Highlights

Okay, so I have been such a slacker. Sorry, Britt. I will make a few postings in the next couple of days, but all you get for now is the highlights from the last two months (in no particular order.)

1. I canned 21 pints of peaches, 13 half-pints of peach jam, made two peach pies (with homemade crusts), froze four quart bags of sliced peaches, helped my friend can 14 quarts of her peaches, and ate a lot of fresh ones. I discovered Gabe likes fresh peaches. He sat on my mom's lawn with one in his hand and two under his leg while we were picking them off the tree. He went straight to the tub!
2. I had my 10 year high school reunion! So much fun; loved seeing everyone. I especially enjoyed when Ryan mentioned to John Melling's wife, Marielle, that John was my first kiss. Thanks, hon. What a great way to make a first impression. At least we were only six (1st grade at Southwest.)
3. Gabe has two teeth, is crawling, waving bye-bye, pulling himself up on everything, and has learned how to flush the toilet, which he did four times while I was in the shower this morning. What a pill! At least it just affects the water pressure and not the temperature :)
4. Elliot started preschool!! Yay for me...I mean for Elliot. He loves it and they definitely stay busy. Next week they are going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. I'm not sure who's more excited, Elliot or me.
5. I got highlights in my hair and cut off three inches in the process. Ryan always laments it when I cut my hair; he wants me to grow it long like I had it in high school. When he will get up every morning to do my hair like my mom did, I will think about it.
6. I watched the Olympics. I am glad they are over so that I can go to bed before 1 AM. Those two weeks were killer on my sleep :) I am addicted to gymnastics and swimming, so I was pretty much glued to the TV. Totally worth the loss of sleep. Go USA!
7. I was put in as the 2nd counselor in our Primary, so most of my free time has been dedicated to that. I love working with the kids and I think I finally know all their names.
8. My nephews have been playing football. I love football, but haven't been able to catch many games this year. I promise to do better next season, although Colleen (their mom) assured me that most of the time they don't notice that she is there.
9. Ryan totally finished our roof. Woohoo!! Next year will be knocking out a wall, building a deck, and if I am really lucky, new carpet. I'm glad Ryan is ambitious, because when it comes to the actual work of home improvement, I am a little lazy;)
10. For the second time this year, Ryan had a nasty case of strep and a double kidney infection. They caught this one before it got really bad and gave him a shot that resulted in him swearing up a storm. He has been obssessing about a better way to give the shot if he ever has to have it again. Good thing that he is usually on the other end of the needle!

Well, that is all for now. I promise to post pictures soon. We took some really cute ones of the boys when we were at Brit & Kody's. However, I am taking advantage of the fact the Ryan is in Boise and I can actually go to bed before midnight. BTW--five new temples! And how cool is the one in Rome?