Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, it seems like forever since I posted. All these weekend trips have been fun but nothing else is getting done. Today I finished up the two day process of mowing our lawn so our "jungle" is gone. 2 weeks of lots of rain and no mowing will do that especially since I put fertilizer on right before the rain started! But with the first day of summer on Sunday the weather finally decided to start cooperating and its sunny and hot once again. And of course today our water was turned off. So I am currently very stinky but figure I have a great excuse to let the dishes wait for water to wash them with and catch up blogging instead. Lately I have been letting my list of "should-dos" feel more like "have to do right now". It feels good to sit down and remember as long as everyone is happy and healthy, dirty toilets and unfolded laundry can wait.

Went to Detroit for a Thursday thru Sunday. Jason and Kelly stayed with our kids for 2 days and then Meredith stayed 2 days. All survived and the cousins still like each other and are asking for the next sleepover. It was a little surreal to see David and Griselda's house in person after only seeing pictures for so many years. It was a lot of fun to visit and just hang out and play with our nephews. We were lazy pigs who stayed up late, slept in and ate a bunch. Got calzones, went to a Mongolian BBQ, had a BBQ at Griselda's friend's house and went to David's 7 course formal dinner. Griselda and I were able to do some retail therapy (they have H & M there, one of my favorite stores!) and got mani/pedis. We were there for Haefan's blessing which was really neat. Dad, you would have been tearing up with pride at David's graduation dinner. They talked about how he was a soft spoken, not much to say guy with an extremely compassionate heart and a lot of intergrity. Many people complimented him on how much they would miss him and what a good doctor he had become. We were really impressed with all they have accomplished in their lives - not just David's medical training (although that is pretty awesome) but the family they have created together. Came home re-inspired to have quieter, more well behaved, less snacky and dessert eating kids!

Arrived home and jumped into swimming lessons for our kids as well as Taylor's summer school in the afternoons. Kids really like swimming lessons but Robyn LOVES swimming lessons. Spencer and Allison keep telling her how lucky she is to be in the play class because they have to work and swim tons of laps. They come home clean, cool and happy every day. Taylor is liking his summer school of three hours each afternoon. I am hoping it will re-energize him to walk more as lately it is like caring for a wet noodle with steel toed boots (daffos) that like to kick at random and usually hurtful times.

Spencer started the process for his drug trial of Lamictal to see if it helps with his bi-polar. A 2!! hour appointment up in SLC with interviews, blood draws, urine tests, ECGs resulted in him being accepted. And then they lost the blood samples so we had to go up again today. For a while he has to go up every week. The U of U hospital is under construction so it is a lot of walking through half put together hallways and feels like quite the excursion. I am hoping it helps him do better. He is still cruising through Harry Potter 6 as he can't see the movie until he finishes the book.

It was our city's Strawberry Days last week so we celebrated by going to the city concert and eating strawberries and cream (cups of fresh strawberries with ice cream mix poured over it - so good!). And then on Thursday night we went to the rodeo. We left Taylor with Meredith but did take Robyn this year. Everyone loved it, especially the jumping motorcycle riders in the intermission. Robyn lost it the last hour and finally crashed after much screaming and kicking. You are packed into these tight bleachers so there is no room for temper tantrums. It was a long night as we left at 6 and got back a little after 11 but a lot of fun.

Friday we drove up to Idaho for Lauri's funeral on Saturday. A lot of last minute odds and ends went into that event. Realized halfway there that I had forgotten my church dress to wear to the funeral. So Friday night while kids and Dad along with Jason and kids played in the pool Kelly and I went shopping. It was a sad but fun weekend. Jeremy's sister Jonna and her boyfriend came down from Washington. And Jeremy's cousins, grandma, uncles and aunts were all there along with some older friends of Lauri's. It was neat to hear about everyone's memories of Lauri from when she was younger. I have only known her since her husband died and her health had started a slow and then fast decline. We had the funeral in stormy weather but the rain held off till everyone was getting in their cars. We had a brunch and then later they had a family get together at one of the uncles. (Kelly and I did kid duty at the hotel with pool, pizza and a movie). We came back Sunday after going to church there, walking around the falls and then having another family luncheon. It was a really nice weekend but emotionally tiring. And it reinforced my belief that our kids DO NOT sleep well in the same room. Despite Melatonin girls were up with nightmares both nights and then Taylor did his 5 am wake-up call. So Saturday morning Taylor and I snuck out to the work out room to watch CNN and for Taylor to chirp and clap to his hearts content. I had tried pushing his chair into the bathroom but it didn't fit:) Saturday night I was so tired I just kept my hand over his mouth and kept falling back asleep.

Last night to make-up for a not very relaxing Father's day, we packed a picnic of steak, baked potatoes, watermelon, chocolate/peanut butter cake and ice cream and went to SCERA park. That is my all time favorite park in the summer mostly because of all the big shade trees. Jeremy ate, visited and oohed and awed at his new golf shirts and then went to the park's ampitheater to take pictures of a Jim Brickman concert. Kids played on the swings and couldn't understand why their stomach hurt after eating so much cake :) Yeah my no dessert goal seems to need some work.

So lots of fun and busy times lately. We are all doing good. Allison biked a couple of blocks away today to buy cherries fresh from a tree that we are all munching on. I saw a guy today at the hospital wearing an old fashioned tie it yourself bow tie like my grandpa used to wear. Robyn isn't ALWAYS talking full volume now. Lots of reasons to smile. Plus someone dropped off a plate of brownies for me today - can't get better than that.

Love to you all, Heather

PS Mimi, I begged my mom for YEARS to have a girl. Claire will love having a sister.