Dear Family and Friends,

I realized this morning that I didn't take a single picture this week. Not even of Taylor's annual BBQ last night. It was a perfect evening. 17 families and their kids, lots of food, the sun was out and Taylor was happy and had his better than anything cake. Every year I get so wrapped up in talking to everyone and getting food served that I forget to take a picture till everyone goes home! Had a little scare at the beginning of the party when we realized Robyn and her friend weren't at either of our houses so we had a neighborhood search for 30 minutes till we found them in a backyard a block away.

The beginning of this week was cold and rainy but by the middle the sun came out in bursts and Robyn and I were in full force gardening mode. We toured nurseries in wind gusts and darted outside between showers to plant. I love this time of the year. Robyn's favorite nursery has a gigantic urn of shelled peanuts for people to eat from. So I keep finding pockets full of peanut shells. But I think besides getting all our vegetables in tomorrow, we are pretty much done with the planting. I put in some grape vines this year and we are going to try growing celery - see how it goes. With our very strange winter this year we had to replace a few bushes that didn't make it.

Taylor has his follow-up on is VNS surgery this week. Turns out he has grown 10 pounds in the last year!!! So we adjusted his meds a bit to see if that helps with his seizures. As long as he doesn't get constipated, his seizures are doing pretty well. He also was anemic and hypoglycemic so we are going to work on those things. This week he sees an orthopedist. He has one side that is much more developed than the other causing his spine to curve. So they are going to do some x-rays and measurements to see were we go from here.

Spencer and Jeremy went on another camp-out this weekend at the Sand Dunes with the 11 year old scouts. Despite a night of freezing and no sleep, they had a great time. Spencer learned orienteering with a compass and he and Jeremy stayed afterward for a few hours to ride the quad around. Both came home sandy and very tired. And then as Spencer grumpily unloaded the truck (he wanted to take off with friends and not stay to unpack) he pulled Jeremy's camera case. Camera and lenses went rolling across the garage floor. Super dad that Jeremy is he just bit his tongue and in a carefully quiet voice talked to Spencer about his actions as Spencer bawled away. Jeremy thinks they aren't broken but just badly dinged up.

Jeremy has had his plate full this week. His cold is getting better in that he isn't up all night coughing anymore. But he has work, a video to make for the kids' school, a web site to make for a friend, his regular church stuff and a class for a Relief Society Meeting on photography this week. Just a little much. In return for his web site though I get some free pedicures so this week I went in and had my toes done. They have this new shrink wrap covering for your toes that is really cool. It looks like an elaborate paint job but it isn't.

Robyn had a party at the park this week for preschool and then is doing a little program this week for parents. And then preschool is over! She said she is going to cry when she has to leave Miss Suzanne, I said I think I will too. We got our summer pool pass this week. We did teacher appreciation week where kids had to bring in all these things. Its just hitting me that Robyn is done with school this Wednesday, Spencer and Allison next Wednesday and Taylor next Friday. I feel like I need to take a nap or something before my opportunities are gone till September. Actually everyone is very excited for school to get out and for summer plans to commence. I just don't feel quite prepared yet!

This week Allison had a school field trip at the Children's museum so Robyn and I went along as chaperones. We had a lot of fun and watching 3 schools there on field trips at the same time, made me realize once again that I could never, ever work there without major doses of Tylenol. Allison is reading the chronicles of narnia right now and is either reading, making up some imaginary scenario with friends, or riding around on her bike or roller skates.

I continue to run to get ready for the Ragnar relay. I did 10 miles on Thursday which is not huge for my friends and family that do long distance but for me was quite big (I am trying to do better at using my own yardstick to measure my accomplishments rather than someone else's :) ). Friday night we made chocolate covered strawberries using Mimi's recipe and all the girls ate way too much of them. I had a little plan going, clean a bathroom, eat a strawberry, clean a fish tank, eat a strawberry. Made me realize how easy cleaning is when I have proper motivation. Perhaps I can strew chocolate stashes along my running routes!

Love to you all and I promise pictures next time,

Heather