This year we spent the 4th of July with Alan's parents at their cabin. We spent the afternoon playing games, reading and napping while Alan's dad kept an eye on our Dutch oven dinner. Then we did the s'more thing in the fire pit. I think I've told you that I just never mind about the graham cracker anymore ... just put a piece of chocolate right inside the warm marshmallow and then put the whole thing in your mouth -- yum....
Our summer family vacation this year was a week at a beach house on the coast of Brookings, Oregon. We have loved Cannon Beach in the past, but decided for a lot less money we could try out Southern Oregon and then come home via the Redwood Forest in Northern California. We were missing Hugo (our big van) as we squished our 7 selves into our minivan. The kids were fabulous, though – it is so much more fun to travel with older kids! The only bummer of the trip was lack of wind on the beach. We took all of our fun trick kites and didn't get to fly them a single time. But, we had our own private beach with sun, fog and only a tiny bit of rain. This time we knew to do a campfire on the beach at night, which was really fun. Of course I took a few pictures – I just love the ocean....
Scout Camps
The day after we got back from our Oregon trip, Elliot left for a week at scout camp. He came home dirty and full of funny stories and goofy camp skits. I guess he wrote most of our troop skit and the leaders told us it was the best one there by far – who knows...maybe Elliot has a future in drama? Another thing a leader told us that Elliot didn't, is that he and one of his friends asked a couple of the 17 year old girl camp counselors for their phone numbers. Hmmmm...and so it begins.....
Clark got to go for a couple of days to Cub Scout day camp the same week. He had a lot of fun with his friends and since he is a Webelos, he got to swim this year which I guess is great when you are hot and tired. He has really great leaders this year and so does Elliot and I feel like that makes all the difference in the scouting program. I am really coming to appreciate how much influence other adults can have in the lives of my children.
Shakespearean Festival
Alan and I took a trip with some good friends of ours down to Cedar City to the Shakespearean Festival. We enjoyed seeing several of the plays, sleeping in, eating out and playing games with our friends. They brought a new game for us to try called "Ticket to Ride." It is quite fun if you are looking for something new to play.
Pioneer Day
Alan had to work on the 24th of July, so I took the kids swimming in the morning and then we made homemade ice cream in the afternoon. We were playing a game and checking on the ice cream only to discover at one point that the ice cream freezer was smoking and then actually on fire. Well the ice cream freezer had been my Grandmother's – probably close to 40 years old. So, I guess it's time to get a new one We put the flames out and checked the ice cream and were glad to see it was done. We threw it in the freezer and went to meet Alan to see the latest Harry Potter movie. Afterwards we came home and enjoyed the ice cream as we watched our own little fireworks in our front yard. It was a fun and somewhat eventful day.
My brother Matt was here from Pittsburgh for a few days and we were able to get the Morgan family together for dinner and visiting. We wish his cute wife and kids could have been here, too – we miss them so much! Who knows? Maybe they will be back in Utah in the not too distant future.
Loren (Elder Brown) is doing great and enjoying the unusual rainfall in Laredo, Texas, as it helps keep the temperatures down. It is hard to believe that he only has 7 months left.
Phillip has received his mission call to Madrid Spain and he will be entering the MTC on November 14th. He is very excited and patiently waiting. Yesterday he got his passport and today he sent it off for his Visa. I guess it is the Visa that take so much time. He is excited to learn Spanish and has already started looking at Elliot's text book from last year. I'm sure he will learn it quickly and then he will speak French and Spanish – how wonderful to be able to speak other languages....I am envious of him.