Back!

Hi!  We're back.  We lost our camera for awhile, so of course, I couldn't post anything.  But, we have a new one now, so we're back in business!

Few updates since June:
~We were sick, one at a time.  Bleh!
~Brian's parents came for a baptism.  We sure love their visits! 
~We enjoyed the 4th of July with our Utah cousins.  Fun
~We visited my parents in California.  Had lots of fun!  This one will get another post.
~I got in a minor car crash.  No one hurt, but a pain to deal with getting the car fixed.  Aargh.

 ~Nate had some medical testing done. (He had a series of 7 choking episodes in 3 weeks.  Not just the cough-cough-normal baby choking kind, but the death choke where no air is in or out.  These experiences were causing him to be fearful of eating, and he really wouldn't eat.  Several different tests confirmed that he doesn't have any physiological problems with his throat or with swallowing.  He fasted for 4 hours before each test.  It was so hard on both of us.  However, he seems more interested in eating since the first bout of fasting.  We still don't know why he was choking, but we hope it doesn't happen again.)

~One of neighbors, who has been unemployed for about 2 years, got a job.  We are so grateful and excited for her!
~ Brian's sister and her husband were able to finally find the right baby for their family.   We feel very very grateful and excited for them!  And we can't wait to meet him!
~We went to Orderville for a quick family reunion. You've never been there?  Wait, you've never heard of it?  I hadn't either, but it is a cute little town close to Bryce Canyon, and close to the east side of Zion.  We got to stay in a great big house with all the families.  It was so good to see my cousins I don't see very often. 

Nate update: We learned he LOVES animals and bugs and has no fear.  He nuzzled his head right into horses' noses.  He watched us feed some goats and then picked up the corn off the ground and fed them.  His hand wasn't even flat!  The goat nibbled his finger and he giggled. 

Camden: Has come out of his reluctant, I don't want to do anything you ask me to do stage.  And, he is so delightful again! He slept on the top bunk of a bunk bed at my parents' house, and now he wants his own.  He is too smart for my own good.

Pictures to come next time.  Probably tomorrow.  :)

Lost and Found

Over the 2-3 weeks, we have lost a lot of things at our house:
~A specialty wrench
~Some keys
~Brian's favorite pen
~Camera (Aargh!  Just Aargh!)
~Library movie  (I would NOT like to buy a library movie.)
~Costco rebate check (What a bummer to lose money!)
~Lightning McQueen (Camden sleeps with him every night.)

What was so frustrating was that the wrench, camera, movie, check, and McQueen had all been placed in either the correct place where it belongs, or in another really good place.  Not one of those places that you think will be good, either.   The camera was on a desk ready to go out the door.  The rebate check was in a pocket of my bag that is difficult for boys to play in.  McQueen was in Camden's sweatshirt pocket one minute, and a little later, no McQueen.  We searched and searched for the camera.  We searched inside and out for McQueen, and for the rebate check.  We even looked in the car--every pocket and cubby.  We looked in toy boxes, refrigerator, pantry, under sinks, in bookshelves--every where!

On Friday and Saturday morning, I was feeling quite discouraged.  I know that having a sick family for a week and being sick myself didn't help, but I just felt so frustrated about all the lost things. 

Have you ever read Fablehaven?  In it, there are some little "Brownies" that help in the house.  They are usually helpful and can fix anything that's broken.  They can also make delicious food.  But in one part of the story, they turn bad for a time and cause all sorts of trouble.  I felt like there were some evil little brownies hiding all these things.

~On Saturday morning, Brian was cleaning out his tool box.  Camden came walking into the front room holding the wrench!  The black wrench had fallen all the way to the bottom and blended into the bottom of the black tool box. 
~Later, Brian found his pen--I'm not sure where it was, but it's not lost anymore.
~Camera still missing.  I suspect our little Nate threw it away.   
~The library movie had fallen behind the couch.
~Lightning McQueen is still missing.  But, Camden found $2 from his bank and we bought the very last Lightning McQueen from the store.  He was so proud of himself and his quarters while he gave them to the cashier!
~The keys were for and HOA shed.  I borrowed a spare and made several copies.  Then I found my original set behind my bed.  
~And, the Costco check....   We had to go back on Monday, and the pharmacy cashiers couldn't make the card work.  The front end cashiers also had a problem.  Brian asked what the specific problem was, and they said that code was usually reserved for when something is waiting at the customer service desk for the customer.  So, off to the desk we went.  And, our check was there! 

I have thought lots about these "lost and found" experiences, but mostly I feel very grateful that we could find most of the things we had lost. I am not going crazy, nor do we have evil Brownies playing tricks on us.  (We may have one adorable Brownie who hides things, though!)

Summertime!

 This post is part of a blog hop for Wordfull Wednesday by Chocolate on my Cranium.

Summer Memories

I grew up in the San Diego area.  The hottest part of the summer was July and August, but it was common to have warm or even hot days from March until December.  I remember receiving beautiful sweaters for Christmas but it was much too warm to wear them.

Fast forward a few years later, and I moved to Utah to go to school.  Imagine my surprise when September brought such cold, freezing wind and SNOW.  That winter, and for several years afterward, I only felt warm during my morning shower and in the moments right before I got out of bed in the morning.  My body couldn't produce enough heat.  Clothes only insulated the cold inside me. 

But, back to a few childhood summer memories...

~Swimming all day long, in and out of the pool-- playing with my cousins, playing mermaids, the colors dunking game, marco polo, talking underwater, swimming across the pool without taking a breath, teaching my sisters to swim, my season of lifeguarding, pool parties with my high school friends, and much more!
 ~Monday nights at the beach
 ~Family camping vacations in national parks, especially Sequoia
~I remember when my little sister was born.  I was in 2nd grade, at the very end of a school year.  It was HOT that day.  Hot, Santa Ana winds made recess feel miserable.  One of the teachers was my mom's friend, and throughout the day, she'd come and tell me how things were going.  I remember wondering why Laura hadn't come yet.
~Family barbeques
~Climbing trees

And as an adult....  

~Hiking a local mountain peak with my husband. 18 miles in one day.  We were so tired!
~Visiting Cancun with my family.  Mayan ruins, ziplines, and cenotes.
~Visiting Maryland to see grandparents.  I love it when my kids get to spend time with their grandparents!
~Long walks with my boys in the morning before it gets too hot
~Gratitude for cooler days at the end of summer, but also a sadness for how short the summer is and how long it will be until it is warm again.
~LOVE the smell of summer rain
~Stomping in puddles with my boys. :)

What are some of your favorite summer memories?