There's a new wind blowing through town whispering of a new school year. The stores are packed with excited youngsters picking out just the right outfit and the coolest backpacks, eagerly clutching their supply lists and carefully selecting the perfect hue of pencil box.

Tonight was our Back To School Night which solified the inevitable: school is starting tomorrow! We gussied up Taylor and Loryn to meet their new teachers. They were both very excited at the prospect of a good year. Taylor was comforted to know that her best friend was in the class, and her tough cousin is as well. (just in case she ever needs a knight in shining armour!)

Loryn was actually so eager to start school that she was disappointed to learn that she doesn't get to start for a week. Oh the agony!

Last Night of Summer

The end of summer brings a flood of ambivalent emotions. It is at once melancholy and exciting. It means the end of carefree, unscheduled days, and endless possibilities. It also means the promise of a new school year, new teachers, and new friends.

To hallmark it all, we celebrated the last non-school night with a family campout in the backyard. We had tinfoil dinners and s'mores and slept out in a tent. Sure, we used the oven instead of a campfire and we had the convenience of an actual bathroom, but it still offered all the wonder of a delightful campout.

The Next Generation

Just the smell of Jamie Brinton's house can whisk me back to yesteryear. Thank goodness those walls don't talk. (not for me, of course, just everyone else!) I spent a large chunk of my teenage years at the Brintons, and I don't think I ever envisioned the day when I would be taking my own four kids there to play.

Thankfully, however, our friendships have endured the test of time and we were back there again this weekend. This time as mothers instead of crazy teenagers-- beautiful thing to see.

Jamie was in town for the week with her three sons. So, Sarah brought over her three boys and I brought my four kids. The older ones had a great time sliding down the super-tall slide and riding the zip line over the pool.

Summer Rain

Summer rain is one of the most fabulous wonders of nature. So, when our original plans of going to Seven Peaks last night were derailed by a sudden thunderstorm, we decided to celebrate rather than complain.

My kids and their cousins changed into swimming suits, grabbed sleds and umbrellas and ran wild through the puddles. And it must have been good idea, because God blessed our celebration with a rainbow.

Cousins!

This past weekend, we got together for my cousin Sarah's baby shower. We went out to dinner a couple nights before the actual shower and had a wonderful time reminiscing and laughing together. I adore my cousins. They play a paramount role in the best memories of my childhood and have done so much in shaping who I am and who I've become.

Temple Activity

For this month's Ross Family FHE, Aunt Jen planned a great activity where each car was given a set of dice with corresponding driving instructions. With each roll of the dice, we were instructed where to turn and asked to see if we could make it to the temple just "by chance." Our car sort of blew the whole object lesson when we actually did make it to temple by chance twice! But it was a good lesson learned anyway.

We ended at the fountains of the Provo temple where the kids loved looking at the flowers and walking around the temple grounds. How lucky we are to live mere blocks from the temple!

The Tetons

Growing up, we took many trips to Teton National Park as a family. My parents were excited to continue the tradition with our girls last week. They took Taylor and Loryn and Jeffrey to the Tetons and Yellowstone by themselves. I am so grateful--there aren't many grandparents who would be up to such an adventure!

The girls had a wonderful time and made a lot of memories. Loryn told my mom that it was "so beautiful, it was like being in a dream." She was also the resident "squirrel spotter." And even though she dawdled a little on the hikes and was scared of the bubbling pots at "Goldenstone," she had a wonderful time.

Taylor was in her element. She loves to hike and be outside. She carried her camera everywhere and documented every moment of the trip with pictures. She was especially thrilled to capture her close encounter with a black bear.

The girls came home laden with gifts, goodies and stories galore. Thank you so much for Grandma and Grandpa for memories that will last a lifetime!

Today I am Grateful

Today I am grateful for:

* A best friend that I can call during a momentary breakdown and confide all my neurotic over-analyses to and she will assure me that I am not, in fact, insane. Because I am pretty sure that anyone else would tell me that I am.

* Small miracles because our prayers are often not answered in the manner we anticipated, but they are answered, nonetheless, with greater wisdom and perspective.

* Two parents who whisked away my seven and five year old for a fun-filled week in the mountains with my 26 year-old special needs brother in tow. They are truly amazing. The girls call everyday with excited reports about "Goldenstone" and spotting bears, moose, and buffalo.

A Mother of Two Again

Every now and then life hands us opportunities to gain new perspective. This week my parents took Taylor and Loryn to the Tetons (saints, aren't they?), which left me home with my two little ones. My world was turned somewhat upside down, and I find myself wondering what I did when I only had two kids. And more, what did I do when my oldest was just a toddler that barely talks? So, I find myself with a little treasure of time to reconnect with my "babies" and focus solely on them.

Yesterday we went to the mall to play on the dinosaurs and then played on the swingset in the yard. I am ashamed to admit that it's been months since I've done either. It was a great day and I could see Fisher's joy in the being the center of attention for a while.

The PV5er Reunion

Call it kizmet, fate, divine intervention, or a lucky aligning of the stars, but this group of men came together as little boys when they grew up on the same block. They went to church together, played on teams together, dated together, etc. Last weekend, they came together from Texas, North Carolina, California and Utah to hike Orderville Canyon and the Subway in Zions National Park.

It was the first time all of them have been together in ten years and Dan tells me it was a great reunion. Now, they are all return missionaries, college graduates, husbands, and dads. Circumstances have changed and distances separate them, but they came together and picked up right where they left off.

Dan and I both feel so blessed to have had incredible friends in our lives and hope that our children will be equally blessed with such a powerful circle of influence. They shaped us, taught us, and challenged us. And heaven knows, I love the PV5 boys too!

My Spudman

Last weekend, Dan completed his fifth Spudman and I was so proud. He's always hard on himself, never fully satisfied with his time. But, since I have never completed a triathlon myself, I can't help but beam with pride.

I was also so proud of our best friends/cousins, Kevin and Sarah Abbott, who completely rocked the race. Way to go you two! By the way, how lucky are we to say that our best friends married each other? And even luckier that they finally moved back to Utah. Yeah!

Arrrgh!

Okie Doke. I have been blessed/cursed to have too many astounding and amazing people in my life. Blessed because I have been encircled by strong, supportive, and loving women all my life who continue to teach and inspire me. Cursed because, try as I might, I will never match their creativity and genius. And every time I read their blogs (Natalie and Jenny) or watch them complete a triathlon (Sarah) or perform some other miraculous feat (all the rest of you), I am reminded that I am a mediocre ninny! So, arrggh!