mid-july faves

I dont know about you, but I just love summer. I just love, love, love it! I expressed this to sweet Monica today as we were driving home from her dentist appointment; being in the car together with our Jamba Juices, with the sun shining down, with the air conditioner---is the best. I just love getting to hang out with my girls. But another Best for me is being in the garden each morning before anyone is awake. I am going to have oodles of cherry tomatoes in another week. But the tomatoes are only accentuated by the basil planted strategically in front. Basil in the morning air is a rush...and you can't help bumping into it. Sadly, my basil this year is a gruesome sight---but it is doing its part as an air freshener!
James' knee is getting back to normal. Hes' been gimpy for so long, he has to re-learn to walk straight again. I think that is all the Physical Therapy he cares to do.......jk James!
I am also becoming a late-night junkie. I feel like a rebellious teen again and refuse to put myself to bed at a decent hour! This is only self-defeating because I only miss out on the best part of the morning hours when I do that. hee hee

More photos

I wish I could have kept up this blog while on vacation...but the laptop died. I had so much to share with you. I especially wanted to thank my wonderful sister for letting us stay at her home.

Our Utah "break"

Our cabin at Heber Valley Girls Camp. Yep, those are possibly the least comfy beds ever! At least everything was super-clean!

Jenna and me with the oldest hand-crank ice cream dasher I've seen (yep-ours from e-Bay).


How about this scene?? What you don't see is how high in altitude we really are at this Heber Valley Camp. Heavenly-for sure!


These are just a few of the almost 300 photos taken since our Utah spree started 6/21. The girls and I left James at home and drove straight thru to my sister's home in Orem. Whew! The kids loved the speedy trip. I loved having my i-pod musicto keep my fingers tap-dancing on the steering wheel. June 22nd--my siblings at Heber Valley Girls Camp where my parents are missionaries. Surreal mission...I agree. Camp sites were very tidy. We were always on the lookout for an elusive bear. The deer were common around our cabins. Hand-cranked ice cream! I dragged my own machine from Cali. It was used a few times on the trip. June 24th--drove 2 girls to EFY in Logan, Utah for the week. June 26th--took remaining girls and cousins to Scera pool. I'm quite sure the tempuratures were in the upper 90's in Utah Valley the whole time we were there. The pool day was over too fast. June 29th-July 1st--Jensen Reunion in Hobble Creek. My grandparents, Howard and Thelma Jensen, left a beautiful few acres for all of us to gather for such events. Another heavenly spot, in my book. I just love being among my cousins. They are the most amazing people. Why did they get all the talent in the family? July 3rd--My sister got us tickets for the Hale Center Theatre in Orem. We saw Beauty and the Beast in this little theatre-in-the-round. Fantastic! Even little 5 yr old Jenna was captivated the whole time! You would think that July 4th would be the big finish to the trip. That is why we trudge 1400 miles roundtrip...right? I think it is simply the candle on the cake of the whole 'returning to my roots' thing.

Oh yeah--we missed James. A lot. I want to thank the Wilsons and Whites and Ehlens for keeping him under wing while we were gone.