I can't believe my summer is over!!

Okay, I know it's been a very long time since I have posted. I have to go back to work on Friday. Really, we have been busy doing things, I just haven't taken the time to upload the pictures so I could post. Let's see.... Branden got his car, job, license, and came down with a terrible ailment that I call the "texting bug". He went to San Diego with the priests to go to the temple and kayaking, and also made a stop at Magic Mountain to ride all of those roller coasters that I wouldn't get on if you paid me a million dollars!! He went to EFY in Flagstaff with his best friend Braden. Alec and I drove up to bring them home. They did NOT stop talking the entire ride home. He had blast. I decided to finally paint the boys rooms, and so Branden helped me with his. He chose the colors and it turned out great.
Alec participated in a musical theater production in May and then went to scout camp. He is officially 2 merit badges away from his eagle. He just needs to get his project approved and get it complete. Yeah!! He painted most of his room and he is a master at blue taping. If anyone needs some taping done before you paint... just call him. Seriously, he loves it. He has built a few model cars this summer, and is also really good at getting the paint all over the table and his clothes. Darn him.
Taylor has kept busy this summer doing some babysitting and mostly just playing with friends. She has bought several Webkins with her babysitting money. Her new favorite thing to do on Sunday afternoons is make banana bread. She is getting really good at it. It seems that I always buy too many bananas and they get too ripe on Sunday. Perfect timing.
I have had quite an interesting summer. I had a routine mammogram the first week of vacation, and had to go back in for a follow-up ultrasound because there was an abnormal mass. My doctor referred me to a surgeon, and after the consultation, I decided to have what he called an "excision biopsy" instead of just having a needle biopsy. I had surgery on July 11th and had to wait a week for the pathology report. It turned out to be a benign fibrous tumor. It was very small and now that it's over, I'm glad I decided to do the surgery. It was very trying for me to wait in between each appointment, and thanks to good friends and a few blessings, I learned that worrying about it doesn't make the time go by any quicker. Needless to say, I didn't get a whole lot done this summer. But thank goodness it's all over before school starts. I have such great friends and family that have helped me out this summer. Thanks Aubrey, Amy, Penni, Laura, Nikki, Shari, Suzanne, Sharon--
We just got home today from a 12 day trip to Utah. My nephew Matt got married last Tuesday and it was so great seeing all of my extended family. My cool brother made the most incredible dutch oven dinner on Monday night for the wedding party and then he drove up to Salt Lake with my amazingly sweet niece Christy to take our family pictures (see top of the blog). She is so talented. When we picked up the CD, she had even made treats for us to take in the car. Thanks again Christy!! Lori and I did our traditional massive school shopping trip in Park City. Suzanne, Josh, and my kids met our friends Thatcher's at the Conference Center and we saw the Music and the Spoken Word. It was incredible. I'm glad the kids enjoyed it. I got to stop and see my friend Stacy Seeley who moved from our ward last summer (wah)! My friend, her sister-in-law Lorena was there too. It was fun visiting them.
To add to our trip, I drove out to Eagle Mountain and "adopted" a 4 pound Yorkie we named Cheeto. He is seven months old and is so dang cute. We have been looking for a Yorkie that was already house broken and wasn't $2000!!! Well, I found him. The kids have enjoyed him so much, and Shelby, our cocker spaniel, is now "tolerating" him. I swear he is 1/2 mountain goat.... because he can jump on my bed without any difficuty.... and it's pretty high.
We are almost finished school shopping, and the boys have to pick up their schedules tomorrow. I will try and post some of our summer pictures soon.