Happy July... Where did June Go?

July is one of my favorite months.

I love that July means we are in the middle of the year.
I love July means we are intrenched in summer.
I love that July comes with patriotic celebrations.
I love that July means more sweet corn and watermelon.
I love that July brings a lot of time to splash in the pool with cousins and slip slide at Sunsplash.
I love that July reminds me that my Pioneer ancestors completed the trek.

We are smack in the middle of all of our summer stuff.
Stuff means... summer theater, summer school, and summer schedule.
All important.

Our 3 big boys are busy with performances and rehearsals with AYT.
L is enjoying his week of performances in Les Mis at the Mesa Arts Center. Every performance is sold out and there are rumors of extending a week if another theater can be found quickly. L is in the ensemble and plays the Bishop and Combferre (a student). You can find him in just about every scene.
Ja and L just started rehearsals for Robin Hood. It will also be performed at the Mesa Arts Center, but not until the last week of July.
The downside of having all these stars in the family is that I have given up any chance of heading out of town to escape the heat...

L is taking summer school each morning. We have found it to be an unpleasant necessity for the kids in high school who take a lot of music and release time seminary. But at the same time, the payback for him is marching band, drumline, and choir. He is so excited for his upcoming senior year!

Summer schedule has been the hardest for me to love. The kids want to stay up late and then sleep in... duh! But with the temperatures soaring, no one has any productive energy after about noon. That means we get the important things done early, or not at all. And for me, that just isn't an option. Some days I feel like a slave driver and it has been hard for me to find a good balance of work and fun. We have tried to compromise by having Fridays officially dubbed "Sleep in Day". It's been very popular :)

One other thing I love about this July... I am about 1/2 way finished Christmas shopping!
Shhhhhh... don't tell...

Monday, Monday

I started the week off by staying up til midnight Sunday night. It seems that J, in jr. high, had a book project due today that takes the place of the class final. I intended to stay up with him for the duration, but at 12, I could no longer keep my eyes opened as I tried to help him type. I told him to keep working and let me know if he needed anything in particular. I would just rest a little on the couch...

I guess at 2, he told me he was finished for the night and we could work some more in the morning.

R found us curled up on the couch and chair at 5 am and wondered why I wasn't curled up by him:)

At 8, I had an appointment for my yearly physical. Pleasantly, I was informed that I was off the hook for a pap smear this year, but was ready for another rite of passage: scheduling my first mammogram. Pleasant, I don't think so, but important, yes. At least it's not the dentist.
(WhichI also need to schedule, but am a huge baby about...)

When I got back home, we finished the book project just in time for me to pack J a lunch and send him out the door. He even combed his hair!

Only a few days of school left and we have finished another year. It always feels like such a huge relief! I do have to admit, though, that since we changed 4th grade schools in January, life has been much more pleasant for L, and for me. He is a happier boy who is enjoying school as a 4th grader should:)

As for summer, 3 of our 6 have auditioned for productions with Actors Youth Theatre. We have had children in their productions in previous years and love them. J and L will be doing Robin Hood in July. L will be in Les Mis in June. Both shows will be preformed at the Mesa Arts Center. With rehearsals, scout camps, summer school and band camp, we will be at home this summer, but at the water park in our "free" time, thanks to Santa.

Besides having these obvious commitments, I am hoping to accomplish other things as well. I have started to accumulate wish lists from my kids and hope to incorporate as many of those summer fun ideas into the schedule.

We will have chores and projects and fun. Hopefully!

First things first, happy end of school!

Flying

I caught T giving this little guy lessons.
It's ok, we all need help, sometimes!

A Life Lesson From Millionaire...

Remember the show?
The contestant is asked increasingly difficult questions for increasing dollar amounts... as the contestant is stumped, they have 3 lifelines to use. Friends who have the answer in a jam...


A recent tough question asked by L after a day of fishing... "Now what do I do?" The question was asked as he pulled 2 catfish from my gallon size igloo thermos. One was dead, one wasn't.


My solution: Phone a Friend...


Joe said he would be right over.

He brought an electric fillet knife in it's own attractive carrying case. This knife had click on battery packs similar to R's power drill and leaf blower.

He demonstrated the procedure and then let the boys try their hand.I love this one with T peeking through!


Before he left, Joe had me grab a pen and paper and write down a recipe. THE recipe. I had written off eating catfish after my one other attempt to cook it for my family. This time, it was fantastic! We all loved it and even T kept asking for "more fish"!

Now, theoretically, we know what to do for next time.
I will still probably still phone a friend!

It's time.

Time to check in.

This month I have been gardening.
We are growing green-beans, cilantro, basil, lemon-thyme, oregano, pineapple-sage, chives, peppers, squash, carrots, beets, radishes, strawberries, asparagus, artichokes, onions, eggplant,10+ types of tomatoes, cucumbers, and tomatillos.
The harvest has just begun, and I can hardly wait.
There is nothing better for me than picking dinner out of the backyard!



This month, I have been reading.
Mom loaned me her These is My Words series by Nancy E. Turner and I love them.
I just cried myself through the end of the 2nd book and can't wait to start #3 tonight!



This month, I have been worried about beds.
We have them, all we need.
We have even had extras to share while having 7 friends from afar come to spend a few wonderful days from North Carolina.
(I don't have 7 extra beds, we "all shove over" and make room)

But the reality is that some people don't have beds...
or cars...
or food...
or medical care...
or an education...
and they live close by, not in another country,
and it hurts my heart.

I think that is why sharing was invented.
Sharing a harvest from The Lord,
sharing a book from Mom,
sharing a bed when you have an extra.

Thank-you for sharing!

Today's Adventure

Potato bug races across the kitchen table.

We have been spending hours outside, in the garden. Citrus is mostly juiced and frozen, boysenberries pruned, peas climbing, tomatoes blossoming, rows sprouted and thriving, and pecans have been collected. We are trying a bigger variety of herbs this year, and added peas and beans and eggplant as well. The eggplant blossoms are the most gorgeous purple, they have definitely earned their keep!

For some reason, gardening, family, housework and church assignments seem to be all I can wrap my mind around, lately. But, that is enough. I have great job security :)

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

This is one of the places I found T, yesterday.

See all the ingredients she so carefully got out of that upper cupboard?
She even closed it, again.

All my other "chefs" were dumpers at this age.
Not T.

She had gotten out that stainless steel bowl and carefully measured each ingredient.
A teaspoon of this...
A teaspoon of that...

She made us a lovely "dinner".

In the Leafy Tree-tops

Family Night

Monday night is family night.

We had our song, prayer, calendering, story about Jesus, story from The Friend, and lesson from Preach My Gospel. I left part way through, to bathe the "littles". They never last that long, but R and the boys have some really great discussions and take turns teaching each other.

If I hadn't been fast, I would have completely missed it.
If I had been faster, I could have made the camera work to video the trick.

I came into the room to find R, L, J, and L all in push-up position.

It was time for a contest.

Long story short... (you're welcome)

R won the contest by doing a push-up with L (153 lbs.) and J (100.3 lbs) balanced over his shoulders.

It was awesome.

What has been keeping me busy?

Doesn't she just look like trouble?

Let me tell you...

She is!

Here is a recent timeline:

Thursday dinner: she put a bean in her nose. We decided to go see our pediatrician on Fri. to retrieve it.

Friday morning: slipped and split her lip while we were in Phoenix. With the bean AND the lip, we just decided to go to Phx. Childrens' hospital. We love that place.

Here's the best picture I got that evening.

Sunday evening: slipped while we were visiting with friends. Almost split her eye. You can see the addition of the mark on her left eyelid, here:


Monday: I got a visit from my next door neighbor, "I've taken T off the top of the back wall twice, now. She keeps dangling her legs over into our yard, which we don't mind, but I am just afraid she will fall." Me, "thanks, she will. I'll put away the ladder and lock the chicken coop."

Tuesday evening: R, L, J, and I each had meetings, concerts,and karate, so Granny kept L, T and T for me. I didn't pick them up until 9. They were bathed and happy and watching Eloise on the couch with both of my parents. When I asked how the kids were, I was told they were "just as sweet as can be".

Wednesday: I called my sister to see if she could watch T while I went to the cannery. She said, "yes, but not if she's gonna pull a stunt like she did at mom's!" Then proceeded to explain how T had poured a jug of juice across the counter, into the drawers, and across the floor. At mom's. I told my sister I could bring T with a straight jacket if she wanted.

Thursday: I kept T buckled in a car seat while we ran errands, and then let her play in the yard at Mom's while I apologized. She let herself out of the yard to visit a neighbor...

Friday morning: When I picked up T from my sister's house and asked how things had gone, she showed me the dresser that had been knocked over. I guess using the drawers as a ladder was the quickest way onto the top bunk.

This girl just moves from one adventure to another.
This week I have found her sitting on the counter, in the fridge (relax, the door can't close when she's in there), under the utility sink, in the dryer, in my shower, and behind her brother's drum set.

She loves hotdogs, her kids (which ever bunch of stuffed toys or plastic characters she happens to be toting around), her sister, our back yard neighbors, juice boxes, each brother, and even me.
Mostly, she loves her dad.
She melts for him and he melts for her.

She is a mini tornado these days as she leaves a trail wherever she goes. It's fine with me when it's just stufties and tea-lights and not blood and tears.

Her nicknames are Sister, Suzy, Suzy Kabloozie, and Bruiser.

I have found her perched here, 6 times in the last 3 days.

Maybe she is looking for a way to get over, or on.

But then again, it could be a distraction to hide the fact that she started a tunnel.

She is her sister and 4 brothers all rolled into 1 cute person.

And I will be glad when she is a little more predictable.