Summer recap

I'm always just a little melancholy when school starts in the fall.  On the one hand it's great to see the little kids march back to school and to remember when our little kids stood tall on our front porch in their new school clothes for their "back to school" picture with new backpacks, clean shoes and smiles on their faces.   I can still picture them in my mind's eye.  Now those little kids are sending their own little kids out the door.  I don't miss the expense of school fees, new clothes/shoes expenses, lunch tickets and such, but I do miss the ritual of ending summer and starting fall with a change in family activities. Time.  It travels, that's for sure.
This summer has been on hyper drive. Days...weeks...months...gone. 
Here's a recap of what kept us hopping:

April and May included trips to Arizona and North Carolina to visit our kids, and:

• Rick's annual conference in St. George
• meeting with my Rupert girl friends
• attending Republican meetings representing my precinct as chair
• being assigned a new CASA child and getting to know her
• visiting Dr. Mortensen and deciding that something had to be done about my left knee
• hosting a bridal shower for Chelsea
• attending Les Miz at Pioneer
• doing my Young Women activities/calling
• taking a serger class
• going to the Provo temple with Chelsea to receive her endowment
• Jake Jensen's farewell and delicious lunch hosted by his family afterwards
• end of the season Cleofon garden party
• Memorial weekend in Logan with extended family
• Rick performing lots of marriages

June

• attending the temple with our niece Kate when she receive her endowment
• going to California for Andy and Chelsea's wedding, dinner and reception (we are still basking in the memory of how wonderful everything turned out and how happy we are for this outstanding couple) so happy Mom could travel with us
• a restful stop over in St. George at the Philipps' home, attending Mary Poppins at Tuachan with Jord and girls, Claire and Lizzie, Courtney, Mom 
• enjoyed some time with our kids and grands in town doing lots of fun activities including Trafalga, Provo Rec Center, riding Front runner, 7 Peaks, going to the church history museum, going to Sheels and riding the Ferris wheel, making maxi skirts, etc.
• Pat and Vern hosting a family breakfast for the newly weds
• the wedding celebration we hosted at Mt. Timpanogos lodge in Provo canyon...we LOVED seeing family and friends and appreciate all who came and all who help us
• June 24 - Rick's birthday celebration with family
• tending our three little grand girls for four days while their parents went home for a break
• Rick hiking to the Y on the mountain every Saturday with a friend

July

•  Our annual 4th of July celebration!  So happy Jordan, Jake & girls, Claire and children, and Chelsea could be with us along with most of Rick's family and most of the Coil family.  We love our traditions
• Stadium of Fire with lots of family, including Carol, Madi and Taylor.  Love that show.
• my 40th high school reunion and seminary reunion (which I loved attending!)
• stopped by "the ranch" on my way back to Utah to visit cousin Scott and have a good visit
• mammogram check...all is well!!!
• hired cleaning girls to help me get my home deep cleaned along with the help of a hired professional cleaning lady
• shopped for the food for girls camp and helped get them on their way 
• visited Vern at the VA hospital in SLC as his health was failing
• July 13, 2013 my dear father-in-law Vern passed away
• all our kids came back to town for the funeral on July 20
• helped with the funeral preparations.  Rick wrote a press release and I got it out to be published in many, many newspapers, including the New York Times
• Courtney and Charlie spend four more days with us and we loved every minute of it
• darling niece Kate's mission farewell to Peru
• visited my 2 CASA girls throughout the summer.. I'm getting really attached to them and hope I can help them
• Rick played tennis every Thursday with a friend and every Friday morning with a doubles group

August

•  finally we celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary at the ROOF restaurant in SLC with a sleep over and activities in the city
• Find an enormous wasp nest in our window well.  Sick.  Called in help
• 7th of August - knee scope surgery of my left knee.  No fun.  Last attempt before replacement
• recuperate in Logan visiting Mom.  Go to Bear Lake and spend some time with Deborah and Pat.  Attend Spencer's baptism. Visit family in Logan.
• get back to work and help with my 35th graduation at BYU
• teach Young Women lessons/activities
• went to the temple, watched the new temple film and enjoyed it
• August 14th.  Receive my LAST dose of Herceptin at the Central Utah Cancer Clinic.  I'm done!  It's 13 months and 12 days since diagnosis and all looks great!  Say goodbye to the clinic nurses who I've come to know...go to my car...cry my eyes out for JOY!
• start physical therapy for the knee.  Ouch!
• get my first hair (trim really) cut in one year from my stylist Kirby.  Turn on the blow dryer again...it works!
• spent four days at home by myself while Rick was out of town at a conference
• got the port removed from my neck...the last thing to happen with chemo/infusion treatment
• enjoy a visit from my great friend Sue Bowen
• friend Marcy comes to town
• attend meetings for the start of a new school year, get all ready at BYU
• attend my Uncle Val's viewing and see my great cousins and wonderful Aunt Lorna...love that family

Goodbye summer 2013!  It's been one for the books.