What I Did This Summer

I know that someone out there is thinking, "Really?  It's the second week of October and you're just writing about your summer now?"  My response to that is, "Yeah, I am."  For starters, we just got back from a quick family trip down to the lake, and even though it's early October, it was in the 80s and felt like early September.  And second, look over to the right and notice when the last time I actually posted to my blog; it's been more than TWO YEARS.  It's practically a Halloween miracle that I'm writing at all, so thank the Great Pumpkin and let's move on.

 May: I went to the Outer Banks with some good friends to celebrate one of those friend's birthday with some fishing in the ocean.  I only got marginally seasick, but I didn't puke.  For the record, I caught a 40 pound amberjack.  It was delicious.

Yeah, I caught that.  It was exhausting.

Typical hot, sweaty American in Bangkok.

June: As much as I hate to, I had to go to Thailand and Laos for work.  Should I have put something in there to indicate that the previous sentence was supposed to be sarcastic?  Because I actually love going to Southeast Asia.  Anyway,  I have a separate post to write about that adventure because it's Thailand and Laos.

July: We spent some time at a friend's place up in the hills of West Virginia. True to West Virginia traditions, we shot stuff.  It was pretty awesome.

It's important for your ear pro to match your outfit.

That's my girl!

Katniss Everdeen, eat your heart out!

Trophy shot.

August: My daughters dyed my hair at girls camp, because blondes are supposed to have more fun, and because I made a deal with them.  We also hung out with our awesome friends and had an awesome time because our friends are awesome.

See, I'm literally having more fun, you can see it on my face.

This is a seriously shady lot.  Trust me.

September: I took Anne back to BYU-Idaho for her junior year of college.  When did I get old enough to have a junior in college?  While I was back in Utah, I went golfing with my dad and brother.  Just as important, I got to spend some time in my beloved Utah mountains.

Bell Canyon waterfall and some dork from Virginia.

Beautiful mountain lake--how did I not know about this place when I was growing up in Utah?

Last, but certainly not least, we got a dog.

Well, hello there!

Channeling Dorothy Gale

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

This summer we loaded the family up and went on an epic roadtrip.  We drove from the verdant forests of Virginia to the cornfields of Illinois and the Midwest, through the arid high plains of Wyoming to the majestic mountains of Utah (including a dip in the Great Salt Lake!), across the dry moonscape of eastern Oregon to the lush beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  Then, after about a month, we drove back through it all to get home.

Wherever we go, Mali and I have these conversations about how we could live there.  We have friends and family scattered all over, and there are wonderful things about every one of the places we’ve gone to visit, chief among those being our friends and family who mean so much to us.  When we say, “We would love to live here!” we genuinely mean it.

Great Salt Lake, Utah

In the almost eighteen years Mali and I have been married, we’ve lived in four states, criss-crossed the United States multiple times, and even gone overseas for a spell, and we have had been blessed and our lives have been immensely enriched by the experiences we’ve had and the people we’ve associated with.  I honestly believe that we could live anywhere and be happy, as long as we have each other.  And indoor plumbing.  As long as we have each other and indoor plumbing, we're good.

That said, the old adage, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home” rings true for us every time we return from one of our adventures.  It was fantastic to spend a month away, going back to Utah and Washington and spending so much time with our families—and we musn’t forget how much we enjoyed being with our friends in Illinois as well.  Without detracting at all from the great times we had on vacation, there’s just something about coming home to my own abode, sleeping again in my own bed, returning to the regular rhythm of everyday life that is soothing to my soul.  May it ever be so, I earnestly hope and pray.

Wherever we go, we are a happy family