driveway.
"Okay girls, if you need to go during the night, you know what to do. Go through the open garage and use the port-a-potty." Such fun we are having on this little trip.
"And if you didn't get showered, come get into the car and we are headed down to Courtside (athletic club) to shower there before it closes in 15 minutes."
And may I add, "I am leaving at 5:30am tomorrow morning to attend a wedding in Portland."

It all ended up getting fixed while the girls were out and about the following day with or without me home.
It is always such fun around my house.

THE END

#4 is a Busy Girl

Our Stephanie is gearing up for quite a busy fall semester.  Here she is showing off her New Teacher Handbook received for her new job internship that will last all of next school year.
Steph is to be teaching 2 sophomore American Literature classes and 2 junior British Literature classes. The assistant principal of American Fork High School let her choose her class room a couple weeks ago and she chose the one with greater light coming into the windows.
In addition to teaching and getting her student teaching done while getting partially paid for it, our organized girl also is going to be the head volleyball coach at the HS.  She hired the 2 other coaches and is working out 3 days a week with the team.  The team is also doing a week long camp and getting prepared for the fall season and tryouts in August.
As she takes masters classes during the summer, and has another night class for her masters in the fall, she is trying to get her HS teaching lesson plans underway, so she can take some of the load off of the 4 crazy months coming up starting September.
Go Stephanie!!!! You can do it!!!
WOOOO  HOOOOO

Coach Steph

Our little girl is turning into a real coach trying to figure out how to best play her volleyball team members, adjust all their positions, make sure their camaraderie is improving, and keep the girls happy as they practice and play in tournaments.

Last weekend they played in Las Vegas and she was slightly frustrated.
...Not really, she was actually extremely frustrated.

I just thought it was cute.
After playing ON a club team all through middle and high school, she is now the adult and experiencing the club scene (yes, this is her version of the club scene) from the other side.
You go girl!