Summer's relaxing moments.....

Summer is a busy time (and it is passing too quickly!),
but I have managed to enjoy some refreshing lemonade.....

some play time with Maddie (who loves running through the sprinklers),

seeing my "craftiness" appreciated,
(Did you know aprons are good for more than just cooking?)

some good tree climbing,

and a little day dreaming.

Hope your summer is relaxing and fun!

Free advice.....

(Emily, Whitney, Quincy, Sadie)

"Spend a moment, every day, thinking of someone to love."
-Richard Carlson (Don't Sweat The Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff))

Chapter 42:
"Every morning when I wake up, I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then I ask myself the question, 'Who shall I send love to today?' Instantly, a picture of someone will pop into my mind- a family member, a friend, someone I work with, a neighbor, someone from my past, even a stranger I may have seen on the street. To me it doesn't really matter who it is because the idea is to gear my mind toward love. Once the person to whom I'm directing the love is clear, I simply wish them a day filled with love. I might say to myself something like, 'I hope you have a wonderful day filled with loving kindness.' When I'm finished, which is within seconds, I usually feel that my heart is ready to begin my day. In some mystical way that I can't explain, those few seconds stick with me for many hours. If you give this little exercise a try, I think you'll find that your day is a little more peaceful."
-Richard Carlson

(For around $12.00 you can have the whole book. I recommend it!)
Thanks to my friend Katy for giving me this book!

The bridal couple.....

Our son Andrew will soon be getting married to a great girl, Irene.
(I know she is great since I have taught school across the hall from her for several years!)
We are excited for the big day!

Now we face the dilemma of how to handle two third grade teachers with the same last name.
(I hope this won't make me The Old Mrs. C."!)

Hollyhocks and daisies...

"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides."
W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

I almost missed the most beautiful blossoms while I was out of town.
Hollyhocks and daisies are two of my favorites.

Happy Birthday, America!

July 4th is a great day for all of us
because
we live in a pretty amazing country.

I hope you all had an enjoyable day celebrating!
We started the day off with a ward breakfast and we ended with a family dinner and fireworks.
(Our daughter Michelle and her friend Cynthia started the celebration 20 years ago as a Laurel project,
and it is still going.)

A few years ago we got to welcome home our nephew Shane who had been serving in Iraq.

(Kelli, Shane, and Joanna)
Our thanks go to him and to all the people who serve and sacrifice for our freedom!
THANK YOU!

(family and friends)

Happy Birthday, America!

The trip.....

Six hours in a speeding car.....
Four senior citizens who couldn't figure out why
we were going so fast and everyone was passing us.

(On our way home we discovered that
the car had a little button that somehow got switched over to metric!)

Four restful days in this cozy cabin....
(Painted by talented Karen..)

Two fun evenings at plays.....
We saw "The Secret Garden" at the Playmill and a melodrama at Mac's Inn.

One fun day seeing Yellowstone Park.....
("Old Faithful" who continues to show off for all the tourists.)

A delicious dinner at Lakeside Lodge.....

And some good relaxing time.....

It was a fun get away!

A road trip with the girls.....

Tomorrow I'm taking off with some friends for our
annual summer road trip.
(Is is considered a road trip when you go to the same place every year?)

My friend Sheila's parents have a cabin (sort of like this one)
near Yellowstone National Park.

We'll probably see some of these.

We'll take in a musical, go on a few hikes, play games, read novels, do some hand-crafts,
drive through the park, and be quite lazy.
(No house work!)

That is... if we can get all our things packed in the car.

One year we packed our luggage on top of the car.
It was a good idea until we discovered that Sandi's suitcase must have blown off
somewhere in the vast Southern Idaho wilderness.....

Another year we had the trunk of the car so loaded that we couldn't get it closed. We had to unpack everything and take a bigger car!

This year we decided not to pack so much food.
(Karen is going to put her frozen lunch meat in her suitcase with her underwear!)
Hopefully, everything will fit.

I'll be back soon!