So Long - Farewell - Summer

I know - don't faint because I finally posted, our lives have been crazy and I've just been lazy.
School starts this week - Kids are not happy - Mom is though (and that's all that really matters, right?).
We are trying to cram in all the last minute school shopping, dental appointments, etc. before Wednesday.

This is also one of the first full summers we have actually spent at home since we moved back here 11 years ago. It has been one really long ..... hot ..... hot ..... did I mention hot ..... summer!
It is also hard adjusting to the withdrawals of not traveling, but we are surviving.

Here's just a few things we actually did this summer.

Girls Camp

I was the ward leader again this year.
Kellee (4th Level and not in my group this year) and I left the day after school got out.
Our theme was Project Runway - Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful.
Our ward had the decade of the 60's, the best girls, the best song, the best skit, and best eating contests. I'm going to miss it.

HIGH ADVENTURE - SCOUTING

The day after Kellee and I got home Jon and Josh left for High Adventure. They went to a to a ranch in Sprucedale (Thanks to Sandy Smith for the pictures since Jon and Josh didn't take any.) They did a lot of horseback riding (surprising since Jon is actually allergic), eating, swimming and relaxing.

UTAH

Jon and Josh both got new motorcycles (old - just new to them) and rode them up to Utah.


Josh stayed there for a few weeks and spent time with his cousins. Kellee flew up and met him there later to spend time with family.

4TH OF JULY - LONG BEACH

We drove to Long Beach to spend the 4th of July with our friends - The Edwards on their boat (yacht). They are in the same marina as the Queen Mary. We spent the weekend with their family and friends on the boat. The yacht club had cooking contest - the Edwards took 1st place in the deviled egg division; dinghy parades (thanks to Jon we had the best one there - viking boat complete with shields and hats); riding wave-runners, and just having a good time. We watched the fireworks from the top deck of the boat and didn't have to deal with any of the crowds. (I don't have a current picture for this one but this is from our Alaska trip with them last summer.)
While we were there we stopped and bought Kellee a motorcycle from Jack Beckman (he is a funny car driver for Valvoline - you can check out his info. here http://www.nhra.com/blog/beckman/)

HAVASUPAI

Josh rode his motorcycle to meet up with his sister Nicole and a bunch of her friends and spend a few days hiking and enjoying Havasupai. It's fun as a parent to see your kids getting older and actually wanting to spend time together!

and WORK, WORK, WORK!

Work has been picking up - we have had quite a bit of press:
Oprah, People Style Watch, Arizona Foothills, People, Cosmopolitan, and next month Shape.
Wish we had a crystal ball to see what's up next!!

All I can say is:
So Long Summer,
Hurry up Fall!