Greetings! Isaac, Xander, and Laurelin started swimming lessons this week. They're all enjoying it and making progress. On Wednesday something finally clicked for Isaac and all of a sudden he was actually swimming! By Friday he was swimming underwater with "froggie" arms and I practically had to pull him out of the pool so the next class could start. Four years of "Yes, you do have to get in the water" and now it's suddenly "Yes, you do really have to get out of the pool now" hee hee hee-that's a change that I'm quite happy with.

Wednesday was my 30th birthday. Rus's siblings and families, Max and MaryMegan and we all went up to South Fork Park in Provo Canyon. We had a potluck, played around in the trees and Rus, Jon and the kids had fun playing with practice swords (boffers) and playing their own version of "fight the giant". Thank you to everyone who came and who gave me such thoughtful gifts. When I was kid my mother had a jewelry/music box with a gold unicorn on it. I loved to sit and look through her music box; it held a kind of magic for me through all these years. She gave it to me for my birthday and I almost cried-thank you Mom!! I had no problem turing 30. I guess it bugs some people. I feel like I'm a better person now so I was fine with it. As long as you keep learning and becoming who you are supposed to be I think you improve with age.

Saturday Kerry and Mike came to babysit so Rus and I could go have a Midsummer's date (thanks guys!) We went up into Provo Canyon and had a picnic dinner. Then we tried to set up a tent in a beautiful clearing next to the stream. After we took the tent out of the bag we discovered that whoever used the tent last didn't put the poles back in the bag! We decided to improvise, and using a few bits of cord attached to the tent we tied it up to tree branches and found sticks for the stakes. The result was a cutely droopy tent that we loved. We both agreed we were glad there were no polls as doing it the other way had been more fun. We found a gorgeous spot in the stream where the rocks were covered in luxurious velvet green moss. We're going to go back and take fairy pictures with the wings that Sean and Kate got me for my birthday. There were the perfect flowers up there for making crowns. Delicate purple blossums, and long, flexible stems. So after we wove a crown, we put it on one the rocks in the stream. Eve and Laurelin; Melissa, Gwen, Isaac and Max

Kelly and bd cake; Rus and Jon boffering; Xander at the stream
The view from our picnic; beautiful stream; cute droopy tent