Total Solar Eclipse

I talked to Zac for a long time this morning. Then we cleaned up the cabin so we could leave the second the total solar eclipse is over. I'm worried about traffic. Jorja starts school tomorrow. This is why I wanted to take the motorhome. If we get stuck in traffic, at least it will be comfortable! Heather needs to get Aubrey home for her first volleyball practice (of her middle school team). Bubs needs to get Ella home for dance tryouts. At least we didn't need to be home until tomorrow. Stockton's counselor called today to find out why Stockton wasn't registered for English second semester. He has a new counselor, so she didn't know all the ins and outs of his crazy schedule. I let her know he was going to graduate with his associates. She thought that was pretty great. I told her she also had my daughter who will be a freshman in the Chinese immersion program. We chatted for a bit. I mentioned that Jorja was disappointed that she couldn't run for freshman office because Chinese is first period. The counselor said that only the freshman president goes to the student government class because they don't want to deal with changing everyone's schedules. Wow. So Jorja could actually run. The sad thing is she has Struiksma for advisory. That means she will have her all four years. Struiksma is perfect for Jorja. If she wins, she will be with student government for advisory with no guarantee she will ever be put with Struiksma again. Anyways, Jorja has decisions to make.

Okay, now on to the main event. The total solar eclipse. The cabin is in the path of totality. Not as much as Rigby or Idaho Falls, but a decent amount. Since we have a place right in the middle of totality it would be crazy not to come. I was looking forward to the eclipse, but I don't think I would have made the effort to see the eclipse if I didn't have such a convenient place to go. It was pretty exciting watching the moon cover the sun and all that entailed.

Heather, Lilly & Aubrey

There were a lot of people camped on the beach area.

Abby, Lilly, Aubrey, Eric, Jennifer, Ella, Lincoln & Amelia, Maysen, Preston, Stockton, Jorja 

 Jorja drew glasses on a hard boiled egg and carried it around through this entire experience.

 Mike, Maysen, Stephanie & Preston, Stockton, Jorja and her egg

 Preston is at the 'I want to be a goofball in all pictures' stage. Grrrr.

 Zac, Heather, Eric

Aubrey, Jennifer, Lilly

 Mike, Stephanie, Ange, Bubs, Heather, Zac

It is crazy how you can't see a thing with the glasses on!

 Stephanie & Heather

 Mike kissed me and grossed Jorja out. Then he acted all innocent because we had glasses on.

 Mike & Stephanie

It was so fun watching everyone watch the eclipse. I knew basic things, like we could take our sunglasses off during totality; but I'm not super interested in space, so I was just along for the ride. Bubs and Ange on the other hand could hardly contain their excitement. It was fun watching the sun turn from a Cheshire Cat crescent to a moon shape. I couldn't believe the twenty degree drop in temperature. The crickets came out and you could see stars. There were shadow snakes and a 360 degree sunset. I forgot to truly appreciate the sunset. It was so fun and exciting!

Abigail, Ella, Lincoln, Amelia

 Ange & Bubs

 Maysen was their photographer

 Jorja, Maysen, Amelia, Jennifer, Heather, Eric & Lilly

 Bubs, Ella, Jorja & her egg, Maysen, Amelia, Jennifer, Heather, Lilly, Eric

 Bubs, Ange,Stockton

Heather, Eric

Jennifer, Lilly, Aubrey, Zac, Maysen's elbow

 Preston

 Preston didn't want Shiver to miss out.

 Stephanie and the sunset

Now for the total solar eclipse. I was not prepared for how amazing it was. There are no words to describe it. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. We watched, little by little, while the sun completely disappeared. It was pitch dark with our glasses on. I expected to see a little rim around the moon that would look cool. When we took our glasses off I was astounded. It was a thick rim. So bright, almost blue. No picture I have ever seen has been able to capture the brilliance of this site. I couldn't help but scream. Everyone was screaming. We could even hear people all the way down on the beach. The ones that looked like ants to our eyes, they were screaming. Screaming of joy. I wanted to cry. I felt so close to my Heavenly Father at that moment. I also thought about the Tree of Life. How Lehi wanted to share the joy of the fruit with everyone. I wished I had fought harder to get my dad to come up. I wish I had packed the cabin wall to wall with people so everyone could have witnessed this. It was completely amazing. I almost didn't make the drive because we would have had 91% totality at our house. If I didn't have a cabin right in the path of totality I don't think I would have come. Bubs and Uncle Steve have been talking this up for a long time though. What I realized is that totality isn't just 9% better. It is infinitely better. 99% totality and 100% totality are not even close to the same thing. I can't stop thinking about it. I think about am I living my life to be in the path of totality? Am I just doing the basic things like buying eclipse glasses and standing outside at the proper time and thinking things are pretty cool; or am I committing myself 100% to my Savior. It was hard to realize the impact a total eclipse would have without first hand experiencing it. I also thought of the afterlife. When my life is finally over, when everything is dark, how I hope I can take off my glasses and immediately feel God's pure love. What a wonderful time that will be, as long as I can get my life into the path of totality. I just couldn't even comprehend how raw and powerful this would be.

Almost Totality

 Getting closer

 There it is. Oh how I wish everyone could have been there. I know this looks like nothing, but W-O-W!

I saw a Facebook video that Natalie, Ange's sister, posted. Someone set up their camera facing the group of people and you could see their reactions as it happened. I wish we would have done that! The second the eclipse was over Heather and Bubs and their families hurried out of there. We were about fifteen minutes behind them because Mike had to turn off the water. By the time we were leaving it took us fifty minutes to get to the grocery store that is only five minutes away.

The roads weren't too bad after we got past the Jackson intersection. Matt was in Rigby and traffic was awful there. It took him 9 1/2 hours to get home. They arrived at 2:30 in the morning. Still, it was worth it. I want to go to every eclipse now. I doubt we will make the next one in Argentina and Chile, but hopefully we can go to the one in the US 8 or so years from now. I think it goes through Ohio. I wonder if Cassie's parents will be in the path of totality? If so, John and Cassie, you must go!