Ok I've got about 15 minutes to recap the summer so here goes:

 our ward campout the kids went to with daddy

 Grammie and Papa's snorkel purchase for the kids

 hiking in the foothills with Mommy

 swim lessons...kids got rained on and it was chilly too!  Good thing the pool was heated and toasty!

 take your kids to work day.  they had a lot of fun at scentsy with their dad!

 Eric, Roo and I went to Phantom of the Opera.  I fell in love with it all over again!!  It was Roo and Eric's first time and they really enjoyed it too.

 swimming with Beckham

first stages of the garden; strawberries, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and marigolds to keep the cats away......

 our trip to Utah in June to see Demri and Sasha's babies!! Scott Kuykendall and Gideon Eggli.  Also celebrated Dad's 64th and the 4th of July.  So much fun and wonderful memories.

 Gid's blessing

 love this photo so much

 sure couldn't get enough of the cuddles

 we spent a day at the museum of curiosity and the museum of prehistoric life too.  both amazing and Mom got to be there with us.

 how long can you hold on??

 the floating head!

 fourth of july colonial village in orem. this place was amazing; a recreation of colonial boston with so much to see and do!  sorry in a hurry so caps not happening.

 can't see roo but she's in a "school" for girls.  they are learning about the declaration of independence.

 fixing a headlight

 its so fun to see dems as a new mommy!

 the kids loved their cousin time

 the fireworks were amazing.  sash and james hosted and fed us well.

 stopped by BYU on the way home (of course!)

 the day after we got home eric and i dropped the kids off at pete and ami's and headed for sun valley, idaho (or maybe we dropped them off that night! can't remember, all a blur).  it was quick.  we met dad and lisa over there for a quick two night trip.

 sooooo beautiful!! i'd only seen it in the winter, but summer there is breathtaking.  just look at the views!  the mountains are everywhere you look.

 the ski resort

 dad and lisa left some strawberries in our room at the lodge, since eric and i were celebrating our anniversary.  there were many more but we had scarfed most of them down before i took a picture ;)

 walking around the lodge.   i have a post of photos of eric and i here with our friends matt and leslie in january.  its so quaint and pretty here.  i knew dad and lisa would love it, and (thank heavens) i was right.

 taking a fly fishing class

 testing out our skillz on dad's bday

 the ketchum grill has the BEST dill shrimp cakes!!

 Eric and I went mountain biking one morning.

 beautiful views....not my best ride.  a little technical for me!

 we did more fun things...driving...hiking....

 the lodge

 saying good-bye.......

 one day i was driving to fred meyer and out of nowhere i saw a beautiful field of gold pop into view. i guess it just appeared there somehow during the time we were on vacation.  i was so struck by it i had to stop and take some photos.  i even mentioned it to eric later in the day.  the next evening eric told me a winco was being built across from fred meyer, and i was really excited about it until he told me it was the lot full of golden haystacks.  i couldn't believe it!  pave paradise.......

 i've really been enjoying my herb garden this year.  the basil's been great, but i've really enjoyed the

 rosemary.  oh rosemary!! the herb sent from heaven!  how many ways can i possibly serve thee (on my plate?)

  roo and i went to a quilt show a few weeks ago and they had a few antique quilts.  this one was from 1841, and i couldn't believe it!  It was in mint condition and the color was still so rich.  to be honest, i really didn't care much to look at the new quilts; i really just wanted to see the antique ones :/  i wish they'd had more.

 while we were looking at quilts, eric took the boys to the mall to see the lego displays and workshop.

 we also took the kids to see the twilight criterium (road bike race) downtown.

 the hydrangeas in the front yard

 reading scriptures with eric on a sunday evening on the front porch

 trip to the zoo with the kids one day with ami and mary

 roo making fun of the way i wear my glasses (i took off one of the arms so they don't pinch my head). i know it looks ridiculous but i didn't know how ridiculous until she showed me ;)

 eric took o camping one night up in mccall; o was in heaven...so cute.

 he climbed this slickrock and was so proud of himself

 one night o and i went into the green space behind our house to throw around the football.  it was a beautiful night!  i think i had thrown the ball to him once and it hit him in the face and gave him a bloody nose!  :(  we got him cleaned up though and made it outside for a bit before bedtime.   eric and o have started this football throwing tradition (at night) and i'm glad i got to get in on it a little myself.

 the kids had some friends over the other day and they were playing "the great british baking show" with playdough.  aspen was judge, and at one moment she called someone's bake underdone.  "this is undercooked.  soggy bottom," she said.  oh it was funny.  i laughed all day thinking about it!

 we left that afternoon and went camping for the weekend with our friends the howes.  we headed up to mccall and it was beautiful.  we found a large campsite that we could fit two tents on and then proceeded to get eaten alive by mosquitos.  the husband-folk drove to town to grab some deet-heavy bug spray and candles and thank heavens they helped a lot!  but the kids had been bitten pretty badly by then.  but we all had a great time anyway, and spent the weekend muching, hiking, canoeing and swimming.

 duck lake

the other day the kids and i were working in the yard and b wanted to help prune so i had him help me cut some daphne.  i came in later and found he had put it in a vase for me, all by himself!  what a sweet boy!!