catching up

I know, I know, it's been a while. Don't worry though....we're not lost or hiding out. But the fact is, we're just LOVING summer; taking advantage of the long days and having tons of sun-filled fun. So here's a little glimpse at what we've been up to:

For Father's Day we headed to Sacramento to see the stage version of the Lion King. Let's just say it was phenomenal. To mention that I shed tears probably doesn't do it justice though, since I tend to turn the spigots on pretty easily. The fact that Avery sat motionless and mesmerized for over an hour straight is probably much more telling of its captivity.



Also managed to do a little more camping. This time we headed to Jackson Meadow Reservoir. We had company too....our dear friends the Sumralls and Barclays joined us.



The "lake" was beautiful and provided a great venue for the Sumrall's and Barclay's kayaks.


The kids also had a ton of fun hanging out at the beach, playing in the water, and trying their hands at fishing. Dallin was the only true angler among the group. Unfortunately, his catch wasn't quite bountiful enough to feed everyone.


The only complaint I had regarding this outdoor adventure were the piranha-esk swarms of mosquito. Poor Alex came home with six bites on her pretty little mug alone!

For the 4th of July we headed over to the Sparks Marina in the morning for our annual pancake breakfast and other fun.




Then, later in the day we headed to my parents' house for my brother Alvis' wake. I had spent the day before going through THE trunk of pictures so we could display as many pictures of Alvis as we could....they certainly added a great feel to the "party".


It was also wonderful getting to see many family members we don't see on a regular basis. My favorite part of the afternoon however, was getting to relive all of our favorite Alvis memories. Lots of tears were shed but the laughter seemed to drown them out. Just the way it should be when you are "celebrating" someones life.


Lastly, we capped the day off with fireworks. Lots of ooohs and aaahs from the little ones, but for me, a heartfelt reminder of the freedoms we enjoy and the men and women who have sacrificed to preserve those rights. It really gets me emotional....what did I say about those spigots?


How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! - Thomas Jefferson

Hope all of you are enjoying your summer too.