Memory Hoard Monday July 4-11

My sister-in-laws blog every Monday and they call it memory hoard Monday. I think that for a non blogger it is such a fantastic idea. It is a great way to keep a journal and not be to overwhelmed by it. It was another great summer week. I love summer we play hard and work hard. We finished helping my dad side his house so there was a lot of extra time last week.

Monday- Dave wrote about the 4th and it rocked. We love camping on the fourth. Kyle and Brianna took swimming lessons earlier this summer and they did awesome at the pool. Kameron likes to just set on the edge. Grandma and Brianna made awesome rice krispie stars with M&M's on them, the food was delicious and the company even better. Dad and Dave played horse shoes and the kids played on the playground. I am with Dave it was impossible to not think about Laurie and Dennis the whole time we were down there. The fireworks were so beautiful and every purple one. Brianna and I thought of Grandma. Kyle and Kameron are Dave's main little man when it comes to hooking up the trailer. They are better at it than I am. I love it.

Tuesday- Came home forgot about gymnastics and just relaxed.

Wednesday- Farrah and I wen out to Rigby lake. I love that place, there is a slide in the middle of the lake now. Kyle, Brianna and Ethan swam out to it a few times and loved it. All of the kids had such a great time. This is usually a weekly tradition. Kyle is begging to go camping there since he was sick last year.

Thursday- This day was a special day to us. It was Lauries Birthday and we wanted to do something to remember her. Brianna prayed the night before that we she would feel Laurie with us on her birthday. When we woke up in the morning. Brianna and Kyle went outside and there were two purple flowers in our garden, by night they bloomed. It was a little crazy because we did not plant flowers in our garden. Last year we did, I thought they were annuals. But we received a couple of special purple flowers for that day. Brianna felt she received an answer to her prayers. That night we got purple balloons and wrote notes on them and sent them up to heaven. Then we went out for a snow cone, Dave and I got Red Raspberry, since this was Lauries favorite and he got Dave a snow cone machine for his birthday and tons of red raspberry flavoring. We also ate salmon patties. Brianna has been begging for them and thought it was fitting to eat them on Lauries Birthday since she was one of the only people who would make them for Brianna. I was going to make Ghiridilla Brownies and take some to Dan and Shalee, but I can't find the mix for them. I guess I will have to go to Costco next time I go to Boise. Sorry you didn't get any Shalee but we were sure thinking about it.

Friday- Was Grandma Carlson's birthday. Another great day. We went to breakfast, then down to Shelley for a great party. The kids played outside in the backyard with all the cousins. Mom is such an amazing person. I am really blessed to have had the influence of two great moms. My mom and Dave have a great relationship. I love it but mom always says your sweet husband. So that night Dave did a couple of dishes and mom gave him the credit for doing all the dishes. It kills me. She seriously adores and appreciates him so much. I corrected her and told her Dave did not do all of the dishes. Seriously though I love that they have a great understanding and love for each other. I guess Dan brought over some slim jims from Rex's and Dave wanted to know were they were the second we got home. Thanks Dan and Shalee. He wanted me to hide them but Na had a game where she would bring them to him on the bed and he would throw them on the floor and then she would fetch them and bring them back to him. It was a great game it gave me some time to get things done.

Saturday- Was another Carlson get together. Mom and Michelle found tadpoles while they were out on the motor scooters in the morning. So we all got nets and went out to catch them. The kids loved it. Kameron would wait so patiently and then scoop one up. He would catch it without getting any dirt in the net. Then he would run around laughing and saying ha ha I got one. I think he had the most fun. Kyle wanted to bring some home and put it the fish tank. But Dave said it would pollute the tank. Dave and my nephews play basketball almost every time they come down. In the past they have had a potato head trophy that they passed to the winner. Dave always comes home sore but it is an awesome tradition. We then just played in the backyard until evening. Dave took the kids home and I got my nephews to play aquire with me. I even stayed home from the shopping trip to play aquire. It was so fun. The boys loved it and we laughed for about an hour and a half. It took me back to many games with Dennis. We would put the kids in bed and then he would come over and play a game with Dave and us. There was usually popcorn, crunching of ice and a lot of sarcasm. We had so much fun with this game. Dennis won the very last game we played.

Sunday- This was an extra special day. I had the privilege of going back to a BYU-Idaho ward and watching my dad get put in as a bishop of the 88th ward. I know my dad will be amazing. I love that every time I go down there he gets excited to see us and greets us with a hi Mel how are you doing and a great big hug. Then when we leave it is the same big hug and a wave goodbye. I know that the kids at College will feel his love and fun personality. He is such a wonderful dad and with a mom that it so much fun and full of life. Those two will be a great asset to BYU- Idaho. I know they will love the kids and the kids will love them back.