June Summary

*Ben & Janell roadtripped it to Logan* * Bee Swarm recovered in the neighborhood*

*Fun shopping days* *B&J's Scrumptious Biscuts & Gravy* 
*Witnessed flight school of a tiny wren family*
*Repainted Chairs*

*Enjoyed Bauers sweet company* *Frolicing on Father's Day* *Chill Time*

*Vintage Finds* *Summerfest* *Pool Time* *Tony's Grove* *Fresh Salmon*

Not pictured are the hundreds of miles Mark clocked around the valley preparing

for the Gran Fondo in two weeks.  Gotta train that guy to use his phone camera ;)

June was a blissful month for our family...

July suggests a little more scurry in our step!

Warm Summer NIghts...

I love a party!  The planning, the prep and the fun time with people you love!  The heat of summer has arrived in Cache Valley.  The warm summer nights just beg for relaxing time spent in the backyard.  We had a few neighbors over for a last minute dinner party.  Sometimes making calls the day before works best with everyone's busy schedules.  We've decided if you try to include everyone you know and love it gets too complicated and ginormous.  We hope to many more of these sweet evenings through out the summer. 

 Everyone brought a salad or appetizer to share and we grilled shish-kabobs!  Yummeee!!

Keeping things green and eating with real plates and silverware is a fun way to make the night a little more special...even if you don't have complete settings for a dozen - mix things up a little!

 We are blessed with such wonderful neighbors and friends. 

 And a little secret that is just out....Cami and Mike are having a baby!  She dropped in for awhile and shared the exciting new with us.  they moved to Connecticut several years ago and we miss them sooo much!  Cami has been such a positive role model for our girls.  We just adore their family and are so happy for the exciting news!

 Em and  Mark helped me dip cones in melted chocolate and then in nuts or mini chocolate chips.  This is such and easy and fun dessert.  Everyone piled on their favorite ice cream and we enjoyed every lick!

Oh summer, we love you!!

more updates on this past month will be trickling in....

Finding The Path

Before...the garden in front was full of overgrown grasses and weeds.  Emily and I worked some early mornings to get things cleaned up.  Once again the little garden path is visible!  I do love getting my hands in the dirt and working out in the yard.  The weather has been spectacular here!!  This garden is mostly full of perennials but I have some annuals to fill in as well as some herbs and tomato plants.   Hopefully the deer will be on higher grounds this summer!

For Mother's Day, I picked out my own gift this year!  

I've had my eye on a macro lens for awhile and I think it will be great fun to play with!

A few shots fresh out of the box...

 This little flower is only about 1" wide.

 Ready for take off!

 Bees are tricky to catch ...lots of patience when you are 

trying to manually focus on the busy little things! 

I can't wait to experiment more with this new lens.

(PS...Molly, I have your zoo photos down below - after our DC trip.  Nice throw, by the way!!)

Mother's Day

 

A beautiful day  to visit our little zoo.  Just the right size for Molly and Owen.  

They were having a welcome party for some new residents :) 

 We met a snake and said hello to our favorites.

 Molly won a few prizes for her great aim!

 

And Owen loves to feed the ducks!

                           Then it was off to Elements to see what they were cooking for lunch!

 New flowers for the yard.  I have lots of planting to do before we leave for DC.

 Sunday was a sweet day to be together. To laugh, eat and enjoy the gorgeous weather!
It was nice to be in our ward again.

  

Sure love my family...every one of them!!

I'm a very blessed mother and nana.

Celebrating Life Events

Aren't most life events just smile makers? 

We had so many reasons to celebrate the weekend of June 9th. 

Rob, our nephew and beautiful wife Jenny were sealed in the Logan Temple 

with their new adorable son, Christian.

 Dean and Shaura had their family gathered from Austria, England, Hawaii and Utah...

and Ronald and Marie had their children gathered in under their wings from 

Las Vegas, Vienna, New Hampshire and Utah...

 and we got Brady for 5 entire days all to ourselves!

It really was a weekend to celebrate.

 We were one happy group of people.

 This family is so much fun!  They understand love very well.

The night before we hosted a BBQ in our yard. The menu consisted of:

make your own sliders with lots of topping options,

salads, fresh fruit and Aggie ice cream.  

It was great to meet everyone in Jenny's family.

The evening was practically perfect in every way!

 We love our family...especially as it grows and expands!

Blessed With Beauty

I had a cute friend invite me to a little get-away to her cabin up at Bear Lake this week.

Three of us spent two days stitching our hearts out...chatting and laughing and eating!

It was a heavenly, rejuvenating and very productive two days.

I was up early enough Wednesday morning to watch a beautiful sunset.

Magical.

For Mother's day the kids chipped in on gift that melted my heart.
Last year a sad thing happened when a spring snow storm took
down three of our big trees in the back yard... 

you can see photos here.   

 Today was the day we got to go pick out the tree.  

A Royal Red Norway Maple was what we brought home.  

She is beautiful!  What a pretty contrast against all the green in our yard.

The sweet presentation on Mother's Day most definitely needs to be documented.
Camber printed off this beautiful prose that Janell had written and Mark read it to us.  
I really think it is the most beautiful thing I have ever read.
Janell is a gifted writer and a beautiful daughter.
We say this a lot....but we are certainly blessed to
overflowing with the most amazing family!
We love every one of them!
Thank you for such a sweet gift! xo

Maple

I recall a morning in no particular memory
yet resides within every lovely place of my mind,
where maple syrup is drizzled on golden breakfasts,
 warm with a mother's sweet enthusiasm.
Where outside beneath the shade of a maple tree,
kind hands light lively imaginations

as flattened wings of papery tree tissue
spun between fingertips and dropped down
to bright eyes looking on in wonderment,
watching small flurries of tiny seeded helicopters
fall to the cool grass above the maple's thick roots.

Leading us through exciting adventures,
supporting us through discouraging trials;
it was under your motherly branches
we sought safety and comfort,
learning to stretch our own dense roots down deeply,
to hold us strong for when weather becomes rough.

Encouraging us to stretch our branches out and up,
guiding us always towards the light,
it was you who challenged us to grow, to know
we could go further than thought possible;
to embrace the change of seasons,
for it brings colorful beauty and a chance to grow.

Can't wait to watch this tree reach for the sky, grow strong and watch over our family.