So there you have it.

I was just laying on the floor letting the kids climb all over me, when I realized a few things........



First, that my house is a sty & I need a serious deep-cleaning. The view from ground-level is horrifying!



And secondly, how my blog is looking more like a travelog lately & am feeling the need to record some daily life. Since this is the only journal I keep. And I might want to remember this stuff one day. Who knows?




So I made a list of STUFF THE MASONS HAVE BEEN UP TO LATELY:





getting my Suburban fixed after I mangled it backing into a boulder.



being stuck in my house for 2 days straight while my Suburban was being fixed.



actually paying my kids to leave me alone.



being totally amazed each day to find that Mr. Bunny Buns isn't dead. Yet.



Mars turning into Miss Oral Hygiene since she's been going to work with Brian lately.



pathetic, inconsistent potty-training attempts.



Sonic slush runs.




being totally impressed lately with Zane's advanced vocabulary. For example, yesterday, as I handed him his daily PB & J,......."Mom, this sandwich looks delectable."



thenI found out he learned it from SpongeBob.



pretending to be off Diet Coke when I'm really not.



making an entire Thanksgiving dinner (minus the yams) just for fun.



wondering how many swim days in a row we can get away with before one has to take a real bath.




Brian reminding me how strong he is now from his workouts.



Zane losing a tooth just minutes ago while eating CocoPuffs.



Jake honing his incredibly-annoying-nonsense-noise-making skills.



attempting some pet portraits.

The kids thought this was so funny.

This is them trying to get Daisy into the tutu.

laughing with Brian at Extendz commercials.

enjoying the brisk 100 degree night-time weather.

Gus talking non-stop. I find myself remembering fondly those days not so long ago when he still couldn't talk & we thought he might be retarded.

Those were the days.

being in denial that school is about to start again. I'm not that normal Mom who can't wait for school to start. I like the carefree summer days with the kids around. I'm not ready for the structure.

having deep conversations with Brian about how time's flying by too quickly. I'm feeling like my youth is rapidly slipping(slipped) through my fingers & what have I done with my life besides wiping countertops & noses? I know. I know. What's more important & rewarding than motherhood.....yada yada yada......I just wish there was time to do more. Our good years are spent on the kid stage & by the time we're free to do other things, we're worn out & on anti-depressants. I would suggest to Heavenly Father a 9-lives Plan where I could do the super-mom life, then a doctor-saving-lives life, then a cool world-traveling archaeologist life or something like that................one life-time doesn't seem to be enough...................Do you feel me? Do you get what I'm saying? I'm wondering if this is how a mid-life crisis begins..............You know I'm just venting, right? ..... Where's that Diet Coke? ...... So I'm thinking there may be great truth in the phrase "Time flies when you're having fun". Time is flying by, because we are having fun (most of the time) . And I am most thankful for that!

and then I spent the rest of the day opening popsicle wrappers.

So there you have it.

Yay for Girls Camp!!!

.....and Yay for Girls Camp being over & sleeping in my own bed.......and air conditioning.......and shower access.........not that it wasn't totally fun!

Because it was.

I laughed harder than I have in a long time.

And I danced harder than I have in a long time.

And I saw more gigantic bugs than I have in a long time.

And we ran into more skunks than I have in a long time.

And this was the first time I've been at camp with Mars. In fact, it was the first time I've been to Camp LoMia since I was 12 years old!!!

......And I don't believe there has been any improvements to the cabins since then.......nothing........nada. A little too rustic for my taste.

To be honest, I really had to fight the urge to secretly pull out my cell phone that first night & call Brian & beg him to come up & get me & take me home, like a little girl. Pathetic, I know.

But it was good for me. I feel I'm much tougher now. I've grown.

But the truth is......I absolutely love these girls!!!

They are all so talented & clever & sweet & smart & hilarious & seriously super fun!

Brekyn killed me with her bug net she wore the entire first day.......and she'd be constantly spraying bug repellant around her......so funny.

We had a day of awesome classes. The preparation that goes into all of this is amazing. I was so impressed. And I'm also really hoping I never get called to be a Stake Camp leader.

Getting ready for.....

Glamour Night!

Ready for the big dance.

I learned some new hiphop moves & pulled out some of my old 80's moves. Good times.

I'm also lovin' that I was always the one taking pictures so that I'm not in any of these.

Smokin' hot! ...especially the scab on her forehead from running into the side of the swimming pool.

We love our super-cool bishop.

Camp Sunday fashion.

Aaaawww! Our awesome sweltering, bug-infested cabin. I even got a top bunk. So sweet.

Did I already mention how amazing these girls are??? Because they are.

And my fellow leaders....

......we had so much fun.
What a great, spiritually strengthening experience it was. And such great bonding time with these fabulous girls.

I'd do it all over again.

Gus: In Real Life

This is Gus as he usually is.
No attempts were made to clean him up (obviously) or any wardrobe help.
This look is typical for him.
Pull-Up. T-shirt. Messy face. Fave toy-of-the-day. Aftermath of candy or gum he's found from either rifling through my purses or searching Marlee's room.

I love this little face!!!

He likes to hang out by me on Tuesdays when I'm taking 'Wall of Fame' headshots......
.....like this.

So I usually end up taking test shots on him.

He's all for it, but refuses to ever look right at the camera.

I just got back from back-to-back Family Reunion & Girls Camp, and holy crap

it's great to be home!!!

Even if it is 110 degrees!

And I've got hundreds of pictures to go through........after we go see Harry Potter & hit the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!!

The 4th of July in Coronado!

Aaahhh..........Coronado.

We've been spending every 4th of July here at the Hotel Del Coronado for 7 years now!

It's our family's favorite tradition.

We love it!!!

We always stay in room 4137. Right on the pool. Every year.

A little s'mores on the beach.

Me, Bek, Heather........we missed ya, Jill!!!

Lance's hair was a bit longer than last year.

Luke couldn't keep his suit up.

It should fit great next year.

Swayze..........Sunburn in Progress.

Zane & J.R. helping themselves to someone else's snacks.

Gus's fave sand toy .......the little orange boat.

Whatev!

This is what Gus does when I ask him to smile for a picture.

The jacuzzi. I think Jake spent at least half of his vacation in here. No, seriously.

They were in there alot!

A little snack & Scooby Doo in the room.

My awesome mother-in-law.

Max's sand heart. He was hoping to bring it home with him. Didn't happen.

I hardly saw Max the whole trip. He spent most of his time playing games around the lobby, and of course, the elevator.....with girls.

We were not messing around with our

Sand castle building

this year.

We had power drills, wood forms, trowels, saws, pastry knives!!!

Brian taking a break with a peach-mango smoothie. Yum!

The Indy's.

It was a group effort........and seriously so much fun!!!

Emerson working on the 'trees' in the 'garden'.

Serious sand castle skilz.

Gus looked like this all day. Sand on every inch of his face.....in his eyelashes......up his nose....... and never been happier!

Manly men.

Olivia working on some finishing touches.

Our masterpiece. We worked on it all day. And then we had to just leave it & walk away because it was time to get ready for the fireworks. Sad.

The lobby by our rooms.

The poor suckers that book rooms by us. We're not exactly a quiet group. In fact, it's pretty much party central out here til late.
We just all have a bumload of kids! Short people everywhere!
And it's the 4th of July!

Hakuna Matata, man.

The guys.......ready for some fireworks.

Almost the whole group. We're missing the Stapleys......but we've got the Rigby's, the Garns, the Heatons, the Brians, the Oklands, the Barneys, us, the Watts, and the Christensens.

Such a fun group.

We took pictures, then headed across the street to the golf course to eat pizza on picnic blankets & play games & hand out all the glow stuff & watch the fireworks. We even bring a sound system (and generator) to play our fireworks soundtrack. It's awesome!!!

But, what wasn't awesome this year, was that we lost Gus for about 40 minutes on that golf course packed with people. I don't recall ever being so panicked in my life. He was there one second, then gone the next, and I honestly thought someone had to have snatched him, when tons of people were looking for so long in that whole area. It felt like it was hours. Then finally, he was found clear on the other side of the golf course....and it was far.....just playing ball with some family. I've never been so happy to see that little face, ever.

So, so, so happy to be together to celebrate the birth of our country.

It was a fabulous

4th of July!!!

Can't wait til next year!