Olympic Fever

For the past week I can't seem to look away from the TV screen. Every night I get sucked into the Beijing Olympic Games and am amazed at the power and abilities of all the athletes competing. Most of the time I marvel at swimmers like Michael Phelps who continually shatters Olympic records and is now the most awarded athlete in Olympic history. I was also thrilled and thoroughly amazed by Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson when they won Gold and Silver at the All-Around Gymnastics competition. So many people participating show so much strength and endurance it's no wonder we place such an emphasis on the Olympics and what a spectacle they truly are.

Something else that is refreshing to see is a sportsmanship that prevails at the Games. Although every nation is reaching for the same goal, they all seem to embrace each other, no matter the outcome or the setbacks. The prowess of Michael Phelps at these Games is certainly something for the recordbooks (winning a race by .01 sec.) but something that is truly impressive is how he handles himself in the public eye. He, like much of the US Team is going for the gold, but that are also truly representing the USA in a respectful and honorable light. I hope the rest of the Games continue this way and seeing the accomplishments of the USA Team would only be icing on the cake.

Time Flying By

The summer has already flown by, as I knew it would, but that didn't mean we couldn't squeeze in some fun. My summer has mostly been filled with work, or at least as much as I could get, but I also managed to sneak away with the family to Utah for Travis's wedding and also to Washington for a family trip and Open House.

In Utah, the whole family was able to come for the wedding, which is something that is becoming harder and harder to do as everybody's lives are changing. Nonetheless, it was a great time to have everyone there.Travis and Christie coming out of the Temple after their wedding.

Me on baby duty at the Temple. I even got Grant to fall asleep in my arms.

In Washington, it almost felt like coming home, but it just wasn't quite the same. It all seemed so familiar, but has changed so much too. Mom, Dad, James and myself stayed at an old friend's house which also gave us a chance to spend some time in our old haunts. We spent a day in Seattle, hitting our favorite places and even ended the day in Issaquah for some great food at Shanghai Garden. It was a fun trip because we also saw a lot of familiar faces at Travis and Christie's Open House which we had at another old friend's, the Anderson's.

James and me on the Seattle Waterfront.

Part of the family with the Thompson's at Snoqualmie Falls.

Also on our trip to Washington, we stopped off for a few days on the coast at Ocean Shores for a family reunion. It was nice to see everyone again and we had great weather at the beach. There was even a sand castle building contest of sorts.

Uncle Craig's sand creation. It was even better than some in the competition.

James and some of the cousins in the ocean. Although it was a sunny day the water was still freezing.

Lazy Days of Summer

I've started counting down the days until I return to school in Rexburg. Although I love having the opportunity to come home once in a while, I find that as soon as I am settled, I'm already missing the great atmosphere at school. Some scoff when I say I absolutely love going to school in a place like Rexburg, Idaho, but I always adamantly reply that I wouldn't dream of going to school anywhere else. Although, I will consent, the weather is not one of the advantages of going to school there.

So in the mean time, I'm sweltering under the heat in Maricopa, AZ. We've already survived several days over 110 degrees and I pray we don't see many more. Of course you find ways to cope: stay inside as much as possible, every building is air conditioned and drink a lot of water. The worst is going to your car after it's been parked outside for several hours. Nonetheless, you learn to deal with it. Being the youngest child and the last out of the house, I'm also one of the few who returns home in the summer. So it's been just me and my parents, which at times is very quiet and can even be lonely for me. I fill some of my time working in a daycare inside a grocery store. Apparently, it's an odd concept for many people to grasp, but the kids sure love it. Now I'm only getting more and more anxious to return to my home away from home.