Playing catch up for June

I cannot believe that June is over! This month has flown by and I have not been to the computer but a very few times. That is a good thing but not so good in the blogging world. There seems to be a need to catch up and yet when I go back in my mind to think of all that has taken place and needs to be recorded I cannot think of everything. I have had such a good habit of staying on top of getting things recorded that it is strange to me that I have not desired to run right to the computer to get things to my blog! Yet life has been going on - all the things we have set to do this summer are taking place and my time is being well spent. So today I catch up on June and hope that next week I am still alive (just joking - the half marathon is Saturday!!!!) to record the happenings of the weekend.

First off Paige turned 19 this month!!! I cannot believe that cute little sweet doll of a baby has grown up to be such a beautiful young woman! She has had her struggles but her heart is so tender still and she wants so much out of life. We celebrated Paige's and Adrian's birthdays on Father's day. Adrian had turned 9 years old. What a handsome young grandson he is! It was a great Sunday! Everyone came (except Chelsea who was out of town) and had spaghetti dinner with cupcakes and ice cream. We ate outside and enjoyed the warm summer sun. David had a wonderful father's day having his children around him! I love Sundays like that! Everyone had lots of fun and ate and played and enjoyed each other. My sister Melissa also had a birthday and I missed seeing her but she was in my thoughts and I did get her present made and sent!

I got some of my jam made. Taylor, Hayden and I picked almost 50 pounds of strawberries. I got busy getting the berries ready to make jam and froze them. Then a few days later made 8 batches of jam. I still have lots of berries left and will make more when there is nothing else to do;) We also made our friendship bread yesterday and it turned out so good. Thank you Aundrea for thinking of me as your friend and sharing! It was so fun to watch all the kids be involved in the process of making that bread. Noah was so cute - he really wanted to help out and so I just turned the whole thing over to him to be in charge!

Chad and I have been busy training for our run on the fourth of July. It has been an interesting journey this training thing for me. It started out that I wanted to finally rid myself of the "baby" weight I still was carrying around. Then before I knew it I was full on training for a half marathon! I lost 35 pounds in the process so it has been well worth it. I have learned a lot about myself along the way - 1. I can do hard things! 2. I can keep going even when I am tired or don't want to go up another hill I can push myself and in the end feel so wonderful! 3. 15 year olds can run much faster than 48 year olds! 4. My 15 year old can be the sweetest when looking after his 48 year old mom! 5. 13.2 miles is not that long when you have wonderful friends and family supporting you as you go! My wonderful (and I mean great, wonderful - actually not enough good can be said for her) friend Lynn has really pushed and supported me through this last few months. She has inspired me so much to keep going and I hope that I do good if not for anyone for her! I have learned so much from this sweet lady and her heart is so big!

I have also been working on my lesson that I am teaching on Sunday. That has been a process all on its own. Where I have been led while studying has been an amazing spiritual journey for me. I will record it on Sunday after I teach as I think it will all come full circle for me then. Just suffice it to say now that there have been many hours of pondering, praying and searching as I have tried to connect the dots for myself with my topic of "Finding Joy in the Word". It did not go where I had expected and what I discovered was absolutely amazing - so stay tuned for my commentary about it on Sunday.

Friday I am playing the piano(s) with three other ladies from my ward - a two piano, eight hands piece - arrangement of "Stars and Stripes Forever". It has been fun to have something to work on and challenge myself with on the piano. We have had fun putting it together!

There has been free lunches at the school, playing at the park, going to the library, roasting lots of marshmallows, playing in water, cooking, watching movies, reading books, playing music, and lots and lots of fun going on here! Still camping trips and vacations and swim lessons to look forward to. I just love the long summer days and cool summer nights around here!

Let the Summer games begin.....

Family reunions...


Trip to Grandma and Papa John's house...


Day trips to the coast (one planned to drive for a few miles on the beach)...

Lots and lots of swimming...

Half marathon for Candy and Chad...

Lots and lots of summer reading...

Music making (including a patriotic, two pianos, eight hands piano piece done with friends and Candy)...

Bar-b-queing...

Evenings around the fire pit...

Backyard ballgames with friends and family...

Camp outs in the backyard...

Harvesting from our garden...

Canning and preserving the spoils from our garden...

Picking fruit and making jam - lots and lots of jam...

Creative play at the table...

Lots and lots of messes, fun, games and memories are going to be happening around this home this summer!!!!

We made it another year!

David and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary today. He had a speaking assignment at the coast so we left yesterday (after I did a 12 mile run with Chelsea - she rocks!) and spent the night there. It was so nice and quiet! The drive was beautiful and when we got there we shopped a little and then checked into the hotel and then had a very nice dinner looking out over the ocean! Getting ready for church was so nice as it was just the two of us and no one else to worry about. After breakfast we headed for church. It was so wonderful to be greeted by friends we had made on trek and others whom we have gotten to know over the last couple of years. David did a good job on his talk. He had an early father's day present from me - I know way early - a book of quotes by Elder Maxwell and he used it a lot in his talk. The drive home was just as beautiful and quiet. What a surprise when we got home and the kids were playing quietly and the house was all picked up! We missed the kids but it was so nice to get away even if it was for one night.

Early morning pondering

This weekend I got to spend some time with some of my long time friends. We really did not do much but just being together was so fun. Not everyone could make it but still we had a great time. I have this nasty habit of waking up early, even when I have stayed up late. On Saturday morning while everyone was still sleeping ( I had awoke at 6:30am) I got up and read for a while. The house was so quiet and still. Cindy has a beautiful view overlooking the Willamette River. Thinking about what I was reading and looking at the beautiful view I really came to realize how absolutely lucky I am to live in the wonderful country! I don't really think about the freedoms I enjoy that much as I go about my daily business, so as I was studying some about our founding fathers and the struggles and adversity they faced so I could enjoy this freedom I became very overwhelmned with gratitude. I thought about how wonderful it is to be guided by a living prophet. I know things are hard in the country right now for a lot of people. But knowing that we have been cautioned and taught correct principles gives me peace. Our founding fathers tried to set up our country based on correct principles. These men knew that God had to be a part of our lives to help us continue to live a happy, free and productive life. They risked their lives to ensure that we all could continue to live under the freedoms that they helped establish. It is so hard sometimes to imagine a time that this kind of freedom did not exist. We know from the examples in the Book of Mormon that as long as God was the center of the peoples lives they enjoyed freedom. This time of year as we come close to celebrating the 4th of July I am reminded of these things. I have an opportunity to play a double duet (two pianos, four hands) on the third of July with some very talented ladies. We are doing a patriotic song and I am so excited to get to participate. So because the music has been running through my head and I have been reading more about our constitution this desire to better appreciate the freedoms I have were on my mind early Saturday morning. I am grateful I got up early and let my mind fill with such wonderful thoughts! I think the music I get to play will fill my soul more having let my mind fill with all the ponderings of freedom. It has been too long since I let myself just ponder and enjoy the sweet quiet of the early morning!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Two weeks ago my mom turned 80! I am sure she is so happy I just announced her age for all the world to know but I think it is just amazing how wonderful she looks and is at this time in her life. Taylor and I got to fly down to California and visit with her and see lots and lots of family. We had a big party at my sister Kelly's house and it was so fun to see all my brothers and sisters (except Betsy who was in NY). The kids got to swim and we had a bar-b-que and listen to great music and just visit! Taylor had a lot of fun visiting with her cousins. We don't see my side of the family that often so it was a real treat. I am so glad my mom is healthy and happy. She seemed to have a fun time with all the goings on of the day. What a blessing it is to have family in our life and a mother who sees that we are loved and cared for even though we all have families of our own. Happy birthday again mother dear!