"Summertime, And the Livin' Is Easy"

I'll admit I am not usually good about going to weeknight R.S. By the time 7:00 rolls around we've only eaten and cleaned up dinner and I just want to be with Fred and spend time with my family relaxing, but this month daughters were invited for a Spa Night and the announcement was made in primary, so of course the twins knew and were looking forward to it enormously, so I couldn't let them down. Besides, since I was taking half of my family with me, it was much easier to be motivated. It was a low key evening where mothers and daughters just sat around and did each other nails and then gave each other pedicures. Eden's nails and toes were already done and Lily and Sophie would rather do than have done, so I was really the one who got pampered that night. I now have little flowers on my toes, thanks to Lily. =) Eden painted my nails a glittering silver, which was lovely, though not exactly comfortable and which started chipping, even though she had done all the steps of topcoating, as soon as I started dishes and gardening the next morning, so I took off the polish before 24 hours was up. I love painted nails, especially french manicures, for a few hours, for a special event, but my hands are tools and I just can't have them too decorative for too long or it drives me CRAZY! On the other hand, or should I say foot, I'm not as talented or as jointed as Fred or Mikayla and so my feet aren't used as tools--at least not the tops--so they can be painted and stay untouched for weeks, so I like pretty feet--especially in summer.

Every year our orthodontist sponsors a Roaring Springs patient appreciation day and makes extremely discounted tickets available to patients, family and friends, so, occasionally we go once a year. It makes for a fun, mini vacation, where the family is captive together for an entire day. I know the world can be a visually promiscuous place, especially when the weather gets hot, I also know I'm very sheltered being home so much, but I did feel like we had walked into Perdition when we entered the gates of the water park. We were definitely surrounded by "the world" and all it's delusions. I don't think I have ever seen so many bodies exposed, tattooed, pierced, painted, unkempt, unhealthy, advertised and in short completely disrespected, all in one place. It wasn't pleasant for me, but I felt extremely protective of my young children, especially my almost 13 year old son, and sorry for my husband. But as the day wore on, I felt, most of all, a deep sadness that there were so many people who didn't know who they were. Hollywood likes to try to glamorous some of those kinds of attitudes, and on the silver screen, with the artificial lighting, the airbrushing, the carefully scripted dialogue, the controlled environments, they are even almost successful, if we aren't discerning, but in the real world, their is nothing glamorous about disobedient or lost souls--there is only heart wrenching. I suppose we could avoid the water park, but unfortunately I've seen the same things walking through my local Walmart, just not in quite the accumulated abundance, so we just tried to focus on each other and I thought is was a memorable day, in happy ways. My thrill seeking children go on all of the rides, Fred goes on most of them, and I watch on the "wild" side of the park and play on the mild side. I missed my boy and girl, but I am so thankful for the time I still have with these younger 4. They make my life fulfilling.

Abrahm's birthday is on Saturday and I'm a little stumped this year. He is changing so quickly--growing up--but still has so much little boy left. He hasn't produced any Lego clues (which is rare for him) so I'm trying to figure out what to get him that would be magical this year. Fred is out of town this week, at a RT conference in Florida, so I'm on my "shopping own" on this one. 

Things always feel a little flat and spontaneous (not in a good way) for me when Fred is gone. I don't cry anymore, like I used to. (No more Girls Camp leaders making fun--no young girls swooning over the "romance" of it all) but I miss him just as much. He left on Saturday, which we filled up with work. Sundays are always good days to contemplate individually, so the day was still pleasant and I finished a good book by Sis. Oaks, and spent some quiet time, listening to the trees and just feeling blessed. Oh the difference perspective makes! Tonight is FHE, which makes missing a husband more poignant, so I think we will join our neighborhood in their "Walkabout" this evening, getting to know our neighbors better. I'm still working on planning "distractions" for Tuesday and Wednesday--probably Personal Progress projects with Eden--so the time will fly by. It will be good to have Fred back on Thursday. I've already put in my time of "separate lives" when he worked night shift for all those years at the hospital and I don't long to go back. It's interesting, this hole; Fred works all day, so he wouldn't be here during the day anyway and at night, when I climb into bed and it feels the loneliest, he would normally already be in dreamland and I would open up a book, just the same as I will every night this week, but even just his presence beside me makes all of the difference. 

I just looked at my calendar and their is only one week left in the summer that is void of some big event happening for someone in our family. I guess I had better schedule something to get dibbs on my family before someone else does. It seems that our time together is always fragile.

Quote of the Week:
"When we focus on what is good and beautiful in someone, whether or not we think that they "deserve" it, the good and beautiful are strengthened merely by the light of our attention....Sometimes it is a long, slow flowering. Sometimes it is necessary .."to reteach a thing its loveliness, to put a hand on its brow of the flower, and retell it in words and in touch it is lovely until if flowers again from within, of self-blessing."" 

(Katrina Kenison, and quoting Galway Kinnell)

My Lily/Sophie Pedicure

Jet's Lily/Sophie Makeover

Jet promoting and encouraging unruly behavior--ALWAYS. Trying to act innocent--NEVER.

Sunday walk--missing 1/3 of my family =(

Forgot to check the mail on Saturday--Reading Mikayla's letters =)

My Edey Pede

Our Olive is getting old These walks are hard for her now-- but we love this dog!

Feeding the horses on Duff--a favorite part of our Sunday walks

The Camera Man