Summer To Do List

1. Swimming lessons for two weeks then splash in the neighborhood pool every morning after that.
2. Start an Art Club. Our first lesson was about primary and secondary colors on the color wheel. Next come lines, shapes, self portraits, color. . .and then a trip to the BYU Art Museum!

3. Play Professor Fizzwizzle on the computer in the basement to beat those hot afternoons. I love to play that game as much as the girls do.

4. Have family come to visit. Can't wait to see Micah & Candice's family this weekend and Gabi & Brad's family in August!5. Enjoy parades, fireworks and my favorite holiday with friends and family.

6. Sleepover at the grandparents' houses.

7. Take random days off work so that we can go boating more often.

8. Go to music lessons 8:30 every Tuesday morning. It's a good thing Chloe and Jessica's teacher lives right across from the pool.

9. Read my long list of library books. (Right now I'm reading Babyproofing Your Marriage and I Capture the Castle.)

10. Enjoy the wonder of reading my alarm clock, taking a shower, swimming, and waterskiing with clear vision. I'M GETTING MY EYES ZAPPED TOMORROW!!!

Summer Solstice

You know the phrase "Every dark cloud has a silver lining." The silver lining has been well hidden this past month. Sco has been working very long hours, been a stressed professional at home and a zombie after pulling a few all-nighters. I've missed him even though I kiss him goodbye every morning. Adding on top of that my own very busy schedule (swim lessons, preschool, ballet lessons, piano lessons, violin lessons, and getting a new calling all over-lapped for two weeks), our family has suffered from lack of quality time together. We were wondering if the sun would really come out tomorrow?

The summer solstice brought more than the sun out for us! Our little family spent the entire day together and we could pack a lot in since it was the longest day of the year!

Scott took a well-deserved day off work (thank you, Sco). We started off with a lot of sleep for Sco (8 pm to 7 am). We went to swimming lessons in the morning. Ashley stayed in the water for the entire lesson (I usually can get her to join in for only 2 minutes). I know it was because Sco was there and she wanted to show off for him. Lunch poolside was dreamy (thanks Jim). Preschool for the girls was a nice break. We took just one child to Costco. We actually could take our time and see what the warehouse had in every aisle. Limeades in the car while our 2 year old slept was more romantic than a 5 star restaurant! When the older girls arrived home we had the boat hitched up and told them to get on their swimsuits. Watching The Incredibles on the way to Echo was so relaxing. And to make this wonderful day even better: there were only a handful of boats on the water! I got to drive the boat without fear of crashing into anyone. Our crazy two-year-old surprised us with a healthy fear of the water. After tube rides and several quick zips around the lake we were thrilled that it was 8:00 and the sun was still up! After driving the boat onto the trailer (my first successful time), the children were happy and tired in the back seat and Sco and I were relaxed and rejuvenated. It was a magical day.

Sco is still really busy at work and I'm afraid we won't see him again for a while. But that just makes yesterday's adventure that much sweeter. "Here comes the sun. . .here comes the sun. . .it's all right."

Real Beauty

Self-esteem is a struggle for me. I always compare my worst faults with the strengths of others. I sometimes focus on the parts of my body that could use a little work instead of seeing the beautiful things about myself. I shrug my shoulders when my husband tells me I'm cute. I feel as uneasy as I did in middle school! I should follow the advice my mom gave to me when I was 15. . ."Look in the mirror once in the morning, and then for the rest of the day smile and focus on others." Anyone else have any advice for me?

Cake Anyone?