Back To School, But Still Summer

I'm always a little sad when the kids go back to school, the pool doesn't get used much and even though it's still in the high 90's in Idaho there is a slight change in some of the leaves.  I don't know if that is because the leaves are dying or if it means Fall is around the corner.  Yesterday I ran into the store and found myself walking down the school supply isle.  I took in the lovely sent of unused boxes of crayons with their multiple colors, unsharpened pencils and spiral notebooks.  A rush of memories came to me, reminding me of my school days with my oh so fashionable traper keeper, colorful folders and my super cool purple Jan Sport backpack.  I can still remember the smell associated with the beginning of school in my elementary school.  I have wonderful memories of school and was so blessed to have amazing teachers.

As I've returned today to Phoenix, the 110 degree's has me back to the middle of Summer and wanting my bathing suit, a cold drink by my side and some polarized sunglasses.  It's very hot here and I don't want to go outside.  Which is why I'm waiting for the sun to go down before I kind of re-stock my fridge.  I'm only here for a week before I leave again to Montana where it's suppose to be hot and smokey for an OVC retreat with 63 other women.  And I get to spend a few days with a blogger friend who also had cancer at the same time I was diagnosed.  I'm so excited to actually meet her face to face.  We've emailed back and forth for 4 years and we finally get to meet. 

Summer was fabulous!  I loved it so much.  Wrapping it up I had lunch with my girlfriends from college,

said goodbye to Alisha's son Dallin for 2 years to do a mission in San Antonio,

had a few last swim days with popsicle's,

and ate fresh tomato's, cucumbers, raspberries and corn on the cob. 

But, with school starting and Summer coming to a close, that means it's football season!

And hurricane season.  Thinking and praying for the people in Houston and their near 50 inches of rain.  I can't imagine something like they are experiencing. 

Cabin Fun and The Eclipse

This past weekend we spent 4 days up at our cabin.  I haven't been there since before I had cancer.  Can't believe it.  My cousin Read and his family came up the entire time.  Becky and the kids came up for the day on Saturday.  Tyler and his family came up Saturday morning.  Tony and Erin came Thursday night and we drove up Friday night, but they were only able to stay until Sunday.  Our friends the Jensen's came up for the day on Sunday and then our friends the Metcalfs came up Monday morning to watch the eclipse.  We had a wonderful time in the mountain air.  I love the smell of pine trees.  It was super dusty, because of all of the atv's up there on our dirt road.  I really enjoyed the afternoon ride we took on Saturday.  We all came back very dirty, with only one cut on the leg.  Poor baby Graham fell before they came up and cut his lip and smacked his nose, but he still had fun playing in the dirt.

We had a total eclipse at the cabin, where we actually watched it from the road across from the meadow.  It was so beautiful with the mountains and pine tree's in the back ground.  It really was quite magical when the totality hit, even though it was only for about 90 seconds.  But those are 90 seconds none of us will ever forget.  It was crazy how we were all saying we were hot when it started and then by the end we were freezing because it dropped to 52 degrees.  We could even see venous when the sky darkened.  The oooh's and aaah's and silence at the totality was priceless.

After we talked about how the light is always stronger than the dark.  No matter how dark it is, light will always brighten where you are.  I think it's the same with our spirits.  I think these are pretty cool pictures of the Meridian Temple and the SLC temple during the eclipse. 

Sum, Sum Summertime

Let me remind you how much I love summer.  I love it so much that I live in a place where 9 months of the year it feels like summer.  I especially love summer when we are all together.  And I really love summer pool days like the ones we have had all week since Tristen and the girls have been in town.  We had Stella's all girl unicorn birthday party, went to the mountains to watch a fabulous rendition of Beauty and the Beast and spent a morning bowling. And then Tristen and the kids left and we had to say goodbye until we see them again in October. 

Young Family Renion

This past weekend we had our Young Family Reunion.  We had so much fun making memories.  Friday we had dinner, a pool party and a family dance at our house.  Our family loves to dance.  We also had ice cream sandwich's which I made.  Oh, they were yummy.

Saturday we had a carnival at my cousins.  It was such a fun event.  I heard the kids often saying, "This is the best carnival ever."  The weather was perfect too with a little breeze.  That evening we had an adults only game night, which actually ended up being a memory, story telling night with lots of laughter.

Sunday we finished up with an ice cream party at my cousin Reads.  The kids always love going over to his house because they can run and play until they tire out.