I guess I’ll start with this: My sister noticed that our old house in Virginia had been for sale. I’ve always fantasized about going back and visiting the house, but this was nearly as good (cheaper and less invasive). It’s been heavily remodeled and expanded since we were there (about 25 years ago).

Here’s an interior shot of the living room area (my favorite spot as a kid). I’m not going to post all the pictures, but the interior has also had some substantial upgrades. For example, the window behind the computer is now a door leading into a sun room. Seeing these pictures brings back a lot of good memories, but it also reminds me that things change and the past is truly gone (that may sound sad, but it’s really not).

July is officially the hottest month on record for some parts of Utah. What better way to cool off than a trip to Seven Peaks? Sometimes all I can think about is how lucky we are that we have access to these wonderful resources.

A trip to Bear Lake with our friends, the Bazinets. Boating, playing in the sand…

… swimming, exploring…

…campfire cooking and games. [I hope Fran will hop on here one day and expand my captions a bit, but I’m sure everyone gets the idea]

New summer activities: swimming lessons and signing up for football

My kids are so cute! Claire created a runway and had a fashion show (it was “girls only” so I’m lucky to have these pictures!).
Sometimes the kids build forts without my help- I think these are the ones that they get the most excited about. A lot of times they even sleep in them together. Living room camping is pretty cushy.

Missie, a Meridian high school friend, was in town so the Sabins, Jim and I went to visit her for a bit. Always fun to take a stroll down memory lane.
A few days later we celebrated Pioneer Day and lit off what was left of our Fourth of July fireworks. I probably would have gotten a few more aerials, but we were leaving on a trip the next day (more on that soon).