What I Did on My Summer Vacation

I can't believe it's been a month since I took my trip to Utah and I'm just now posting about it.  I think it's because it's taken me this long to catch up on things around here and have a moment to sit down and write.  When I came home, I could hardly find the garden for all the weeds and after two weeks of spending time on my hands and knees, I almost have it under control.  Almost.  And then there was the Patriot's Camp, where I volunteered to teach for a few days.  That turned out to be tons of fun, but a lot of work! Yesterday, I pulled the beets and today I pickled them and put them in jars.  There's always something to be doing, right?  And I love it!

I did  have a wonderful vacation.  The main event and real purpose of the trip, was to attend my sister's wedding.  (We didn't plan to dress alike, but it appears we have similar taste.)  Upon arrival, we had a few days to get everything ready, and I'm glad I could be there to help her.  She had worked very hard to make everything lovely for her special day.   So I didn't have too much to do...

I took pictures while Sherri and Dad assembled the cake.  I didn't inherit the cake decorating gene.

We arranged beautiful flowers

and set up tables and chairs.

I helped hang lanterns from the trees.  Aren't these so pretty?

I took lots of pictures of the bride getting ready for her big day.

It was a perfect evening and the wedding and reception turned out just as she had hoped it would.  Sherri was a lovely bride!

Best wishes to the happy couple- Ken and Sherri Sager.  I was happy I could be there to celebrate with them.

This is Ken's family.  I sure love these folks.  You can go here to read more about them.  And the story of how we met in Israel and now are one big family...well, it's too long to tell.  But it's an interesting story....

While the newlyweds spent some time honeymooning, I went to my dear friend Jeannee's home to hang out with her for a few days.  I love going to j'Nae's because we have so much fun together!   Each morning, we joined a group of her friends for walking.   What amazing views!  I had to keep stopping to take pictures, so I got a little extra exercise, running to catch up with the group.

I wondered if they realized how blessed they are to live in such a beautiful place.  Sometimes we get used to the beauty and take it for granted. I live in a beautiful place too, and have been guilty of doing just that.  But lately, I've been trying really hard to notice beauty wherever I am.  Counting blessings and keeping a gratitude journal helps keep me focused.

The morning we walked in Provo Canyon was the highlight for me.  Love this place!

With our exercise out of the way, we were ready to spend time in the kitchen.  Don't you exercise so you can eat?  For me and j'Nae, this is our idea of a play day!

I learned how to make artisan bread,

bagels,

and cracker bread.  All three were absolutely amazing and I'm going to blog about them soon!

What else did we do?  Well, we made a dress.  I know!  I couldn't believe it when I mentioned to my friend that I had been wanting to look for a dress pattern and try my hand at sewing this summer.  We were out doing some shopping and went into a fabric store just to see what they had.  Before I knew what had happened, we had a pattern, fabric, zipper and were headed home to make a dress!  Now, in all honesty, I observed more than I sewed.  I did pay close attention to my teacher,

and did whatever I was asked.

A few times I actually sat behind the machine and drove.  And I almost put the zipper in by myself. Scary!!

When I left, I had a new dress.  I was so excited!  I love this style, which seems to be everywhere in the stores this year, but usually they are a little short for my taste.  This one is exactly what I wanted.  I plan to dress it up with a jacket or cardigan, maybe a pretty scarf...   So  many possibilities.   And did I mention that we made this dress?  I came home with a pattern for a cute skirt, which I plan to try next.  And I'll be on my own for that one.

We were able to fit in a temple session at the Mt. Timpanogos temple.  

 LaRon (j'Nae's sweet hubby) treated us to several restaurant meals.  Yum!

All of that in three days.  Then I went back to spend time with Sherri and Ken.  First stop was at their favorite burger restaurant.  It was awesome!  In fact, I've thought about that burger a few times since I've been home.  I did some seriously good eating on this vacation.

Sherri and I went hiking in the snow.

We hadn't been on the trail five minutes when we met this guy.  Well, hello.

It looks cold, but it was 67 degrees on this day and perfect for hiking.  I loved it and was sad when we had to stop and go home...

Back at Sherri's, it was time for more lessons in the kitchen.  Ken's a master bread baker and he and Sherri make quite the pizza making team.  He taught me how to toss the dough and then they made wonderful pizzas for dinner.

This one was my favorite!

And, I learned how to make stromboli.  Don't be jealous. I'm going to teach you, too.

I think they should consider opening their own restaurant....

I also went to a baseball game,

with this fun crowd.

and Mom and Dad Sager.  Baseball is BIG with the Sagers.  I had a great time.  I ate a hotdog and peanuts and sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"- all those things you're supposed to do at a baseball game.  The Bees lost, but it was fun anyway.

Finally, it was time to head home.  I had been blessed with ten wonderful days.  Yes, I came home from this vacation quite rested.  Okay, not at all rested!  But that's the way I like to vacation.  I want to cram as much fun and memories into my days as possible.  And whenever I go to Utah, that's exactly what happens.  I can rest at home, right?

We Have Another Boy!

On June 22, 1986, our second son was born.  Far away from family, in a New Hampshire hospital, I felt scared and nervous.  It had been a little less than two years since the last time I'd been through this and I vividly remembered the long hours of labor it took me to bring a child into this world.  Because ultrasounds weren't a part of standard prenatal care, as they are now, we didn't know until he made his appearance that we had another son.  That moment when you've pushed for the last time and the doctor announces the gender of your child, ranks as a high point in this mother's life.  We were thrilled to have another boy, a brother for Travis.

And oh man, was he a cutie.

 His blonde hair and blue-gray eyes were a winning combination.

 Curiosity often getting the best of him,

he tried hard to keep up with big brother (who quite possibly talked him into climbing into the dishwasher?).  No, Travis would never do that!

Maybe I should have guessed that he would end up with a music career, when he was the only two year old in the primary talent show.  I loved those cute overalls and little red sneakers.   I don't even remember what he was singing, he might have just been standing there looking cute.  But the microphone was all his and he got the applause!

Uh, oh......  Isn't that an adorable picture and can't you just feel his frustration?

Dillon was pretty happy when Jantzen came along a few years later and he became a big brother.  Yep, now we had three great boys.  I love the expression on Jantzen's face, just hanging out.  As the years passed, those two would grow into the best of friends.

Dillon enjoyed all the things most little boys love.  He played sports, was a cub scout, liked camping and fishing and playing in the woods.  He went through an art period and drew pictures of the Tasmanian Devil on everything. 

And he was a fan of Miss Frizzle and the Magic School Bus.  We all were.  That was one of the coolest shows ever.  Even back then, he was a Rockies fan.

As a senior in high school, he had the lead role in the musical, Foot Loose.  I still remember the first time I heard him sing, how surprised I was.  That boy could really sing!  I went to every performance and smiled through each show.  This was a new side of Dillon that I had never seen before. Singing and acting?

After high school, came a NOLS trip to Mexico with Jantzen.

and lots of other outdoor adventures, including hiking sections of the AT.

In and out of bands all through high school (you wouldn't believe how many practices we had in our basement, if I told you), Dillon finally settled on a sound and a band that has become a career path for him.  Moving to Colorado, he joined Jantzen and together they formed Old North State.  I've always loved that they named their band after their North Carolina home.

I think it would be fair to say, at this point, music is his life.  I've been impressed with his tenacity to stick with that dream, when most people would have thrown in the towel.  It's a hard, competitive industry, but it's what he loves and he works at it nonstop.  Traveling across the country, driving through the night or sleeping in the trailer, and often going too long between meals, he's paid the price.  A mom could easily lose some sleep, worrying about how her musician sons are faring, if she didn't believe in the power of prayer!  Whenever I see Dillon pull out his guitar and perform, I'm happy that he's following his dream.   I think back to a time when this little boy struggled with a speech impediment, and we made weekly visits to the speech therapist who helped him with his stuttering.   Now, he performs confidently before audiences and gives radio interviews with ease.  He's really quite amazing.

In sorting through pictures for this blog post, I noticed that I tend to hold on to Dillon, maybe hoping to keep this wandering son around a little more often?  I totally get that desire to be on the road though.

See?  I gotta grip on that boy!

What a great young man, he's become.  Such a fun loving spirit, he makes me laugh.

He's hanging out more in NC these days, and I'm happy about that.  I can count on seeing him at least once a week, as he's become a real fan of family Sunday dinners.  But tonight, he will be performing in Utah and enjoying time with friends.  I love getting a text from him every few days, just to hear, "I miss you mom." And bright and early this morning, I received this one. "Hey, we're doing a night drive.  2 hours out of Ogden on I-80.  Just wanted to let you know.  Love and miss you." I'll wake up early any time for that!   He's a thoughtful, considerate son and a blessing to our family.  I sure do love him.

Happy Birthday Dillon!
Hope you have a fabulous day.