We have had too much sickness this month.  Camille has been suffering with some stomach bugs for the last several weeks which her sister and father caught a few days ago.  She ended up staying the night in the hospital on Saturday because we were concerned about dehydration.  The IV's really helped her out and she was able to go home less than 24 hours later. Here she is right before discharge, after her IV was taken out.  She really enjoyed that nurse call button and pressed it any time she felt the urge!  They didn't seem to mind too much. Other members of the family have gotten some kind of fever/headache/cold bug.  Just two of us have completely avoided getting sick, thankfully including me (so far). I have to admit, I'm getting weary of the illnesses.  Camille will probably completely miss her first session of swimming lessons which started on Monday thanks to the intestinal distress she's experiencing.  That always lasts a lot longer...

    Last week our oldest son, his wife, and their 8-month-old daughter moved across the country.  He graduated from college at the end of April in engineering and now he has a real job.  We are really happy for them and this new opportunity.  They will be able to really be independent and establish their own family traditions, especially without family close by.  But I'm afraid we won't be seeing them very often!  Fortunately there is Skype.  I just have to remind myself that I'm raising my children to move away and have their own families, but it's just a little bit sad when they actually do that.  

David and Susanna in the Narrows  Before my oldest son and his family moved far away to Virginia, our family went on a trip to Zion National Park.  We have been there twice before and always enjoy the amazing scenery.  We left on Saturday morning and returned Wednesday about lunch.  Our first two nights were spent in a hotel and the last two nights were spent camping.  The weather was really hot--Monday had a high of 101 degrees.  Next time we'll try to go before it's so hot. Talmage, Everett, and David in the Narrows We have been to Zion's before but this is the first time any of us have hiked to Angels' Landing.  The oldest seven children went on Saturday afternoon right after dinner.  Then Tuesday morning my husband and I went by ourselves.  This is considered a strenuous hike, somewhat dangerous, and 6 people have died there in the last 10 years.  As you take the shuttle to the stop, the recording warns you th...

Our fourth son, Lincoln, graduated from high school last week.  He had a lot of good friends there and did well in his classes, but despite that, he didn't really enjoy his experience.  I quote from his Facebook status, "Every time I remember that I never have to go back to high school again, I get all giddy inside."  I asked him why and he said it was partly because he had to take all these classes and teachers he didn't want to take.  He didn't respect some of the teachers and he hated those classes.  There were several that he did respect though:  the chemistry teacher, the math teacher, the English teacher.  I'm really grateful for good teachers that put forth a lot of effort.   Lincoln is in the middle.  The friend in the purple shirt moved to a different high school a year or two ago but supported his friends by coming to their graduation.  I'm grateful that Lincoln finished high school despite his frustration wit...