Hiking Timp

This weekend the boys hiked Timp. I was invited but declined after a week of literally running around 3 school with no air conditioning. That would be 100 degree weather most days. Everyone was getting sick and I too got a little sick, so no Timp this year for me. The boys left Salt Lake at 5:30, called me at 12:00 when they reached the summit, and got home exhausted at 5:00. Wow a long hike but very beautiful. It was so crowded they had to park a mile away from the trail head. Good job guys!

Professor Brad Dennis

Tomorrow is Brad's 1st day of teaching at the University of Utah. He will be teaching Political Thought in Islam and has been scrambling to finish his syllabus. I won't be at home to take a picture of him like a good wife, as I will be getting heat exhaustion in our 100 degree no air-conditioned utah elementary schools, but I imagine he will look something like this guy minus the hair and mustache. A vest and purple tie would make him the coolest prof. Good luck with the first day of class Brad and remember to go to the right class and professor is spelled with two s's. - Don't pull a Moseby. Love you

Welcome Home Josh

The first hug was moms

meeting Forrest

He brought comfy slippers and hats from Chile

Just a little taller

We missed you "little one"
You have served a worthy mission
Welcome Home

July 2011

Summers are for...

Hanging out at the SLC Art Festival

Summer concerts in the park

Eating hot dogs at the Bee's games

Mountain Biking, Hiking, and Running

Climbing Trees

Snow cones at the city festivals

4th of July Jefferson breakfast

4th of July with the Dennis family

Sugarhouse fireworks

Pool parties

Parades

Funnel cakes

Projects projects projects, Tightwad tuesdays for dollar movies, Making our blog into a book, Perfecting mercimek corbasi (lentil soup), graduating to being a family with a Costco membership, actually having annuals survive the hot summer, deciding perrenials are the way to go in the future, Mary's vacation to Hogwarts and the end of an era with the last Harry Potter movie, Brad preparing for teaching classes at the U, holding our new nephew baby Forrest, and taking our older niece and nephews for ice cream and hiking.

What a fun and productive summer!

The Lovely Month of June

We have been having a "Walden" movement this month and trying to better enjoy nature and little things like feeding ducks, bike rides, walks, and visiting with friends. Walking around our beautiful Holladay neighborhood has been our favorite, it reminds us of how much we would walk in Istanbul though the scenery is much different. A walk or bike ride after dinner is now what is needed to complete a lovely summer day.

My roses were another favorite of this month. I just love putting together a bouquet and enjoying them all week.

We put up our lights and planted some pretty flowers in our patio. We've enjoyed dinner parties and otterpop hangouts back here all month. Knock on wood- the bees have not found us yet this year.

I have to document a scary event. While taking the dogs to Tanner park this little Odin went too close to the water and FELL IN! I was watching Link and looking the other way when I heard a splash. Adrenaline kicked in and I assessed the situation in 1 second, realized the current would take him down the creek and to his death in a few moments so I jumped in and swam after him. Happily a few minutes later he was in my arms. Scary!!!!! Thank goodness and what a blessing. I love that little dog.

The best news of all this month came June 24th as this little bundle of love- Forrest Jefferson, son of Jon and Laura Jefferson, entered our family.

We love you little guy. Welcome to our family.

Celebrating 3 years of our love

May 27 2011 marks our 3rd wedding anniversary. We celebrated in style with dinner downtown and a Broadway show. My favorite book is Les Miserables and I have waited and waited until Les Mis came back on broadway to see the famous production. Brad gave me tickets for my birthday in February and I started to re-read my favorite book. So incredibly powerful and still my favorite book. The broadway production was incredible but the book was more meaningful. However, I will never forget the tear jerking solos of On My Own and Who am I and the beautiful duet A Little Fall of Rain. I think in writing this story Hugo, among many other lessons, reminds us all that the thing that matters most in life is having god in your life and love. I feel so blessed to have both with my testimony and my sweet Brad. I hope we both reflect on that every anniversary.

The Annual Jefferson Service Project

This year instead of doing our family service project during the Christmas season where everyone has crazy schedules and too much going on, we decided to do it in the less chaotic springtime. We cut strips into I don't know how many fleece blankets for an elementary school I work at to do a service project later in the year. The kids will tie the fleece blankets and then donate them to a homeless shelter for families. We enjoyed the sunshine to spread out and had some yummy wheat waffles afterwards.

The sun also came out for us to enjoy the Living Traditions Festival. We were so excited to find the secret ingredient in the Thai Curry we love so much. We waited all year for that!