Jason

Things have been fairly normal around here, since normal is ever changing and busy.

The most exciting thing to happen was a couple of firsts for our family. – Disclaimer: everyone is healthy and fine – Becky had the excitement of riding in an ambulance for the first time, the only downside was she was lying down and not enjoying the ride. Jason also talked with a 911 operator for the first time, they are quite helpful and efficient, if you ever need to talk with one be sure to thank them for their service. Katherine was awake for the excitement of 8-10 large men and sirens in our front room and declared that she “woke up too soon” and needed to go back to bed. It helped that she knew one of the EMT’s as a classmate’s father, who had come to their class to talk about fire safety, so later we were able to explain who the men were and why they came. We also caused quite a stir in our quiet neighborhood at 8:00 in the morning. So, now the story. . . Becky has often gotten up and mowed our front lawn before the kids are awake. Well this particular morning, she got light-headed as she was putting the mower away. I had just kissed her good-bye and she blacked-out on the driveway. Well, falling over on the concrete is no fun, but if you are not awake to catch yourself, you will give yourself a concussion. Due to the fact that she was delirious when she came to, I was advised to get the paramedics there quickly, just in case there was major trauma to the brain. Long story short, after five hours at the Emergency Room, the doctors gave her a “clean” bill of health, minus a minor concussion and the advice to not over-exert herself before breakfast. Lastly, we came home to have our babysitter inform us that David had had his first bee sting, on his foot, while we were gone. What a day of firsts.

After all that excitement, nothing else we have done comes to mind as noteworthy.

Jason is still doing summer classes, which makes it difficult to enjoy the “lazy days of summer.” We will not be able to make the Lindgren reunion, so we send our love and greetings, with plans to be there next time (as I will hopefully have graduated and summers will slow down). To make up for the limited vacations this year, we have taken several Saturday picnics up Logan canyon, which, honestly, have been less stressful and almost as fun as a full-blown camping trip.

Speaking of school, Katherine is chomping at the bit to go to first grade next year. She continually amazes us with her memory and excitement to learn. She is constantly asking about swimming lessons (which we haven’t started yet) and has begun to ask about our plans for Christmas, informing us about her wishes for whom to visit first and what we should eat for dinner.

David loves doing pages in his workbook to prepare for kindergarten, which he will not start for another year. We just need to keep their love of learning going for another 18 years (or more).

Dorothea is starting to vocalize and uses a few basic words. It is crazy to watch kids grow so quickly and develop their own personalities.

We are getting excited for the garden explosion. Our strawberries have begun fruiting, our raspberries will be on in a couple of weeks and most of our garden produce is nearing the start of harvest. We have been buying produce from Bountiful Baskets (a produce co-op in UT, AZ & NV) which has been forcing us to eat more fruits and vegetables and occasionally try new things. We like most everything, but recently concluded that we do not like brussel sprouts, no matter how we tried to cook them. It is crazy how quickly eating habits can change with a little effort. In fact, I dare say we are actually eating very nutritiously (not too common in American culture).

Again, we send our love and greetings to our family. We know that family is what makes this life worthwhile. Thanks for your prayers, love and efforts to keep our extended family close (via the lingo, reunions and gatherings). Keep up the effort.

Love, Jason, Becky, Katherine, David and Dorothea