The 7th Wonder of Our World: So are the days of our lives...

Although this blog is to primarily document Mackenzie’s adoption, I want to keep everyone up on the rest of the family too. We all are handling Kenzie’s birthday in different ways. Mommy has taken to breaking down at work and sobbing. Maddie asked me if I was getting Kenzie today, which started the sob fest. Daddy has decided to clean the garage in 100+ degree weather. Sissy posted a sweet note on Facebook and the boys, well, they are boys. I got to work this morning and my dear friend and co-worker, Kirstie, had left these beautiful flowers and a card on my desk.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my desk to wish Mackenzie a Happy Birthday and check on me! I have the best job and friends!

Here’s a little run down of how the beginning of our summer has been going:

Codi is taking English 9 in summer school and his first week has been pretty good. He likes his teacher, and so do I. She only gives homework if the kids scribble and rush through, so Codi has been trying really hard to do his best work. Here is a sidewalk chalk self-portrait he did on the driveway. Awesome, huh?

Carter finished 6^th grade with all A’s and B’s on his report card – yeah Carter! Most of Carter’s days and nights revolve around playing with his friend Dylan, talking to Dylan, spending the night with Dylan, swimming with Dylan, shopping with Dylan or to switch things up a little, having Dylan spend the night or having Dylan swim with us. Oh - to be young with absolutely no responsibilities in the world. Any spare time he has is spent swimming and working on his ridiculously gorgeous tan.

Sam dropped the bomb on us that she is going to join the Navy if all the stars align properly for her plan to work. Once she applies and is accepted to a Master’s program for Occupational Therapy, she will contact her recruiter to see if they have any spaces available in the Navy’s program to help pay for her college. If they have a spot, and accept her, she will go into the Navy upon graduation as an officer and serve four years. We are super proud of her – of course we wish it was the Air Force, but they don’t have this program – and we can’t wait to see her in dress whites.

Maddie is trying to learn to read this summer since she starts Kindergarten in August. She’s doing great, with a lot of help from Sam, but still guesses a lot. It goes something like this:

SAM - “Sound out the letters Maddie.”

MADDIE - “F - Ffffff”

MADDIE - “O - ahahahahah”

MADDIE - “X - exxxxxxxxxx”

SAM - “Ok, now put it all together.”

MADDIE - “Fffffffffahahahahahahexxxxxxxx” “Fffffffffahahahahahahexxxxxxxx” “Fffffffffahahahahahahexxxxxxxx”

SAM - “What does it spell?”

MADDIE - “Squirrel!”

What??? UGH!!!

Due to summer school our vacation plans had to be adjusted, so instead of California, we are heading to Utah for the 4^th of July with Uncle Rich and Miss Amanda. We are going to the zoo and the Olympic Park and hopefully we will have some cool pictures to share.

And speaking of Uncle Rich…Great News! John and Rich will continue working together for another year on the same shift. They just held shift bid, and we were a little worried they might get split up, but everything worked out and we went out celebrated with FLUFF ICE! They are here for one week and Rich and I couldn’t wait to have some, in fact, Rich woke Amanda up on Monday morning asking when we could go. Yum-yum!