First Days...

By degrees we are getting into school routines.

Emma has some bus stop buddies.

Lauren moved into her dorm.

Melinda is back from her roadtrip after taking classes and working this summer.
http://theminnakaymonthly.blogspot.com

I bought my books, a planner and a reusable water bottle. Who knows how any of us survived our young adult college years sharing public water fountains? I went to an orientation for "Non-Traditional" older students. Out of 30,000 students on BYU's Provo campus, about 460 are returning"experienced learners". Jeffery enjoyed a good laugh at some of these suggestions:
*Get a rolling backpack
*Get a locker
*Sit up front (to see and hear better)
*Talk to each professor. Break the ice so they aren't intimidated by you.
*Review notes right after class. (Don't wait until bedtime, you will have forgotten!)
*Create a "mobile office" in a pencil pouch or box
*Schedule class time, study time & family time
*Meet for NTS (Non-Traditional Student) Brown Bag Lunches (IE support group)
Much has changed in the twenty-one years we have been away. New building have sprouted where familiar ones used to be, parking for faculty has increased and student parking is shrinking, university business is conducted electronically. For one class, instead of purchasing a textbook, I purchased a code to a website. I also am required to have an I-clicker, a wireless electronic multiple choice device so professors can poll or quiz large auditoriums of students effortlessly. I'm not so old as to be intimidated by the technology, but it is embarrassing to ask your kids to explain things to you.
Despite my jitters, I am excited and feel like this is the right thing to do. Here goes, classes start Monday!

Exploring & Settling In

The boxes are unpacked, but we still haven't hung anything on the walls. We are exploring the community and events here.

The girls were intrigued by Llama Fest and decided to visit the Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork. One visit to the annual event was enough.

My sister recommended a tour of Kennecott copper mine and Jeffery had been as a youngster, so we dragged the kids along. We found it fascinating! Who knew how much we use copper in our homes and lives? The mine is 2-3/4 miles across at the top and 3/4 of a mile deep. You could stack two Sears Towers (now known as the Willis Building) on top of each other and still not reach the top of the mine. We have a tradition of buying Christmas ornaments from places we visit, and we found one in the gift shop.

My mom hosted a pioneer themed family reunion on July 24th, tying in with the Utah State holiday commemorating the arrival of the Mormon Pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley. She made aprons for the granddaughters and had bandannas for the grandsons. Everyone pitched in supplying activities, games, a covered wagon, dutch oven dinner, old-fashion candies and a display of family heirlooms.

We learned of a trail system in the local canyons and have been on a couple of mini-hikes. When the weather cools down a bit, we will make the 'moderately difficult' 2.4 mile round-trip gaining 980 feet ascent to the Y. The truth according to Wikipedia is, "The large white Y on the side of the mountain has become the nationally recognized insignia for BYU and the reason why BYU is often called 'the Y'. It is made of concrete and is 380 feet high and 130 feet wide (116 by 40 m). No other college in the United States has a larger symbol, in fact, the Y is even larger than the letters in the 'Hollywood' sign in California."

Della begged to have her training wheels removed and after we did, she has begged to have them put back on. She can balance, but she isn't confident yet.