Although the students usually come well prepared for dorm life, there are always a few things that they need at the beginning of the year: miscellaneous school supplies, snacks, dorm room decorations, gifts for friends, etc. Today we ran the students into town to buy the things on their lists. We stopped at both the grocery store and a “department” store. The kids were so excited to see town after being just one week on the school campus! After shopping, we stopped at the city park to have a picnic lunch. However, the fun was cut short by yellow jacket bees who seemed to take a liking to Katie the most. So the girls rushed off to eat their sandwiches inside the van.

Before going home we planned to detour past the Fort Peck dredge cuts to go swimming since the temperatures were forecast for 98*F! With all the smoke coming our way from the Washington state forest fires, the temps were about 10*F cooler, but we decided to go for a swim anyway. Boy, it was cold at first!

Homemade pizza was on the menu for this evening. It is Lucas’s specialty dish. One way that we can get to know students better is by working with them one-on-one. Tonight was Hannah’s turn to help make pizza. Check out the smile on her face when she tosses the dough! In our goal to create a family environment, we all eat together around a large table in the gathering room. The chatter and camaraderie among the students is amazing.