There's not a whole lot that will make me laugh at 3:30 in the morning, but somehow catching a glimpse of Glen on his way out the door to High Adventure totally cracked me up and drove me to get up to get my camera!
If it weren't for that cheesy grin we wouldn't have been able to recognize Glen after his spontaneous buzz cut in preparation for High Adventure.
the shortest he's ever had his hair in his entire life.
I love taking the kids swimming because it's one of the few activities they all enjoy, but I hate going during the heat of the day. So almost every day we eat an early dinner and head to the pool at about 6:30 or so. I like not having to worry about sunscreen. I love that dinner's already done and I love that it gives them something to look forward to all day.
Pretty soon though I would get distracted by other tasks and before you know it I've got a nice little collection of doo-daddy decorations adorning my body and I don't even realize it.
My first inclination was to be embarrassed by the whole thing and to apologize at my goofy adornments. Then I realized I'm way too cool to spend my life embarassed , so I've decided to go with the flow and just open my own Etsy store to share the extreme awesomeness with everyone else. 
Lara's Ouchless Bracelets: Only $14.99 for a baker's dozen
Utah. Blinkers, compassion, and rear view mirrors all seem to be optional accessories there and if you don't own a truck or SUV I'm pretty sure they'll kick you out (especially if you live in Utah County).
Boatloads of food...BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Dressing, Oreo Truffles, Lemon Soaked Poundcake, Pretzel Rolls(coming soon), and Jell-o Pretzel Salad (coming soon).
Breaking the rules with cousins, uncles, and kids playing catch in the street...
and a boatload of sand dumped all over the bottom bunk my the "little ones". Oh joy! 
but I'm feeling just a tad bit guilty for those hefty wages. Is that normal? What is the going rate these days anyway? Should I just smile at her bulging wallet then garner her wages to pay us back for her outrageous orthodontic bills? 
She's:
Sometimes I just need to let out a little silliness in the name of staying sane.
I was grumpy enough about our flight being delayed two hours on the third
Sometimes I swear it seems like my kids would live in their swimsuits in the summer. If we aren't at the pool, they're begging to go to the pool, or running around outside pretending they're at the pool.
Ellie and I spent 12 hours in airplanes and airports today, between the three separate legs of our journey. It was sad to say, "Good-bye" to my family in Utah, but I was only too excited to sleep in my bed again and see Glen and the kids!
Of course I had to take the opportunity while I was in Utah to visit my Alma Mater--BYU!! Ellie and her cousin Andrew had a great time in the Bookstore warming up for the upcoming football season. I also took them by the Bookstore Candy Counter where I worked 15 years ago or so. 
Here's Ellie and her cousin Andrew hanging out on the 200th day of the year with Grandpa Crain on their deck in Alpine, Utah. I love sitting on their deck enjoying the beautiful view of the mountains and peaceful, bugless surroundings. We had just returned from Star Valley after spending the night in a hotel there and the kids were happy to be back in familiar surroundings again.
My Nana Crain is the very epitome of a true southern lady with her sweet "Okie" accent and generous hospitality. Like my Grandma Hepworth, she never forgets a birthday, even with dozens of grandchildren and I am still surprised at how quick she is to answer each and every letter my kids send her in our weekly letter writing. And wow what a writer she is! My kids are enthralled hearing about her days with her cute little pug named Lucy and even I love reading her detailed, well-written descriptions about her life. I couldn't brag about my awesome grandmother without talking about her amazing cooking. She is legendary in the Crain family for her delicious and HUGE meals. I only wish I could cook and entertain half as well as she does. 
For as sweet and kind as Nana is, the thing for which I am most grateful for is her faith and courage. Living in the Bible Belt of Oklahoma, her decision to embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not a popular one in her community, but embrace it she did. When I think of that fateful stormy day more than forty years ago when she let the missionaries in to teach her family the Gospel, I am forever grateful for the legacy of faith that began that day. 
After arriving into Utah at 1:30am (Virginia time), Ellie and I were a little bit on the exhausted side. We are happy to be here with my Mom and Dad and have already seen more aunts & uncles in the half day we've been here (I post dated this entry) than we normally see in an entire year. I'm hoping that tomorrow Ellie will sleep in past 6:30am.
