Rachel, Hermana Alvord...

I can't believe I forgot to give you a shout out. I know it's not like some kind of honor or anything, and I'm sure you didn't notice...maybe you didn't even read that post, but I read your blog, and if you did a similar post and forgot me, I'd totally notice! So here goes...

Rachel and I were roommates in Barcelona (served half of my mission in one ward, it is true...I was born and died there, with two areas in between)...the second time. We were both training if I remember right...she trained the infamous Colby and Blanco...am I right? That would be one reason why my memories of Rachel are among my fondest. I loved Rachel's calm demeanor as a missionary, even with two insanely high strung companions, she was just always level headed and happy, but not happy in a fake way, she's just a real person, and a content person. I loved that you had a guy writing you from home, and I loved your beautiful reception when you two got married! I remember teaching Greta's family with you, and sitting at that table while Greta's mom ate CHICKEN BONES! Crunch, crunch. I want to say that Hna Ellis took your place and Monica stayed behind, and I remember that being a bit of a shock to Blanco's system. If it weren't so late, I'd be posting pics. I loved serving with you because I got you for two months and at the end there, I had a new companion every month. With so many greenies circulating through that training "trap" I was always grateful for the other senior companion in the apartment.

Why I can't park in the garage...

Someone donated a ping pong table to the garage sale for Mia. It didn't sell, and so I kept it to list on craigslist. Chris got home from his motorcycle (death) ride and decided he wanted to buy it, and a week or so later the Elders moved in. Turns out, Elder Keddington is a ping pong champ (literally, he said if he wanted to be on the olympic team, he could likely focus and make that happen...as it is he has a $50k scholarship to some U in TX). So in this picture, you see them playing two on one...the one being Elder Christensen, who rotated with our usual, Elder Zika for two nights. I'm sitting on the other side of the house and I can hear the hoots and hollers all the way in here. Funny stuff. I really don't mind at all, if you know me, you know that I thrive on social interaction, and since Chris is the opposite, I always try to spoon feed him the lighthearted, non-hard working side of life. The driveway parking space and male rivalry sounds coming from the garage are like a drug to satisfy my addiction to play--for everyone.

They saved him from his 10PM hanging of roman shades. Not that I don't love my hardworking, task mastering man, I do...but sometimes I think he's going to lose his mind if he doesn't play a little. Maybe I under estimate the power of his play time with the girls. For me, that seems like a fulfilling of a responsibility to them, but maybe that is all he needs.

Labor Day at Cama Beach...

We went up north to Camano Island State Park and camped in little cabins at Cama beach last weekend. We planned the trip with our old friends that go back as far as kindergarten. So it was Kelly and Danny and their little guy Aksel, Sandy and Adam and their baby Addison, Eden and Ben and Leisha, whose husband couldn't make it. I really valued the weekend for having time with Leisha and Eden. I keep in closer contact with Kelly and Sandy, and it was just nice to have the time to catch up more with Leisha and Eden. When we get together in groups, it isn't usually the greatest for one on one conversation, and this was the perfect opportunity for that. We'll do it every year.

The campground won't be revisited by our group. It was stunningly beautiful and the cabins were clean, warm and cozy, but they don't allow fire pits for each individual cabin. Just one fire for the whole camp, and it was too far from our cabin to sit around at night by the fire, and too cold to stay up outside, so we were in bed early and missed out on some of that camping fire time.

That said, is the NW not literally one of the most gorgeous places on this planet? Seriously, we could camp dozens of places within an hour of our home and have this kind of amazing beauty. I love summers in Seattle!

Eden and Ben playing like kids on the swings. Does "kissing cousins" mean anything to anyone but me?

Ruby adores Aksel, and I think the feeling is mutual. She loves to watch after him and give him things that make him happy. I think she might have a gift giving love language.

Everyone but me. This is the little area we sat at in front of our cabins...would have been better with fire in the middle!

Chris, the master dad on the beach with the girls, flying a kite while laying down. Boy do they adore him.

I've turned over a lot of rocks in my time and I've never seen crabs with these markings. We saw several this time. Cool looking, huh?

Aksel

Chris and the girls heading for the part of the beach where there are larger rocks and more crabs. We had fun!

Adam, Sandy and Addison

Aksel, Kelly and Danny

Ruby used shells to hold her little crab finds. Here she has two tiny little hermit crabs.

The men played some mean horseshoes. That must be a ringer he just threw...look at that form!

Aksel, Alice and Ruby enjoying a yogurt treat.

Do you think I like taking pictures of this guy?

I LOVE this pic of Sandy and Kelly with their little ones. I'm still getting used to the idea of my old friends who were once throwing down toe touches and wearing nose plugs at swimming lessons with me...HAVING CHILDREN! Here's proof!

This slide show won't interest most, but as long as any of my camping partners want to save the pics, it will be here!

Our new roommates...

Yes, it is true. The missionaries from our church moved into the loft above our bonus room. Ruby thinks she now has brothers and that she's not the oldest in our family anymore, I have to change my "pants-optional" home lifestyle and Chris now has someone to play Mariocart with...oh wait...JUST KIDDING (they can't play video games).

We set up a nice little space for them with a little fridge and desks and beds and all that. We also borrowed a little table, some chairs and a microwave, as they'll only live here 9-12 months.

Knowing they'll be living here has made me think of all the things that I might need to be sensitive to in order to help them obey their rules and keep their minds focused on the tasks at hand. I served a mission, and I think we followed lots of extra rules that other missions didn't...like not using slang. I always correct myself when I'm around the Elders and I use slang. It's funny though, they don't really have that rule, so they think I'm a weirdo.

The good thing is that our bonus room on the second floor of the house has a staircase in it that leads to maybe 400 square feet that is on a third level all it's own. This way, they'll be plenty separate from our downstairs where we watch television and movies and make out and stuff.

Regardless of the little changes, I'm really enjoying the idea. I love knowing what they are up to and being able to support them in their efforts. I get to go speak Spanish tonight with a whole family that is learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a blessing!

There are a lot of people from my mission that I'm still in touch with. The closest ones actually don't have blogs...but maybe (they better be) they read from time to time. So...I'll shout out to each person (maiden names only) I have linked to my blog who I served in EL FARO, The Barcelona, Spain mission with, and I'll throw in a few more who better be reading.

Laura Sage--With flair like no other human I know, and a heart of gold. We were never companions, but roommates in Barcelona, and I'll never forget hitting you with a meat tenderizer, your pleather outfit after the mission in Provo, our twinsie Prisms, the weekend in a ratty hotel in San Diego and your visit here last summer. I love being your friend and knowing of all your adventures and quirky romances.

Monica Blanco--My little English speaker who doesn't have patience for my choppy Spanish today, but when we were roommates in Barcelona (should have been companions) you'd get so frustrated when I spoke English! I still love my barriga, Beatriz...and you for visiting me and making me a paella and leaving behind some chorizo. Congrats on your wedding in July. I wish I could have been there!

Chrissy Sainsbury--Why don't you have a blog?! Why don't we ever see each other!? Chrissy and I grew up together and she was my last and I was her first companion. I loved serving with someone I knew so well. She was such a prepared missionary! It was hard when my mom got there, someone Chrissy knows so well, not to take her traveling with us. Her folks are still in the same ward as mine, but we never really manage to get together. Hmmmmm. I think we avoid calling because when can you ever think to yourself, "I have three hours to talk on the phone today." :)

Abby Carlston--Of ten companions, there were only two that I didn't send home or get from home: you and Jenni Noble. It was really great to work with someone who had been out a couple of months! I think we were only together one month, and I right? I remember that month being really hard for me. I don't know why. I loved that ward, and I was so glad to be back there. I know my personal struggle was internal, but I remember sitting down during contacts one morning. It wasn't even a place to sit. It was a curb, and if I remember right, there was a car parked right in front of us. It was probably only ten minutes, but I just wanted to sit. I felt wrong the whole time, and I'm sure you did too, but you didn't push me. You just let me flake out for a minute. Thanks!

Jenni Noble--Why do I have more to say about our two months together than anyone else? So many things that I won't remind you of in this forum, but I will say that I never had to witness any other woman get a pap in my whole life. I loved being your companion because you are always happy and you don't sweat the small stuff. I remember your lovely soprano voice flitting around the piso with a "bibbity, bobbity boo" ring to it.

Kari Cowdell--I don't think we ever more than crossed paths in the mission, but I know you served in several of my areas, and that you took good care of everyone you served. I remember you telling me once that you wanted to be my companion, and I was so flattered! I knew of you before you came, and it seems you were destined to be a member of the family...you are the only mission friend who has been to my house for Mother's Day, and it was my brother who let me know you have a blog.

Dave Strom--I don't really have many mission memories of us interacting personally, but you have such a welcoming personality, that I felt like we were old friends once we all landed in Provo after the mission. I think you are one of the only men/boys I have ever met with that quality of befriending everyone and in a really personal, endearing way. I treasure knowing you, and I love that you'll eat up any props I have for you...props are the way to your heart for sure. Even though I've gone to McCall hundreds of times, I can never go there now and not remember the random time that you and Jared and Jane and I went. I love that you like nice things, that you love yourself and that you can totally hang with the girls.

Nici Robinson--You were born to Nancy in Valencia, right? That was your first area, I think. Anyway, we were roommates. I don't remember a lot, but I know we had easy times chatting at night and hard times keeping our mouths shut during study time. I think you and Nanci traded off with me so that when my companion was sick, I could still rotate out to work. If I remember right, it was really hard for you to stay home. I love that you married an ELDER! :)

Carissa--You went home before I got there, but mission gatherings proved a fast track to friendship for us...even though you didn't even go to school in UT! I don't know how we became friends, but I know it was our sassy heels, the hardwood floors at Tropicana and a love for latin dancing that bonded us for life.

Kendra--You were my first, MTC companion. I guess if I count my MTC companions, then I had 14 companions on my mission. I always found you easy to get along with and fun to be around. When we were a threesome at the end there, I learned one of my most valuable life lessons. We sure did get our fill of MTC torture to the tune of oh...8 weeks longer than we were supposed to be there! Remember that nutty Elder who was always stalking me and giving me romantic things?! I remember us hitting the floor in the cafeteria when we saw him enter. What a relief to get to Spain and not have to stress about that anymore. I'm so glad you blog!

Sariah and Chris--Sariah, I think you were like a totally different person in my mind from the mission than you really are. I didn't know you well, but I just had you in a no edge, no style, sweet as can be place. I remember seeing you after the mission and you were all trendy and funny and I realized I didn't really know you on the mission. AND YOU MARRIED ELDER LLOYD! Lol. I LOVED serving with ELDER LLOYD. Here's this Elder who comes off really proper, who doesn't have a proper bone in his body. We'd be working, or up to something normal and out of nowhere, he'd have some under his breath, quirky joke about something. It was just really fun to serve with him. That was my favorite group of Elders...Antrobus, Dixon, Lloyd and Booth (even though technically I was intimidated by Booth). I liked it because that chapel in Murcia was dedicated while we were there, and we'd play volleyball on p-day. I also suffered through two months with a companion who didn't want to leave the apartment and sometimes I got to go out with the Elders to do contacts if there was a member to stay behind with my companion.

MariaJose--My compi. You didn't serve technically with me, but your companionship during the aforementioned two months SAVED me. I loved hitting the streets with you and doing missionary work with you. You were fearless and so willing to serve. I learned a lot from your example.

Cheri--You and Sariah are in the same category, we served in several of the same areas, and I think my first contact of my whole mission, who was golden...lived in your area and you taught her until her family forbade her to learn more. There are always those odd connections! I have fun reading your blog and being amazed by your talent...I can't believe you married the mission president's son! So crazy! It's funny because I didn't know you well, but many people who I served with adored you, and you had the reputation for being President's favorite...now you most certainly are the most favored RM from the mission!

This was fun! I'm so glad to have so many friends from my mission (not to mention my non-blogging friends, Amy, Jake, Nanci, Xela...). Loved being in the best mission in the world with all of you.

Summer photoshoots...

Here are a few pics from working over the summer...

Homeschool BEGINS!

I don't so much like to say this is our first day of school, because we've been working on Olympics stuff for a couple of weeks and we always learn together...just like any family. However, I have to start documenting my efforts more formally in order to take advantage of Ruby's state alternative education fund that we are accessing through CVA.

I found out that they wanted us to start the 25th, so we did! With a trip to the zoo with my friend Kelly and her son Aksel. We went to lunch in downtown Seattle first and met up with our friend Sandy for that.

darling little Aksel is every bit as tough as he looks

We had a fun day at the zoo...it rained before and after we were there, but we were dry!

Anyway, in order to keep track of what we are doing so that I can report it to our "teacher" at CVA, I'll be blogging on our homeschool blog during the week. I certainly don't expect anyone to want to read it, but if there's a kindred homeschooler reading, it's always fun to see what others are doing and get ideas! Besides, I think a lot of people think that homeschooling is some super feat or something, and I think if you follow what we are doing, you'll realize that even with your children in public school, you are homeschooling...you just have less time to do it!

Boating with Uncle Jordan...

My folks have had this boat (that used to be my grandma and grandpa Hamm's boat) for maybe ten years now. It is a magic boat. It requires no maintenance, and it sits out in the cold with a tarp over it all winter, and then you put it in the water in the summer and turn the key and the engine purrs.

My brother Jordan and his buddies were able to get a boat slip on Lake Union for the summer, and we've been hearing about his fun, and meaning to get out on the lake with him. I knew that given that summer is winding down, and given that I'm his sister, I wouldn't really be his highest priority for boating company, if you know what I mean. I think it was my kids that tempted him. Regardless, it was really great to get out on the water (one of my most favorite places to be...on or near fresh water) for a couple of hours.
We met at Ivars Salmon House at their dock. From there we boated out to the middle of Lake Washington, well, not probably the middle. We were just north of 520...I guess more like the north end of the lake...and we took a swim. I felt really buyoant for some reason...so did Jordan, it was weird. Anyway, we had a great time!

There was a really big fish under the walkway.

My confient little swimmer.

Back to Ivars for lunch.

Mia's Garage Sale...

Wow, this doesn't even do it justice because you can't see it all, but for being as hot as it was last weekend, we pulled off a decent earning. We bargained and my girl Sheri and I just enjoyed talking and doing a little garage sale shopping of our own. There were easily fifteen families that donate their goods and it was fun to know we were raising money for the sweet little one. Even some of our shoppers went home and brought back things we could sell, because they saw Mia's pics and got excited about helping her.

Thank goodness for craigslist. We posted that everything was free from 3-9 that night, and I think there were only two truck loads left once all the freebie scavengers did their damage. Whew!

Pre-exisiting conditions...

When you get married there are some pre-exisiting conditions (not condition as in "mode or state of being," but as in "agreement or compact"). Some of our pre-existing conditions included my accepting Chris' dog, Stone...yes, his dog, his really loud throat clearing (or something like that, is it throat clearing or esophogus clearing...that really loud thing that only boys do) in the shower, and motorcycles. He also tried to warn me that he was pretty "boring", I think he was concerned I'd be let down when the creative dating ended (I was), but I like boring too, so I didn't object when he laid out his after work routine of watching television and going to bed early.

Anyway, we literally had a conversation when we were engaged where he put those things out there...well the shower noises and the boring...and let me know I had to love them.

He was on a ride this weekend to somewhere over in OR, I think Mt. Hood area. They took a scenic route. It was his annual ride with his company, and it was blazing hot. I told him before he left, "I think you are dead every minute that you are on that bike, so you better call and tell me you are alive a lot." I HATE MOTORCYCLES. I really do believe that he will some day die riding one, but that doesn't stop him. He says, "I'm invincible."

What were your pre-existing conditions?

Google Reader...

My friend Amy suggested I use Google Reader months ago, and I thought it sounded great, but I didn't have time to look into it. Anyway, I haven't been busy posting or commenting lately because I've been busy with GR. I really like it, but I'm still getting the hang of it.

Here's a few issues: for some reason, it won't let me subscribe to my girl Jenni's blog (private) and she's one of the blogs I frequent the most. This is annoying me. Then today, I logged in and because I haven't had time to go through and clear all the previously read posts, I had like 176 unread posts. I read my cousin Deanne's latest, and noticed this place where I could click something about having read everything. Anyway, I clicked on it and ALL 176 unread posts were marked as read. Most of them were read, but there would have been a few...so I knew that those 176 were still, until I navigated away from that very screen, all listed below Dee's...so I had to scroll through them all without commenting or I would lose the list...does that make sense? Wait, I just realized that the commenting things come up in a new window.

Oh well. Anyway, it was good reading...and if you read my blog...you'll see what I thought of your posts...

ANNA...HOLY SMOKES. I'm still laughing about your girls and their mischief. I'm not trying to be insensitive, I would maybe cry too, but as an outsider, that pic of Bailey's butchered hair is something else. I can't believe it. I was brushing my teeth, and laughing as I thought of it again. That will get me for a long time.

Jennifer...just stalk my list...it's all good. :) No, here's a post I wrote about my five favorite songs. I'd add a few more songs from Jewel's "spirit" CD if they were available on playlist, I love Indigo Girls...my faves for the past 15 years are: "Language or the Kiss", "Love's Recovery", "Mystery" and "Ghost"...and a new fave, "Love Will Come to You." All fitting in with your current music mood.

The Pioneer Woman baffled me with her post about what where you once dreamed you'd be in comparison to where you are in reality. She posted all these comments from her readers and some were really heart breaking. I love her photography.

John...love the story about Ellie. I've noticed something recently in talking with a few others. First children don't lie. Second children do. It's already true with Alice, and I know Sommer said that she's noticed it with her Kesley. Interesting. They are young and they lie earlier. Ruby still doesn't lie. She'll pause a long time as she contemplates lying, but she usually pulls the truth out. Not Alice, she's too young to understand the concept of lying, but she lies. BTW...MOTHS ARE REALLY SCARY!

Alicia had a good time at the zoo, Megan and Kyle graduated from PA school, Jodi and Sean had a nice date night...and that was really, really dirty bath water. More cool comments from Dan about his adventures in India...Sariah, I have always used www.mypublisher.com, and I'm sold after seeing your blurb book.

Thanks for all your fun posts! Now, I'll be able to see only the new posts. Google Reader is sure helpful!