i.love.the.cabin!

We had a grand weekend hanging out in this...

 Flagstaff is beautiful in July. 70 degree and sunny in the morning time, and it always rains in the afternoon.

We did a lot of worm hunting. 

 

  The girls love worms like Lincoln loves Michael. He's not even sleeping here, just cuddling. If you know Lincoln then you know how rare his snuggles are.

Looking at the horses

 Sister Livy and her new bff

 Brother Clark

 This is a picture Rhett drew of the haboob and a ball that's flying at his head. 

 They love their uncle Michael 

 Me: Smile guys, smile! Rhett that's not a smile, smile for the camera!

Mike and Rhett:

 Matchy hats. 

 Me and Grandma Jean Crying because we must leave the cabin. We have this exact same picture when I was 12. 

 

Napoleon, it's pretty cool I guess...

Sunday

I love going to church with this dude and teaching nursery together. We have fun. 

reads

I have been reading these...

They are all so good! Years ago a read Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow and I really enjoyed them, but I  had no idea that they were a whole series.  Mike figured it out and read all of them and really loved them, so I took the plunge and started reading them again. 

Guys, Ender's Game is so freaking cool. I've read it twice and each time throughout the whole thing I think to myself, "this book is so cool". Then at the end I think, "this book is so freaking cool".

I highly recommend them. All three of the later ones are so different than the first one and not quite as exciting in my opinion but still really good. 

There is another series that is about one of the characters and goes off in a sort of different direction. Ender's Shadow is basically the same story as Ender's Game but from someone else's point of view. Sounds like it could be lame to read the same story again even though you already know the ending but it is actually awesome.

I'm only on the second one in this series but I'm loving it already. If you're looking for some reads, I recommend these. Let me know what you think if you do! 

cousin party

Last night me, Ben and Rachel threw a little cousin party for Rhett, Stella, Roxy, Lincoln, and Brenly. We went swimming, then watched the end of Monsters inc., then ate mac and cheese, then made funfetti cookies, then turned off all the lights and turned on Pandora Justin Bieber radio and had a dance party. It was good times. In case you haven't figured it out, I love being an auntie.

Summer goals

Every year I make little summer goals for myself. Usually goal setting is for people who are ambitious and productive right? I do things a little differently. Pretty much every summer I make goals to be lazy. Last spring break my goal was to feel boredom at least once.

2012 Summer Goals

1.) Read a book. Check check check check and check. I've read five so far. And the summer is not yet over.

2.) Leave work early and see a manatee movie by myself. Check. This is one of my favorite things ever. Maybe because I feel like I'm doing something wrong seeing a movie in the the middle of the day and by myself but I always feel slightly giddy ordering "one ticket for _______ at ____". And then I smile to myself as I walk to the theater.

3.) Go on a vacation. Check- Alaska. Check- Porter family reunion.

4.) Drink a slushy. Check.

Between all this laziness I have actually been a bit productive believe it or not. I taught my own summer school class, have been working everyday, am taking a summer school class Mondays and Wednesdays 5-10. And we even cleaned and organized our tornado I mean bedroom which is a task and a half.

I tell myself I deserve all these little indulgences because I work so hard both with work and with school, but to be honest, I don't think I'll learn the meaning of working hard and being tired until I have kids. I admire all you mamas out there.

But for now I don't have kids and I do have time so I'm going to spend it on silly things that make me happy. And I hope I can still do that to at least a small degree when I have little people running around calling me mom.