Just some July

How have I not shared some of these updates from earlier in the summer?  

(tsk tsk.). Now I'll have to try my best to remember some of these highlights from July, which seems like forever ago.  

Camada Day was definitely a quiet one this year.  With restrictions still heavily in place, there could be no community-wide celebration.  Nate made sure we did not forget about it entirely though by making these cute Beaver cupcakes.  He's really become an excellent little baker during those months of quarantine.  

We found a nearby U-pick and gathered enough strawberries to make a year supply of jam.  (Or a four-month supply of jam if you live in my house;)

John spent a large part of the summer building fences for others and I was busy with schoolwork, which meant that the kids were left untethered for hours on end.  Sigh...

We only got out to Walleys beach once this year (I suppose there is still time) but we did all the things that make Walleys so special.  Sand, water, paddleboards, mosquitos and all!

Jessica decided this summer that daisies were her favorite flower.   A very important discovery indeed.

Nate's primary president and her counselors brought their "ice cream truck" by one day so Nate could pick out a treat.  It has been interesting to see how creative some people have been as they try to maintain valuable connections.    Thank goodness for them!

Our front lawn struggled a bit this summer and we struggled to know what it needed.  more water, less water?   Mowing too much, not enough?  Thankfully, I discovered this lawn testing kit at our local hardware store and after conducting our chemistry experiments, what needed to be done became a little more clear to us.  

Abby has worked so much this summer.  Soo.Much. She usually has a day off each week and without fail, she finds something new to create or paint.   This was a fun piece for her and I love walking into her room now and seeing all of her masterpieces on display.  

My niece Ava returned home from her mission.  Jewel asked us if we could set up a welcome home sign for them as they anticipated being home in the early morning hours.  It has been fun to see her around a bit more often and to see how happy she is because of the gospel.  She's been a great example to my kids. 

Abby and I tried out a tranquility float.  

We each climbed into one of these pods and for 90 minutes laid in a sensory deprivation tank that held 10 inches of water and 1100 lbs of Epsom salt.  You kinda just float with little effort.  It gave me time to think (too much time maybe) and even nap a little.  The lengths we go to for a little quiet time.

This summer brought some of the prettiest rainbows I've ever seen. 

Jessica was given the opportunity to participate in a horse camp last month.  She was the only town kid there, and she had to borrow a horse and saddle from the organizers, but she had such a fun time and learned so much. She is always chiming in now with facts about horses and saddles.  She's determined that her future consists of three dogs, six horses, and twenty acres of land.  I don't doubt she means it.

This picture pretty much sums up my own personal July.  Blueberries (by the case, thank you very much) and more time spent reading articles and textbooks than ever before.  This school thing is going to be more challenging than I initially thought, but I hope to be able to finish three years from now.

If this summer has taught me anything it is that the time is going to fly by no matter what.  May as well try to get a degree out of it.