A Veritable Vegetable Kingdom

Behold The Beautiful Bounty of the Garden

Since it's harvest time and everyone is displaying their treasured
yield of vegetables, I thought I'd pick up the "harvest basket"
and reap the gleaning of Dave's cultivation. I toiled amongst the
handful of wee plants searching for my prized tomato.

Behold the perfection of the Roma! Yes, it is humble, maybe
even a bit runt-like but beautiful nonetheless.
Before I could make a lilliputian BLT, Tanner popped my
only gathering into his mouth.



The bell peppers are coming along nicely aren't they? This one
will go nicely in my thimble of salsa.


miniature jalapenos anyone?

A Little Elbow Room...Not!

CALIFORNIA 2011

Just a quick trip to Dana Point, California and I wonder: Does the
beauty of Southern CA outweigh the crowds? There are some nice
beaches and shiny cars and amazing houses and flowering plants
and superb weather and good food and gorgeous people .....

and toned lifeguards and prestigious schools and major league
baseball. But what if you have to fight to catch a wave, or fight
to merge into traffic or fight to park the car?


Who gets the pleasure of riding this next wave?


Dave had to fight off 14 tourist kids and 5 locals just to ride into
the sand with his daughter.


And then there is the Class Distinction. You are either a surfer
or a swimmer. You can't be in each others space. We swimmers
were surprised when Jared and Nanette (surfers) actually
associated with with us.


After visiting Grandma and Grandpa Holt we all realized that
even their couch is crowded!

Looking GOOD aren't they! These two are the most adventurous
couple I've ever known. Their stories are legendary, not to mention
their kindness and generosity. I was so glad that our whole family
of 21 were able to spend time with my lovely grandparents.

I've decided that if I had $25 million I could possibly live in one
of those beach mansions on Strand Beach and have my chauffeur
do the driving. Ya, I think I could.

Is It Worth It?

Every summer we load up and drive somewhere for a night in the
woods. We call it camping but it always ends up being so much more.
For instance, we like to stop at a McDonalds and fill the kids up with
chicken nuggets and double cheeseburgers and french fries before
driving around and around scouting for that perfect campsite.

This time I think we drove around to much because Tanner started
looking a bit green.... the sheer volume of vomit suggested that not
only was lunch involved, but also breakfast. Dave pulled the truck
over...too late. We cleaned him up and put outfit #2 on Tanner.

Once we settled on a campsite Dave and I set up the tents and the

camp stove while the kids played. It took Tanner exactly 5 minutes

to look like a coal miner.

Sparkling clean after a case of wipes and outfit #3


Of course no camping trip is complete without some good ol'
unsuccessful fishing.

Hyrum dam was completely full. We took lots of dam pictures and
asked some dam questions.

Tanner...outfit #4 became soaked with lake water so I had outfit #5
ready for the ride home.


After all the camp stuff is re-packed and the kids are cleaned up
and the bugs are brushed off, I remember that we actually had
some pretty funny moments. Yes, it's worth it.

The Unusual Teenager

My teenager never sasses me. He never wants to stay out
late. He never tells me that I embarrass him. He never rolls his
eyes at me. He still lets me hug him.


My teenager goes to a beautiful, new and modern junior high school.
He's going into the 8th grade.

My teenager rides the bus to school everyday but the cool thing
is that his bus picks him up right in our driveway.

My teenager has a classroom designed specifically for him. He has
his own space, his own pictures and his own bean bag for naps.

Tanner has a few genuine teenager characteristics though. He has a

tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants, he's sneaky and he's

always hungry. There is one more characteristic but I won't mention

it.....

Life Is Good

6th Grade Has Been The Best Year of My Life!

So says Hailey...

"I loved my sixth grade teacher. I had the best kids in my class.

The boys were hilarious, the girls were nice. I learned how to

dance, I did pretty good in math and I loved history. I'm

scared to go to Junior High because it will never be as good

as 6th grade."

BFF (best friends forever)

Hailey was very diligent with her homework. She knows that next

year ( Jr. High) will be "more harder".

First Love: Braydon (lucky for me he has moved to a different state)

First dance ( no pairing off....yet)

Leaving for her first "real" babysitting job next door : "I'm going to

buy a lime green Volkswagon Bug with all the money I make".

First Instrument: acoustic guitar. Some day Hailey and her dad can

play some Jimmy Buffet tunes together.

Favorite Sport: definitely soccer!

Still "imaginating" at twelve years old. I want her to stay like this

forever. Next year, Junior High, will be much harder on ME than

it will be on her.

Like Father Like Son

In recognition of Father's Day Tanner presented a rather unique gift
to his dad. Although Tanner can't express it verbally, all he really
wants is to be just like his old man.


Two peas in a pod, watching golf together.

The "Big Ride"

There was a big bright light in the morning sky. I think it was
called the "sun". After weeks and weeks of dark clouds and rain,
we breathed a sigh of relief because today was the big bike ride:
The annual Little Red Riding Hood bike ride for breast cancer.

It was a crisp morning, the snow line on the mountains was low.
It had snowed just a few days ago. Car after car of biking ladies
arrived ready to tackle the road; three thousand independent women
muscling their bikes off bike racks with not a man in sight.

Jen and I are ready to get going. Once the blood starts pumping
we'll be able to feel our hands and stop shivering. It's going to be a
beautiful day.
My riding buddies and I experienced the smell of cow manure
and freshly cut grass. We rode on country roads through the
green pastures surrounded by snow capped mountains on all
sides. All the while nice ladies commented on our "nice calves"
as they passed us.


Everything you see here is made possible by my MOM!
Thanks mom.

Can't wait for next year!