Back to blogging...

This was a good moment...The girls were outside, Simon and Garfunkel were playing on CD, and it was just me and my boy making the best ever chocolate chip cookies...

It got even better...the boy left, and it was just me and "The Boxer." And a whole lot of cookies. Such a good moment I had to share...

First Grade

It was a fantastic summer, but alas, the end of August came and Lauren is back in school. She is in a 1/2 combo and it's been a good thing for her...we finally headed to the mall the day before school started so she could pick out a new outfit, complete with new twinkle toes--make them last kiddo. Too much exposure to those shoes would give me a migraine, so I specifically asked her teacher on the first day if they were allowed! Mrs. Hancock is a good sport.

I didn't take my camera to school the first day, so here she is in line on the second day...

Day with Shelley

How I miss these people--twice a year just isn't enough friend! Shelley, Anthon, Ella and Quinn came to play and we loved it. We wish Tokyo was closer!

Evening at the beach

We met Andy after work one Friday afternoon and headed for the beach--it was FREEZING, but once we got used to it, we had a fabulous time...





Yes Lauren, you did have a mother, even though there are very few photos to show it...all you moms out there know exactly what I'm talking about.

Petey the Sweetie

The girls continue to BEG for a dog, and we continue to say no (although they are wearing us down...it's probably inevitable) but we do now have the cutest little white bunny with blue eyes. Poor thing.


She's that little puff of white hiding out under the console table...


We've had very few really hot days this summer, but for those few days Petey camped out in our hallway---I came upon this...like I said, poor thing.

About the boy

Anatomy of a temper tantrum--Charlie is getting quite good at these...

Idaho in July

We spent a week with Andy's family in Idaho doing about every imaginable summer activity a kid could want to do--swimming, boating, tubing, 4-wheeling, playing, eating, raspberry picking, canoeing...and we even went to my first ever rodeo--quite fun, even in the pouring rain.



The view from the backyard...the water this morning was as perfect as it comes...

Lauren, Jaxon and Taya...


Despite his growing aches and pains, Andy can still rip it up on the lake (though he feels those aches and pains for several days afterward)...



This is probably my favorite picture from the whole week--and it was totally organic--she had no idea I was taking this! This was the night of the rodeo, right before the town parade. We got dinner in the park...and this is what I saw after walking to the trash can. Priceless.



We spent a morning with my Grandma Purcell, had lunch together and saw my cousin's new house...


Note: Laura is babysitting this little boy, he is not hers...though they do kinda look alike...










So glad I caught this moment...one lightweight helping another lightweight out of the water...

I could water-weenie all day long. It is one of my most favorite things to do...Andy, not so much.

This is becoming a bad tradition--this happened in St. George also. Note: don't turn on the jets after putting in bubbles. It's not easy to get rid of this...

Thank you for a wonderful week!