Summer so far

 

Well, we're two weeks in. So far there's been a lot of late nights, sleeping in (yay), Netflix, book reading, projects, yard work and goofing around. And I'm beginning to think that Madelyn needs a few more activities because she has a lot of pent up energy/emotion....I'm starting to appreciate her school teachers more and more....

 

 This is her friend Kelty, who stopped by to visit. They were babies together but Kelty lives north of SLC now. They always have a lot of fun together, I wish we saw her more often!

We finally took the kids to the new playground at Main Street Park (which only had one very pitiful slide and swing set before). That's Luke at the bottom of that giant slide. He couldn't be bothered with the play area geared towards kids his actual age. 

 

Madelyn (in blue) monkeyed around like a pro. Mark had the nickname of "Monkey" when he was a kid for the same reasons.

The weather was great but we still got toasty, so we walked across the street for snow cones.

 It just happened to be the snow cone shop's grand opening, so we also got free hamburgers and hot dogs. Score!

Madelyn decided that she wanted to take ballet again, so for the summer she's going once a week to On Stage studio. She mostly just likes the costumes and performances, but I don't think they do that during the summer term.

Her teacher is my dance/Pilates teacher Anne Basel, who is from Australia and is completely fabulous.

After class, she and Luke lounged some more on our couch cushions (slipcovers were in the wash).

Then two days ago, we had a big party at our house. Mark invited five of the people he works with and their families to come for a Mexican potluck. There was SO MUCH food!!

Addison

Jeff and Lindsey

Megan, Brady and Chad

Addison and Brooke

Daniel and Megan

These are "the guys". Clinton, Mark, Chad and Daniel. They all work at the clinic together, and Clinton and Chad are moving away in the next couple of weeks to go to PA school in Arizona and Ohio. Mark is partly responsible for them going. He has become really close with them, playing disc golf all last summer and playing XBox with them several times a week all year round. Luckily (or unluckily for me and their wives), they'll still be able to play XBox online together even when they move away. Although perhaps their studies will take up more of their time...

Mark gave them a little grad school pep talk (Daniel isn't going to be a PA, but he'll be getting his MBA, and Jeff is also going to be a PA eventually) and it was, "There are going to be times when you get really discouraged and want to quit. Just remember--you're in too much debt to turn back now." Hahahahahaha
The guys were like, "........oh."

But really though, we ended up with $150,000 in grad loans from PA school (not including credit cards and the other $10,000 we already had in undergrad loans), so those guys are going to need all the help they can get! Good luck, boys!!!