Monday morning we sent Spencer off with his cousin Garion for a week of Timberline scout camp.  It was 100 miles away in the middle of the mountains where they worked on leadership skills, learned some obnoxious scout songs and skits and had fun.  Despite a shower Spencer is still picking away at dirt in his cuticles.  I think I need to take him swimming to soak some of the dirt out of his pores.
I realized that I haven't been including some of the nitty gritty in my blogs and decided to repent this week.  Spencer said he did great all week and remembered his pills.  We were praying hard for him as last week we had our first time we really saw Spencer on a "high" from bi-polar.  Usually he just has little ups and downs all day that are just more than an average person and a little higher and lower than normal.  But then we had three days of a constant high.  We tried to laugh instead of grit our teeth but wow it was very obvious.  He would forget to eat meals!  I mean that never happens.  Or want to stay up super late, talking a mile a minute etc.  But he seems to be back in a more stable position now and hopefully he will stay that way without us having to change his medications.

While Spencer was off scouting, we got to play with cousins.  We went to our community pool, our neighbor's pool, the days of 47 rodeo up in SLC, this is the place park, a city street fair and a neighbors for a bunch of fireworks.  We had a great time playing together and getting to know each other better.  Lathan and Allison even got to go to a writing class where they learned from a children's book author how to write.
They were all troopers about This is the Place park because although it was really neat to visit it was extremely hot!  The watermelon eating contest with ice cold watermelon was one of the highlights of my day.

While they were here they were unfortunately introduced to Taylor's digestive problems.  We have been struggling with Taylor since we got back from Montana to get things flowing again.  While this week they started.  All over his leg and making a pool across the kitchen floor - TWICE.  Not to mention, in the shower, in his room etc.  So Taylor is happier, our house is bleached everywhere and cousins didn't run away screaming in disgust.  Gotta love family.

And to add to the general grossness, we came home Thursday night to find that Rockey had gotten hurt on his side.  So he chewed it up pretty badly in an effort to make it better.  Enter vet Jeremy with his neosporin and bandages.  He seems to be doing better now.

Midnight, Allison's guinea pig is doing better.  She was starting to eat and drink on her own this week but then her growth on her rear started leaking.  So Friday night vet Jeremy again to the rescue operated.  An exacto knife and some steady hands squeezed out a golf ball size of toothpaste consistency pus.  Midnight is much happier.  I am grossed out.

Saturday while Jeremy was picking up boys from scout camp, the girls, Taylor and I headed off the girls' last swim meet for county.  I was timing the meet, so the girls had to get to their events by themselves and take care of Taylor.  They were awesome as I watched Allison meeting Robyn after every race with her towel and a hug.  They did great.  Allison got 11th on freestyle and 7th on backstroke (she PR'd on backstroke).  Robyn got 3rd on butterfly (out of 3, but she didn't disqualify, her biggest concern.  She kept her legs at the ankles crossed the whole time she was doing dolphin so they wouldn't come apart which I think slowed her down), 11th on freestyle and her freestyle relay came in 1st.  Her relay was awesome to watch.  Robyn was the second swimmer.  The first swimmer just lost it.  She got lapped by all of the 2nd swimmers.  Robyn dove in and passed all the second swimmers and then her team stayed in front.  It was awesome to watch those little arms move so fast.

Today Robyn is down sick with something.  I thought it was just exhaustion but her fever is now 102 and she had sores in her throat, so tomorrow its strep test time.  Motrin and Chloreseptic are kicking in as she was willing to eat a piece of chocolate zucchini bread and crawl out of bed to play on an ipad.  You know she is sick when she naps all day long.

This week Spencer is off again for a few days with our stake Pioneer Trek.  At scout camp he managed to rip both of his scout pants at the crotch.  For trek he needs to wear docker's pants.  I am a little nervous about unexpected rips!  So this week should be quiet I think and hopefully involve less animal and human grossness!  And the contacts continue to be a learning experience: