Cheeri-O Beauty with Rainbow Eyes

Summer is here in full force with a string of temps over 110 -- but that's life in the desert.

Since we last 'spoke' the kids have finished the school year and are glad to see another year of their schooling career GONE (remember those days?) Bridget's math teacher had a traumatic experience that inflicted her life with depression toward the end of the school year. Bridget sprang into action with some comforting acts of kindness including a fun project which had us looking for 'peace-sign' magnets on the internet (not something you can pick up at the corner market.) This teacher, a self-proclaimed hippie, once said that she would like to cover her van (mini -- not VW) with 'peace-sign' magnets so that everyone would think of peace when she drove by. Bridget was able to acquire between 30-40 peace magnets including a 2 ft. diameter monster magnet for the hood. On the last day of school, we all helped Bridget "peace attack" her teacher's car (in the rain.) It was a fun to do, but even funner to watch the smile on the teacher's face (from a covert location) when she saw her van -- the biggest smile I have ever seen. We have a peace magnet on our fridge to remember it by. Bridget will be going to EFY (BYU-Provo)at the end of July.

Weston has just started a job at Little Ceasars Pizza. We have a favorite family pizza place (Barro's for those of you who have been here,) but Weston has always preferred Little Ceasar's. So now he can have as much of his favorite as he can stand. He just started, so I don't have any embarassing photos of him working yet -- I have some from his Peter Piper Pizza days if you would like to see those! After much deliberation, he has decided to return to the marching band for his Sr. year (trumpet.) They will be marching in the Florida Gator Bowl parade in January.

Lana is in the middle of going through, and trying to organize, boxes of memories (photos, love letters between her parents, etc.) She taught part time as a reading specialist this past school year, but is getting calls again for full-time positions. She really enjoyed the part-time schedule, but is considering the offers. She got an i-pod for Mother's Day and can often be found sitting in a comfy chair, with eyes closed, tracing the movement of tunes in the air with her hand.

I have been busy with work (of course) and a couple home improvement projects. The most recent include canopies between the beams over the front entry for much needed shade, and rebuilding and tiling the juliet balconies in front of Weston and Bridget's bedroom windows which have been an eye-sore ever since moving in. Before and After pics shown. If any of you ask which is the before and after -- I will find you and hurt you! Only 139 more home improvement projects to go.

..and I get to, selfishly, go get Trevor and do a European road trip with him (after his tour of duty ends, but before his "release," so I will be his companion for a couple weeks.) We WERE going to wait until he got home and released then all return as a family, but I started making arrangements, added up the numbers and said -- HHyyaah RIGHT! So we whittled it down to Lana and I going to pick him up BEFORE he returns home, and then Lana whittled it down further. I leave Thursday. Trevor and I will get to see much of Italy and visit some of our past exchange students in Germany and France.

Trevor's homecoming talk will be July 27th for any who feel the need to travel to the desert at the worst possible time of year. After a short time at home, he will return to BYU-Provo (Fall) and be looking into changing his focus from business to Political Science and Italian. He will be staying with some friends at the Liberty Square Apts.

'Til next time...