Time flies when you are having fun!

Wow! The month of July literally zoomed by me. I had a really hard class. I was preparing for another test for teacher certification, and just trying to keep up with all the activities. We had Greg's company party, 4th of July camping trip, 4-H two days a week, achievement days, and orthodontist activities. In addition, I have been watching my friend's children while she goes to the hospital to sit with her husband. We had a camping trip that beat us all up, and last night we sent July off with a bang at the baseball game.

Greg participated in some drag races in Rigby in his red "race car" camaro. I thought he was crazy, but he loved it. We spent a Saturday afternoon watching him race a series of cars in his class. He didn't win, but we came home with our entire car intact for which I am thoroughly grateful. We went to a car show event the same day and saw dozens of neat old cars. It was definitely a blast from the past that I enjoyed.

Extended family joined us for a 4th of July camp out in our favorite spot up by Spencer. We had some rain, but that didn't dampen our time. I thought for sure Jacob and I were going to get stuck on the side of a mountain in a down pour. But, we were able to get him up to the top of a big incline and didn't have any more problems. My mom and dad came up from Twin to join us. We had grandmas and grandpas, aunt, uncles, and cousins. In fact, Greg's sister, Georgia and her family joined us from Ohio while they were here visiting. The scenery was beautiful, and I remembered that I need to go camping just to heal my soul. The rush of everyday gets left behind, and I can just enjoy the people that matter most in my life for quality time.

During our trip, though, Greg bumped a tree with the pickup so we have been working with an insurance adjuster and a body shop. The scratches and dent are fixed, but we are still working on getting all the details finished up. We are hoping we won't have to do anything similar anytime soon.

Rebekah has no more braces. Yahoo! She is in a retainer, and Rachel is preparing for braces. How lucky are we? The two have sore mouths either way, but will have beautiful smiles once everything is finished. We were amazed to see a before and after picture of Rebekah, and we were grateful we made the sacrifices to get her teeth straightened out.

Both girls are participating in 4-H classes and we are nearing completion of projects and classes. The two have been taking a cooking and a sewing class on Wednesdays and Thursdays giving Jacob and I some one-on-one time together. The girls are making pajama pants and a pair of shorts for their sewing project and cooking up a storm. They have to model their sewing projects August 10th at the fair, and show their creations in displays. This is all new for us.

We had a crazy camping weekend up to Kelly's. Just our family went, and I must say it was quite the experience. We bent a jack stand underneath the trailer trying to get into our spot. Then, we tried a motorcycle only trail to get us up the back side of Garnes mountain, the tallest mountain in Kelly canyon. We struggled. We had numerous tip overs, Jacob rolled his bike down to the creek. Greg and I had to climb the bank, lifting the bike back up to the trail. Thankfully, the bike made it through unscathed. The trail was very challening, and because Greg had to keep getting off his bike and helping everyone, when we were within a couple miles of our destination, his bike ran out of gas and we had to stow it in the bushes. We only met one crazy lady on our "trek" and she was running on the trail by herself. So, we each hopped down a size in bikes and Jacob and Greg doubled up and we continued our ride to the top of Garnes were we all rested from exhaustion. We could have had a snowball fight up there with all the snow. Then, we began the trek back down the steep mountain, making it unscathed. I am so grateful for my children's skill on their own bikes. It could have really been scary! Needless to say, the next day Grandma came and watched most of the kids while we tried to get back in to Greg's bike. I crashed on the way in and purpled my leg and ankle. Then, we walked four miles into his bike because the trail was so gnarly. It took forever, and I thought we would never make it. We were sweating like crazy, and burned a kazillion calories when we finally saw his bike again. To get out of there, we rode double on his bike out the way we had come as again, it threatened to rain. We made it out of there! The positive side of this experience....hmmm.....it was a beautiful hike in there. Everything was green, we walked through fields of wildflowers as tall as I am; we walked along the creek and saw beautiful waterfalls; and we learned patience and endurance. Will we do it again? Well, I have been extremely sore, and Rachel and I have had a hard time walking, so maybe we will wait until we heal up. You know what they say.....don't be afraid and get back on a horse when you get bucked off. In this case, it is horsepower we are dealing with....pray for us!

My friend's husband was in a terrible accident, so every Tuesday is Tawnya Tuesday. This is the day we have seven children including my own in our home and it is a day of play until you drop. We have spent several weeks through this ordeal without the opportunity to renew our friendships, and this gives us a regular time to get together. Plus, the kids get to practice their social skills and let their imaginations run wild.

Last night we attended the Idaho Falls Chuckers baseball game. They played the Ogden Raptors. We get to go and have endless pizza and pop, enjoy the atmosphere of co-workers, and enjoy America's favorite pasttime. My children get to learn the rules of the game, and we build memories as a family. I hope they will always remember as we stand before the game begins and give respect to the flag as the "Star Spangled Banner" is sung by a local artist. Awesome...chills. We have to hit at least one game a summer and it is a night to remember.

School time is approaching....eeek! Where did the summer go? The kids have only a few weeks before they will be back in school. I am amazed at how fast time flies. I am watching my children sprout up before me, and it won't be long before I am the shortest in the family. My girls are becoming young women, and my son....well, he is enjoying his childhood. More and more I am noticing my husband's kid at heart, and I am learning to balance my life again....maybe. Through my experiences I have learned how precious life is, how important now is, and I am trying to focus on the things that are important which is a challenge in itself. Enjoy your last bits of summer! Love to all!