Carefree Highway

I'm back. (We actually drove back into the valley via the "Carefree Highway". )

Here is a glimpse of my summer.

Not much else 'cause I have a broken camera.

Wild Horses

This is Keith blogging on Vickie's behalf since she is on vacation. Well, let me show you David's first car. It's a stock 1972 Ford Bronco. Sport model with Explorer trim, 302 V8, original interior and it's UNCUT, which means a lot to Bronco fans. Just google "uncut Ford Bronco" and you'll see what I mean. What do you think? Here's an interior shot, too.

Absentee

I've run away to the north. V

Bonding over water-guns

Does that title make sense?

The pictures will help. So we had two darling twin girls who turned 12 the first day of girls camp this year. They are darling, yes, and SHY. I, however, witnessed a rare and wonderful miracle occur last week...that's right, bonding over water-guns. These girls opened up, came out of their shells, overcame their shyness, whatever you want to call it, as they led the pack in some really fun water fights:) It was great and I'm so happy we snagged a few photos. I love these girls. All YW leaders say that-- because it's TRUE I can't help it. What fun. And the twins and the other yw are all buds now. It's a great thing. I'm so glad I got to go this year. (I just got released and put into Primary full time.) What a way to go out in style!

Filling up at the pump. And the ensuing battle. Check out the mid-air water shot.
Check out that FACE! Wow that is awesome. I had never even seen this photo until I uploaded my pics just now. I call that a game face, people. Sweet.

I recommend this to all my Arizona-land family. You can resort to cups and buckets if you need to. Super-soakers would be ideal. Game on!

NY in the rain

Did anyone know that it's been raining all summer so far here in NY? Now you know! (say this like on Bill Nye the Science Guy. Points if you can do this, lemme know if you can:) ) Anyway, during part of this rainy summer my old friend Barb came to visit, I'm sure y'all know her, you may not know her daughter London (I didn't until this trip). Well we toured NYC in the RAIN and I thought it would make for a cute post. This is Barb and London in all the RAIN. And we took the subways in this rain. and walked 40 blocks. No I'm not joking. Part of the trip was to walk down 5th ave and window shop. And so we did. Woo hoo!It did slow up for the Statue of Liberty though. Well, the Staten Island Ferry, that is. The best way to see the Lady if you ask me. Free too.
Here we are on the windy ferry. The guy taking the picture must not have noticed the small child in Barb's arms, or decided we didn't want to capture her in the memory, so we only have her forehead. Ha ha that still makes me laugh a little:)
Yay for friends! We also saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway (amazing voices. amazing. and yes, the chandelier drop is still the best part. I remembert that from when I was LITTLE. how little was I Mom, you remember?) and ate Grimaldi's pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge. Still my favorite no matter what other places crop up claiming to be better. I love NY:) Anyone up for some rain?

Harry Potter Rocks

Proof that I did not mind in the least manning the craft table three days in a row at girls camp. Do you like em? Oh and yes, the title of this post reads two ways, take your pick. (get it?) By the way the movie came out today. Going tomorrow. Had to finish re-re-reading the book first.

Sending my LOVE to YOU!!

Something new

It has been far too long since something new was posted here. Not that I feel like saying much myself. We are all a little quieter these days.

I had a strange birthday this year. Only my second one in Arizona and I will admit it was a little lackluster...but that bit was my fault. I normally get more pumped up for my birthday and I didn't make enough effort to see the fireworks. And fireworks, I realized, equal my birthday. I did catch a few minutes of them from afar off in the desert, but I missed the oohing and aahing and the loud booms. My birthday also usually equals bbq-ing with friends or family. Mom asked me if I wanted to do something, but I shrugged it off. I think this Thursday I will try to make up for that by having some people over to pool party it up. We ate as a family at an Ethiopian restaurant, which was fabulous. That particular cuisine is something I discovered back in my Colorado lawn care days the summer before we moved to Arizona. Very fun stewed vegetarian and meat dishes that you eat by scooping it up with pieces of a thin pancake-like bread called injera. Yum and yum. Night hike in the desert topped off the day, and it was great. The desert is beautiful, even if you can only venture out in it at night. No pictures for now.