Summer is beginning to end. I got my grades back from my classes. I got two A's and a B. I was shocked that I got a B in my Stats class. I got a C- on the midterm but I guess I did really well on the Final. I was worried about it cause you have to retake it if you get below a C and I know people who had not passed the first time. But now I'm down to two classes. Hopefully all goes well with them this coming semester. I'm watching my nephew all day 2-3 times a week. It's good for max. he gets all excited when jack comes over. He yells, "The Baby....Baby". It's quite humerus.

Now the semester has started and Jake has been really on top of things. He's working really hard to graduate in May. He's taking 15 credits and works 36 hours a week. I could care less about the money, but Jake is worried about benefits so he is continuing to work. Which is a good thing because he just got promoted at work. NO more shipping department, and a raise! he really put in his time at Regional Supply, but now he works at a different branch of the company, and he's a manager so he can try to delegate and do things the way he sees fit. I'm so proud of him. This will also be a good opportunity for him because a management position will look really good on his graduate school application. (which is due in January...yikes). Anywho, life has been busy and I enjoy watching my little nephew. It's really fun to see him and Max together. My semester is fairly easy going, since I only have two classes, but I'm really excited for my Aural Rehab classes. I've become really interested in Audiology and hope to make that my discourse when I go to graduate school (in like 10 years). After I graduate I just want to be a Mom and devote my time to Max and any other future kids. School hasn't taken up too much of my time, but life will be a lot less stressful without it.

Pulhapanzak Falls

So I'm a little behind in my Ensign reading. I found the February 2011 still wrapped in plastic behind the computer. I've been slowly reading it over the past week and found an article that made me so happy. Brother Olsen was a counselor in our old Bishopric when Jake and I were in the singles ward. During one FHE he had his son come to speak to us who is an author for the Ensign who also travels the world looking for cool stories from members. In this issue I saw his name as an author for an article entitled "Revelation pouring Down From Heaven". It was on a member from Honduras, from one of my Zones. The picture is of a young man standing in front of Pulhapanzak Falls in Honduras......I've Been There!!!! It's a beautiful waterfall that I went to when I as in La Zona Villanueva (the zone that I spent 6 months in with my compa who hated me). Anywho, the point of the story is that you have to get wet, or completely jump in the water to be truly converted. I love when little things come into my day that remind me of my time I spent there. I love this picture on the bottom cause you can see the rainbow!!

Summer Time

This summer is almost over, and I can't believe all the stuff that has happened. I had classes this summer, approximately 10 credits. One of my classes was a month long....Women Cross Culturally. I've decided that I enjoy studying anthropology but hate anthropologists, they annoy me. That class ended in June and then my statistics and Adolescence classes have endured for the whole summer, but finals are this week. In June I went back to Illinois. It was a nice farewell, but I've decided I would never want to move back there, or anywhere in the vicinity if I can help it. Jake may not care for it, but I enjoy the mountains and many aspect of Utah, it's not a bad place. Juli and I spent some time in Chicago (Shopping of course) and stayed with our old friend Effie. It was nice to catch up. the remainder of our trip was in Rockford, where we ate, and ate, and ate. I had dinner with my old high school friend, Barb Moyer, and then Lunch with Stephanie Holden. It was nice to catch up with people. Juli, Effie, and I went to the old house on Gregwood Place. The people who live there are a little interesting, but it was disappointing to see all their dumb cats everywhere. My Mother would have died. I really missed being away and was so glad to come home. Jake even told me that max missed me so much that he would lay in his bed and say "Mommy......" until he fell asleep.

I flew back to Salt Lake on July 4th and my Grandma Boots tagged along. 5 hours after arriving home My father passed away. In reality he was just waiting for Grandma to get here. It was difficult seeing him suffer and to feel so lonely and bored all the time. The last few months were like prison to him, but I know he is an extremely better place and that he watches over us. Grandma has been a big handful, she's starting to lose here memory at a rapid rate and she's constantly losing stuff. Here clothes and personal items were suppose to be here weeks ago, but the moving company sucks and her stuff still remain in Rockford. She too is having a hard time living here, but we are glad that she's around, she still makes me laugh.

Barb and Ralph Brooks came for a few days in July. I feel like we spent little time at the house, which was nice, but also cause our apartment flooded the moment they arrived. We went to the water park, we went to the cemetery where many of the past church leaders are buried, and of course partook on some traditional SLC fro-yo. It was nice to have them around, and hope to see them again next summer.

finally, and of course more importantly to Jake is the part of our summer we spent camping. In june we went with our ward. This was a dry run for max, who isn't the best camper, but really, what toddler is. He cried a lot that night, but overall he was pretty good. Then we made the big trip to Montana that Jake had been waiting for. We drove 12 hours to Spotted Bear campground by Crazy Hoarse and Glacier National Park. I enjoy camping, for like 2 days max, but for a week......NO. I enjoy indoor plumbing, beds, and stoves. I feel like I did my time when I lived in Honduras for 18 months, now I'm done. The point is, I can camp, but I choose not to! Anyhow, Max loved the river, he could of sat by it throwing rocks in allll day. Jake was a crazy man when we floated the river, I couldn't get him to stop yelling like a crazy person when we hit the rapids. Max got to spend even more time with Grammy Barb, I think he loved sitting with her by the fire before bed time. We had sacrament meeting around the fire early Sunday morning. It was a cool experience to hear people's testimonies and to be outdoors while Jake's nephew peed in a bush during the sacrament blessing. Most of Jake's family was there, intermediate and extended. But just like the saying goes, family is like fish, it starts to stink after a few days, so it was our time to leave. I think if we spent 5 days with my family we would kill each other! But everyone was descent. It was nice to arrive home after max had barfed twice on the way home, one time outside of Bountiful.

Life is back to normal, Jake is preparing to take the GRE. I am extremely nervous for him, he studies when he can, but I think he's trying to enjoy what little time he has left with Max and I before school starts on August 22. He is never going to be home this Fall and I hope all goes well so he can graduate in May. Of course he will still have to take classes next summer. I'm taking 2 classes this Fall, one at 7 30 A.M. Tues and Thursdays, and the other online. Max is excited cause he gets to go play with his BF Eleyna while I'm in class. She lives upstairs, so it's very convenient. other than that, max and I are hanging out with Jack a lot. He's my sister Laura's son, he's only 10 weeks, but he's a cute little bugger, especially when he's asleep. I know my Dad would be proud of us, and I hope he knows how much we miss and think of him.