June and July

A lot has happened since we posted about our new little brother.

Jeff's grandpa passed away and I got to go to my first viewing and funeral. The funeral was held at the church and so many people came that we ran out of seats in the chapel and the gym. Jeff and I ended up sitting on the stand. Jeff's dad joined us so we wouldn't feel so awkward. It was an amazing experience.

A few days later, Jeff turned 25. We celebrated the night before with a porch swing I put together with only a little help from a good friend. I was really proud of myself, so it was very embarrassing when we discovered the frame was crooked. Jeff propped it up with some phone books and it only looks a little white trashy...

Jeff's friends came over to party, got Jeff to go to the store, and decorated the front of our townhome with chalk and ribbon while he was gone. It was perfect even if Jeff liked it a lot less than I did.

Then one of our best friends moved away. We miss you, Ben.

For the 4th of July, we had a barbecue with Jeff's family, set off fountains in the street, and walked to the high school to sit on bleachers and watch a big display of fireworks. Lots of fun and excellent food!

Just this last weekend, my family had a reunion in Spokane, WA, my cousin got married, and I turned 24 years old.

Jeff and I drove up to WA using the scenic route through Yellowstone and with a quick stop at our favorite restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings, in Montana. We both really love road trips together, especially because I enjoy driving during the day and Jeff loves driving at night. It works out beautifully. The trip was uneventful except for too many deer near the road for my comfort. At the hotel, my parents let us stay in one of their two suites with two of my little sisters. My parents were able to bring adorable baby Tess along, so we were able to see a lot of her and our new brother, Ki.

Brandon and Rachel, my cousin, were married July 11th at the Spokane Temple. She looked gorgeous in her wedding dress and everything was perfect. Brandon seems like a really nice guy, even if he did cheat in our Biggest Loser contest (just kidding, but he did kick everyone's butt by a least 500 points... it sounds fishy to me). Jeff came in second place and got us another fantastic quilt made by my grandmother. It was nice to spend so much time with all of my family. My uncle James brought one of our favorite games with him, Bang!, and we played it into the wee hours of the morning almost every night.

The next day, July 12th, I turned 24. 9 times out of 10, my birthday occurs during our family reunion. I actually really enjoy it because all of my family is there to celebrate with me.

When we had to leave on Monday, Jeff, the Veronins, and I drove to James and Anne's house in Boise to spend a day with them. There, we were introduced to a new game: Arkham Horror. It takes about a half hour to just set up, and at least another 4 hours to play. It was one of the coolest games I've ever played. We played the night we got there and again the next day after everyone had finally woken up. Tuesday was my uncle James's birthday. Thankfully, he seemed to enjoy playing with us as part of his birthday celebration. We're also very thankful that my aunt Anne was okay with us stealing her husband the entire time we were there.

When we finally came back home, the Veronins and Tess came with us and visited for a day. We played games and watched Ki dance. I also got in some good mom time when she took me shopping as my birthday present.

We finally got some excellent footage of Ki dancing that we can share with everyone:



Jeff knows that I love birthdays, and he's done amazing job of making this birthday last a long time. Before we even left on vacation, he started giving me gifts and torturing me with hints about gifts to come. When we were finally alone again, he cooked me two fantastic steak dinners and even had sunflowers delivered to my work.

They are beautiful. I still can't believe how lucky I got when I married Jeff.

We love you, family! Thank you all for a wonderful vacation and for fantastic birthdays!