How Many "Summer" Posts Can I Have????

So I'm wondering just how many "summer" posts I can have?? I may need help on title ideas to get me through the summer...June has flown by. We have had a very calm and relaxing June. Lot's of time at the pool, and outside. Liz is taking a dance class from my cousin Katie and Lilly is taking piano lessons from her aunt Andrea (my sister-in-law). Both are on Thursday's and so we've formed a tradition of what I like to call "Therapy Thursday's". After dance and piano, we pile in the car and go swimming. Katie and her three girls come with us and so the seven kids play and Kate and I get to catch up and play with our kids. We have a picnic at my mom's before swimming. I've found my Thursday's at the pool to be very therapeutic.

Brandon has been looking for a job change where he can use his masters degree, he recently accepted a new position as the Director of Nursing for a home hospice company. He is really excited for this new opportunity. He will continue to teach for Weber State University as well. Good job babe!

So here are the random, fun things we've had going on:
*Liz is in dance
*Lilly is taking piano
*I threw up in the Bountiful Temple (see my other blog for the full story)
*Brandon got a burnt belly button (he says I have to put that it's my fault...not the case...)
*We got a free junky BBQ (it was found on the side of the road) that doubles as a fire pit to make s'mores
*Liz started a new hobby of painting rolly polly's
*My sun roof burst. Not cracked. Burst. Brandon was driving on the freeway when it happened. He is ok. I got a nice man to put collision wrap on it for me for now. It makes a really odd noise at high speeds. Anyone with an extra sunroof laying around?? A new one is more than the car is worth.
*I got a new purse
*I learned how to make gourmet chicken strips.
*Luke is a track star in the making
*Brandon and I found the coolest rocking chairs for $5 each at the D.I. (blog post simply about this to come...)
*Brandon and I have taken up camp outs in our back yard
*Brandon has started playing the trumpet
*We are loving our mission!
*Brandon and I got told we are "normal" (documentation pending....)
*I got my eyelashes dyed
*Laura has had multiple injuries (puncture wounds) to the same foot
*I got a new rad curling iron
*My car got backed into the last week of school. I have a rental. It's a Yaris.
*Brandon doesn't fit in the Yaris
*Brandon's car got cleaned out (pause for moment of shock)
*I have my first veggie garden and it hasn't died yet!
*Luke is Mr. Popularity (post to follow)
*We had fun swimming with cousins, aunts, uncles last Saturday. Uncle Nick introduced the kids to the movie "Mean Girls"
*Lilly and I went shopping. Always a high light!

Summer Begins...

Our summer has begun...After dance and piano last Thursday, we went swimming at my mom's with Katie and her girls. The kids will swim rain or shine. Kate and I managed to get some sun! Wahoo!! Brandon and Laura had a Daddy, Daughter Date at their ward in North Ogden. While they were there and Lilly was with friends, the twins and I went out to dinner and to the store. We ate at Panda Express and then to Target. While at the store we got some fun things- a slip and slide and some sidewalk paint!

So while the kids were playing, I went camping for a couple of days. As part of our service mission, Brandon and I do a 12-Step Meeting at the Women's Recovery Center in Layton. The girls in our group invited me to a Recovery Retreat last weekend, and I was so excited to go! So Brandon took the kids swimming three days in a row and I went camping with some very special girls. We've had a fun start to our summer!!

A Wedding, Holiday and The Start of Summer....

I haven't been good at updating this lately . . . my apologies. Since the last post we've had a wedding, Memorial Day, and our summer has started. Cami, Brandon's youngest sister, got married over Memorial Day weekend. The wedding was in Brauch and Natalie's backyard. Brandon was in charge of pictures for the most part...not sure if he gets the camera ever again! We were so excited for Cami and her new little family. Brady has three kids and so they are now a family of six! We couldn't be happier for them! Congrats you guys, we love you!!

The kids were with us for the holiday and so we braved the "giant babysitter" (as Brandon likes to call it). It's the Bountiful Rec Center. It was packed. We swam there for a bit but then decided to ditch the crowds and went over to my mom's pool. The kids are out for summer and so am I. They had a weeks head start as their school finished in the end of May. Mine got out on June 3rd. I had planned to not work this summer but decided to after all. I always think I'm not going to work and just do nothing but I seem to have a hard time not working... I am only working part time but that is even hard for me. I'm nannying for my boss again, and I love it. Her kids are a lot of fun and this is my third summer with them. They keep me on my toes and we have a lot of fun playing together...

Liz is taking a dance class this summer at my cousin Katie's dance studio. She is very excited about being in two parades and doing a two week dance camp. Lilly is taking piano from my sister-in-law, Andrea. Laura auditioned for a competition dance team again and made the same team, Connection, for next year. Go Laura!! We are all excited for summer! Brandon and I started our service mission on June 1st and we are really enjoying this opportunity. We feel so blessed.