So Skyler lumbers into a small town......

I swear Tonasket was built for just for Skyler. Every quirk make him smile, every pothole made him laugh. The first night he was here, he pulls out a shotgun with a barrel the size his fist and says he want to go shooting.

"We don't have elephants here," I informed him as he rolled his eyes.

"This is for those ugly crickets," he countered, "I don't want them on me while I am sleeping."

The next morning, he did his best Pavarotti impression as the biscuits came out of the oven. Actually, maybe it was supposed to be the sound of the heavens opening..or perhaps a moose mating call. I can't be sure but I think it meant he liked the biscuits. We also had some fabulous salsa from our new friends George and Marilyn. George makes a tomatillo salsa that is out of this world. I eat it like cold soup. We served it over scrambled eggs and I hoarded as much as I could.

Gina K re-told her tarantula story and it freaked me out just as much the second time. I'd share, but it's her story and she tells it better.

This was also the morning that Sky got to meet Joel. I spied Joel out this spring as the one and only older teen male in the congregation and something about talking with him made me think that Sky and he might hit it off. By the end of the week they were finishing each others sentences and freely decimating each others bathrooms. It makes a mom proud.

Wednesday night was a taco night and Tami made a mouth watering pico de gayo salsa that can also be eaten from a bowl. We had soooooo many leftovers because everyone had been munching all day and by the time the tacos got served were stuffed.

At about 8:30 that night we opened up the media room here at the Rainey Estate. Many of our guests had never seen the media room, and may have been surprised to learn that it doubles as the dining room, living room, schooling room and office. Is 'doubles' even the right word if it serves so many functions? I think there were about 16 of us in a living room made for 4 midgets, and the first rule was "Adults get the Sofa's". See Cheyenne's Post for the full breakdown of seat rules. Amazingly we made it through Made of Honor, and even had a couple laugh out loud parts. I think we will always remember the guy in the little shorts.

Thursday, Sky went to Joel's. When he came back I asked what he did and he said they "took a nap". I was wondering if that was code for something, but he said the had played video games, got tired, and napped. I don't personally have any friends that I am comfortable enough to consider napping with as part of the afternoons entertainment. In fact, It took a couple years for me to admit to my husband that I like to nap occasionally.

Having Sky around made me really appreciate how far the kids have come in learning to live and work in a small space. Sometimes every surface of the house had Skyler's "sheddings" on it. Sweatshirt on the sofa, shoes on the floor, bag splayed open and under the table, computer on the table, remnants of the last snack on the end table....I found myself saying "Skyler, you are shedding again!" more than once. In his defense, there was only a total of 9 cubic feet he could have claimed as his own. I don't think he wanted his own territory. He is a nomad. A rebel. An easy animal to track.

Friday night was Poker night for the 4 boys and Joel. He tried to claim he was a newbie, but he and Sky cleaned up and made Dakota to something heinous to buy his way back in. The video is on youtube, but you didn't hear it from me.

Saturday, Chanelle arrived and the meet and greet started again. Saturday night we had another campfire. Sky made his state famous (he called them world famous, but that's a bit of a stretch) smores. Even non-smore eaters like his smores, because he has a trick to make the marshmellow perfectly gooey, and the chocolate soft. That was a late and fun night.

Sunday, with the activities dying down, we were invited to Joels parents house for dinner and there we had some spectacular spaghetti. Jesse ate his weight in pasta, and apparently we need the recipe. We played fun game and the women got thoroughly trounced. There was no excuse. It was pathetic. However, I did come up with the name of the current baseball commissioner and most of the guys couldn't do that! My endless reading of everything comes in handy sometimes. I retain normally useless details and forget commitments.

Monday was the last day. Kinda sad because the cold weather is coming soon and I know I am not going to see a lot of the older boys if the have to go back and forth across the pass. I wouldn't want them to risk it anyway.

I tried to entice Levi to come over for the Autumn Leaf Run in Omak on October 1. He has ran a few races and he does really well, finishing in the top 20 (out of 2000) last time. I also figured I could call him on October 1, and tell him I won the 5k. That would give him a good belly laugh.