The Magic of Blocks

I really love the creativity of one of the simplest toys, blocks.  The kids will spend hours with these simple blocks.  No fancy buttons, no complicated building instructions, no batteries, no wear and tear. They get better with age and are timeless.  I enjoy each and every building and playing session they have with blocks.

 Especially when this is the view from where I sit in the living room

The August Garden

The August Garden is a late growing garden.  This is what happens when your mind has other plans at the beginning of summer, i.e., moving.  So why plant a garden so that others can reap the rewards of what I sowed? Who knew that "others" would still be me and my family.  I am grateful I reluctantly planted what I did.

 The short little holly hocks are vibrant with color

 My latest door find at a yard sale.  I love the number still on it.

 The sunflowers are just barely blooming.

 The pumpkins growing slowly on the ladder.

And I finally cleaned up the used-to-be-patio-now-turned-sand box for the kids. Who knows what next year's garden will look like.  This is what I love about gardening, it's a time for thinking and learning, pondering on life's lessons while I dig my hands in the dirt or pick the first ripe tomato. It's working with what God gave me and hoping for a tomorrow. I breathe, therefore I garden.

Farmer's Market

 The other day I took the kids to PineView Reservoir and spent the afternoon playing in the water and making sand castles. As we drove home I thought to myself, 'this is really an amazing place to live'.  Last night Mr. Jewels and I went the Temple and then out to eat at Pops Diner and talked about how we haven't enjoyed this city to it's fullest yet.  So this morning we all went to the Ogden Farmers Market, ate some crepes, looked at the painted horses, look at all the booths, bought a few little things and listened to some great street music.  I believe it is new this year, but there are these amazing painted old pianos on the sidewalks as well.  I tried bribing Jonathan with 5 dollars to play The Entertainer on it, but to no avail.  I thought he could as least get some spare change, if we just put a hat on the ground next to the piano while he played.

I have a crazy fascination for old doors and big ol' hinges.  Look at that one, it's so awesome, I'm gonna die!

This piano was done by a 12 year old girl.

Summer

I feel like this post should begin as 'it was the best of times, it was the worst of times' but I won't do that.  We had a wonderful beginning of the summer, I mean, come on, a trip to Turkey and Greece?! How could it get any better? We met with some other wonderful engineers and professors and met with the man we hoped to have been working with in the near future on that trip, we also celebrated our 15 year anniversary.  I thought, wow, this is amazing and we will blessed with so much.  We are so lucky. Unfortunately a month later we found out it wasn't so and we will need to turn down another road.  More waiting and hoping and more unsightly sobbing.  You hope things will get better and while you wait, there is gardening to be done, basketball to play, plants to water, house to clean, free concerts in the park, playing with the neighbors cat, allowing Sam to use the camera and kids to take care of.

The cat's name is David Bowie, he has one green and one blue eye.  We think his owner must have dyed his ears to be funny.

More of our travels abroad-Mykonos

Here are just a few of the pictures from the island of Mykonos