Observations

1. When I'm at the office, I create a mental to do list of all the things I plan on doing when I get home from work. When I get home from work I don't want to do anything.

2. I can lose myself for hours taking pictures and editing them on my computer. I grab my camera to go out in the backyard sometimes in the middle of making dinner. It's just something that brings me great joy.

3. I'm starting to understand the phrase "life happens". I think it means that I need to focus more and live in the present moment. This moment right here, this moment, IS my life. I can dream, and I can plan for the future, but I live in this moment. I don't want to miss this moment.

4. Life is all about adjusting to change. I have a five year plan. But that five year plan is based on a lot of what ifs and includes alternate plans.

5. I don't spend too much time looking back. I have good memories and they are triggered by music, locations, people, photos and I'm happy to have them. But I don't dwell there. I did the things I did at any given time in my life because at that moment it was right to me. There is very little I can go back and change and very little I would want to change. I admit sometimes I do wonder how things may have turned out different if I had made different decisions. But acceptance allows me to enjoy my life.

6. I believe that most people are good people. I give them the benefit of the doubt.

7. I love the fact that I have a friend I've known since I was 8 years old. And that years can go by and I can see a college room mate or a dear friend that moved away and we're just friends, like we always have been.

8. Sometimes I go outside in the evening when it's dark and I stand in the street and stare up at the sky. The stars and the moon. Just like I used to do when I was 14 years old and living on Cory Lane. Only now I talk to my Mom and Dad in the night sky. And sometimes I think about people I know living in different states that might also be looking at the exact same stars and moon, and it brings me closer to them.

9. I have recently learned how everything we do in life impacts the next phase of our life. It's all like building blocks, one block at a time. And it takes years before you can step back and see just what all those blocks put together has become. But at the time you might not have understood why that particular block had to go in that particular spot. Then one day it all starts to make sense.

10. I love Saturdays. I am learning that laundry, shopping and cleaning can be done other days too. Sometimes a Saturday is for a haircut, a snow cone at the farmer's market and a lazy afternoon to sit and read.

I wear a little silver ring I bought a couple of years ago, on the outside it says "love life" and inside it says "be brave". Words to live by.

It's an Annual Thing

This thing we call summer vacation. For the last 30 years my family has been meeting one week out of the summer at our family cabin in Island Park, Idaho. My family has been there about 26 times in the last 30 years. I remember being a little girl as the logs to build the cabin were cut down and peeled. This road trip, cabin and the lake are forever embedded in my memory.

When my folks were retired they spent summers at the cabin and family came and went all summer long. There were times when my kids were younger that we would have close to 24 people there during our reunion week. My Dad passed away in June 1998, and weeks after we buried him in Manti we choose to carry on our reunion at the cabin. That first year without Dad was hard. Then 6 years later we lost our Mom. But the cabin reunion tradition continues for those that can make it.

Each year the people attending vary. The little kids have been replaced with the next generation. I stood as my niece and nephew and their families loaded up the car for a trip into Yellowstone Park. What a weird feeling that was. Seems like just last year it was me and my siblings loading up our young kids.

It's great to see the cousins get together and hang out. And always great to meet new great nephews.

This year we had 17 people. People arrived and left at different times. The weather was beautiful, the fish were biting, the food was great. It was a very relaxed vacation.

My husband and I left home on Saturday, June 22nd. We drove from Kent to Boise. That evening we visited my nephew Joe and his family whom we hadn't seen for a couple of years. They were preparing for a road trip vacation to Southern California. And luckily there is a Krispy Kreme donut shop between their house and my sister's house where we were spending the night.

Sunday we headed to Island Park, stopping in Ashton for more groceries. We arrived at the cabin and was welcomed by Sue, Dennis, John, Sarah, Ethan and Austin. Sue and Dennis had a turkey in the oven and all the fixings for dinner.

Monday was a nice quiet day playing with the kids, sewing and more eating. I think we had baked potatoes for dinner that night. The leftover potatoes are then turned into breakfast potatoes which Sue prepares so deliciously.

Monday night Sarah, John and I started painting the upstairs of the boat house which had been beautifully prepped for us by my cousin Russell. We finished the painting on Tuesday. Then Sue and I did a through cleaning and moved beds around with the guys helping with the heavy lifting. Tuesday afternoon Nancy and Emily arrived. We had a pot of chili cooking all day for dinner.

When we awoke on Wednesday morning we discovered Katie, Brent and Eli had arrived. They had driven through the night from Colorado along with their dog Jake. This was my first time meeting Eli who had just turned one. He looks a lot like his Grandpa Rand.

Wednesday night Emily made us Russian and Parmesan chicken with twice baked potatoes. Heidi and Scott showed up shortly after dinner.

Thursday Natalie and Scott showed up in the afternoon. We had Dad's enchilada casserole for dinner followed by the quilt raffle drawings. The beautiful flannel quilt for the friends and family raffle was won by Ian and the batik reunion quilt was won by Scott M.

Then we had our first ever movie night at the cabin. Emily brought her laptop and projector. We duct taped a sheet over the A-Frame windows, rearranged the furniture and watched Goonies.

Friday we had chicken haystacks for dinner. During the week we had cake, caramel corn, Tollhouse bar cookies, chocolate rice crispy treats, watermelon, large breakfasts of pancakes, eggs, bacon, potatoes and fish.

The kids had a good time taking the boats out fishing and drifting in the canoe. There were trips to the landfill, West Yellowstone, Yellowstone Park, the top of Sawtelle, Big Springs, and who knows where else. This is our second year skipping the Playmill. I think the older I get the more I just enjoy staying put at the cabin.

We talked, we sewed, we cleaned, we ate, we played, it was fun having little ones there. I took a lot of great photos. It was a great family vacation.

We left the cabin on Saturday, June 29th and had breakfast with Scott and Natalie at Mack's Inn. We found a great little breakfast restaurant there. Then we headed to Boise. Beating Sue and Dennis home by about 20 minutes. At 5:00 p.m. in Boise it was 100 degrees in the shade. Luckily they have a lovely backyard pool. Dennis, Sue and I enjoyed the pool while Wally basked indoors in the air conditioning.

After a dinner of Papa Murphy's pizza, Wally and I headed to Star to visit Jack and Becky. Dave had come to their house also. It was great to visit with everyone. And chance would have it, Krispy Kreme is also on the way back from Becky's house!

Sunday morning we headed the last 500 miles home. There was lots of traffic and construction on I-90 so the last 90 minutes home turned into 2 1/2 hours. We made it 15 minutes before the kennel closed to pick up Missy.

We were home just before 7 pm. Unpacked some of my stuff, took a long hot bath and went to bed. I have been on vacation all this time and I'm returning back to work tomorrow. I thought I would ease into it while everyone else takes the 5th off.

Happy Summer Vacationing!