Summertime

Gabriella & Samuel use the telescope on Antelope Island

This is me, skipping ahead in our blog...

Honestly, if I tried to play catch up right now with each individual moment right now, I think I'd feel so overwhelmed that I wouldn't write anything at all!  (And nobody wants that.) 

This summer has been full of adventures.  I am still working my fingers to the bone at that Salt City Law Firm.  So much so that I had carpal tunnel surgery.  Today was the deadline for my hand to feel normal and guess what?  It mostly did.  Until I trip up some marble stairs.  Seriously.  I think I need a bubble.

We have been LOTS of places.  I taught Chrissee how to drive the stick shift on our way to Winnemucca, Nevada.  We've been out to see Antelope Island and back to our familiar, but sadly drained Pineview Dam.  Our family has driven all the way to the Pacific Ocean to see some California cousins and trailed the sand the long distance home (leaving a sprinkling of it in our cousin's house in Nevada).  Of course, we are wearing out our passes to Lagoon too as Gabriella and Samuel try to grow into every ride possible (especially the Spider.)

Physical mileage isn't the only thing we're facing this summer!  We've witnessed our Grandmere be baptised and been privileged to listen in on the Patriarch blessing Daelynn and Bethany. There have been tears of joy and tears of sorrow and long, drawn out tears on the front porch as Gabriella has begged me not to leave for work another day (oh, the crocodile tears!). 

And then there's the stuff we put our bodies through!  Like my re-injuring my hand a dozen stupid times post surgery or Daelynn and my grass allergies or Chrissee's surprise diagnosis of Mono (Epstein Barr virus) just in time to keep her home from Band camp or Bethany finally stretching into the full splits (she's a centimeter off of the ground kids!)  for Color Guard. And poor James -- the man has the worst insomnia I've ever seen!

Speaking of James...Mr. Busybody Home Maker Man has been deconstructing and reconstructing wherever our budget will allow.  New paint colors, ceiling fans, repairing fences, installing a new kitchen faucet to go with the beautiful new hardware, etc. etc.  Someday, we'll be able to afford new carpet, but for now, we'll just keep our eyes up on the beautiful new wall colors.

Even though our family garden didn't grow well in containers, our rasberries just about exploded off of the vine.  We made the best ever Rasberry Lemonade because it was filled with the love of our own Garden of Eden and we can't wait for the peaches to arrive.  (Samuel FINALLY let them live on the tree long enough this year instead of using them for tennis balls like the past two years...hooray!)

We sure hope you're all enjoying a beautiful summer as well (Especially you, Uncle George)!  Love you.