A Camping We Will Go....

I doubt anybody was as excited as I was to go camping - I guess it had just been so long that I couldn't wait to go. I was also really excited to take our newest family member and she didn't disappoint me a bit. She rode in the car like a champ. It makes me laugh because that's one of her favorite things now and I've turned into one of those weird people who take their dog wherever they can. Mark and the girls went fishing and doggie and I hit the trails around the lake and through the forest. She did get a little unruly when she saw a bunch of wild turkey and tried to chase them - I didn't realize how strong she was until I almost had my arm yanked out of its socket. We had a BLAST!! The last day there, it got really windy so we just hunkered down and played games and drank hot chocolate. Good times.....

The Cost Of Welcoming A New Member Of The Family....

Pound fees and licensing

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New Leash, dog food, dog treats, chew treats

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Constant slobber on my once spotless floors

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Being woken in the night like I haven't since I had a newborn

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Walks, walks, and more walks

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Doggie bed in girls bedroom - only to find out doggie is sleeping in the non-doggie bed

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Lots of love (aka: licks)

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Visits to the doggie doctor for checkup (also haven't done that since I had a newborn...I'm sensing there are some similarities)

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extreme happiness of two darling girls

And Then There Were Two.....

Well, we're back to two at home - our numbers have once again dwindled. It was a wonderful summer having everybody here for a short period of time and then having "S" stay the entire summer. Mark took him back to school last week and they turned the trip into a Father/Son fishing trip. They had an amazing time and ended up catching over 60 fish. Mark is really the ultimate fisherman.

The girls and I had a completely different kind of week. It was the total opposite of a camping/fisherman trip. We had "girls week" and we did everything girlie - think "What Not To Wear" meets "Gilmore Girls". It was FUN. On Friday, we ended up in Fallbrook going to the Hot Summer Nights on Mainstreet and their Chili Cook-off. Now, the irony that they're having a Chili Cook-off on the hottest night of the year was not lost on us, but it was a fun night anyway.

Saturday was "fantasy day" and involved each girl choosing something around town that was her "fantasy". They had to be simple, not based on money and we had to be able to fit them into an afternoon. I was impressed with how creative these girls were when it came to choosing something that they thought was "fun". This was probably my favorite time of the whole week.

If you look at the pictures at the top, you'll probably get a pretty good idea about one of the fantasies! It might have come to be a reality if I hadn't almost choked when I saw the price tag. :)

My Favorite Things....

Lately, I've found a few new favorite things. I love finding new favorites, so I thought I'd post a few to share with my friends:

• My first favorite is the pictures that Stefanie Zeltner took of "P". Stefanie is a extraordinary photographer who has amazing talent and a great eye. Want to see for yourself? Check out her website at: http://www.joiedevivrephotography.com/.
• My love of cooking always sends me searching for new recipes. I found a terrific website that has a lot of great ''family'' recipes as well as low-calorie and gluten-free. If you find yourself in a cooking rut, check out http://www.simplyrecipes.com/ (thanks Meaghan for putting the link on your blog). I think I may even add a new feature to my blog: favorite new recipes. Stay tuned to see what my family has enjoyed!
• I love http://www.ldsvoices.com/ There are the most amazing talks that you can download very easily to put on your IPOD. You can turn your workout into a great morning devotional and feel inspired the rest of the day.
• Have you tried the new Mary Kay tinted lip balm with sunscreen? It give you great sheer color and moisturizes your lips at the same time. I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss, but this gives just enough shine. I'm a fan of the Apricot shade, but the Natural looks great over lipstick. Thanks, Pam - I never would have tried it if it wasn't for you!
• A few years ago, I read Gary Chapman's book "The Five Languages of Love". I became a big fan of his as I gained some valuable insight into some of the most important relationships in my life. I just started "The Five Love Languages of Teenagers" and I'm having another great experience as I find new ways I can be a better and more loving mom to my teenagers.
• If you want to feel like you're at a spa, try Bath and Body Works "Foam Bursts". It comes in yummy scents and you only need a teeny bit and you'll have foam everywhere. It's so much fun and a great change from shower gel...and it lasts a long time too!
• When we were growing up and reading The Book of Mormon as a family, the book of Alma was always my least favorite part - only because it was so long and we read so slowly (unbelievably slowly). Now I love it and I find wisdom and guidance in every chapter. Today I've been thinking about Alma 44:10; the last sentence is so profound. I think that if we lived by this statement alone we could all be a lot happier..."Behold, we will end the conflict." It's up to us whether we move on and resolve conflict or if we learn the hard way- like Zerahemnah!

I think that's it for now...but I may add a few more later. I'm enjoying the last few days of summer with "P" and "B" before they head back to school. One last thing: kudos to the RMS administration for taking what is usually the horrific, time-consuming experience of back-to-school registration and making it a breeze - job well done!

Watch Out For The Rocks!

Well, the girls and I just got back from a little summer trip. I have to say, it was great and exactly what I hoped that it would be. We were able to spend a lot of time with relatives and there were several high points for me; one was getting a picture taken with my mom and my sisters (we haven't done that since before my dad died) and the other was spending a day river rafting. My mom has always wanted us to do that as a family and I'm sad that we waited until it was too hard for her to participate in, but it was great.

The water was FREEZING and you had to paddle really hard to stay in the middle, otherwise you'd drift over to the side where there was a bunch of rocks and limbs hanging out. The water was going really fast, so we were moving at quite a fast pace. A lot of us took our own tubes instead of getting in a raft together. I was proud of "P" and "B" because they were very adventrous and jumped right in and started paddling! I paddled hard at first and then when we were almost at the end, I got a little lazy and the next thing I knew, I was drifting quickly to the side towards a huge rock and some big tree branches. "B" told me later that she saw me going towards it and screamed to her cousin, "My mom is going towards the rocks, she's going to crash - let's watch!!!" I laughed my head off when she was telling me. Well, sure enough she was right. I crashed and it flipped me out of the tube and I spent the next quarter mile on the outside of my tube, hanging on for dear life, crashing into rocks and branches along the way while traveling down the river at a pretty good speed.

It made for a good analogy about life, which I shared at FHE last night. Anyway, it was great and I think I might actually be addicted to river rafting now.

I'm one of the biggest wanna-be photographers I know - maybe next to "P" - we both are addicted to taking photographs. When we were at the photographers, there was a photography workshop advertised in Tuscany - I'm dying to go in the biggest way. While we were waiting for the photographer, I took this fun picture of all our purses. I thought it was cute and sort of symbolizes how different, yet compatible we all are.

Ramblings.....

Yesterday we got an email and pics from "R" - it was so great to hear from him and seeing him was just the best. He couldn't look happier. The girls think he looks taller and thinner - I guess that's what good, clean living will do for you. Seeing him made my 'mommy heart' miss him all the more. I posted a couple of his pics on facebook and a friend we haven't seen for years said, " He used to be just a little boy. What happened?" That's what I'd like to know.
Love you, big man...
I'm getting ready to take the girls on a little summer trip. I'm looking forward to a change of scenery and seeing family. As always, I feel like I've got a million things to do before I leave.
We have family staying with us right now - it's a rare luxury, so we are enjoying every minute of having them here. Today we are planning on heading to the beach. I'm excited about that because I think that will be the first time I've gone this summer. I love the beach.
"S" is on a little trip of his own. He called last night to say he's having a great time. I couldn't talk long because we were trying to move some furniture, but I'll call him later today and have him tell me more. I'm so glad he's so happy.
I heard a great quote the other day: "When one candle lights another, it loses nothing of itself." It makes me think how we should all do a little more to help each other. I'm grateful for the many people who help me burn brighter!

Summer Daze...

Okay, this is going to sound overly dramatic, but I honestly can't believe it's summer - it's already going by so fast and the next few weeks are going to be even busier. It's all good, but what happened to the thought of those lazy summer days?

We got a package from "R" the other day and it had some photos in it - he looks go great and so happy. Then we got a telephone call from somebody who had actually seen him in Provo (I have to say, I had a big lump in my throat) and they kept saying how happy he looked. Whenever I start to miss him like crazy I think of that. Who could ask for more!! The other day, I found this little note...I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way.