Winding Down Summer

Only a few more weeks until school starts! I can hardly believe it! Next week will be a flurry of activity getting everyone ready. Sammi starts her Driver's ED course, and Daniel will be back! There will be registrations, school shopping, appointments, and lots of odds and ends to wrap up before school. 

I am excited to have the routine again, though I have needed these slower summer days. I am dying for the coolness and clear air of fall. I am so tired of the heat, and now add some smoke that has blown in, and it is pretty gross out there. What we need is some good rain to clear things out and cool things off. Funny, I remember when all I wished for was for the rain to stop falling back in Spring. I guess I am never satisfied with the weather. Picky, picky.

This last week Sammi was up at Young Women's camp, so we spent the week without both Sammi and Daniel. It was very... interesting. I think I might have some real troubles when it comes time for the older ones to leave, especially my Sammi, because, well, she is a girl. And she understands what it is like to be a girl. I also know she loves to be away from home and with friends and have fun. I want more than anything for all of my children to go and spread their wings and fly and find happiness; but wow... this time... this time of beginning to let go is WAY harder than I thought. I sure wish Charles was here to hold my hand and comfort my mother-weary heart. Dang it. 

Onto some pictures... 

Sammi had some friends over for singing time. She has been missing Daniel so much she had to find some replacements to sing with. 

 We found this fun house for the kids to play in and color.

 Sammi often jumps in my bed and we just chat. She also plucks my eyebrows for me (and I pluck hers too)... now who is going to do that when she leaves? I guess I will just have to go bush-brow style.

 We had a little family party for Sammi.

 We celebrated her birthday, but it felt all sorts of wrong without Daniel here.

OK, now this is where it is at for heat that makes you hurt! Remember how I was complaining about the Wasabi being too tame? Well, here is the crazy HEAT! Hot mustard! Woo! This stuff was making me cry and scream it burned my brain so badly. It was amazing. You should try it.

 16... I just can't believe it.

 Here she is wearing some cute clothes her friend Katie got her.

 Playing with Zoie.

 I found this sign at the store and had to get it. Denali is where Charles and I got engaged back in 1999.

 Just a random home moment.

 Sweet 16.

 Henry said the cake was DELICIOUS!

 Sammi wanted lanterns for her room.

 Sammi's room is full of happy things.

 If you are a Young Women's leader and wonder what happens to your handouts... here they are.

 Grandma and Grandpa got her a real cast iron frying pan to take on her dates. (Sammi is actually Rapunzel in real life.)

 Just taking in the light.

It was beautiful about a week ago, before the smoke blew in. There was one night that felt nice and pleasant and it made me so happy. The weather really does affect how I feel. I really, really, like to breathe fresh air.

 Just a stop at the park.

 William ran with me.

 Cooling down after a run.

Henry made a mud smiley face and said it was me. 

 And this is a mud tennis racket.

 The light shining through the tree, while I was taking time to ponder outside.

This is the pest control van. It is kind of a funny story how I let this van come to my house. We had a door-to-door salesman stop by, and he started talking fast to sell his services. I normally stop salesmen before they even start talking, and I have since put up a "no soliciting" sign, because it gets obnoxious sometimes.

But this guy was selling a service I actually needed... I was having a bug invasion, and here stood before me a pest control guy. I was willing to listen. I let him give me his schpill, and I started asking him questions. He was friendly, and more pleasant than many of the door-to-door people that I have come across.

Somehow it came up that he was also LDS (he saw a picture of Jesus hanging in my front entry that he pointed out). As it got to the point where I needed to sign paperwork for services, I asked him how I could know he was legit for sure. He showed me all his badges, ID, company evidence, etc. And then I said, "Hmmm... not quite good enough."

I then asked him, "Do you have your temple recommend?" He looked at me slightly shocked, and he said, "Yes, yes I do, it is in my car." I said, "Well, if you show me your temple recommend, then I will sign your paperwork." He then ran to his car, pulled out his recommend and handed it over to me for inspection. It was current. He asked if I wanted to call his Stake President for verification. I was tempted. After torturing him a little longer, I decided he seemed legit. He handled the whole thing very well, though he was probably a little shocked; but he was also pleased as punch that he could provide the proof that I required.

We had a good laugh about it all, he said, "That was a first." And I signed up to have my bugs removed.

Before he left, he asked if he could do anything else for me, and I made him do one more thing. Since it was Sammi's birthday, I had her come to the door and I asked him to sing Happy Birthday to her. At this point he probably really regretted knocking on my door. But he did it, he recorded it to show his coworkers, and it was hilarious. I am not sure what had come over me in that torture-the-salesman-at-the-door moment. I mean, really, I always slam the door. But I am supposed to keep trying to step out of my comfort zones, and hey, it was fun. Also, I needed to make a new friend for the day, as per my daily goal, and there he was.

I doubt my new friend will forget knocking on my door anytime soon.

Zoie had to go in to get fixed last week. She has had to wear the cone of shame. It has been pretty miserable actually, because she has not been able to exercise, so she wakes up really early barking, and she can't play fetch or anything until her stitches heal. We had to run her to the vet today because she had popped her staples out of places, so that was fun. I tell you, each day I question my decision about having a dog. I love her, but sometimes this dog love hurts in the form of stress. Sometimes I wonder if she does not just increase the anxiety that I have been feeling. It is hard to tell since we have had her for the same amount of time that I had mono and all that fun stuff. It has just been a hard week with her, with her not being able to get the energy out that she needs to, for everyone to be happy.

I just keep holding out for more mature dog days. The puppy stage is not for wimps, that is of sure! (I am a wimp when it comes to dogs!) Please tell me it gets better...

 TMI? Ouch!

 Sammi decorating the house. It was holding up really well until someone took a flying leap onto it. It was cheap, and was meant to be temporary fun.

She was so melancholy that first day. Now she wants to be all jumpy and run, but she is not supposed to.

 William got a haircut, by me. So just say you love it, and don't mention anything else. Thanks.

 Sammi got The Work and the Glory from Grandma and Grandpa for her birthday. She has been ripping right through those books and marking them. She loves the series!

 Here is Sammi's room as she was getting ready for camp.

 Camp checklist.

 Check out this nasty thing that has been growing in one of our trees. I might have to call our pest guys back, cause I think they missed a spot. (It is in our neighbor's yard, but on our side of the tree.)

 Just hanging with Henry.

So what did I do with the boys while the older kids were away? We watched a lot of Duck Dynasty. I absolutely love that show. I don't even know why, but it just makes me feel like home somehow, it makes me happy. Their humor is the kind that can actually make me laugh out loud, whether I want to, or not. And that is impressive, because I am not easily amused. While their humor may seem dumb or ridiculous, to me they are brilliant. Uncle Si is the most fantastically brilliant of them all. And Miss Kay is pretty funny too, I love watching her in her kitchen full of weird creations. My favorite is how they pray at the end of every show. No matter how rowdy they are, they wrap it all up with prayer... kind of like at my house.

Our house stays really cold downstairs, and hot upstairs. So to keep upstairs cool, sometimes we require winter clothing downstairs.

William created this awesome car out of these cool toys. He is such a great builder. He thinks way outside the box. I was playing with these things and I literally made a box, that is it. I think I need to work on my creativity a bit. 

 Just a couple of wrestling brothers. They were wrestling safely of course. Ha!

And Sammi is back today! Hooray! It is like the light has entered my home again. Truly, I do not know how I am going to make it without her in the future. I better start working on becoming Mari Sunshine or something, so I can be happy without her at home. I will have her teach me her sunshine ways. It is not too late to change, right?