Jason

Dear Family,
It has been a great, wild ride into summer this year. It began very wet, now the heat is just starting to kick in, meaning the grass has begun to die. (Maybe one of these days I will remember to water BEFORE it turns brown.) But we have had success in other areas outside. We got a swing-set and the kids love it, they laughed for over five minutes the first time they played on the teeter-totter; ah, the simple joys of life. Our garden is doing fabulous, not only are the weeds lush and green, but we actually have a crop of leaf-hoppers and ants to complement our produce. I think we have already harvested more this year in just peas than everything combined last year. Okay maybe not that much, but last year was a terribly small harvest, the best things that grew were volunteer squash and sunflowers (I enjoyed the seeds for months). We have also made progress on our trend-bucking, low-water-use side yard. We bought over 75 plants, at a deep discount from the teaching greenhouse on campus (yeah for a college town and "cheap" student labor). Ironically, it rained for three weeks after we planted these "low water use" plants.

Other excitement, the kids now have bunk beds. I think that first night is the only time the kids have ever asked if it was bedtime yet.

July 3rd, we went to the Oquirrh Mountain temple open house. It is a beautiful building and I am always impressed with the quality and artistry involved in building a temple. When we were going in, Becky asked the kids how they felt, trying to impress on them the reverence and spirit associated with the temple. Katherine responded appropriately, "I feel good, I feel the spirit," with her hand on her chest. We looked at David and asked, "How do you feel?" He shrugged his shoulders and bluntly stated, "I feel fine." They both enjoyed the beauty of the temple and they have talked about it since. I am glad we were able to take them. We also took the kids to the zoo and wore us all out. A great day, and the kids loved seeing all the different animals they have read about or seen on TV.

Overall, we have managed to keep ourselves adequately busy at work, in the yard, with summer classes and soon with theater, as Becky is gearing up to direct "Wait until Dark" at the Old Barn. Auditions are next week and then she will be busy with rehearsals and performances several nights a week until Halloween, which is closing night. We included a few pictures of our summer adventures.

Until next time, this is the Jason Tomlinson clan signing off.