Ode to the Summer

I have a feeling that this blog thing will be much like my journaling habits... sometimes excruciatingly detailed (he said... and then I said..., and then his face did this one thing.. and then I felt... and then I said...) and other times, it is like I have a mental sticky note, I need to write about llama fest and camping and making cobbler and going to Oregon and... Yet I still don't write it until months have past and in the end, instead of multiple entries and details that make entertaining stories, really it is just a really long run on sentence trying to make sure that I don't miss anything that I was supposed to document...

Thus we now have the Ode to the Summer.... This is the culmination of a fabulous first married summer. I'll start with what was my driving motivation to enter the blogging world in the first place... The Llama Fest. This is a well earned tradition in my book. One of those adventures where the memories and the stories you tell about it are probably better than the real thing.. I've been telling Bobby about it since we first started dating. Who can pass up watching Llama's run an obstacle course? So Bobby had his inaugural year. He was even a good sport when I told him that I was going to pay additional money to purchase "llama food" because it isn't a true experience unless you pet the llamas and let them eat out of your hand. However, he was quick to inform me that although he would be a good sport about letting me do it, he had NO intention of touching or feeding a llama.


So of course, the pictures here are because he DID give in and decided to touch AND feed the llama and let me take a picture of it! (I think secretly, I was not getting rid of the food fast enough and he wanted out of the llama pin, so he took it into his own hands!)

And then there is all the good summer food! After seeing pictures of Jeanie's blackberry cobbler... making Bobby look at the pictures too... I kept hearing about the famous Grandma's cobbler recipe.. (pictures and recipe included on Jeanie's blog http://ninijeanie.wordpress.com/2007/07/12/cobbler//2007/07/12/cobbler/) Based on Mom Porters recommendation that it is delicious when you use half wheat and half white flour.. I was finally able to drag Bobby to the Lehi Roller Mills to purchase fresh wheat flour (with the double bonus that now he wouldn't have an excuse to not make me wheat pancakes!!) and Viola! The fruits of my flirtation with the possibility of being a baking woman!

My second adventure with the cobbler was done in true dutch oven glory (although I can't take the credit as Sarah was the one who put the ingredients together before the camp out)Bobby did his job well as the dutch oven

I had a great time playing with the kiddos and eating lots of mallows and had an even greater time watching Lisee try to roast mallows for everyone and really just drop them all in the dirt, pick them back up and try to convince you to eat them.

Patrick's Point had many adventures... though it appears that we documented mostly those having to do with food... Including Sarah's sacrifice of her cake pans for our breakfast cooking needs..

But there were other beauties to explore, including Agate beach. As determined as they were, Bobby and Ethan struggled to find agates in this gaping wound of a hole they dug (though the rest of us seemed to be effortlessly finding them just sifting our hands through the sand!)

Last week we had an amazing lightning storm and the weather has been cooling down. A reminder that summer is almost over (and if I still want to call this post an Ode to the Summer, I better finish it soon!) As I was getting ready for work, I figured that the thunder must have surely at least caused Bobby to stir a LITTLE. NO. After about 20 minutes, I am curious to see the lightning attached to the storm. I go in to the bedroom and find Bobby still sleeping soundly, face right next to the window, which is rattling due to the loud thunder. But I woke him up and we sat mesmerized by the beauty of the lightning. So much so that I went to work a half hour later than usual because that is how long we stared out of our window. (although Bobby repeatedly said, okay, I want to see one more good lightning and then I'll get in the shower!!) I wish I had an awesome picture of the lightning... but I didn't think to bring out the camera.

And now that I've rambled for a really long time, (as promised) Ill finish off my tribute to the summer in list fashion with some great pictures of our adventures.

The 4th of July, complete with a field trip to the hot air balloon launch with the Norris Family (which I love because being with little kids allows me to get all excited and act like I'm 5 years old, without getting the weird looks!) As well as fireworks and sparklers with friends.

And no summer would be complete without hiking in the gorgeous canyons (sponsored by the color green... my favorite color) Which, I must say, will have to happen far more often next summer!