Summer recap...

This summer was full of fun. I drove up to Salt Lake (4 hours north) five times since May.  It has been so incredible sharing time with family.  I have been feeling a little sentimental this morning and I just wanted to share a little of how our summer went. Lately I have been trying to decide what to share on this blog and what not to share.  I know a lot of you follow me for my quilting pictures, but the truth is - I am much more than just a quilter.  I am a daughter of God, a wife, mother to four beautiful kids and I am a sister and friend.  I feel so blessed in my life and I feel like it's time I got over the fear of not letting you see the best parts of my life.

You can see my monkey of a daughter in the above photo with her cousin Mitch. She has such a zest for life and is full of adventure - even though half the time I am yelling,"be careful!" because I am such a worry wart.
 

Thanks to our wonderful neighbor letting us use his pool, Micah can finally jump in the deep end of the pool and swim to the other side.  I can't believe he's so big!  This was a huge accomplishment for him since he has been a little afraid of the water.

The 4th of July was amazing.  The temperature down here in the desert was incredible.  We were able to enjoy a barbeque and family fireworks.  You can ask Clint how I handled having the kids right next to him as he lit off the fireworks.  I was a total champ ;-) or at least this picture makes it seem like I am totally chill about it.

At the beginning of the summer I took the kids up for a week to spend with my family and we made it to Temple Square in Salt Lake.  It is such a beautiful place and I love walking around there and sharing it with our kids.

Clint and I took the older kids to hike Mount Timpanogos and had a fabulous time.  Even when I fainted in the cave and had to lie down for a minute and get totally dirty.  It was worth it.  A couple of doctor visits later and I was treated for vertigo and I am doing better.  Crazy times.

We also took a ski lift up to the mountains and had the chance to be in the most beautiful setting.

Back at home I braved my own fears and took Jonah, Lili, and Micah to Dixie Rock.  It's a rock that has no fence and is a total drop off.  I have a hard time going there because I worry so much, but I faced my fears this year and we had a wonderful time.  The view is spectacular and it makes me feel so blessed to live where I do.

As many of you know, I love clouds and sunsets.  This particular picture is one that I had to capture.  It's never as good in the picture as it is in real life, but the picture helps me keep the memory of these moments.  Lili looked at the sky and said, "Mom, it looks like heaven."  She was right.  I know that God wants us to have heaven here on earth and that is why He blesses us with His beautiful creations.

We also put in half the yard this year.  The kids have a place to play and we have plants that bloom.  I love the color of this beautiful Crepe Myrtle.  We have lots of them in our yard and I think they are gorgeous.

The hardest part of this summer was saying goodbye to Jessie.  She decided to move back to Salt Lake, she got a job really fast and before we knew it - she was gone.  She has been with us for two years, so it has been a tough change for us.

So, I discovered that I can watch the sunset from my roof.  I have an easy access out of one of my studio windows and I spent a lot of nights out on the roof pondering about a lot of things.  The view is always amazing and you never see the same show twice. 

Our last trip to Salt Lake included a Trax trip to the city and the kids enjoyed it.  I spent my time keeping the kids in line and they spent the time discovering.  Micah is catching rain drops in the above picture.  Oh, to be a kid again and have no care in the world!

We also made it to the Zoo.  These three...I am in for it, nothing but trouble ;-) but they have a way of keeping me smile.

We had a camp out in my parents back yard. It was the first time the boys can remember sleeping in a tent, so we had a wonderful time.

To finish off the summer we had a surprise party for my sister Amy who turned 40.  Best part of the party was when the Hippity Hops were pulled out and we played soccer, duck duck goose and chase.  It was hilarious.  All the adults got in on the action and it will be a party I won't forget.

On Monday the kids went to school.  It was a sad day for me.  They make me crazy in so many ways, but I love when they are home.  I know I will be able to get a little more work done now that they are in school, but I have a 3 year old who's pretty lonely without these three.

I spend a lot of my time worrying about things that I can not control, but I am so happy to have my family around me who love me despite my craziness.  My sister reminded me last week that I need to live in the present and not worry about what "could" happen in the future.  I pray I can heed that advice and remember to cherish each moment.

This was a summer to remember!