Summer Dayz

I think we're finally getting into a "groove" around here. Anya has been with us for almost four months and we've been in our new home for a month. The pictures are (mostly) hung on the walls and the boxes are empty (except for the scary basement piles) and we're feeling more and more comfortable with a new little one in the family. We've come a long way with bonding in the last few weeks as the stress in our lives has lessened and everyone is feeling a little more at home. I'm really grateful for that.

I've loved having this summer time to just "be."  No more adoption paper chasing and worry. No homework. Piano lessons have even fizzled out. We're just doing a lot of playing, organizing the house, decorating, shopping, painting walls and playing some more.  The fence posts are installed, and today we had a new wood playground installed the back yard.  As soon as the fence installers show up to finish their job, Eli and Anya will be FREEEEEEE to play outside! I'm just a little bit excited about this. :-)

I promise that Landon has been a part of our lives! I don't know why, but every time I pull out the camera, he's not around. He's so great, though. Can't believe he'll be 15 in a few weeks. He's at Scout Camp this week and we have him scheduled for a tonsillectomy on August 2. I finally took him to and ENT and he said those tonsils were as big as it gets and needed to come out!  No fun, but Landon sounds stuffy when he talks and he gets strep a lot, so this will be well worth it, I think.  It will be exactly a year after Bennett had his out!

I'm going to add a couple of pictures from Sadie's dance recital here because I was too busy to blog about it when we were moving in June. She was "Princess Turquoise" in the 12 Dancing Princesses. She hates her dance pictures because she feels silly in her foofy costume and makeup. She made me take them off of facebook!  Funny kid, she loves ballet, but is embarrassed by it for some reason. Can't figure that one out.  We think she looked so beautiful and graceful that night and we want to remember it, so I'm gonna sneak a few on here!  Can you believe this girly is only twelve?

Sadie and a few of her friends spent last week at Retreat for Girls, which is a week-long summer retreat for girls ages 11-14, held at Utah State University. She had been saving up to pay for half of it and she said it was worth all that hard work!  She was in her element the whole week long. They listened to awesome speakers 3 hours a day, (she said that was actually her favorite part, believe it or not!) did crafts, went to classes, ate good food, and made great friends. This is her group that all stayed together in the dorms.

Sadie and her cute counselor. 

OK, I'm finally caught up! Time to get to bed. *yawn*