Young Women Camp III

We finally made it toYW Camp and back! It was so fun to be there with my last two girlies.

I had a picture taken of Haley, Rylee and me when I was there with them several years ago and knew I needed a picture in the same spot with Andie and Brooke. (Haley even texted me and asked if I got "the picture.")

Taken in 2005 and 2013. Brooke's a bit taller than Rylee : ) but love, love, love the pictures. I am so grateful I have been able to attend  camp with each of my daughters. (Looking at the picture, Haley and Andie look alike and Rylee and Brooke look alike. Never noticed it before!)

Andie enjoyed her first year at camp despite not getting enough sleep.

So excited on the bus ride to Camp Lomia!

Julie, Andie and Lexi Mousser.

Had to give my first year a squeeze!!

Taking lunch to the cabin. The food at camp is very yummy!

Andie and Brianna Porter from the Higley Groves ward.

The three musketeers.

Playing Twister by the zip line.

The theme for camp was Look Up, encouraging the girls to look to the temple.

Andie loves her Batman shirt.

My girlies! Fourth year and first year.

This bridge has a camp story behind it.

Me and my friend Becky Mousser. It was so fun to be at camp with her!

Sophomore Summer Reading

This summer Brooke has summer reading to prepare for her sophomore year. She is to read Anthem and Fahrenheit 451.

I'm always looking for a good book to read in the summer and I knew Rylee and Haley had read them as well so I thought I would take a gander.

Last night I went into Brooke's room to borrow from the Rylee/Brooke wall of books. It's literally : ) a wall of books. Okay, not literally (Rylee will call me on this) but a huge bookcase full of books!

When I opened Fahrenheit 451 this is what I saw:

How cute is that Rylee started with the date she read it, then Haley added her sophomore summer year and then Brookie. I would add my own name and date but I feel that it would ruin the nostalgia of it all.

I told Andie that in 2016 she'll get to add her name. She rolled her eyes.

Walk?

Oreo is a smart dog. He knows the word "treat" and "birdie" and a couple of others. But this is his expression when we say the ever popular word "walk."

He gets this look on his little face like, "Really? Don't joke with me. Can we really? Can we really?" He's a smart puppy.

There Is Beauty All Around

As I sit here typing this, my children are wrestling and being kind of naughty in the family room. But, as I took pictures yesterday for this post, this was the song I was singing. So most of the time, well some of the time, there is beauty all around.

Yesterday was yard work day. Every Saturday is yard work day. I love it. I'm not sure what I would do if we didn't have a yard in which to work. We are often complimented by neighbors on how it's nice to see our whole family out in the yard each Saturday working. Elder L. Tom Perry said, "Teaching children the joy of honest labor is one of the greatest of all gifts you can bestow upon them." I have a testimony of yard work!

This is what I witnessed yesterday after I finished pulling weeds and sweeping the pool.

Andie and Steve have been beautifying the yard with flowers. Andie loves rose bushes so she and I hopped in the car yesterday, looking lovely of course, to head to Lowe's to buy another rose bush. It's fun to watch her several mornings a week head out into the yard with her watering can to water the flowers and bushes (they're on timed water but it's too cute to stop her).

It's also a nice feeling at the end of each Saturday to sit back and look at our work. Not pictured here are pictures of us swimming as a family after spending a couple of hours in the Arizona heat. We had a great time!

Braces

So this cute girl:

got braces yesterday.

(She doesn't love this picture but hey, whose blog is this anyway?)

And now she looks like this:

I called her "brace face." I thought it was funny. She said that people don't use that term anymore.

Since Brookie couldn't eat last night, her sweet friend Makenna Hicks and family brought this:

They also called her brace face...and wire mouth...and train tracks. Hum, not using it anymore huh? It's so nice to have friends who can call you names and all the while say it with a smile and a hug...and a smoothie!

Here's Brooke and Makenna at summer school as I dropped off a liquid lunch for both of them today.

Night Swimming

So both my mother and my daughter (Haley) have asked me when my next post will be. Sheesh! It's been a busy summer as evidenced by the following pictures.

One of the great reasons for living in Arizona is this: Night swimming!

I just love that my girls each had a friend over Saturday night (cute Meagan who is leaving for her mission tomorrow, cute Makenna who just got back from EFY and missed seeing Brooke every day and cute Brianna who is a fun playmate for Andie.)

Steve and I sat outside and watched and played with his fun star map app on his phone.

I love summer!