Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, 2 amazing weeks have passed by quickly. Now kids are looking with glee over their stash of school supplies and we are counting down to when school starts.

A week ago we traveled down to San Clemente, CA to spend a week with my family. It is the first time in 2 years we have been together and the first time EVER we have all been together. We went down on Friday and met up with my brother Daniel's family at Ruby's on the pier at Newport Beach for hamburgers and milk shakes. All we wanted to do was sit in the cool air, watch the sunset and feel the beach air once again. It seemed like we had just been there although a year has passed. But we were off to bed as the next morning we met Daniel's and David's family at Disneyland! Taylor had perked up for the day and enjoyed Its a small world and the Tikki Room although rides like Space Mountain left him with eyes ride open and a look of "what the heck has happened to me!". It was a fun day of catching up and enjoying the magic of Disney with cousins having fun together.

We met up with my parents at the hotel the next morning. We haven't seen them for 19 months so it was a happy time. Off to church and then we all went down to the beach house where we would spend the week. It was an amazing house right above the beach at San Clemente. You could walk down a slippery slope in the back yard and duck under the train tracks to get to the beach. (Yes there is a train that runs along the beach there. Toots its horn all hours of the night too! I am sure that it was the only property they could find to run the tracks on down the coast but it sure seems strange to have a train on the beach.) I preferred walking one block down to the stairs though. We spent the week playing in the water and sand, eating tons of food, and visiting. Kids were entranced with access to cable T.V. I ran/walked the beach trail as often as possible. My sister-in-law was attacked by a sting ray leaving kids and adults anxiously shuffling their feet whenever they were in water. Jeremy took lots of fun pictures. Taylor had a bad week after the Disneyland high but had his periodic moments where he would stretch out on the sand with a big smile on his face. For our 16th anniversary Jeremy whisked me away to Cheesecake factory for my favorite dessert. And we made a stock-up run to Trader Joe's. We roasted s'mores and enjoyed the outdoor fire pit that overlooked the beach. We tried fishing one foggy morning without success. It was just an amazing vacation and no one wanted to leave or say good-bye to family. The drive home was quite depressing and seemed very long.

Monday was a slap back into reality of grocery shopping and laundry. Then the week turned into a cousin week. On Tuesday and Thursday I was able to go to Education week at BYU with my sister-in-law Kelly staying here with her and my kids. Then she went and I was home for Wednesday and Friday. Education week was amazing. Any one who would ever like to go to it or nieces and nephews who turn 14 our basement is always available! My head is still full of ideas and thoughts from everything I learned. The icing on the cake was that I spent both days with my room-mate Emily from college. So we went to amazing classes and then got to walk/visit in between. It was just like old times even though it has been 17 years since we were roommates. Emily is one of those people I can see meeting up with 17 more years from now and would still be able to feel like we were good friends. I really lucked out my freshman year at BYU.

Wednesday night was back to school night for Spencer and Allison. They are both excited about their teachers this year and the friends in the class with them. Friday we went back to have warts burned off again before school starts (one of my least favorite taking care of kids events) and Saturday was our annual shop for school supplies trip. Jeremy was with Allison and Taylor and I was with Spencer and Robyn as we navigated the zoo of Walmart. Spencer and Allison each had a long list of specific school supplies ie. 10 #9 mechanical pencils, a one inch red binder, two composition books etc. You leave with psyched up kids and a head-ache. I was very grateful that this year we split up for the event.

Jeremy had a few photo events this week to enjoy. He went to an ignite salt lake event and took pictures for a BYU football booster gathering and then posed for a friend's photo shoot. It is always nice when photo events work out into his schedule. We went Friday night for a date to a play at Hale Center. It was probably the most amateur like of the plays we have seen but it was so nice to have time with just the two of us after a busy week.

Spencer's big news of the week is that he has grown another inch this summer. So he is now 5 foot 3. Only an inch and a half to go to meet up with his mom - he is very stoked.

Taylor continues to have really bad seizures and is periodically aspirating which leads to him coughing/throwing up. He sees the neurology team on the 30th so hopefully things can be improved.

Love to everyone and hope you are enjoying the transition back into school. I am really, really looking forward to a school schedule again. Although the thought of starting early in the morning beginning tomorrow has me a bit full of dread. One bad week and then our bodies will adjust is what I keep telling myself.

Love, Heather