Ryan
Work & Church are probably the two easiest words to the describe summer for him...or at least he thinks, but there are a few others that I can think of. Award-Winning. Ryan has been working really hard at the Agricultural Research Station [ARS] here in Burns. He is part of the education and out reach department for a five year experiment they have been conducting. He maintains the website, makes pamphlets, manuals, DVDs, calendars, etc Ryan has been translating the scientific mumbo jumbo into English for the land managers around here. Along the way he {as well as others in the team he is on} have been awarded numerous local & national awards for their work on the project. Cycling. Ryan has been taking his bike to work and rides it 4/5 days. It's a 13 mile round trip and he really likes it. Hiking. Ryan took his young men on a five mike backpacking hike in June. He loved it! And the young men liked it too {with the exception of the one who packed his stuff in a duffel bag & trash bag - Ryan said he's checking packs before they leave next year}. It was a quick over night camp, but you could tell he wished it had gone a bit longer. This summer our youth also went on a temple tour where they drove down to Utah and went to 4 temples and watched the Manti Pageant & did baptisms at the Salt Lake Temple. It was a huge thing for our youth & they really had a great experience. Contractor. Ryan put a sandbox in the back yard and has constructed so many sand castles & bridges for Brigham to run his trucks {and dinosaurs} on. Broadcasting. Yep. Football season has started and Ryan is slated for the whole sports season....is it wrong that I root for the other team to win? Other words for Ryan's summer: Gardening, BBQ, Driving, Audio Books, Fishing, Water Skiing, 1 golf game & lots of Playtime with Brigham. I should also add the Ryan just had his birthday...he's 33 and still requesting Dessert of the Gods as his birthday dessert.
Michelle
Running. Yes I run after Brigham...alot, but lately I've been running with Brigham and on my own for a few months now. It's really odd for me to think of myself as a runner, but I guess I kinda am. I've done two 5k's and in July I did a 10k. I'm not going to become one of those crazy marathoners {love my marathon-running friends}, but it's something that makes me feel accomplished and it's something that I can do for only ME! Blogging. No, not on here obviously, but my good friend Nan and I have started a blog together and it's going quite well. We won't become the next Pioneer Women, but we think people like what we post. If you want to check it out it's called She Said. Sous Chef. After Candace left me I wasn't sure how to fill the fondant rolling hole in my soul, but then my friend Christy started a cupcake business and I've been filling the void with some butter cream. While I enjoy cooking & baking at home, I really enjoy being a sous to these mini cake creations. Driving. Yep. I don't know if you knew this about me, but I have had a huge anxiety of driving that kept me from driving {mainly in large cities and long distances} for 13 years. Yeah, crazy. But I finally faced my fears and worked with a lady in our ward who is a therapist and worked it out. It's a big step for me, but I have started to share the load of our long drives to Utah by taking the wheel for half the trip. Brigham's Mom. It's official. I can now add to the list of Names I am Called "Brigham's Mom". I just got called that last week. I love it. It makes me feel old. I'll answer to it anyway. Thirty. This year was the big 3-0 for me. Now don't get me wrong. I love birthday's and don't mind getting older year by year. But I have to say that being 30 is really weird for me. Just saying, "I'm thirty" is odd. I almost feel like I'm lying. I dont' feel thirty. I don't think I look like I'm thirty. Thirty is such a mature number. I should be ending my procreating instead of just starting it. I should be socially mature and have fully formed thoughts & words in any given situation, but yet I feel very naive and retarded in that area still. I should be comfortable in my own skin instead of trying to get off ten more pounds and still getting pimples. Am I thirty? Maybe on my drivers licence, but I still feel like I'm 17 and playing house with a hot guy & a baby. Other words for my summer: play dates, reading, crafting, board member & personal assistant to an "independent" toddler.
Brigham
Dinosaur Train. Oh my. This is truly been the year of the dinosaurs. And don't think that they are called "Sharp Tooth" or "Long Neck" it's more like: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brachiosaurus, Archaeopteryx, Cretoxyrhina and Elasmosaurus. And he can tell you if they are a thearapod or a sauropod and if they were a carnivore or a herbivore. Yep. That's my kid and it all began with an episode of Dinosaur Train. Full Sentences. Brigs has proven over and over and to anyone that hangs out with him for a while that he is a talker. A big one. The joke we say is that his Mom is such a talker that he knew he needed to catch up if he wanted to get a word in and he took it literally. Along with his eight word sentences he has also thrown in some reasoning to his language i.e. "I think I want the orange cup" or "Do you want a bite of my cookie Mama?" Sand. Brigham LOVES the sand. He likes the way it feels, how you can build with it, push it down, drive/walk/bulldoze through it. We knew that when we went to Bear Lake this summer it would be his favorite spot and he didn't let us down in the prediction. It was all he wanted to do all day and every day. Play in the sand! Independence. "I want to do it myself" has been an oft heard phrase around our house. Getting into a chair. Using a fork or a cup. Reaching a book. Opening the fridge. We are "independent" and don't need any help doing anything {unless (A) It doesn't work the first time of trying to do it (B) It fails and we are very impatient}. Reading. Brigs loooooves those books and we just keep on reading. He goes through phases of what are his favorites and those get read multiple times a day. After hearing the book a few times he will end your sentence as you read {which I LOVE!! Have you ever read Skippy Jon Jones? Well the author incorporates Spanish into the sentences and I love hearing him say those Spanish words}. We've added the kids Book of Mormon reader to his bookshelf. He always requests "The Tree of Life" I don't know what it is about it, but he loves hearing it over and over. Disney. We have entered the magical land of Disney movies. It started with 101 Dalmatians, had a brief stint with The Lion King {I still think parts are too scary for him to watch so he doesn't see it often} and so far the FAVORITE has been Peter Pan. He can't get enough of that crocodile. Other words for Brigham's summer: Bare feet. Green Tomatoes {we thought deer would be the danger to the garden, nope, it's Brigham}. Mosquito Bites {we are allergic!}. Swinging & Sliding. Living Scripture videos. Popsicles. Tickling. Horseback Riding. Carnival rides.
 |
| Fourth of July Parade |
 |
| A little side trip to the Brigham City Temple on our way to Bear Lake |
 |
| On the boat at Bear Lake |
