Hello friend,
The Christensen Tober Reunion was delightful in all the traditional ways; cousins, late-night talks, fishing, atvs, campfires, olympics and more! Thanks for a great reunion Corie!
We recreated some old photos from a few years ago.
After the reunion we enjoyed a quick stop for brunch with Meghan and Nikki and their families before we dropped Elias off at the airport to get home for church and the kids and I hit the road.
I knew my tires were old and they started leaking in Iowa so we stopped for new tires. We also went to church there and experienced a great ward. They were bilingual: English and Swahili. It was fast and testimony meeting so it was fascinating to get to hear from so many of them. They are expecting a Swahili branch next month.
The car was a little heavier on the way home because I got to bring home the petrified wood I have been in love with for years. I LOVE it!
The very next night we hosted about 25 youth at our house for a pizza night.
We had originally scheduled to go to DC the following Monday for two weeks, but everyone was exhausted and the kids started getting temperatures so when I suggested we cancel the trip, I was surprised to find out that all of my sisters were flying out to surprise me for my 40th birthday. So I left the sick kids behind with Elias and hopped on the train for a delightful girls weekend with my favorite women.
The entire weekend was utterly fabulous and indulgent. I even fell asleep in church because no one was touching me. Really though, I love DC and I love these women. We got to visit my parents new apartment, we ate delicious food and we talked non-stop. Corie had to join us a day late but she made up for it with a banner. We even watched "Little Women" in the middle of the day while doing facials and pedicures. We just did whatever I wanted to do and I loved every minute of it.
When I got home it was time to harvest the honey.
We invited the neighborhood kids and had a great time.
We enjoyed a glorious summer night with friends at the Checketts' home for ice baths, swimming, sauna and an outdoor movie.
I continued to enjoy an absolutely fabulous month of birthday celebrations.
The family and I celebrated one night and then Elias threw the most beautiful brunch for me and my friends. He even made a flower wall with fresh flowers. He made all of my favorite brunch food and filled the place with flowers. We had about 40 women here and I had the most delightful time. He gave a charming little tribute about how obsessed he is with me. It was really quite poetic. There wasn't a dry eye in the place.
Between sicknesses, we enjoyed some wonderful summer days. My parents are now serving as the DC temple president and matron.
Elias ran a 10K Spartan with a friend and his wife sent me some pics (I circled my favorite parts).
I had already scheduled physicals and dermatologist appointments and then most of the family took their turn being sick in August, so we spent a bit of time at doctors' offices. Joy, Smith, Summer and Elias all had pneumonia. Rose didn't get pneumonia but got some kind of stomach bug and threw up on the second day of school. Boyd and I were the only ones that didn't get sick.
Then it was time for school to begin. The summer felt too short this year even though ours begin two weeks before school got out. We had our annual back-to-school father's blessings and dinner party and we also wrote down what we want we want to become more of this year. I can't believe we now have three kids in middle school.
We still miss going up to Gram and Grandpa's for Labor Day weekend but we enjoyed a lovely day at Narragansett Beach. It's a great way to say goodbye to summer.
Thank you August 2024! We had such a lovely time.
Brittany et al.
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