Lazy Days of Summer (NOT!)

Aren't summer days suppose to be less stressful, no schedules, and relaxing??? We are just over three weeks into our summer vacation and I'm feeling none of that!!! We have been very busy and constantly on the go since school got out. On our last day of school, June 15, I took the kids' out to lunch with our friends' the Zundels and the Phelons. This year we tried Sweet Tomatoes!

Two days later we took Grandma Baldwin to the airport to say our goodbyes. She had been visiting for ten days and attending some end of the school year functions with the kids'. She also watched them while I took a quick trip to Vegas with Jon.

That same evening I let Morgan and Mason invite some friends' over for an "End of The School Year Party". The house was filled with 25 teenagers eating, playing bball, jumping on the trampoline, playing the Wii, dancing, laughing, and having a great time. I was exhausted and the kitchen was thrashed but everyone seemed to have fun! On June 18 & 19 Maddie and Brooklyn had their Dance Recital. They performed in the show Aladdin with the Evergreen Dance Academy.
Brooklyn's Jazz class were Tigers and Maddie's Creative Dance/Tap class were Red Parrots. They both did fabulous but they were tired since the show lasted almost 3 hours! I had to wake up Jon a few times (heee).
After the Friday evening performance we came home late to find some of our friends' the Dustins forking our front lawn. We caught them in the act!!! They were trying to rub it in that their "Beloved Lakers" won the NBA Championship!!!

On Saturday Morgan left to go with the Dustins to Lake Shasta in California. She was with them on an awesome house boat for five days! She wake boarded, tubed, and jumped off the top of the house boat like 75 times!!! We all missed her especially Maddie, she kept on asking me when she would be coming home!!!


While Morgan was vacationing we were staying busy at camps. Brooklyn and Brinley did Soccer Camp while Mason did a Basketball Camp. They were both held at Union High School. It was fun for all of them and kept them busy that first week of summer. While they were at their camps I took these beautiful berries

and made them into the most delicious jam! A week later I picked raspberries and made four more batches of freezer jam. We Looooove homemade jam! It's like dessert to us!

About a month ago our cousin's dog had puppies. Jon took the three oldest over to his brother Justin's house to see the puppies the first day. While he was there Saddie had two more puppies. My kids' have been freaking out over these puppies! They constantly want to see them, hold them, and of course want one!!! Brooklyn's favorite puppy is Charly!

She was there when he was born and she named him! She is trying to so hard to convince me that she should have him for her birthday (which is in six weeks) Both Jon and I keep telling her NO, but they sure are cute!

Thursday June 24-Saturday June 26 Morgan and Mason participated in Youth Conference. Jon and I were also involved because we were chaperons. Our Stake along with 6 other stakes in the area participated in a Dance Festival. Our youth have been preparing for this event for six months. Many of the kids' and adults were getting burned out on Dance Festival but in the end the event was AMAZING!!! Everything came together and the youth thoroughly enjoyed their experience. Over the two and a half days there were dress rehearsals, games, socializing, guest speakers, and three great performances! That was the best part of it, the performances! Some people even went to all of them because it was so wonderful. These performances brought people to tears and in the end to their feet! There were over 2000 youth ages 12- 18 dancing on the field.

Morgan participated in the Swing Dance with all the 14-15 year old boys and girls! This is the dance that Jon and I helped teach in our Stake. She also danced in a specialty dance, the Rhumba, with her friend Austin Sork. This entailed extra practices on several Saturdays. Her and Austin also would practice with other friends at our house to make it look just perfect! They did so great! They were right in the very front because they were so good:)! As she walked down the 30 yard line it brought tears to my eyes to see her, I thought she looked so beautiful!Mason age group, the Deacons, did a dance to The Eye of the Tiger. All those boys looked so tough but cute and they danced!They also performed in two big group numbers with all 2000 youth the Do, Re, Mi number and the popular More Dance that all the kids loooved to perform and still do!!!Morgan and Mason also had a great time socializing with many friends' and cousins!At the very end when all the youth came onto the field and sang How Firm of Foundation everyone had to have felt the Spirit! It was a great experience for all that were involved!

So that if how our Summer started and it's only going to continue to be this busy! We are looking forward to Girl Scout Camps, Dance Camp, Scout Camp, Girls Camp, Family Reunion, Camping, Activity Day Camp, High Adventure, Two Birthdays, and lots of swimming!!!