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I'm just going to try and keep up at this point! I can always go back an elaborate... but for now I'm just making a goal to write more often.

Summer is so freakin' AWESOME! I absolutely love having my kidlets home... it's the best. They are doing pretty well with chores so far. Lexi is continuing her math program through the summer so we set up incentives to help her with daily homework. (Especially since nobody else in the family has any)

Mike and I have been going to the Parade of Homes these past couple weeks. I get so excited to come home and get creative about changing things. I'm getting really excited to start on the basement!... someday.

Wednesday I put in 6 hours of yard work... Thursday 8 hours... and Friday 2 more hours. I wish I could say that all those hours actually added up to much... but there is so many things still to be done. I slacked off last Summer and by the f=Fall I just left it all to deal with in the Spring. Well, then we didn't really have Spring and now I am seriously paying the price! We are starting the demolition of the back wall. If we wait much longer the retaining wall will collapse and we will have a major mess on our hands. SO we are taking down the fence, securing the wall, building it up, laying the grass again, and putting a stronger fence back up. Bugger of a project!
I got a bid for my cement walkway back to my Studio. We will have to wait on the backyard fence project to start on the cement walkway and back patio... we I have a lot of work ahead of me. Maybe I'll get a good tan this Summer as my payoff.

I have to say that I'm not looking forward to much else. We do some family trips, and I can't wait to get out camping. But... extended family crap on my side has made it difficult to get excited about much. Last year there was a fiasco at Bear Lake, and things have just been super negetive and (quite frankly) not the best. On the other hand... we have done a ton with Mike's family this past bit, and it is always awesome. No drama, no competitions, no 'one-up' people... just relaxing fun. I'm excited to plan trips to the sand dunes!
It's just funny how things can change. We used to get together with my family all the time! We hardly saw Mike's family, we just didn't feel like we fit in. Now... we don't fit in much with my family and it's better to be with Mike's family! Who would have thought? I sure never did!

Addi and Sophie were in a dance camp this past week and got to ride a float in the city parade yesterday! Addi LOVES to dance, and this is the very first dance of any sort my kids have been in. I feel bad that I haven't been able to encourage it... but once again, my fears were justified! The older dance group teaching the kids performed on Friday with the kids. They were amazing dancers... very talented! But the outfit and some of those moves they had going... I just can't encourage it. I looked at Mike and said. "Do you want our 16 year-old dancing like that in front of everyone?" That would be a Hell-to-the-NO!!! I'm sorry, but I just can't.
On a side note, Sophie almost beat up another little girl when she got tagged in their game. Now THAT kid needs to be playing a sport! She's got some major aggression to get out.
Their float was adorable! It was so fun to watch them. And can I just say that I LOVE the city we live in?... the parade started at 10am! I was just looking around at our community and the High School and I feel so blessed to be able to raise my kids here. I know that this was the right move for our family. (Even though we still get crap for it... yes, still.) This is where we are meant to be.