Pressing On

It has been a difficult week. On Thursday...I starting learning to crochet. 

Yes. Crochet. 

Crochet isn't where you hit a ball around the yard with a mallet. That's Croquet. 

I'm talkin' about the yarn and needle hook thing that you use to either make a hot pad or a real ugly sweater. 

Well on Thursday I decided I would learn and I decided I would make me a hat. The kind of hat with the ear flaps 'cause those are the cool kinds of hat. I used yarn that I purchased in New Zealand. I bought it because I LOST my FAVORITE hat in New Zealand so I figured I'd buy yarn and make me a hat. 

Three years later, Imma make me a hat. 

It looks a little something like this. 

Well, it rivals the ugliness. 

With the same breath I use to grumble while suffering through the stitches, I am giggling at how ugly it is. 

It's awful. 

I MIGHT AS WELL BE CROCHETING WITH A CROQUET MALLET, IT LOOKS SO UGLY.

But I'll get better at it.

The CABIN

WARNING: This post has more pictures than you can shake a stick at.

Robert walked out of his last final of summer term (which he aced) and headed home. We stayed up late into the night with flashlights and shovels fixing a few sprinklers, then packing for a 6 day vacation to the cabin. We got up early the next morning and headed north.

The girls dug a new little flower bed but it felt more like a giant version of a Zen Garden.

 We found interesting things at the Mountain Man Rendezvous. I did give in and buy myself some wonderful earrings. They are Bison.

 We drove through Yellowstone. Here we are breathing in the hot pots.

"Don't act like you don't love that smell."

 Mammoth Hot Springs

 Yellowstone Falls

 This big guy was taking his own tour of Yellowstone along the road.

 Another great animal sighting.

 It had been raining all day in Yellowstone and we enjoyed this gorgeous sunset on our way back to Island Park.

 The Lookout tower.

 I bet you thought it was called the "Lookout Tower" because it was used to watch for wild fires...

 ...but you may reconsider the name after watching what we did there.

LOOK OUT!

Gone Fishin' with the ferocious Coshi.

 The fires burned out throats but made for enchanted evenings.

 The girls found a romantic old swing...

 

...and Robert found a frog.

 Robert is a master reptile catcher. If it weren't for that ring on his left hand people might think he's just a big six year old.

Smoky air, but fun fun times at the Cabin. Thanks Gram!

July Part III

Next up, my birthday.

When I was young I had a water birthday every year and invited all 13 kids in my Sunday school class to slide down the slip n' slide and eat cake and give me presents.

My birthday was basically the best holiday of all time. And my half birthday.

As I grew older I found I enjoyed waking up, mowing the lawn, cleaning my room, and washing my Jeep more than having much ado about nothing. But this year I really wanted to do something with my family, since my birthday happened to fall on my day off.

We had a big BBQ Sunday with both our families. (Oh the joy of having parents and in-laws that live within 5 houses of each other. I can't imagine it being any other way.)

The next day Robert had to study for a final exam (which he got, oh, 102 PERCENT on. Sheesh!), so I went to the zoo with Steph and her kids.

 We then met Mom, Dad, and Eric at City Creek for lunch...and I took a million pictures of Hazel because she is too cute not to. 

 

Robert took me to P.F. Chang's that night and I acknowledged every craving that surfaced since the last time I went to P.F. Chang's. Yum.

July Part II

Just last year I was able to add another reason to my long list of why July is the best month.

At the time I was not happy, but a year later I am happy to take the Best Month to remember my Grandpa Naegle. He passed away on the 24th of July and his funeral was on my birthday, which caused me to forget all about my birthday that year and I am forever stuck wondering if I am 21 or 22. Or now I wonder if I am 22 or 23. I hope I can get over this. . .

This year, Robert's Grandpa Mangum passed away July 14th, and his funeral was the 21st.

He wished to be buried in Bicknell, Utah. I didn't even know there was such a place as Bicknell in Utah and expected, I admit, a dull weekend in some podunk town.

Well, I was wrong.

Part of the reason why I was wrong is Robert's family refuses to be bored, and they find adventure where they can.

 Bubbles and Fat Boys at the funeral in honor of Grandpa Mangum's cheerful personality.

 Finding where Grandpa grew up and visiting the fish hatchery. Turned out to be really interesting.

 The other reason is...Bicknell is full of adventure!

 Near Capitol Reef, Bicknell is beautiful. Can you see Robert? :)

 Robert had a good time and all the younger cousins thought he was so cool. Well, he is.

We got home from Bicknell on Monday the 23rd and the 4 of us went to the 24th of July Parade in Salt Lake. Pretty good. Then we headed over to City Creek! I had not been yet and for some reason I was having the time of my life.  I don't even like shopping but I was giddy to finally be a part of It.

The Best Month (Part I)

Ever since I can remember...I've been poppin' my collar?

No. Ever since I can remember, I have considered the month of July to be the Best month of the year. Every year.

In July there is no school, it's warm, I swam every day (who cares it was swimming lessons. I loved being in the pool!), and there is an electricity in the air.

Or maybe more appropriately, there is FIRE in the air! The 4th of July and the 24th of July were fascinating. I LOVE them.

I have been living in Provo during the school years for 5 years now. Last summer I was in Island Park for the 4th, but this summer, we were here in Provo for the Fourth and OH MY WORD! It's a never ending party!

We had family over for a BBQ...

 ...complete with Flag cake.

 I updated our communal laundry room white board. 

Over the top? No way, Jose.

 We went to see the Balloons early the 4th.

(I couldn't go to the parade because I had work. I was so excited to go. People camped out for days and I'm pretty sure University Avenue stayed up all night.)

We went to Robert's Grandparents for a family BBQ and water fight in the afternoon.

We decided last minute to go to Stadium of Fire with Robert's family since we got pretty cheap tickets. It was AWESOME!! 

The Beach Boys were never my favorite but they were that night! So fun.

Been

I've been:
1. Riding
1. Running
1. Swimming
2. Reading The Hobbit and The Help. Next on my list, Les Miserables. Is it December yet?
3. Re-potting my dying plants in an effort to save them. They're really perkin' up!
4. Under-cooking my lemon zucchini bread. Ugh.
5. Doing dishes. I actually kind of like doing dishes.
6. Burning my lemon zucchini muffins. Dang it!
7. Watering my lawn and plants by hand every morning. I really like being up and awake before the sun comes 'round, but this rain has been nice.
8. Working 8 hours a day but really only working 2-3 hours. The rest of the time I am frantically searching for honest things to do. Cleaning, organizing, brainstorming, making a cute board...but really I feel I'm wasting time.
9. Listening to Conference talks. So good.
10. Doing laundry. I also don't really mind laundry, but I think I only "like" cleaning because it sooths some OCD tendencies deep within. I don't believe I just love scrubbing and folding.
11. Planting cilantro in an adorable mini greenhouse.
12. Squealing with delight as my cactus plant that I thought was dead and hadn't watered in months sprouted a new little cactus from its side. Turns out I was watering it too much.
13. Wishing I was pregnant so I could blame my tiredness on something.  I guess I'm having a hard time accepting the fact that training for a triathlon is actually hard and it actually makes me very tired.

I'm not pregnant.

14. Trying to fulfill my Relief Society calling in a ward of 800 members when I'm not exactly sure what a "Relief Society Board Member" does. I guess I'll start getting to know the ladies in the ward, starting with the "A's." :)
15. Making lists.
16. Watching the fruit trees around my house get ripe, wondering if the ear wigs will get to them before I do. Hate those things. It also makes me think about what a lovely neighborhood this must have been about 70 years ago. Fruit trees spring up here and there and I know people planted all kinds of yummy things in their yards. Then south Provo got dumpy and those trees get filled with ear wigs. Hate those things.

A Slew of Graduations and Congratulations!

I Graduated.

Brian Graduated

Steph Graduated.

Congraduation!

And a very special congratulations to Eric for receiving his  

Mission Call

to Tulsa Oklahoma! 

Steph made the cute cake.

And one last congratulations to one of my best friends, Mady Mitchell Malouf! She was married June 9th and it was a beautiful day. She looked gorgeous! I didn't have my camera with me but check out these engagements!