July in SLC - Friends

Like I said before, our trip this time had so many layers and we did SO MUCH. It was much different than the usual trip with my girls to shop and play with my sisters and mom and go see David's family. One difference being... David came with us!

This trip was designed around David's family reunion. The Chapman siblings are rarely together all at once. In our 11 years of marriage, they've only all been together maybe 4 times? This time not one person was missing either - all spouses and children were gathered too.

Well, actually, I want to do a separate post about the family reunion, maybe a couple. I'm starting with friends because that's kind of how I started and ended the trip...

We flew in on Sunday, the 6th. On Monday, the 7th, my college friends were getting together for their monthly dinner. I'm sure I've posted about these women before. Spending my college days with them and keeping in touch since, has changed my life. They are amazing. We are a fairly diverse group in terms of personalities and interests, but somehow we became fast friends and have seen each other through everything from boyfriends and weddings, serious problems, sad times, fun trips, jobs, children, to...you name it. They meet every first Monday of the month for dinner and have been doing it almost since we graduated. I can't believe it's been 11 years since I graduated from the U!

Whenever I go to Salt Lake, I anxiously look at the dates for my plane tickets and hope that the first Monday of the month is included so that I can go to dinner with these friends. Chris, Kara, Holly, Tiff, Stacey, and Angie are the regulars. These girls are amazing. When we were all in our sorority together, it was said that we would be eternal friends. At the time, I thought that sounded cheesy, kind of lame, and pretty un-likely to happen after graduation and getting married. I have been proven completely wrong. They truly are eternal friends. We will always "have each other's backs" and help each other in any way we can.

I am so glad to keep in touch with my friends through blogging. This has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I can instantly access their lives and they can get to mine too. It's nice, though, to see them all face-to-face and have one of our famous dinner time conversations. I could kick myself that I didn't snap a picture of us (again!) Maybe next time.

Another friend I always see is my friend Jaimy. She and I grew up riding together as teenagers. We lost touch when her family moved out-of-state, but re-connected a couple years before Grace was born. I kept Jax at her stable during that time and we totally gelled again. She is awesome. She has 2 little kids now too and we relish in getting together at the barn each time I visit to let our kids ride together. We always lament that I don't live nearby anymore so that we could just hang out at the barn all day and let our kids run around and play with the ponies. This time, I took along my niece, Janie, to the barn too since she's also a fellow horse addict!

(Hattie, Reesie, Gracie, Janie, and Tucker!)(the horse addicts in their "Tink" shirts)

We make a point of spending time with our friends the Covilis each time we visit too. I'm going to let David blog about that because he was able to reconnect with an old friend of his and Jared's and he spent quite a bit of time with Jared too.

At the end of our trip, I was able to visit with our friends, the Jacksons. Although we did not know each other very long before our family moved to MA, we somehow clicked and made a connection. We've gone long intervals without talking or seeing each other, but again, the blogging has kept us right in each other's living rooms and we feel like we haven't missed a beat. I was so grateful to squeeze in a visit with them before I left. I have been wanting to see them so badly and talk to them. We had a really great conversation and I was totally reminded of why I get along with them so well. They are just great people who are easy to be with and who let you be yourself.

To all of my friends, whether I am able to physically squeeze in a visit to see you or not, I truly miss you and I'm so thankful for any contact we have. Keep me posted!

The 4th

Ok, before I get to the many layers of our big trip west, I want to share a bit about the 4th of July. The holiday landed just about a day before we got on the plane to Utah. We debated about which state we wanted to be in to celebrate and decided on MA in the end.The 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. It was a holiday that my dad made really fun. When we were little, we used to go to the "big" parade on Main St. in Lander, WY. Melissa and I even rode our little horse in it one year. We have lots of memories of out-of-control home fireworks shows, watching the fireworks at the Cottonwood Club across the street after we moved to SLC, bbq's with crazy uncles and lots of cousins, and wearing jeans and cowboy boots (no matter how hot the weather). I still have the urge to put on my ultra cool cowboy boots for the 4th, but quite frankly, I'd look like an idiot here where it is so humid and maybe every millionth person might own a pair.
Since fireworks (even sparklers!) are illegal here, we can't pyro it up in our own driveway (I'm the pyro in the family - not David!), so we seek out the bigger shows. There is a fantastic, actually, the best fireworks show I have ever seen in a nearby town. We have gone 3 times now. We skipped last year for various reasons and Grace didn't forgive us for literally the entire year. She also loves the 4th of July and couldn't wait to go this year.
I've decided that the 4th is ALWAYS a little on the warm side and VERY humid in these parts. Grace's hair is always at its curliest during this season. Hattie's ringlets couldn't get any tighter either. I'm in love with the soft curls of their hair having spent most of my life trying to get mine into some sort of curl. I couldn't resist taking pictures of their hair while we were sitting around waiting for it to get dark.
Oh, and this picture does not do that piece of meat justice. David bought what was seriously a turkey leg the size of my thigh to eat for dinner at the park.
Nothing too amazing to say, just had a great night...

Spring turns to Summer

In an effort to keep the journal going, I need to do some major catching up. We've done so much in the last few weeks and I want it to be here so that when I print up my 2008 book, I have it to keep.

June, where did June go? It seemed like the year went from Mother's day to the 4th of July in about a week. I guess that's what happens when you stay busy. We have kept ourselves busy with of course finishing up the school year, soccer, swim lessons, dance recital, play dates, taking the girls riding once a week, YARD WORK!, and a bunch of other little things that all added up in the end.For myself, I am always too busy. I frequently realize this and wish I could undo some of the commitments I make for myself and just chill out more with my kids. Grace wishes this too. Sometimes, I do just make a whole bunch of phone calls and clear the calendar for the week so that I can have my life back. This is what made my month of June too busy (in no particular order):

1- working for the barn from home (camp registration and a small business sort of emergency made things quite busy)
2- taking on 3 math and chemistry tutoring students by the end of the school year
3- being in the relief society presidency
4- being a member of too many enrichment groups - I need to drop out of one!
5- trying to finish book club books (the summer one just isn't going to happen - Atlas Shrugged, or Eclipse? tough choice, but the vampire wins! book club will just be something I go to for friends and food in Sept.)
6- trying to get to some spring cleaning - gave up - it still looks the same, so what's the point?!!
7- taking on YouthLinc again! (this is the group that I traveled with to Kenya when I was a high school teacher... now I'm getting a group started here - they're going to Peru... not me...) www.youthlinc.org

Hattie and Grace always keep me busy, but I do wish I had more time to just be with them than to be busy with them. Like right now, should I go play with them, or should I blog? If I don't blog, then I won't have a family journal. If I don't play with them, then what's the point of having a family to write about? I always feel this conflict no matter what I'm doing.

That's what is so great about getting away though. We just got back from 2 weeks in Utah where I spent lots of time with them, and little time worrying about busy details. That will be the next blog. For now, here are some final spring pictures:(Oh hello little froggy, says Velvet!)

(I like blue birthday cake!)

(two eastern cottontails having a conversation in our road)

(Peter Cottontail in OUR garden!)

(Grace's soccer team, FIRE, with their coach)

(Daddy and Hattie enjoying Grace's last soccer game)

(Grace teaching her friends yoga instead of going after the soccer ball!)

(Grace and her soccer medal)

(male and female woodpeckers on one of our trees - click and make it bigger!)