A Day in the Life...

I pretty much snorted in the bishopric counselor's face when he called me to girl's camp a few months ago.  Last I went to girl's camp was about 25 years ago, haha.  I'm in charge of food for the week; it's a bigger job than I expected.  Luckily the Stake is doing two meals and I'm making the bishopric do one, so that only leaves eight.  The prep is overtaking my freezer, garage, and living room... Things I'm excited about, in no particular order: 1.  Getting my living room back. 2.  Eating good BBQ Dutch oven food 3.  Not going to work or even being available for work 4.  Being around healthy teenagers (that don't teach other how to smoke meth or hide babies in their closets for three weeks) (that's the latest) (jeez) (heaven help all these juveniles) (and bless me) 5.  The feeling and spirit of girl's camp; it can't really be described. 6.  The friendships I'll make with others I don't usually associate with Things I...

Scoreboard : Skateboard:  1 Dakota:  0 Broken wrist in two places.  Luckily it's the easiest break to heal, so three weeks in a purple cast and she'll be done before school starts!  Nobody is allowed to sign it, but we are allowed to draw a picture.

Lots of months ago my sister and Amber and I planned a camping trip together and somehow found a weekend we all would be available.  So a few weeks ago we trekked up Payson Canyon and camped, Dutch-ovened, sat, ate, walked around the lake, got dirty, slept like trash, and created with sticks and mud. We celebrated Amber's birthday while we were all together.  Except that's Tom, not Ty.  She pretty much married them both... The kids all worked together to create a fairy garden and walkway and did a pretty good job!

Micah doesn't try to be funny but she sure is! Micah:  I'm kinda scared to go camping... Me: What are you scared of? Micah: Foxes, bears, eagle birds, chickens... Me: There are no chickens camping... Micah: There isn't? Wells Fargo banker:  Wow, look at these three girls.  They are so cute!  Where did you get them? I want to find me some cute girls like this! Micah: *raising her hand*  Well, I'm adopted...

Awhile back my friend Ashley invited us to go paddle-boarding with her.  Four hours at the duck pond playing in water exhausted us all but they had fun! Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point in 100 degree weather One day after work I said NO to the pool so Dakota made a water park in the backyard and drenched Micah Sometimes after work, though, we DO go to the pool, even if it's only an hour... Copper making meatballs with pool-drenched hair... Hulk roaming the neighborhood on her bike... Family game of Solar Quest, Day 1 of 2... Dakota being her beautiful self... The above and below memes.... 100% true...

Because I've been at my job 12+ years, I get a lot of time off and since I can't earn overtime money, I get a lot of comp time.  It's nice when summertime comes because it means I can play the "work as less as possible" game. On Tuesday of this week the boss told us "I hope you're taking the rest of the week off" and I kinda was already planning on it but it sure gave me a better reason to head to the pool three days in a row!  Days home, and paid, sure make this stressful job that sometimes overtakes my nights and weekends worth the (literal) tears.  Yay for summer! Today we hit the pool with Ty and Amber's family because they also have a pass and try to go as much as possible. Ty taught everyone to throw garbage (from our snacks) on Taryn while she tried to sleep and tan, haha.  Micah had fun laying all over her. Copper did front flips off the diving board over and over.  Kota can jump into four feet (above her head) and swim without help.  M...

I love this holiday!  I know our founding fathers established this nation according to the word of God and His teachings.  Our rights literally are God-given, and He is the same God today as he was yesterday and thousands of years ago.  I know that our nation was granted freedom for the purpose of re-establishing God's church, that Joseph Smith and George Washington are likely folded in arms of gratitude for each other, and that this America really is a chosen land.  On the 4th we bummed around the house and yard, cleaning and doing errands.  That night we went to our neighborhood BBQ and firework show.  The kids thought it was great running around in the street with their friends until 11:00 p.m. and eating watermelon and cookies nonstop.  Taryn thought it was great watching the show from the rooftop of one of her friends.  I guess that's what you do when you're fourteen? The next night we BBQ'd at Ty and Amber's and they treate...