We ❤️ Summer

LuLu's a teenager! (It's official: we now have 5 teenagers at home.)

Summer is usually in FULL-FORCE come June in Utah. 

And we LOVE that.

Summer in Utah means hotter weather (usually 90-100 degrees); swim time; longer days (sundown is usually 9pm); lake time; and lots of fun celebrations . . .

--Father's Day
--Dave and I both have brothers with bdays
--LuLu celebrates a bday
--Dave and I celebrate our wedding anniversary (25 years THIS YEAR!)
--and I celebrate a bday, too

It's a good time.

Thank goodness for the changing seasons--they sure do make you appreciate CHANGE.

Happy Birthday LuLu. We are so glad you are FINALLY a teenager (and we love you so very much).

Lu and her friend J--at her bday celebration.

Lu planned and prepped for her party ALL on her own: water games, sand volleyball, pizza, cake . . . it was great.

Like "Duck, Duck, Goose," only "Drip, Drip, Splash."

Water balloon games.

Teenagers have ZERO mercy when it comes to water balloons.

Lu loves Costco cake.
(Translation: she's had it for breakfast this week.)


ZuZu and Papaya made Lu's family bday cake: It says "Happy Birtday"--oops.

Even though Lu likes cake for breakfast, we did have healthy donuts on her actual bday. (Talk about sugar. Holy cow.)


This is how Dave and I celebrate 25 years of marriage: by making a fort in our backyard and finding some time together to JUST BE. (It was actually awesome, even if it looks hilarious with my tablecloth tethered to our fence.)

Bam and M play in the lake by our home.
(Bam and Papaya are blessed to tend this amazing toddler each week.)


More with McK.

As I look at these photos, I'm reminded of just how TIRING toddlers are! ("More, more, more! Again, again, again!)

Handsome Dave: 25 years and still looking like a baby-face.
(PS: Not our baby, but Dave at a wedding holding his step-sister's bambino.)
(PPS: The big inside joke at our home: Dave loves babies. Like LOVES them.)

My anniversary card from Dave. I love it.


Popular posts from this blog

Giveaway Time: Retro Popcorn Machine (Air)

Image
(c) Nostalgia, 2011. I know microwave popcorn is WAY convenient and tasty, but it's not that healthy for you. So ... I thought it would be fun to giveaway an air-popped popcorn machine. And this is the one I own, so I thought we could be twins! Giveaway begins today and ends at 11:59pm on 2/24    (Friday, Mountain Time). Dawn's Blog Giveaway Rules 1. Anyone may enter.  Family, friends, in-laws, out-laws, previous winners, etc. 2. You enter by leaving a comment on my blog. Leave a comment--any comment--between today,  February 17 and February 24, 2012 @ 11:59pm. 3. One winner per giveaway: 1 Nostalgia Air Popped Popcorn Machine (red). I didn't win the million, sorry! 4. Winner is selected RANDOMLY using Random.org. The comments are numbered in the order they are received. 5. Winner will be named--first name/username--only on the blog on February 1. You may enter under anonymous, but I will have a ...
Read more

When The Flu Comes To Town ...

Image
Even Harriet-the-dog threw up this weekend. What the what? Well, if there's anything positive about having the flu, it's having it over a weekend--so you can truly REST from your work/school/etc. Right? Uh, sure. Poor Bam, Dave, Zu and even Harriet-the-dog each caught a weird cold/flu-type thing that had them "down for the count" this weekend. It was awful. I was teasing Dave, but I'm not sure if it's worse to be the one with the flu--or the mom to the ones with the flu. Eeek! (We're talking a lot of laundry and disinfectant. If you're picking up what I'm layin' down.) Hopefully they will be on the mend here soon. And hopefully, the remaining non-flu family members have used enough Purell to keep us germ-free. Crossing my fingers. Hope your weekend was 'smarvelous. ***** PS: Booo. BYU lost this weekend. (Yay if you are a Ute fan--Liz B.) PPS: Not that it's a big deal in the Big Picture, but I did deactivate ...
Read more

Recipe: Survivor South Pacific's " Ponderosa Caramel Banana Pancakes"

Image
(c) Sassafras Cafe, 2012. It's taken me a year to get the recipe (literally).  But here it is:  Chef Simon's  Survivor South Pacific  Ponderosa Caramel Banana Pancakes Ingredients Equal quantities of:  Soft fine dark brown sugar Unsalted Butter Full cream Sliced bananas (say bah-nah-na w/ an Australian accent please) Hot pancakes  Directions 1. Combine butter and sugar together over low heat,  2. Add cream stir with wooden spoon till combined  3. Add sliced bananas. 4. Slowly heat; don't boil. 5. Add to hot pancakes and e njoy ! Me, at Survivor South Pacific's Ponderosa, 2011. (Ponderosa is the location where players stay once they leave the game.)
Read more