D'youknow June-O?

I know time keeps flying, but I canNOT believe July is a week away! We've had a blast here,going a mile a minute to fit all the fun in, and sticking to a routine about as well as water holds still in the ocean.  We've gone to summer dollar movies, used our Seven Peaks Water Park passes, and learned the tricks of getting there at opening to avoid lines and get tubes, etc. (also enjoying time w/ a few ward members who also have passes),

 Maddie's survived Girls' Camp

  and Trek,

we made a killer Oreo Ice Cream cake for Father's Day (where lucky Brian got sleeping bags and a book that our whole family wanted :);

we enjoyed the Ward Campout---where I scarcely saw Brian, so caught up in marshmallow gun fighting was he!,

worked like crazy to build, fill, and plant our garden boxes, only to be met w/ this INTENSE heat!!,

had Anne learn to ride a 2-wheeler (I found a tiny cheap one at DI, and had a hunch she'd get the balancing a lot faster on it),

 enjoyed a Cubscout Bike Rodeo, refinished our kitchen bench, Maddie's nightstand & headboard,

BENCH BEFORE

AFTER

NIGHTSTAND BEFORE

AFTER

replaced Spencer's broken dresser (w/ Maddie's extra),

yes, Spencer's room; Emily posing

and last, but not least, bought a new (actually 1950's) Italian Cruiser!!--don't ask what gets into me! After talking to some "bike people" at the Cub Activity, and w/ Dad always having given me a bad time about my DI/Walmart bikes, I got some good ideas of how to look for better quality bikes w/ reasonable pricing, and in my looking, found this little "Legnano"(later became Binache) treasure close to home.  I've nearly ridden the bike I got for Mother's Day last year to death--the bearings are going out in one wheel, and I was trying to decide which route to go, since the new ones at bike shops are 6-8X what I paid for it, so I was thrilled to come across this one (the owner even asked if we were Italian, so we were glad to at least claim Katie :).  I'm still not sure whether to replace all the kids' bikes we have??, but in the meantime, at least I'LL ride happily along ringing my working bell!!!

Meanwhile, we are getting SOME reading time in, Maddie's taking private violin from Anne's teacher, the children all have a week to make lunch AND a night to make dinner (they asked, "But when are you going to cook Mom?"-hee, hee), and Brian's staying plenty busy w/ City Council and work and bishopric, fixing toilets and sink drains, making beef jerky, and keeping tomatoes alive.  I LOVED reading Mindset; and From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels because of how willingly this truestory woman gave up so many of her expectations out of love for her sweet husband-and found herself happier because of it--really nice to read such a fun book so in favor of marriage and family.--though, as a spoiler alert, there IS a lot of kissing :).  I've adjusted/replaced more sprinklers than I'd care to (and still have dead grass spots), washed WAY too many towels in the last few weeks, as well as WAY too many Annewetthem sheets, chased naked Lucy out of the road more times than I'd like to admit (she's really into dressing/undressing herself, so I pretend we're potty training), somehow managed to still cook plenty :), read, read, read, gotten much better at asking my huge team of helpers to pitch in on all of the picking up, gave a Father's Day talk, kept up w/ Suzuki (we've learned "Twinkle"!!), got the boys into a free 2 day Basketball camp, sewn Maddie's pioneer apron, bobbed along on intertubes, sat in MANY moments of wonder over HOW people keep their homes looking so orderly!!,and LOVED date nights more than ever!-whether it's a trip to Lowe's, the temple, or a hip little "I don't feel like I'm in Utah anymore" delicious pizza joint w/ a live band! (Boy, blogging a month at a time sure makes me feel more productive!) Emily asked me the other day, after the kids were digging (and dying w/ laughter) through my old pictures, what my favorite age was, and I can honestly say, "THIS AGE is my favorite age." Life just keeps getting better and better, sometimes harder and scarier, but also, better and better.  And to finish, one example of how troubles CAN be blessings (I TRY so hard to remember this Alchemist type philosophy, but I'm usually wretched at remembering): Our doorbell broke (the 3rd time, in a 3rd totally different way since we've lived here), from getting jammed, and ruining...something.  We got a new box, Brian worked diligently at replacing it, but when it came to the transformer, which ran THROUGH our furnace, and who knows where, he agreed to call an electrician.  AND, since they charge by the hour (my philosophy that got us a bathroom fan after fixing an outdoor shorted light), we're going to take advantage, and get a ceiling fan installed in the living room.  (I KNOW!--Italian bikes AND ceiling fans!--my husband spoils me!!! ... or he thinks I'm too far gone to even reason with anymore).  :)