June 2010

Okay, so I am a little behind.  A lot has been happening.  June started off with the glaring possibility of being on jury duty.  After following the procedures, I was put on standby as an alternate in case someone else dropped out.  Eventually I was released from any possible jury duty at least for now. 

Jacob got baptized!  What a huge event!  All our family was here.  We had about 25 adults and children under our roof.  We found places for them all, juggled shower times, and kept them fed.  I made bread, muffins, and we planned BBQ hamburgers and hot doys.  We are so grateful for those who sacrificed to be here.  We love you!  Greg baptized him and confirmed him with family priesthood holders stepping in as witnesses and strength in the confirmation circle.  Then, we took pictures and headed back to the house for a 6-foot long sandwich, chips, drinks, salads, and desserts.  I borrowed a few tables from Greg's mom, and we seated as many as we could in the kitchen.  Others used the sofas and chairs in the living room.  Cousins played out in the backyard on the trampoline and play set or in the kids' room downstairs with the toys while the adults visited.  Rebekah and Rachel were excellent babysitters.  After lunch, the boys headed downtown to look at the big boys' toys where Greg was looking at a motorcyles for me so we could each move up one.  He came home with one.  Then, the girls and I snuck out to shop at Abbotts for material.  I found a picture I had to have, and Chelsea bought the exact same one.  It is really neat!  Most came to church with us the following morning, and I got to show off my family.  Later, Ashley had a party for her little one, and again we feasted, then said our goodbyes.  Talk about a busy weekend!

Jacob started soccer practices.  He is learning a lot and enjoying it.  His coach seems to be dedicated, and holds regular practices.  I am so new to the soccer arena.  I don't know anything about positions, rules, or even the different calls the ref makes.  I am learning right along side him, encouraging him to do his best, and letting him try a team sport.  He is excited to have a uniform, and genuine soccer gear.

We have taken up geocaching again, and spent one Saturday winding our way through the desert following Greg and the GPS coordinates.  We found some neat places we would not have otherwise found.  Plus, in the process we got to trade treasures.  Our backpacks were fully equipped and we even explored some ice caves.  We ran into very little wildlife except for the smell of a skunk at one entrance, some starlings, and a small bat.  A lot of those ice caves extended a long ways, but we needed more powerful flashlights and an extra set of clothing if we wanted to crawl through them and explore further.  One of the neatest places we found was a crater out in the middle of nowhere.  Down in the bottom, a beautful grove of aspens and lush vegetation grew.  We spent a lot of time following unknown trails, and turning around when the trails abruptly ended.  But, we were there for the adventure, and we eventually made it back to the truck.  It was a beautiful day together with our family.

Our next adventure took us to Utah.  We visited with my brother, saw his pad, and he even spent some time with us riding the thrills at Lagoon and Lagoon-a-beach.  Greg found us a hotel with the biggest indoor swimming pool and some great prices.  The rooms were pretty nice, and I think we would go back again.  We partied hard.  If it is one thing we know how to do, it is PLAY HARD!  From the time the park opened one day, we rode rides only stopping for lunch and dinner.  Everyone was game for pretty much everything.  We even convinced Jacob and Rachel to ride some of the big roller coasters.  Once they tried some of them, they went back for more.  It was pretty hot, and some of the lines were really long, but we had a good time.  On day 2, we bounced back to Lagoon, and hit Lagoon-a-Beach.  We found some fun slides, the kids played with cousins, and we finished the day with zebra stripes.  Yep, you heard me right.  We decided to try some spray-on sunblock and well, it covered some spots pretty good, and others not so good.  In its defense, we exceeded the time limits on the bottle, but we had no idea one bottle would only coat the family once.  Chalk it up to future endeavors, next time we will know better.  When we were water wrinkled, we rode a few more rides, and headed out to a BBQ joint for some grub.  Greg, Rebekah, and I shared this huge platter of all kinds of yummy sides and meats.  We were practically rolling out the door we were so full.  We headed back to the hotel to clean up and catch some zzz's so we could head home the following day.  Greg had a company party that we wanted to hit.  The food was o.k. but we were a little burnt out. 

I think that about sums June up.  Oh yeah, I got another year older.  Greg took me out to dinner just him and I.  It was kind of low-key this year.  I found a beautiful picture to hang on my wall-my own life creed.  I just couldn't leave it on the shelf.  I have placed it in a prominent place in my home to remind me what I believe in.  Thanks to Mom and sisters who took me shopping.