July Flew By

I am amazed at how quickly this month has gone! I am not ready for August, it means work will start ramping up again and additional crazy hours. In the meantime though, I have loved July! I’ve done many fun things so let’s begin.

Time Off
One of my off-Fridays I got to enjoy with Tabby. She is a teacher and doesn’t have a summer job so we get to play whenever I’m off and she’s home. We went for a long rollerblading ride, then I found a cheap table on Craigslist. We needed a new one because Liz was taking hers. I found this one for only $75! It’s been a little loved, but I couldn’t pass up the price. We can even add two leaves to it and easily fit 8 people. Later that afternoon, Smiles came and played games with us and we went to Bishop’s house for homemade pizza night. I made a special crust without the wheat and several other people helped me eat it. I am so glad I was able to bring it to share. It was the closest thing to real pizza I have had in over 6 months. Yummy!

My table

Me and Jenny, eating my special pizza.

Bishop and his wifey making pizza.

Hiking
Saturday, July 16, we went on a ward hike to Devil’s Head. The main attraction is the lookout tower at the top where you can see all the mountain ranges. What beautiful views! I enjoyed the hike, it was shorter and easier than my usual routes which was a nice change. We did have to climb 143 stairs to get to the tower. I enjoyed getting to know the wardies better. I was happy to be welcomed to the Ancient and Honorable Order of Squirrels by the same ranger who has been there for the last 32 years. That evening, we had a BBQ, played lawn games, chatted, and watched Sandlot with the projector. I was reminded how funny that movie is…I caught a lot more jokes than I did as a kid.

Tabby and the stairs.

Anna, Me, and Tabitha

The hut.

The guy who initiated me into the squirrels. 

Anna, Tabby, and Brother Farmer

Look at the view behind me! 

Pirates’ Cove

We had a regional FHE at a small waterpark nearby called Pirate’s Cove. It was a cloudy evening and a little chilly, but it reminded me how much I love being outside in the water. I could go down slides and run up the stairs to do it again all evening. We spent some time running around the kids splash area and diving boards as well. I feel like lazy rivers are overrated so I didn’t spend much time there. On the last few times down the slides, I raced people. To make the last run of the night exciting, I challenged Smiles to see how many times we could spin before getting to the bottom. He went down first, and started the slide sitting crisscross applesauce. What? I laughed pretty hard with the lifeguard, then as my competitive-self went down the slide laying and spinning…I got about 30 by the time I was at the bottom, boy was I dizzy! He said he lost count…oops.

First Major League Baseball Game

The day after Pirate’s Cove, we went to the Rockies Game. Tabitha and I rode the train into downtown, which was really awesome. It had been a pretty rotten day at work, so I was grateful for some quiet time on the train. As we started to walk towards the stadium, the rain came in and as we arrived it was a downpour! We hurried to shelter and quickly found our other ward members. The game was delayed an hour and forty minutes! When the rain cleared up, they squeegeed the field, then sprayed it down with water, then let the teams warm up, and finally the game started. I only stayed for about 1.5 innings, I knew I needed to get to sleep. I enjoyed the little bit of the game I did see, but looking forward to a sunnier game in the future.

Longmont

My trips to Longmont always boost my spirits! I am so blessed to have family close, especially my sister. I needed some sister time and I could tell she did too, so on Friday I headed up to Longmont with Tabby. Tabby also needed a break from being home so it was a multi-purpose trip. Katey and I stayed up wayyyy too late chatting that night after we arrived. Saturday morning came early but it was filled with fun! We started with rollerblading and bike riding, then headed to the nearby pool. This pool had big slides, a beach walk in, and diving boards. We had a blast playing in the water!! I love being in water outside and it was the most perfect weather! I am thankful for the Merrill’s sharing some fun with us. We went shopping during naps, played with the girls for a bit longer then headed home for Liz’s bachelorette party.

Kylee with her two-wheeler. 

Riding like a champ.

This girl can capture your heart with one smile. 

Wearing Aunt Kitt's rollerblades is a hot topic. 

These two girls 

Photo Scavenger Hunt

For FHE, we had a photo scavenger hunt. I thought my team was totally going to lose…but, we won! We were a pretty indecisive team and took a while to get going. We spent all our time in the grocery store and a shopping center near the church. We were late getting back so we got docked points. Luckily, we got high point pictures taken which made up for the errors. We were pretty excited when we won! Here are some fun pics.

Cat’s Wedding

On July 29, 2016 my best friend from my childhood was sealed in the Gilbert temple. Caitlin Peterson and I were besties, she is the first friend I remember having. She waited to be baptized until I was turned eight and we could be baptized on the same day. When we moved the Gila Valley, she moved to Prescott. During the summers, they occasionally met us in Flagstaff and stayed at a hotel with us when Dad was in conferences. I remember going and staying with her in Prescott once as well. We lost contact probably when we were about 12. During my junior year of high school, we had the state tournament in Prescott. So, before my first game, I looked up her dad in the phone book and gave his clinic a call. They came to my games that year and we’ve connected about every year since. It was a treat to be invited to her sealing and it was the first live sealing I’ve witnessed! A very special day. I am grateful for her family and their kindness they still show me. Her grandpa still remembers picking us up from school, I barely remember that. I was grateful to also be able to spend a fun day with Mom and Dad in Phoenix. I also got to see Aunt Liz, she cut my hair and experimented in her lab with some bleached highlights which are very fun. I kept having to remind myself I wasn’t going home, but what a great time it was!

Cat and Kitt 

Their first dance.

The view of Sky Harbor.

July is over and August has brought more fun, stay tuned.

Peace out.

-the tall girl