We have been so into soccer lately that we haven't been able to get our boat out on the lake. Soccer has been all consuming and we've needed a break from it. With most weekends taken up with soccer we took advantage of July 4th to head out on the lake but we arrived early or at least early for the 4th.  10 am. There was a little bit of a line and John did need to park in the field but it was quick to put in.  We brought the skis, the wakeboard, the innertube to make sure that everyone had an opportunity to do what they wanted. The water was smooth, the day was warm and getting warmer and we were ready to go. The boat started which is never a guarantee.  Lona decided to get the board out right away and after a little coaxing she slowly slipped into the water. Getting the board on, she popped up right away and started working on her butter turns and jumps. It was like she hadn't taken 9 months off from boarding.
































































Isaac was next and he hadn't been on the board for almost 2 years. Last summer he worked almost every day working 8 to 12 hour days. It just didn't work for him. But this year with a different job, he was able to come out on the boat. He strapped the board on and popped up right away as well.  His problems was the straps on the board. They are worn out and kept coming undone.  I can't even find these types of boots online anywhere.  We have an inexpensive board and bindings. But the kids can wakeboard with it so it's good. We aren't serious or anything anyway.



































































Job was the last to go and he really only wanted to inner tube.  We really whipped him around. And tried hard to knock him off the tube.  There are times we just watch and laugh at him. He is such a goof off when he's on the tube. Once when we were done we just kind of laid around on the boat talking, eating and laughing. It was so relaxing and then we were ready to be done and onto the rest of the day.  When we got back to the dock, it was crazy.  There were people lined up taking out and putting in, mostly putting in.  Mostly people are respectful and take turns lining up the trucks to put in but every once in a while some idiot doesn't think he has to wait his turn and then people get upset.  Turn taking and waiting in line is learned in kindergarten and sometimes you wonder if people failed that. We were happy to be taking out and not putting at 2 in the afternoon. We had our fun and were done. Go early or go late. The lake is usually calmer during those times anyway.

Maybe I should have a bucket list on my labels because staying in a Yurt has been on my bucket list.  A yurt is a modern version of a structure used by nomads for centuries.  They are also known as a Ger.  They are portable, circular in design and have a lattice framework which is covered by canvas or fabric.  It also has a tension system for the roof.  This one was covered with canvas and had a skylight that opened and closed.  We had electricity, a heater stove, and wifi. The floor was a hardwood platform, and there was a queen size bed, two futons, a desk and table.  There were few things that surprised me. The first thing was how cool a fan and the open skylight and windows kept the yurt during very warm days.  The second thing was how warm it was at night as long as you closed the windows and the skylight.  It was very comfortable.  The first night we didn't close the skylight and we were chilly but the next few nights it was perfect.  I really enjoyed staying here.  There wasn't a refrigerator and so we brought our own.  Seriously we hauled a small dorm fridge and extension cord all the way to Boise so I could have a fridge. It was perfect.  The other thing I wish I brought but didn't think of was a couple of dish pans so I could do dishes but we made it work.

Job has a friend who has moved cross country about a year ago. They have been communicating daily and the option came up for him to visit and participate in a missions trip together. We thought about it.  He has already been scheduled to go to France when it came up. The money for France had already been spent however upon much thought and prayer we thought why not.  This could be his senior trip and we would pay for the mission trip. He would need to pay for his plane ticket and all his spending money. He was game for that and so we bought him an international ticket. Kentucky isn't international from Bellingham but from Vancouver it is and it was less expensive to go that route. I didn't think it would be hard to send him off but it actually was. These flights he would be totally on his own. It was a red-eye flight. He would need to change in LaGuardia, one of the busiest airports in the US.  And he was fine. I wasn't able to drop him off since I was at a soccer tournament with Lona. I wanted John to walk into the airport with him, make sure he checked in ok, without any surprises and take a photo.  Yeah, that didn't happen at all.  They pulled up to the curb, and a "are you good," "Yep" "See you in a couple weeks" "ok, bye"  And that was it.  No photo, no check to make sure, just a Dad treating his 17-year-old son as an adult.  It was a different feeling for me.
I didn't hear too much from him other than he landed and was tired.  The ice cream was fantastic.  They made it to the mission field of South Carolina where they built wheelchair ramps for 5 days in 100-degree heat and 98% humidity.  The boys from the church that Job was affiliated with had their air mattresses slashed twice. They played the card game mafia every night. Once back in Kentucky, he texted me that the oldest brother of his host family was sick and then the parents took him to the hospital for an appendectomy.  Poor kid.  The next day, Job texted again saying he was alone with the younger ones and there was a tornado warning. I looked online and yep there was as well as flash flood warnings.  They headed to the basement to wait it out while playing Xbox games. I later learned that there was a small tornado in the next neighborhood.  And then his visit was over and he was flying home.  When I picked him up from the airport, he was already planning his next trip out there.  He loved it there.

With four days of exploring Boise and being in the soccer scene it was time to head home. Yet there was one more stop that we needed to make and that was the BSU campus. Lona had fallen in love with the city if you could call it a city and wanted to find out the campus. We had a personal tour since the college tour was booked. BSU does love their football program and they are pretty proud of their football athletes, both past and present. They have multiple buildings for them and they also have basketball, swim, soccer but they love football.Their campus is flat and close to downtown. Their are multiple dorms and we peaked in one but didn't get to see any rooms.  It showed the typical wear and tear of college dorms. The rec center was impressive and so was the student union building. As soon as the tour was over, she decided to go to school here. We will see. They have an engineering program and that is what she is leaning towards but that isn't set in stone yet.  After the tour we were off to lunch at a potato place with a friend from Vancouver.  Looking forward to seeing his family later at Cannon Beach. Oh and btw, it was Lona's birthday. So she had a 10 hour drive to look forward to after lunch.

Our third tournament with Lona.  Our third weekend of soccer. This time it was 5 days in Idaho.  This tournament featured some of the best teams in the region. The girls were competing to play in Denver later in July.  The pace was fast, furious and a battle on the field. The weather was warm in the high 80s all five days. They played a tough team and tied on Friday, then lost to a tougher team on Saturday but held them to a 3 to 1 and then lost both games on Sunday.  They were beat with a combination of three tournaments in a row, the elevation gain and the heat.  I have to say that I saw some good stuff out on the field.  This tournament was a little different in the fact that once a girl was subbed out, she couldn't go back in for the rest of the half.  It made the coaches really strategize on when to bring a girl out or put one in. Lona had already determined that she wasn't going to play all that much but she was ok with it. She played more than I think she had in the previous two. We noticed an improvement in her attitude and confidence on the field and with her teammates. She worked on positioning and reading the play. In between games, there were opportunities for her to get to know the girls and the parents.

 We must really like botanical gardens because we've been to them in Hawaii, Whidbey Island, Idaho, Vancouver Island, and I am sure others as well.  There is something that piques our interest I suppose and I am sure that it is different for each of us.  This garden was built in the old exercise yard of the old prison.  The sandstone walls of the prison provided a beautiful backdrop to the English garden.  I think this was my favorite.  I almost felt like the walls were those of an old keep or castle. I'm a sucker for stone walls and boxwood.  If I could I would do large stone pillars with a little brickwork and wrought iron fencing and boxwood; lots and lots of boxwood.  So of course I loved their take on the English Garden complete with a little octagonal stone building. As soon I walked into this garden I felt this calmness spread over me.  It was quiet, serene and I could imagine a badmitten game and a picnic here.  Besides the English Garden we visited the Meditation Garden with the little bridges and flowing water.  John decided it was a great place for a nap and laid right out there on the grass but in the shade. Funny story about John laying out on the grass.  He's done this since before we were married and let's just say in France, it isn't alway permissible to lay on the grass in a public park.  Here is fine.  It just makes me smile everytime he does it. Then there was the Koi Pond.  As I sat on the ledge looking into the pond, I stretched out my hand about 2 feet above the water and the Koi came swimming right over. They were beautiful and very healthy looking and large.  We also took it a little of the Lewis and Clark Garden before exploring the Fire Wise Garden and the Vegetable Garden briefly.  We just couldn't get to everything and ran out of time. I could have spent the whole day here but it probably would have been a bit dangerous with all the ideas and thoughts running through my head. I  am not in the market for large square stones to place large ceramic pots with boxwood or lavender.  I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to talk him into stone pillars and wrought iron fencing but ceramic or cement pots are probably on the acceptable list.  If we have say a particular child attending the university in Boise I'm sure we will be back to visit this garden.

Riding tandem is something I've wanted to try for a while now. It looked intriguing and when the opportunity came up while we were in Boise we jumped at the chance. Since it was just the three of us, we rented one tandem and one regular bike. Lona and I started off as partners in the middle of downtown on a Saturday morning while the farmer's market was in full swing.  It took us about 8 city blocks to get the hang of starting and stopping. We walked every crosswalk until we got to the greenbelt.  Once on the greenbelt it became a piece of cake. When we started the first person would tell the 2nd person when to start pedaling and we would be off.  I had heard that the 2nd person couldn't see anything and was pretty much blind. With Lona on the front, it was no problem. I could look around her, we talked and laughed a lot and it was great. Then it was time for a change. I was in front, John was behind me. The 2nd person has to trust and really relinquish control.  John and I didn't even make it across the street.  He couldn't help but steer which made it worse. Then the chain came off.  Apparently it is much harder to put a tandem chain on since you have to line up the pedals just so in order for them to function correctly. Luckily for us, a person who was passing us had a tandem at home and showed us how to do it.  Then I rode in the back and John road in the front. Now I truly felt blind. He sat up higher on the bike and has a broader frame than Lona.  I couldn't see anything.  My legs had to stick out a bit so they didn't hit the handle bars and I was always afraid of hitting them on something as we went by.  I couldn't see people coming towards us or obstacles in the path or bumps. He had to constantly warn me.  It was much harder. Finally we found a place for lunch.  Boise residents are so thoughtful.  The greenbelt follows the Boise River and there are houses that back up to the greenbelt.  On resident placed plastic chairs, a bench, a bike rack and a bucket of dog bones for dogs to fetch from the river.  It was the perfect place for a picnic. Lona and John were partners on the return trip with Lona starting off as the lead.  It was hilarious to watch.  I almost couldn't ride.  Then they switched and Lona would take her feet off the pedals and John would do all the work. She said she felt like a little kid in one of the child seats.  That's what it looked like too.  Then Lona and I jumped on for the rest of the ride home with her in the front and me in the back.  As we started down one of the main streets in Boise, someone pulled up beside us and started taking a photo.  Turns out it was one of the parents from the soccer team.  Boise is truly a small city and I can see why people love it here.

Sanpellegrino and salami cream cheese bagels, and sweet peppers were our lunch, complete with a tablecloth.