This Summer

Yes, Chris is still "on this side of the grass":) We have been verrryy, verrryyy busy. Meg graduated from high school and then we took her on a seven day cruise to the eastern Caribbean and then spent two days hanging out in Miami seeing friends, going to the Keys, riding an air boat, and going to the Everglades. Chris left with a blood clot in his lungs and stressed me out the whole time. I spent a lot of time listening to him breathe at night. I also know what they do if someone dies on the ship - just in case I needed to know. He didn't get to snorkel much because of not being able to get enough air. We did have a lot of fun. Two other families and their graduates came with, made it even more fun:) Thanks to my mom for babysitting for nine days and others who helped her. My mom got really sick after we left, poor girl. Grateful, we didn't have phone service or I would have come home.

June 26th Chris decided that we were going on a road trip to play at four Six Flag Amusement parks. You could buy a season pass for $49.00 a person and go to any of them in the United States. So, that's what we did. We left June 28th and headed to New York. We saw Mt. Rushmore, Wind Caves National Park, St. Louis Arch, Six Flags, Nauvoo, watched fireworks in Washington DC sitting at the feet of President Lincoln, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (made me want to do my geneology to see if I had any ancestors come through there), Lincoln Tunnel, Ground Zero and my favorite Cake Boss' bakery- Carlos Bakery from TLC (Chris wouldn't let me out - the line was tooooo long and he had had it with New York), Six Flags, ate at a restaurant that was owned by a woman who was Bill Clinton's White House Chef, Palmyra Pageant, Joseph Smith's home, Sacred Grove, Niagara Falls, Six Flags, Kirtland (saw School of the Prophets), then we went to another Amusement Park (change of plans suppose to go to Six Flags in Chicago but changed) called Cedar Point suppose to be the "Coney Island of the West" surrounded by Lake Erie on three sides. It had a indoor water park at the hotel we stayed at (seen it on the travel channel:). Nauvoo again (didn't have a lot of time the first time got there to late at night), Carthage jail, Winter Quarters, and I'm sure that I forgot a few places:):) We camped some in a tent and other times (like in New York, Washington DC and New Jersey:) we slept in a hotel and one night we slept in the car - they forgot to tell us the campground was closed. We had a wonderful, wonderful time. Lots of driving. 6,251 miles in 18 days. Some fighting among siblings but for the most part kids wonderful, no one likes to sit in the car for 12 hours:) Tay and jacob were in heaven being able to play their DSi and watch tv (remember they are still grounded from those things). Chris did really well. At the parks he would usually take a one hour nap on a bench while I took the kids to the line to ride the rides:) Hee, hee I HATE roller coasters!!!!!!!! I really did enjoy seeing everyone else have fun going on the scary, scary rides. In New Jersey they have the tallest roller coaster in the world and the fastest roller coaster in North America!!!! I felt sick just watching them ride it. Katie and I had a good time. They always had plenty of rides for her to go on. Chris had his ups and downs on the trip, and I had my plan ready to go if he decided to die on the trip:) I am soooo thankful to know that I have a "church family" anywhere I go. (I would have called them for help while I waited for my mom and dad to fly out). How grateful I am to have been able to go on this trip with the kids. We saw soooo many things. We did sooo many things. Wonderful memories. Only took a thousand pictures. hee hee.

Got home July 16th just in time for Tay to go to scout camp for a week and Jacob to go to cub camp on Monday and Tuesday. Chris went with Jacob to cub camp Monday. They had a great time but Chris came home verry tired and his legs were swollen. Jacob wanted him to go Tuesday but Chris just didn't have the strength so I went. Wednesday, Chris went up to scout camp to hang out with Tay till Saturday. He looked exhausted when he left but he knew that Tay needed him. Tay has cried quite often about "not getting to have daddy as his scout master" The Lord has let Chris live a lot longer then expected and hit mile stones with his kids. Tay will always remember being with his dad:)

Since coming back from scout camp Chris has had a hard time breathing. His shoulders hurt really bad and he has a spot in his back that he says feels like someone is stabbing him with a bunch of needles. He has been taking pain medicine. He believes that it's just from being at such a high altitude (9,000 feet). Who knows. I told him he has made it this far that he has to keep going. Meg goes to BYU Aug 24th, Rye turns 16 Aug. 2 and will be ordained a priest and goes to high school, Tay goes to middle school, Jacob to 4th grade and Katie to kindergarten - can't miss sending them off for their first day of school:) Such excitement at are house:)

This week we head to Bear Lake for Chris' family reunion and then we are headed to Yellowstone. Chris has informed me that we will be sitting and waiting "hours" for some of the geysers that are not predictable. He loves the place:)

One of these days I will finish all the projects that I started this summer. Painting the deck, painting the inside of the house. My bathroom is half painted and I've been doing the base boards. Ten years we've lived here. Walls looking loved:)

Thanks for worrying about us. You all are to kind. We love you tons.

Love, Ricki