July recap!!

We got together with everyone in Bluff. It is so hot in Bluff in July. We were thankful that Grandma had invested in a Slip-n-Slide for the kids to keep busy and cool.

Slippin and Slidin at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Bluff on a hot July afternoon.

Peyton has an interesting technique-floating on the air!

Hannah

We celebrated Sadie's 8th birthday when we returned to Provo. One of our family traditions is to have the birthday person choose what we eat for dinner on their birthday. Some kids always choose the same thing, some choose something different every day. This year Sadie chose Pizza Casserole. We eat it often so it's not really a treat, but it is something she likes, so it's all good.

Sadie's Birthday dinner-Pizza Casserole and salad! 

Sadie will be baptized in a few days by her dad. She is pretty excited for this special day! We are too!

Sadie's checkerboard CupCAKE. 

The end of an era...

Today we had to do something we knew would come eventually but were hoping it wouldn't come so soon.

We had to put our red heeler, Ginger, to sleep.

We have had her for 9 years and she has been an amazing pet/protector for our family. If you know anything about heelers, you know that they are fiercely protective of their 'people'. She only loved us and wanted to take out anyone she thought was a threat to her family, which was practically every other person on the planet. She has been our doorbell for all those years as well.

She is/was silly and hated thunder and fireworks. So she always managed to get out of the backyard and try to come in the front whenever she felt frightened. Well, this year on the 4th, she got out and we weren't home so she ran to try to get away from all the noise, and this year she didn't come back.

I called the shelter and they had an older dog who had been picked up and was hurt. We went to look and it was her. So we got her out of "jail" and took her to the vet to see about her leg. It was broken and it was not a simple fracture and would have required surgery. She also had lots of arthritis and the vet wasn't sure how well she would heal or what her quality of life would be. Then throw the cost of the surgery on top of all that and we made the heart-breaking decision that it was best for all of us to euthanize her.

I told my DH I never want another pet. I can't handle the emotional pain associated with this and I feel so guilty for having to make this decision for another living creature who depended on us for everything.

I hope she knows how much she added to our lives and how much we loved her. I hope she knows that we did what we thought was best for her and that it was very difficult to let her go.

I hope they have lots of basketballs and tennisballs in heaven for you, Ginger. And that there is someone there who will throw for you.

We miss you already!

To Be An American

"I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon.

I seek opportunity to develop whatever talents God gave me---not security.

I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the caculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.

I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.

I will never cower before an earthly master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say---

"This, with God's help, I have done.'

All this is what it means to be an American."

Dean Alfange,

quoted by Ezra Taft Benson, April 1968 Gen Conf.