Soaking Up Summer

Summer is here in full swing! This is our first summer break in America since pre-India we didn't have kids in school. During-India, we spent a big chunk of summer break in America and other countries living out of suitcases. The lazy days that come with summer at home are a welcome change of pace.

We had another fun party in our new backyard saying goodbye to some old friends Jeff and Catherine (moving to Dallas) along with other old friends: Cheri, Courtney, & Camea.

I am mostly surviving the record-high three-digit temps and the 3-year-old tantrums that ensue almost daily, along with the ongoing potty-training (gotta love those candids taken by the kids . . . painfully real!).

Graham: "I want the biggest plate in the WORLD all full of spaghetti, no ALL full of spaghetti. With the biggest spoon in the WORLD. Hmph."

School ended. A giant thanks to Mrs. Mask who loved my boy Isaac in all of his brilliance and opinions (doesn't she look a little excited for summer?).

Isaac has grown so much in confidence and ability this year. 

And to Mrs. Caudle who gave Russell the structure and nurturing he needed to blossom academically and socially this year, whilst having a baby too! (sorry, no photo of her at this point).

We went with the Howards for their temple ordinances. We taught Tiffanie and Brian in our temple prep class, and felt so blessed to be a part of this happy time in their lives. 

Rich got to watch their baby Lily while they received their endowments, and we were in Salt Lake when they were sealed to each other and to their two children a few weeks later. They are a amazing.

We did a music celebration at the Sagebrook Health Care Center. 

Isaac dressed up as three different characters so he could play more songs.

Russell brought his usual energy to his playing and dancing. . . .

 . . . check him out doing a big Bangalore jump with his scarf on the left side of this photo!
And that's all for now, folks!

That's My Kid!

In the last month I've entered the realm of being an American "soccer mom," and I must say I'm exhausted. We are doing swim team for two hours every single weekday--one hour for Isaac, 45 minutes for Russell--while Graham and I watch in the heat with all the other moms. Meets start at 6 am EVERY Saturday and end around 1 pm. The swim team pretty much owns us, and I'm ashamed to say I mostly signed up because everyone else was doing it. Though I often make it a point to do the opposite of the status quo, this time I caved. We do usually ride bikes to the pool instead of the mini van, and I do my very best to not get too competitive about the whole thing, but I can't escape the fact that I have become the soccer mom. We've eaten our quota of hot dog dinners on-the-run for the next century. My house stays cleaner because we're never in it. I sit around with all the other moms and discuss sales at the store and how we get our kids to do work. I now understand why the soccer mom stereotype includes SUV's, Clorox wipes, fast food, and junk food snacks.

But don't you just love how happy Isaac looks in these photos? No photos of Russell yet (I'll have to nudge the photographer when Russell swims in the next meet), but they are both doing really well. They wanted to do swim team so they could earn the ribbons, and they have earned some. But they seem to be getting what the coach calls the "intrinsic motivation" to do their personal best apart from any competitive inclinations. Russell, who hasn't had many swim lessons in his short life, struggled a bit at first. There were tears and pleas to quit, but we stuck with it. Our friend Cheri gave Russell one private lesson on Monday, and in two days he improved so much that one of the coaches told us she thinks he's ready to move up to the next group. Even more exciting is seeing how happy he is knowing he's improved, and how much he enjoys working hard every day to get better.

My boys. Turning out all right, I guess, DESPITE all of my failings. Tender mercies.

Nostalgic for Indian Food & Friends

The Sunderaj Family at Lakshmi's baptism: Vanita (adopted), Poojah, Margaret, Lakshmi, Shiva, Sunderaj

Yesterday the missionaries came over and I made Indian food for dinner to give them something to write home about--murgh makhani (butter chicken), aloo gobi (potato cauliflower curry), yellow daal (lentils), garlic naan bread, cucumber raitha, and basmati rice. Graham, Rich and I were happy. Russell said, "I don't like this naan. I like the kind of naan we used to have in India." I think he meant chapatis, and I'd love to make them like Margaret & Poojah did, but I'm not there yet. It took me the better part of the day to cook it all, but I enjoyed the luxury of having the time to do it, remembering some of my favorite people--the Sunderaj family--along the way. I appreciate them now a little more now that I'm doing all this on my own.

The weather report for Delhi today says 102 degrees and "blowing dust." Some things I just won't ever miss!