Dear Friends and Family,

This week has helped me appreciate the art of doing nothing. It was a week of just normal everyday chaos and errands with nothing big going on. Caught up on laundry, repented and went visiting teaching, mowed the lawn and started painting Robyn's nightstand. Nothing major. Kids played a lot with friends. They were thrilled to go play night games one night this week (hide and seek in the cauldesac). Spencer was convinced night games meant playing in the pitch black and didn't understand why he had to come home at 9:30. The fact that it was dark and everyone else had gone home didn't seem to phase him!

Jeremy had a bunch of church stuff this week helping with the youth's pioneer trek for our stake. He spent one night loading up gear. Took off most of one day of work to haul gear up and then spent Saturday hauling gear back. Long days for him. He is thrilled though that he found a spa store owner who wanted to trade for a web site. So Jeremy's hot tub is on its way! Should be here by next week. For FHE Jeremy talked about water safety as kids think nightly swimming sessions should definitely be on the agenda.

Thursday night Jason and Kelly graciously stayed with our kids while Jeremy and I went to the Stake Relief Society yearly social. Our Stake President is director of events at the conference center/assembly hall etc. So he gave us the tour of all the buildings. One of the neatest parts for me was walking through all the underground tunnels that go all over temple square area. We saw the first presidency room in the tabernacle where there is a chair from the temple that had been used by every prophet since Brigham Young. I sat in it for one second but thought I might be tempting lighting bolts to go longer. Then we all had dinner at the garden restaurant up at the top of the Joseph Smith Building. It was really a neat evening.

Friday we all went up to Spencer's doctor's appointment together. Luckily his psychiatrist hadn't been able to keep the appointment so instead we did a call in the previous night (me whispering while tip toeing around the assembly hall). So it was a short 30 minute visit. During which Allison had a major nose bleed, Robyn decided those chairs were made for jumping off and Spencer was accepting with ill grace that this wasn't his and Mom's time this week. But we all recovered and went home by way of our favorite candy store and shady park. It is amazing how much happiness one dollar can buy for our kids. They had sticky hands wrapped around their bags of gummy goodies (can I have 5 cents worth of that candy and now 5 cents worth of that one - a VERY patient candy counter lady!). I had my stash of chocolate to hide and protect and peace and good will returned to the land.

Friday night we drove down to BYU to visit their planetarium. Spencer went with the scouts several months ago and has been asking us to go as a family. It ended up being more educational than entertaining but I learned a lot. And kids liked it a lot more in retrospective than in actual fact. But they all thought it was cool to be at BYU - brainwashing them early!

Last night we celebrated 7-11 day and went (along with Allison's friend Alena) to clean the office, pick up slushies and Little Casears pizza. A little bit of melt down when eating on the lawn and sprinkers came on drenching the girls. But it was hot and am sure it felt good. Once they realized there was more pizza to replace the ones they had lost, everyone was happy. Seems like we have tears a lot lately. Robyn: "Allison keeps touching me. Wahh!" or "Allison's won't let me play. Wahh!" Allison: "Robyn licked my popsicle, no one ever is nice to me Wahh!" Spencer: " Why can't girls just stop crying! stomp off". It never lasts long, is almost comical at times but man does it get annoying!

Allison has been busy learning how to roller skate this week. One of her friends has a pair of roller blades and a pair of roller skates so they have been going out together. I realized why she likes the roller skates better lately when I watched her yesterday - I can predict stitches in her immediate future if I don't find her some pads. Mom you legacy lives on as Allison has been knitting away and teaching her friend how to knit. Her eyes have gotten worse again as she can no longer read the clock so we are going back in for another eye exam.

Our garden has just been going to town. Kids are asking when the chocolate zucchini bread is going to appear. They weren't as excited about the squash enchiladas I made earlier this week. Allison took almost an hour to eat her small one scoop. I swear she thinks she is allergic to vegetables. She straightened out her attitude and has been eating her other dinners though. Perhaps its sinking in that she is the shortest girl her age and vegetables are a good thing!

Been running three times a week and am up to 8 miles. I look like an old lady when I get up but once I stretch out my foot I barely limp anymore. I am hoping my foot finishes healing up soon! We had health assesments at Jeremy's office this week and their trainer said I should run hard AND lift weights on the same day instead of alternating. I groaned and had a very painful day Friday trying to follow through. See if I see better results exercising that way. Glad I have a friend that is slow like me and helps me roll out of bed in the morning.

Normal week besides that. Story time at the library which kids love, checking out a bunch of new books and going out for the free treats afterwards. We all have warm fuzzy feelings toward our library. Small world - the head librarian is the sister of Taylor's PT from when he was 1-3 years old. Taylor was sick with a cold Thursday and Friday but is better now. Stayed up watching a new Closer episode. Made cherry-rhubarb jam. Just normal, catching up on the house life.

Love to you all, Heather



Robyn with her big sucker.



Allison and I posing for my phone. Am getting my hair done next week - can no longer call myself a blond, time for some help!



Allison knitting and painting away.






Robyn is still Robyn!