I know, I know--it's been a really long time! I've been waiting for pictures, because my favorite blogs are the ones with pictures. But our camera is on the fritz, so you'll just have to make due with the written word, complete with a lot of ramblings and no direction.

A few weeks ago, my friend Angie and I took my kids, her little boy, and a few neighbor kids to Lava Hot Springs for about 4 hours. We had a blast! I even enjoyed a few rides down the water slides. One of them gives everyone a wedgie, myself included. I sure hoped no one was looking when I tried to fix it :) I sometimes wish I didn't have responsibilities and could do that stuff by myself, because it was sure fun to just let loose (not lose my suit, though!). The other day, Ryan and I took the kids to the park, and I got to swing. There is something soothing about doing those simple things. Slides and swings--what fun! Oh, but my hips don't fit through the openings in some of the toys at the park near our house. I got stuck following Thomas once!

Back to Lava. Angie and I both got horrible sunburns on our shoulders. Mine lasted over a week before it was no longer tender to the touch. Angie's was worse than mine. I was much nicer to my girls than I was to myself, because on the last few swimming suits I made for them, I put little sleeves on. My suit, however, I made years and years ago (I so rarely wear it...), that it was before I was very comfortable making suits, and pre-sleeves, too. Oh, well. I believe I learned my lesson: I am too old to have fun!

My apricot tree is still dropping apricots. It's been thinning itself, so the apricots we are getting now are a little bit larger, although still small. It's bound to stop soon, because here in Rexburg, we are expecting snow any time now :)

Thomas has started climbing on EVERYTHING! This is a good thing, because we have been working for a long time on it. His physical therapist thinks he is doing spectacular, and we will probably stop that soon. But all of it can be frustrating. I have found him on the top bunk in his room. He has to climb up a ladder and over the railings that go all the way around the top. He has also climbed into the crib with the baby a few times. He uses stools, chairs, and the toilet seat to climb into the kitchen and bathroom sinks, where he likes to fill the sinks with water and play in it. Have I mentioned that he has also figured out how to turn the faucets on? I don't know if he can turn them off because I usually do that for him!

Our family has started a paper route in the beginning of September, and I don't know if it will last. We have to take the van, so I doubt we will be making any money off of it. However, the kids like it for the most part, and fight over who gets to run the papers. That's a little stressful at 5:00 in the morning. Rebekah even gets in on the action. She has been with us a few mornings, because she stands at the front door and cries to come. This is also hard that early in the morning. We also have to run the ads one day a week. The first week, Rebekah begged to come, so I let her. She wasn't content to sit in the car, so I let her run them down the sidewalk and drop them in the driveways while I drove next to her. It was hilarious to see a little 3 year old running down the street dropping papers! She is so cute when she's not being a stinker!

And last but not least, I started my guitar class last week. It is going to be SOOOO much fun! I have been practicing "Down in the Valley" all week long, with two different strum patterns, one of which is an arpeggio. It only has two chords, but it sounds nice so far. I'm supposed to be learning "You Are My Sunshine", too, but it has more chords and is kind of scary for me. I'll be working on that this week, I guess.

Well, that's a lot of junk to read, but I think it covers the last few weeks that I haven't posted. I hope you enjoyed reading it!