Five Brown Kids

 Blythe went with the school Beta Club to the American Heart Associate Heart Walk. They had a great morning.  Mark and I tried to go to the Wide Open Music Festival downtown but it was pouring by the time the Saturday afternoon session started and his favorite band had cancelled.  We watched a few songs, ate at an outside covered patio and then came home to watch football!

Friday evening Mark and I drove down for Scotia's sorority Parent Party at a local bar/dance club. (No kids) We mostly chatted with Scotia who had lots to catch us up on, met some new friends and took some photos.   The next morning we drove back down for grocery shopping, tailgating and the football game.   Then Mark and I wrapped up the weekend at Blythe's swim meet.  Talk about family weekend. 

Blythe volunteered for the morning at the barn helping the vet do check ups.  She brought horses in from the field. Held them for teeth brushing and inspections.  Chatted with the vet.  Taking care of horses is hard work.  Photos from lessons.  Tyrone gave Blythe this perfect book shelf for all her favorite series. 

 Still my favorite walk ever.  A jet ski racing through the sunset.  Geese flying in the sunset.  Water Skiier

Blythe went to a football game with her bestie's family.  There was a storm delay half way through and after they ended up right down next to the field. Fun night!

Dear City Council, Sunday morning my two daughters and I were at the new Chavis park.  The oldest had track practice with a coach and the youngest and I were hanging out at the fabulous new playground. I noticed a trash bag up in one of the playground towers and alerted a maintenance man picking up trash. He climbed out to grab it and discovered a homeless man sleeping.  (That my daughter had passed multiple times to get to that crazy slide!) The maintenance man called 911, the police showed up to talk to the homeless man. It started off reasonably with the man sitting on a curb while the police man looked up information in his vehicle.  Then the homeless man jumped up and starting running, the police man tackled him, more police arrived and pinned him to the ground.  There was yelling and panic but fortunately no gun shots.  My daughter and I and two other families at the park quickly got out of the way.  Later I saw an ambulance pulling out of the parking...

Like my dad, I am sometimes compelled to write letters.  Here is one I wrote when an LDS stake in California was told to stop having the leaders of RS and Primary sit on the stand.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear North America West Area Presidency, I write as a former Mormon, former Primary president, former Relief Society president, former Young Women’s counselor and former de-facto leader of my Stake’s once very successful support group for African American members.  I walked away from the church and took my family with me (five kids!) when I realized that you wanted my labor, my brilliance, my expertise, my support and my leadership as a woman with absolutely no recognition, no decision making power and definitely no equality.  You used me and all women like me who show up for the church in herculean ways and are given occasional pats on the back and nothing more.  Now in my post Mormon life, I work for a g...

 We went to the lake house for labor day weekend. Scotia invited some old swim friends and they had a dreamy time riding around on the jet skis. They invented a game called hide and seek, jetting in and out of the little inlets. Blythe got a little banged up jumping off a bridge, flying off a jet ski and flying off a tube. Jaxon went golfing twice to hit a bucket of balls. On Sunday Mark and I woke up early and drove to Georgia for Sandra's 80th birthday surprise lunch. Family drove and flew from near and far.  She is loved. 

What a night!  Party details here.