'Tis the Season

Not much new to report from Boise except that the summer is winding down. What?! I'm trying to figure out how every year goes faster than the last. I also wonder why time flies so much faster in the summer than it does in the winter. . .

One benefit of the summer is garden produce. When I was away at college, it seemed like most of my mom's autumn letters would describe in great detail how beautiful the yard looked and how bounteously the garden was producing. Who knew I would grow up to revel in similar events? I love the smell of fresh-cut grass, and the manicured lines in the lawn do far more for me than the lines on my carpet after vacuuming. I love a pretty flower bed, along with healthy trees and shrubs.

My favorite part of the summer has to be the produce, however. Is there anything better than a tomato fresh off the vine or a raspberry eaten in the garden? I'm amazed every year when things start to ripen and mature. I'm still trying to figure out how two or three squash seeds can yield dozens of vegetables. This year we planted ONE hill of spaghetti squash, and an entire corner of the garden has now been overrun by enormous plants with lots of ripening squash. We tried one a few nights ago, and while it wasn't at its peak, it was pretty tasty. We may end up with plenty to share, however.

It's been a hot summer, and the tomato plants have
taken a hit, but the tomatoes themselves are thriving.

We've been able to can quite a bit in the past few weeks, and there are bottles of tomatoes in the canner as we speak.  Even though food is abundant, and it's ridiculously easy to drive to the store and purchase a can of tomatoes, there's something so soul-satisfying about canning my own produce.  Maybe I should have been a pioneer woman. . . NOT!  I like all of today's modern conveniences way too much.

We made some cooked raspberry jam for Karen and Andrew
when they were here in July.  Tasty!

Canning is way more fun when you can do it with
someone you love.  Lots of time to talk. . .

Gardening can even be fun. . . when you're slaving away
with your favorite brother-in-law.

I've always found working in the garden very grounding, pun intended.  It's such a reminder of how blessed we are, how work yields results, and how beautiful the earth is. And now, I think I'll look up some recipes for spaghetti squash. . .

Trip to the 'Burg

My parents have been home from their mission for about ten months.  We've seen them a lot, and it feels so great to have them home.  Adam informed me recently, however, that we hadn't been for a "real visit" to Rexburg since they returned.  We did rush over there to hear them speak in church, but we didn't stay long.  I spent almost a week over there with just my mom and dad, but Adam was right.  We hadn't invaded in FAR too long.  So we hopped in the van and headed east.

I was born of goodly parents, and it was so nice to spend time in their clean, comfortable, inviting home.  Mom and Dad always make us feel so very welcome that the trip is always worth it.  It's fun to go in the summer especially when the weather is nice and when the garden produce is on.  Mom and Dad grow the best raspberries!!

I failed to take very many pictures, but I did snap a few:

Dinner always tastes better when someone else makes it, and Dad
grilled some pretty awesome burgers.  Mom put everything else together.

Pretty sure I'm never going to outgrow needing my mommy. . .

We got Dad to go golfing with us on Friday morning, and while no
one played super well, we sure had fun.  A bad day on the golf
course beats a good day at work. . . every time.

Mike, Adam, and I ventured back the next day and due to a tournament that was being held on the other 18 holes, we tried out the "links style" middle nine at Teton Lakes.  I discovered that I'm probably not a good enough golfer for links golf.  I lost about a million balls, and the round took forever.  We played it through twice, once as individuals and then best ball the next time.  We managed a two over par for best ball.

Adam's a fun golf partner, and we used a lot of his
shots on best ball.  He's a good putter and chipper.
He's working on eliminating his slice.

We tried to follow the message on this rock, but when you start a round
of golf kind of poorly, it's sometimes hard to right the ship.

I managed to hit it quite close on a par 3, and then. . .
we all missed the putt.  We are definitely amateurs.

Mike never misses putts of this length when he is playing solo.  What?!

A big shout out to my parents for helping us to have a fun weekend.  We enjoyed the Olympics together (particularly watching the men's 10,000 while eating frozen custard--hooray for Galen Rupp!!), talking, sleeping in and taking naps (even Mike!), and eating great meals.  It was a relaxing weekend.

Another shout out to my parents for being such great examples.  I reflected last weekend that their going on a mission is undoubtedly having a profound effect on their three grandchildren who are presently out in the field.  Can you have more influence on a grandchild than by doing what's right and serving others?  I think not.

Can't remember the story behind Dad's accessory, but
he hasn't worn it since he got home.

We loved going to Rexburg, and it will be even more amazing to visit when Mike's parents return in about THREE months!!!  What's better than two grandparents?  Four, of course! 

Blast from the Past

Remember how bummed I was when the Holmsteads moved two years ago?  It was hard to see friends of sixteen years pull up the tent stakes and head to Florida, but they did what was best for their family.  Selfishly, I was still sad, and even today I still miss them. 

Recently, their daughter Heather (Karen's age) had a baby girl.  I knew mama Kendra would be out to Utah to help with the wee one, and I knew I just had to find a way to see her.  My schedule looked a little crowded, but I figured Kendra's trek west would be my best shot to hook up with one of my dear friends.  So, I went for it.  Know what?  It was totally worth it.  I got to spend a couple of hours with Kendra and Heather, meet the new baby, and see my sweet grandbaby (and her AWESOME parents).  Those were some of the best 32 hours I've ever spent.



Emily loves lots of action and was happy to meet a new
 friend. . . and to meet Nana's friend, Kendra, and Karen's friend, Heather.

Alena Mae Moreno, born July 20th.  Sweet baby girl!

Alena was too sleepy to be super social, but happily, Emily was
also too young to bother her new friend.  It wouldn't have been
 too cool if she had tried to grab her face or something.

These new moms met each other when they were just six years old.
I had no idea that time would fly so quickly.

If Karen and Heather are mothers, that must mean that Kendra and I are grandmas.  Could we possibly be that old?  Are we mature enough to handle that blessed title?  Absolutely! 

I wish that everyone from both families could have gotten together, but something tells me that will probably never happen. . . at least not any time in the near future.  Rachel, Matt, and Derek are all serving missions, and I suspect that we may have to wait until the next life for everyone to be together.  However, I'm grateful for the happy memories our visit brought up and thankful that the next generation is arriving safe and sound.  "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver, and the other gold."