Looking Out the Window...

I am and always will be a huge sucker for a gorgeous sunset.  Especially if the rays are bursting out of the clouds and a buttery yellow hue outlines the mountains.

In Bloom

 There really is a secret garden.  It truly exists. It is in my parents back yard.

There is the sound of trickling water coming from the fountains in various corners.  Several robins and blue jays stop by to get a drink or wet their wings.

Rabbits stop by to munch on the grass just below the deck.  Mammy and the boys have been known to "chase" them out of the garden.

Fresh raspberries are picked then turned into a hand spun milkshake.  Colorful veggies pop up all over and green herbs line the beds of the garden.  Red tomatoes hang plump and juicy on the vine waiting for the kids to pick them.

Squirrels lurch and jump onto the plum tree and scurry to the top for a breathless view.

There is plenty of wriggly worms that find a home and end up in jars for observation...and soon returned again.

It is home to butterfly's and bees and an assorted amount of blossoms.

It is relaxing and rejuvenating and the epitome of peace and calm.

Plus, it smells good.  Fragrant blooms, wafts of lavender, and sometimes, just sometimes, Mammy has the smoker fired up....

One of my favorite features about this little patch of heaven, are the lush bright yellow flowers that grow by the dozens.  They are special.  They have traveled hundreds of miles and have their roots firmly in the ground of the secret garden. 

When my parents moved from New Mexico, my Grandpa let my mom take some "starts" from his garden and let her plant them into her garden.

My Grandpa since then has died and we miss him very much and it is a comfort to sit out in a chair and look at his very flowers.

Oh, Dad!

 There is a quote that reminds my dad of my Grandad, but it also reminds me of my dad....

"My father didn't tell me how to live...He lived, and let me watch him do it."- Clarance B. Kelland

I love my dad.  We are unusually close and I have always felt a deep bond with him. 

We also both feel jacked up and joke a lot about it.  I need his comical relief and rely tons on his sense of humor.  He helps me find mine.

While life feels really hard right now, my dad is the right balance of all that is good.

I also have a tender spot in my heart for this dad...

I always thought of the dad he would be when we had kids and he has exceeded all that I dreamed.

He does "quality" in a way I have never before seen and my boys can feel it and we all reap the benefits of it.

Here are a few of the answers from our annual questionnaire:

My dad is really strong, he could lift...

Kendall:  Uncle Doug up!
Nathan:  5 1/2 Semi trucks!

If my dad had time, he would love to...
Kendall: go somewhere gaintly FUN! 
Nathan: watch Ben 10 with me! 

How old is my dad?
Kendall: 52
Nathan: 32

My dad is the best at...
Kendall: lifting up a WHOLE tree!
Nathan: working!

My dad really loves....    
Kendall:something really, really, AWESOME!
Nathan: Basketball

My dad always says...
Kendall: "I love you. I love you more."
Nathan: "Bye, I love you, gotta go to work."

I LOVE my dad because:
Kendall: when I cry, he helps me a lot.
Nathan: he's the best dad I ever had!      
 

Ordinary Days

 The lazy days of Summer are in full swing.

Lots of cooling off in the sprinkler, drinking from the hose, and swinging from the crutches.  That's how we do it around here.

The Never Ending Game

 In Kendall's opinion, Football is the greatest sport of all time.  Actually, any sport involving a ball is. 

The boys can spend hours on end throwing a ball to each other, forming a perfect spiral, and running simple plays Justin taught them.

I love to sit back and watch and occasionally join a game.... or 2.

Two Little Fish

 

We have been loving the pool this summer! The boys see the water and instantly have gills.  

Water, sunscreen, towels, a few pool toys, friends, watermelon, and a picnic lunch insures hours of fun!

There is nothing as fun as having a squirt gun fight with dad!
....maybe having to pool to yourself?

The Texans'

(Niki and I after remembering that we wanted to take a picture, sweaty after working out in the wee hours of the morning...cheers!)
.

My cousin, Niki was road trippin' this summer with her family and decided for the first time to come on through our neck of the woods.
.

We were so excited to say the least!
.

We all filled up on burritos and headed to one of our favorite retreats, Sterne Park.  The kids played, feed the ducks, and had foot races in the grass while all the adults talked 100mph and got caught up.  We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and soaked in the great company.
.

All the cousins, (she had 4) played as if they saw each other everyday for the last 5 years.  A new club house was formed, tricks at the pool were taught, treats eaten, a movie watched, and a dance party full of hot new moves were witnessed.
.

I'm hoping this will be a new tradition, wink-wink.

Out They Come...

I'm afraid this is just the beginning of Nathan's journey with his narrow little mouth.  He inherited his dads exact mouth!

He had his incisors pulled out by the dentist and to all of our surprise, they each had a full root. Nathan looked at them and said they were knitting needles for the fairies.

Nathan slipped a note under his pillow pleading with the tooth fairy to please, please let him keep these teeth.  To his surprise he woke up with both teeth under his pillow and 4 one dollar bills!  He must have been really brave.

Right Now, Life Is...

Right now, life is...

1. Swinging from trees and being barefoot in shorts enjoying shade in triple digit weather.

2. Reading chapter books during dad's lunch break, then giving recaps after each chapter.

3. Mammy and Papa filling in the gaps as I fight this illness and Justin works another job.

Right now, life is...

1. Waking up early, completing job charts just in time for Saturday morning cartoons.

2. Learning to work, helping Mammy refinish a dresser while listening to her stories.

3. Watching 17 miracles and feeling so thankful for the pioneers, then taking a Sunday nap.

Right now, life is...

1. Lots of park days and enjoying sandwich picnics with watermelon, cherries, and grapes.

2. Waiting for Justin to rescue us as we sit broken down on the side of the road and making Kendall think it was an adventure that the car was smoking like a dragon.

3. Reading books on hope, praying for hope, then going to Deseret Book and finding more books on hope.

Right now, life is...

1. Cherishing every waking moment with dad, playing catch and wrestling and getting in a few i pad games.

2. Scientific experiments.  Magic marbles and magic rocks.

3. Sitting in line at the free car wash making silly faces and listening to Kendall tell the "Teeny Tiny" story.

Right now, life is...

1. Fresh fruit and veggies, Wednesday at Sunflower and the Farmers Market.

2. Catching a cold and getting creative so you can still get a good nights rest.

3. Making your own peanut butter and banana toast.

Right now, life is...

1. Talking 100 mph at the kids soccer game, catching up and getting on the same page.

2. Lots of team Go Fish games going at the dinner table at all time of the day.

3. Taking naps twice a day and loving it when the little ones join me.

Right now, life is...

1.Getting beat during Blokus and Zingo games on the living room floor while its raining outside.

2. A rare Saturday off, living it up at the shooting range with a barbeque and buddies.

3. Waking up early and deciding that by the time you get to the door you are still just too tired to start the day.

Right now, life is...

1. Finding the right balance to increase blood volume, drinking gallons of Pedialyte and being so grateful for glimmers of hope and family.

2. Crashing blood pressure 71 over 50.  I never knew what a treat it was to get IV's and feel so much better.

3. Learning and growing and pressing forward.  Taking capsules of salt and being thankful for awesome people who have crossed my path.

Right now, life is...

1. Helping each other and pitching in weather it be yard work, doing the dishes, or finding sweet little notes around the house.

2. Morning walks and sun rises, conquering the hill of death, and morning devotionals with mom.

3. Occasional date nights and constant reminders of how much I love my guy and the endless pool of hope he pours out.

Summer Structure?

The boys have been asking me to make them job charts forever now.  I saw one that I loved here and wanted to make but didn't know how to use Photoshop...so they got a homemade one.

This is the first year that we have got a pool pass so I'm hoping to get all our jobs done in the morning and head over for a picnic and some water fun!