Summer Fun

I'm getting kind of behind on my reports. Better do a quick one before I forget everything about my summer.

I only have 3 measly pics from the last several weeks. (Could be a blessing in disguise...)

So the Color Me Rad 5k was fun. Maria, Renee and I participated. We didn't get as colorful as we'd imagined.

 

Maria was the only one of us with a way to take a picture. She took a few other pics, but they apparently weren't as good as this one. Must be why I haven't seen any of them, even after asking if this was really the best photo of the morning. ;)  I was in the process of saying something in this shot. I found out a couple of days later that we'd missed out on some sort of photo booth. I got an email about our finish line photos, so I looked at them, only to discover that I'm not pictured with Maria and Renee. I'm all by myself! Nice. Needless to say, I refrained from ordering any.

 Do you like my little shorts with sprinkle donuts on them? I do.

 

 

The tap dance class was quite the experience. It started out with 8 or 9 students, and by the end it was just 5--  my sisters, me, and one other brave woman.

 



These are our tootsies just before our first class. Somehow I missed the subconscious memo about wearing cute sockies.

 



 

And here we are at the start of our last class. We plan to resume the experience this fall. The teacher promised an end-of-year production that will include all levels of tap dancers. =)

We all had an enjoyable time, though some of the steps are pretty tricky for those of us who aren't very coordinated (me). I won't stop until I get to learn a routine. Or maybe I won't even stop then.

 

 

I finished the "Read the Book of Mormon in 60 Days" challenge right on schedule. I have to admit, I have the worst attention span. I had to read along while listening to it online to even have a chance of concentrating. But it was overall a nice experience. I'm glad Suzy put us up to it.

 

 

Here's what else we've been busy with so far this summer-

 

Took the kids for our first swim of the season on July 1. With Renee and her kids. At Renee's mom's pool. So fun and refreshing!

 

Went to Eagle Island with the kiddies on July 2 with Rachel and her girls. Cool and relaxing, in spite of the murky water.

 

Took the kids to the zoo once with my mom, Fletcher, PJ, Maren, Maisie, and Ruby.

 

Went to the aquarium with Ryan, Oliver, Jackie, Eric, Ethan, and Tomi. I think that was the week Cora and Jane were on a trip to Utah with Ryan's mom.

 

I've been going to that BODYPUMP class 2 or 3 times a week at the gym. I like it now. I look really awesome doing an hour worth of clean and presses, squats, lunges, bicep curls, dead lifts, push-ups, bench presses, dips, etc... ;)  I *think* I'm noticing a tiny bit of muscle tone on my previously wimpy limbs.

 

We went bowling once. Visited a few parks, threw rocks in the river, attended cub scout day camp, cub scout den meetings. Got fired ;) as the R.S. pianist and called as the R.S. meeting committee chair. Been doing yard work-- pulling weeds, trimming shrubs and trees, watering flowers, replenishing flower bed bark where needed. Yard work is good thinking time -- quite therapeutic for me.

Went to a 4th of July BBQ at the Lytles and went to Ann Morrison Park for the fire works.

 

I guess that's enough summer for now! Getting set to go camping with Ryan's fam tomorrow. And the camera Ryan ordered should be coming in the mail any minute. =) I'm excited to take pictures again! Let's hope the new camera doesn't get hurt like the others.

 

Ok, I mean it. That's enough for now. I'm such a rambler. 

Yard Candy

Yup. Summer is busy spewing its beauty all over our property again. See for yourself...

 

I can't remember what these globular flowers are called, but I love them!

 



 

Okay, these pictures are all more than a month old and some of the flowers are goners by now. But I can't not share them. Especially since we're currently camera-less. =( Mine has been broken for a while and Cora's is now broken. We're reading reviews on what to get next.

 

 

 

I transplanted individual bunches of flowers into pots... 

I'm thrilled to the max whenever I see my lovely flowers.

Here's a portion of one of the cute front yard shrubs...

I've also treasured the cute birdies who have visited me.

 

 

We had an adorable family of mourning doves camping out in our backyard for a couple of weeks. =)

 

These are the babies before they could fly.

 

 





I did a little research on mourning doves and found that they are not particularly afraid of people. I liked that. For as long as they were in our yard I pretended they were my friends and that they found comfort in my kind words and hospitality. =) 'Cause I'm sure they did.

 

Within a day or two of these photos, they learned to fly but continued to hang out with me, lounging in different spots around our yard.

 

 

Below is a grainy pic of the doting parents...

 

 

I saw one of the adults feeding the babies one day. They were right outside Cora's window, so I had a clear view of them.  I grabbed the camera and proceeded to video the moment. Apparently they like their privacy. After a few seconds they became aware that I was watching them. They all ceased feasting and slowly craned their necks to look at me. I think I read their beaks correctly when they asked in unison, "Do you mind?!"  It was pretty funny.

 

The birds abandoned me the day after I posted a picture of them on facebook. I'd captioned it with something about how they didn't want to leave me because they liked me too much. =/  I just don't know when to quit! Next time some birds decide to reside in my yard I will try minding my own dang business!

 



Anyway, that's a sample of what's sort of new in our yard. My front yard flowers are progressing nicely, but I can't document them until we get a new camera. If that's not motivation enough, I don't know what is...