goodbye summer

This summer was so much fun. I think it was one of the best ever. Work was really good. Saw a lot of friends. Went on some trips. Got an awesome tan. And more. Another thing that made summer so great was that my boys and I did a lot of things with our friends. At the beginning of the summer Natalie, Emily, Nicki and I made a schedule for ‘Summer of Big Fun 2007.’ Each week of the summer had a theme like down on the farm, transportation, etc. we divided the weeks and each of us planned activities, crafts, science projects that went along with the themes. That was fun and all, but we didn’t always do it. Surprise, surprise! But what we did do was celebrate each theme with a super activity (pictures below). We also did park play dates, went to the zoo, beach, and just enjoyed being together. We especially loved those sunny days!. See, summer was so good, I am sad to see it end.

kirkland music in the park:




the zoo:

the locks:



edmonds ferry:

kelsey creek farm:

nolan the crazy

I have had some great times at work this week, the past couple weeks even. I really like my job and I like the boys I get to spend my days with. I feel blessed that I get to make a difference in a family. I spend a majority of my time with this little guy, Nolan. He turned 2 in August. He loves his boots. He wants to wear them everywhere we go. He loves books and anything his brother is doing. He is sweet and even funny at times. I like him...most of the time. He recently went through a phase where he threw things, toys or whatever he could. Annoying. And when I first started working he had a problem "hugging" little kids (or even kids bigger than him) and then tackling them to the ground. Other parents don't like that so much. Luckily, he grew out of that just in time too because I was getting tired of apologizing to parents of crying kids Nolan attacked. Now, his latest is taking his diaper off. Yuck! We have found a couple of things to prevent that, but there are times when he still gets his diaper off and it is not a pretty sight. Two-year-old are crazy, fun, but so exhausting. Sometimes I can't take the freak outs, that is when little guy gets to spend a time-out in his crib (the only place he can't get out). I guess the point of this is to tell my mom readers that you are amazing. I get to clock out at 6pm and I have a three day weekend. I admire all of you and say thanks.

utah summer 2007

We celebrated Laurie's birthday at P.F. Changs in SLC (BTW she turned 29)

The Farmers are from Fruitland, ID-they don't get out much

We took this picture in a big road mirror thing

Cougar super fan

The girls first BYU football game, my second

Lookin' good

I love this picture of Kade

It was so hot at the game, we near melted on those bleachers. Kade is just trying to stay cool in some shade.

Go, fight, win Cougars

Kaitlin and Nakita, on their way to dinner

Eric and me on his motorcycle after dinner

Kaitlin's first day of school

The gang, oh how I love these people, on Micah's birthday

Kaitlin studying on campus-how did she get so old?

We went with Matty to dinner at Costa Vida, a little photo shoot in the restroom

My mission friend ("batch") Harris' kids Drew, Hadley and Seth

How cute are they? They call me Farrar, I love that.

Outside Kaitlin's dorm

Goodbye girls. Thanks for the fun. I love you both.

So, you can see I had a wonderful trip. It was so great to spend the first part of my trip with some of the Farmers. It was sad for them to leave Kaitlin, but I took good care of her. It was so awesome to be with Kaitlin her first week at BYU. I loved my BYU experience and I am so excited for her and this time in her life. I got to go to her first ever college class, it was so wonderful! It is a class on the Proclamation on the Family and her teacher is amazing, I am so jealous. It was so great to be on campus. I love that place. My friend Brother Wing now teaches at BYU, Kaitlin and I went to one of his Book of Mormon classes. It was so good to be with my friends. Lindsay let me borrow her car a couple of days, that was very nice. I drove north to visit 2 mission friends and did a quick trip to IKEA. I also was able to take Jeremiah to the airport and we had a great talk on our drive. I love that guy. I ate out a lot and pretty much just hung out. I had a great vacation and can't wait to do it all again. Next time I will see DEREK SWANSON!!!

a first

I think for the first time in my life I can say that I did not take enough pictures (I took lots, just not ENOUGH). I went to Utah last week and had a wonderful trip, but for some reason I didn't take very many pictures. I now, of course, have regrets about that since pictures help me to remember events, memories and people. Sometimes pictures aren't enough though, they can't tell the whole story. I couldn't get a picture talking to Sarah Jane (a lady in the care center I have been visiting for years) and feeling so happy about the woman she has become (probably thanks to whatever wonderful medication she is on) and awed by her love for me. No pictures could justify being with Lindsay, whether having a sleepover on her big comfy bed, telling stories or just knowing each other so well that words weren't necessary. I wish I could take a perfect picture of Michelle that explains what her friendship means to me. She is who I want to be like, yet I know it will never happen. I tried to take a picture with my boys, I got an okay one on Micah's birthday but it still falls short of showing how happy I was at that moment surrounded by some of my favorite people, some of my longest friends and even though we were pretty boring, that evening was completely perfect. There isn't a camera good enough to capture my feelings about being back at BYU, being home. I was so happy and excited to be there with Kaitlin (and so proud of her) and go to class with her, but still my heart hurt knowing that my BYU life is over (I also didn't like the fact that I felt/looked 10 years older than everyone there...oh wait!!!). I had so many more memories that could not be recorded on film or digitally but they will be forever in my heart.

Time flew by and I didn't get to see everyone and do everything I wanted to do. I guess I will have to go back. Next time...Michelle and I will spend more time together, I will eat at Mimi's Cafe, Oliva and I will craft, I will spend more time with my "batch," I will see Micah and Jeremiah's plane, I will hold more babies, I will have more talks with the people I love, and the list goes on and on!

hot in seattle

So, I guess I am a complainer. I can not take extremes in weather. In the summer when it is cloudy, raining and gray it makes me angry. I don't like it. However, in the summer when it is above 80 degrees the same things happen. I just can't take it. One day a couple weeks ago I thought I was going to melt. I packed up the boys and we headed to the pool. It is a lot of work to get ready and go to the pool with two little guys, but it is always worth it. We had a fun afternoon and most importantly I cured my heat-anger. I am so sad to see the summer slipping away. It has been so wonderful.

the party and the mariners

I-CHI-RO (our view from the cheap seats)

Carson's first cotton candy ("it looks like ice cream, but it's fluffy")

My date and I- what a cute a couple

the ladies outside the SODO (or it is just called the Industrial District?) McDonald's, that was fun!

Carson was the photographer for this one

One-eyed Andy

Trav organized another night at the Mariners for the Party and it was a blast! The Mariners lost big time against the Angels. Dang it. It was Carson's first baseball game and first time out with the party on his own. I think he liked it. After the game we walked to a McDonald's about a mile away. Everyone had snacks, we spilt a few things and shared lots of laughs. We even had an impromptu dance party in the party lot. We have fun together no matter what we do.