Pics of Madelyn for her birthday

Family Dinner for Madelyn

We were all finally able to go to dinner on Saturday for Madelyn's birthday. She chose a Mexican Restaurant that has a chocolate pinata.

Madelyn turns 12!!!!

We went with some of her friends to see the new Ghostbusters movie.

Hand lettering

I've been practicing my hand lettering. This is one of my favorite quotes.

Owen and his snuggles

He is so cute and getting so grown up. He is so excited for kindergarten to start in just a month!

The snow cone stand

The kids have set up a stand several times this summer!

Catherine in Utah

Catherine spent Saturday, Sunday and part of Monday in Utah with Nana and Grandpa. She had a lot of fun visiting all the cousins!

Adam and his t-shirt

He loves BB-8!

Adam and his friend Connor

It is so hot here. Thankfully we have lots of swimming going on each day!

Julianne gets home!

Julianne's high school mission trip returned late Friday night after working at the St. Louis area dream center -- a place where underprivileged kids go after school.

I dug out my kindergarten picture

close your eyes and imagine 15 years from now, my son (white, blonde, blue eyed) and his second cousin (bi-racial, brown hair, brown eyes)

they both are independently driving somewhere in the US late at night with a broken tail light.

Even with identical responses to an officer are you confident they will be treated the same?

Sadly, I am not confident in equal treatment. And until that day comes, I will not sit by silently.

Are you confident that you would respond the same to them on a dark street if their immediate identity was not apparent to you?

Sadly, I am not confident I would respond the same. And until that day comes, I will continue to try and educate myself on how to understand my own biases and prejudices.

All my love to all of you. These are hard things. But we all must think about them. We all must try and place ourselves into different and unique circumstances and think through the ramifications.

Everyone's circumstances place everyone along different points. I don't pretend to understand a lot, but my experiences are different from yours.

I will leave you with one of mine. I was the only white girl in my kindergarten class. I remember this picture day very well. There were 10 more students in the class who could not afford pictures and they were not even allowed to be in the class photo. The photographer was unkind to them and I could not believe that they couldn't be in MY class photo. I don't know if that was policy or if that was a prejudiced individual who chose to erase from my class photo 10 kids due to their poverty and/or their skin color.

I have seen them erased my whole life. I have seen myself receive better treatment because of my skin and because of my eyes and I can still see those classmates excluded.

We have a problem.


I wrote this in response to so many of the hateful things people are saying about race in the United States.  I am grateful to have gone to school with such diversity.

Julianne's group of girls

Julianne's group in St. Louis

Catherine getting checked into EFY

Love spread out

Julianne is on mission trip in Missouri. Catherine is a EFY in Provo. It's going to be a quiet week.

The whole family!

We really missed Tyler!

Early morning boat runs

Adults only on the 6:30 am boat!

First night together and all the kids in the Lake

All the free days

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It was 7/11 so we went for free slurpies and then it was free chick fil a days if you dressed like a cow!  

My swim team boys

50%

I am halfway to my goal of 1000 miles running in 2016. I am 11 days behind. since I hit the halfway point on July 11th. The biggest lessons learned so far are. . .
1. set smaller goals
2. Persistence is a blessing and curse
3. missing 11 days puts me 33 miles behind so it takes 33 days of running 4 miles instead of 3 . . . OUCH!!! there's bound to be some moral in this like "missing one day, messes up everything." but I refuse to see it and so I run on.

My love language

Smoked brisket tacos, nachos, juevos rancheros . . .

Random things I learned

TIL today
1. How to make gelato (it was divine)
2. How to jump start a pool filter motor
3. What a motor capacitor is and how to replace it.

Happy Birthday mom!

Today you'd be 62!

I'm seeing you more and more appear like magic in me.  The ways the wrinkles around my eyes form when I smile catch me off guard- most often while glancing in the rear view mirror.  I miss you.

How to know if my kids are at the pool. . .

as if we aren't loud enough to know from the parking lot!

Color your own t-shirt!

Tuesday night tradition #AGT

The only show that captures the undivided attention of the whole family ages 5- 42, America's got talent. It's a summer tradition here that I love!

The 4th of July drink!

I could make these every patriotic holiday for the rest of my life and die a happy woman. Science and food. mwah!!!

Stars and Stripes Southlake

Our town does fireworks and celebrations on the evening of the 3rd. We had a great time! It was hot!

The boys with Grandpa Handy

Nana and Grandpa have been visiting with Utah! The boys have loved having extra playmates around!

Nana and Grandpa come to visit!