For the Love of a child

For the love of animals...Seriously I am trying.

But today is not a day I want Layla the kitty around.

I just found out she's been scratching my furniture downstairs

for a looong time.

I didn't know that the "love" for animals existed until I met Ryan.

He grew up with a kitty named Fluffer and he looooved her for 18 years. (really!)

Then I saw Ashlyn with animals.

She loves every moving creature on this earth.

I didn't know people really truly loved animals that much.

Seriously almost like a child!!!

I have never liked animals. Never. I mean I like them but not enough to really own a pet and google over it.



To me they were just work, money, lots of maintenance ( I already have 4 kids!) and not worth it. (don't hate me animal lovers)

and I guess I have never really understood the bond. But I do understand their is one for people. So I will try.

But I have a daughter who

absolutely adores animals.

She would cry if you killed a spider of even an earwig.

So I am trying.
and I gave her her wish:

A kitty.
Layla the kitty.

And Layla is a beautiful, sweet, and potty trained.


But I walked down the stairs into the bedroom where we have furniture and I saw

Layla scratching and scratching away.

OH no......Not just one couch but two. (well 3 counting upstairs!)

My heart sank. Money down the tube.

I bought the kitty a scratcher and she totally uses it.
But I guess Layla secretly wanted to scratch my furniture too!

Why do animals ruin our stuff?

Maybe some people don't mind, but I think it's not worth it. And I could de- claw her but I think it's mean (unless they are totally indoors)

Okay, that's all.

I needed to vent and I need to not care she just destroyed my pretty furniture...

I will keep trying and put a smile on my face.
For Ashlyn, that's it.

For the love of a child.
I understand.

completely.

Here's some pics of my sad furniture.

and the flash doesn't really show the

millions of threads

sticking out and EVERY corner!!!!!!!


too lazy to rotate...
(Everyone comments on my scratched edges on this couch!)
Sad!

But I will move on and (try) to keep lovin Layla.

Like my little child.

for the love, for the love.....

Ode to July!

Man we have been enjoying summer around here.

(Mace finishing his plate....and we have been eating fresh corn on the cob almost every night!)
But we have been crazy with so much going on.

Like I said earlier,

I thought summer would be s l o w

and sitting at the pool every day

or hitting the parks......... but not really the case.

We have had lots of stuff going on:

Sister trip to St. George, Birthdays, 4th/24th Holiday, Parties, Homecomings, surprise secret sister lunches, late night heart attacks, July 5k runs...

Brett and Brie turned 25.

Big celebration-

quarter of a century

Lots of parties for Brie which I will let her post about.....

this is Angela's back yard. So beautiful!

It was such a fun (surprise) party for B and B.
We all had such a great night hanging out....

No kids! We were able to talk and talk!
Soft candles and lighting.

Warm summer air. It was sooo nice.

I am so jealous of Brett and Ang's backyard!!!
Mature landscaping everywhere.
It was such a pretty sight...

good job Angela on planning the party!ahh Brett and Brie are such cute twinners.....25 ! Earlier that day, we had Secret sister for Brie .
Which included the best chicken salad and then

"smart cookies."
Honestly the most divine sweetest sugar cookie made. We all just kept eating thinking we should stop, but NOPE. It was great!









So our month of July has been F A B U L O U S. You all know my love for July is like love for chocolate, I can't get enough. I don't want to let it go and creep towards fall, but we will have some great memories.

Thanks July!

the 24th

the 4th of July fireworks hanging with the fam....and cousin love sister trip to start the month off!

My lovely Birthday!
and Mom and Dad had their official Homecoming.

Wow.

Lots and lots of people came that day.
M and D gave the greatest talks.
They served 3 years valiantly and blessed the lives of hundreds of missionaries.

(Their mission was the highest, (yes the H I G H E S T) baptizing mission in A L L of North America.

and my Parents almost D O U B L E D the number of baptisms during their 3 years of service. awesome. (My day would NEVER of told us that. The area Seventy did!)

But their talks were sweet and we were all teary eyed by the end.

So much sacrifice of time, family, money and service, but in the end,

it was all worth it! They brought many to the gospel.
I really appreciate their good examples to me and especially my kids.









There were tons of missionaries, relatives, friends and

family gathered at the Mountain House....
it was great to see so many people we hadn't seen in a long time.

It was also a little crazy and loud at times but it was a great day..

At one point, my M and D and the missionaries gathered in the front room and they started singing the classic missionary song:

Called to Serve.....
The room was full of proud missionaries and their deep voices filled the room...

I could hear it from outside!

Gotta say, it was pretty darn cool to feel the spirit of all those missionaries.

Giving up 2 years of the "prime" of their life is amazing and they wouldn't use the words giving up, they would say it was an

"H O N O R to serve the Lord."

Cool. simply cool.

Food,food and more food.

The Elders can eat! Good thing we all brought lots.

They all talked and talked about their mission experience. It was such a great day!

Good job M and D.

The grandkids hanging out.
They were having a good time running in and out of the house and playing.

Ry and I have had both sets of parents gone and honestly it has been great to have just our little family together.

WE have grown so close.

We have really missed our parents but on the other hand, we have enjoyed holidays and Sundays with just us.

But we are excited to have them all back too!

So today at the pool us girls were talking about

how great this summer

has been and how their is only 4 more weeks till school starts.

WE have just looooved summer and are

so sad to see schedules and homework returning.

We were talking about all the holidays, bdays, parties..etc.

It really has been great. And I guess it's okay that school and sport schedules return....

BUT and it's a big but

We have the Beach House to look forward to in Sept!!!!!

and that gets us through it!!

Sooooooooooo excited. yes we are.

Plans have already been made for

late night fishing,

eating at Ruby's on the pier,

early morning walks on the beach,

looking for sand dollars at high tide

and hanging with the cousins all day in the sun-

and watching the sun set behind the oceans waves

seriously can't wait.

yay!

So thanks to July for such a great run!

I really do love you!

Till next July...

Jillian l.o.v.e (with a post EDit)

~~~~Love, Love, Love~~~~

Love is in the air!

or is it not?

Tonight, once again is the Bachelor finale.

And yes, we are havin' a party for Jillian.....

you betcha'

girls night over here....

who's she going to pick?

Cute Ed? but nooo chemistry with his little green shorts-

Kiptyn? Cute sensible guy, but not quite sold hmmm....maybe it's his name-

or, or, OR

It's gonna be Reid. I know it. He's coming back and he's proposing.

He's going to ask her before she even makes her move.

That's my guess.

But we will see won't we.

Why don't you come on over and enjoy some good t.v. and of course lots of treats to go with it.

That's half the party!

I'm off to make the sugar cookies....yum!

and I enlisted some help from the cute girlies.....

(who are so not allowed to watch)

treats treats treats!

oh yeah.

Post Edit:

ahem. I was wrong. Question:

does anyone else think Jilllian made a HUGE mistake with picking

bo-ring Ed?

We knew it when they edited Kiptyn as the winner....

and poor Jillian sweatin' in her pink wedding dress in the sun sending home

2 G R E A T guys that loved (well not real love) her.

Reid looked adorable in his white converse shoes with his messy suit..She should of taken the bait and the better ring...

But nope. Ed. crowned the final rose.....

but all I know if I had a guy that claimed to like me BUT couldn't quite show it with all the necessary means,

I'd be a R U N N I N'.

I think Jill will be a runnin as soon as pink shirt (what??), green shorts (more what??) boy comes clean! yay.

good show but sooo tired of the disappointment. will it stop me? don't think so. till next season...

"This is the Place"

Pioneer Day July 24th!

(Salt Lake temple was completed in April of 1893. It took 40 years to complete the S.L temple.
The temple was hand built with granite rock brought in from Little Cottonwood canyon.

A 4 day walk with horse and wagon..wow!

(real pic taken in early 1900's)

Happy Birthday Utah!

After the death of Joseph's Smith in Cartharge Jail in 1844, the Saints decided to move West to avoid more persecution.

With Brigham Young as their leader, the Mormon pioneers traveled 1000 miles across the treacherous plains

and over the Rocky mountains and finally

arrived at the Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24th, 1847.

Looking over the vast valley Brigham Young declared,

"This is the Place."

Utah was born.

WE love our Utah and take pride in our State.


Here are some pics of our festivities!

Headed over to Brooke and Johnny's for this years 24th party~



Summer night, smokin barbeque's, home made root beer, fireworks, sparklers

~THE.PICTURES. SAY. IT. ALL~
summer lovin' had me a B L A S T!

No illegals...promise!

(Bill put on a great show!!)
The kids were playing the night away....
Hanging with the fam and watching the fireworks
I love this pic of the kids.

Perfect summer night.

Mace man running around

with the 6 pack.

The classic Jake and Lexi pic!

(they WILL get married someday)

Ashlyn watching over little Jackson

while Emily was with Claire up at Primary's.

Uncle John had the best water/ land roto 6 wheeler-machine!

The kids loved it!
Hit of the night!

Kids looooved Uncle John.

He took them on rides! Jake's pure joy.

RY hangin' out.

Mace and Cade obsessed with their little man chairs
some of the girls

I don't know what we were doing...Amber took the pic!
I love this pic of Misty and Brooke on the 24th last year.
Thanks Brooke and John for a G R E A T night!
You were F A B U L O U S hosts!

(last year pic at Brooke and John's party...)

Love our Utah!

What a night!

Happy Pioneer Day!