Anna is 9

I can't believe my Anna is nine! {gasp} She actually turned nine July 3, but I am just now getting around to posting her birthday post. :)

Nine things I love about Anna:
1. She has a contagious laugh and brings a lot of joy into our home
2. She laughs a lot
3. She is a deep thinker
4. She has insights on things that are far beyond her years
5. She is so good
6. She is a great example to her younger sister and brother
7. I love it when she reads to Aaron
8. She catches on very quickly to anything she tries, from music to sports
9. She tells some pretty funny jokes

We finally had her friend birthday party on the 25th of July. It was kind of a beach/water theme party. They played a lot of water games in our backyard. They made a jar with the layered colored sand and beach-like ice cream treat for dessert. Anna wanted that instead of a cake. And that was SO fine with me. :)

Happy Birthday my sweet Anna, I am so grateful for you!

I {heart} friends!

I know I should be working on the MOUNTAIN of paper work for the adoption, but here I am reading your blogs and posting on mine. There are times when I feel very motivated to get it done, and then there are times (like now) that it is a bit overwhelming, so I avoid it and pledge to get back to it later (like tomorrow).

I have had such a blast reconnecting with friends lately!! Mike had an appointment in St George, so we went down and the Whittles met us up there. Fun!

We all had a good time seeing each other, and the SUN!

A few days later, I got together with my good friends and college roomies, Whitney and Shannon. So much fun girls~thanks!

Then Carol came to town! So much fun! The kids might have thought we were trying to kill them by taking them on a little hike, but we had fun and got some good pics!
Seeing my friends refreshes my soul! I am not kidding! I am so grateful for good friends! Thanks girls!
And last but not least, in the tradition of "hot rocks" we made "prayer rocks as a family. There is a cute poem about putting it under your pillow so it will remind you at night, then on the floor so you'll stub your toe and remind you in the morning. That's obviously not how it really goes, one day I'll find it and post it. It is a cute poem in real life. So far they have served as a good little reminder.