Please keep your arms and legs inside the ride until it comes to a complete stop

Life is sometimes as crazy, up-and-down, and full of unpredictable twists and turns as a world-class roller-coaster! We had quite a ride over the last couple of months. So glad to finally have both feet back on the ground, and to have my head finally not spinning.


Snippets of our ride:
*I am able to go to a women's retreat in California = UP
*I screw up my itinerary for getting home from California = DOWN
*I have to eat the cost of my original plane ticket and purchase an entirely new ticket = DOWN
*I am able to get on a flight to SLC where my parents graciously picked me up = UP
*My parents drive me all the way home and visit for a few days = UP
*James' sister Monica and her family, along with two of my niece's and a nephew come for a visit = UP
*My niece's babysit all the kids, while the adults have a wonderful over-night get-away = UP
*Positive pregnancy test = huge, unexpected, surprise UP
*I stop anti-depressant cold-turkey = DOWN (see positive pregnancy test)
*Three of my sister's kids come for a visit = UP (Maybe a DOWN for them--see stopping anti-depressant cold-turkey)
*We host Mr. Dan, a British soccer coach with Challenger British Soccer Camp = UP
*Both kids get to do soccer camp = UP
*Ben does Cub Scout Day Camp = UP
*Brianna Joy turns SIX YEARS OLD! And has a backyard swim party = UP
*We go to my beautiful new neice's baby blessing and visit with family and some friends = UP
*James receives a call to serve on the Stake High Council = UP
*Miscarriage = painfully disappointing DOWN
*D and C = DOWN
*James' parents come visit and James' dad ordains him a High Priest = UP
*Ben gets to go to Camp Invention = UP
*We go jet skiing with friends = UP
*I run the jet ski over a rope and kill it = DOWN
*No local place can fix our jet ski in time for our Lake Powell trip on July 4th = DOWN
*I take the jet skis and my kids to my Daddy and he fixes it!! = UP
*We blow out a tire on the jet ski trailer on our way home from my parent's = DOWN (Please note, this is at about 3:45pm, July 3rd)
*Miraculously, we are able to limp back to Green River, UT on our rim, and find a place that actually has a tire and can fix it! = UP
*We have a quick, lovely, fun, and safe trip to Lake Powell, with TWO functioning jet skis = UP
*We return home, regroup (do laundry and re-pack) and get ready to head to Vernal with two vehicles --one pulling the jet skis, and one pulling our camp trailer-- for a family reunion, but before we leave, our home a/c starts pouring out water (Friday, after 5pm)= DOWN
*We make a call, and within the hour, it is fixed, at a fair price, and we are on our way - UP
*We have a great time with James' family at the reunion = UP
*We go jet skiing with James' sister's family and have a great time = UP
*At the very end of the day on the lake, one of the jet skis runs over seaweed and gets killed again = DOWN
*I am able to tell my sister-in-law that it's ok, and I know EXACTLY how she feels, because I had just experienced it! -UP
*We are able to get the seaweed out, and the jet ski is fine = UP
*We hook up the trailer to the car, to head to SLC for my nephew's mission report, BUT the trailer lights don't work, and since it is late, we cannot go = DOWN
*We miss my nephews mission report = DOWN
*The next day, we get the trailer light problem fixed and head north to camp between the Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone = UP
*We enjoy the breathtaking views of the Grand Tetons, AND run into some friends = UP
*A leak in our trailer's plumbing takes half a day to get parts and repair = DOWN
*I decide to go back on my anti-depressant = UP, and UP
*I hear my son's first intentional curse words = DOWN
*Brianna mis-hears Ben's curse words, and asks me over and over, "what's wrong with saying 'piece of boat'?" = UP
*We spend a few days exploring the wonders of Yellowstone = UP
*Ben cracks up the crowd at Old Faithful when he says "Boy! They must have a BIG water bill!" = UP
*Brianna's precious fingers get slammed in the car door by accident = very. painful. DOWN
*The next morning, Brianna wakes up cheerful, and says that her fingers barely hurt anymore. And, indeed, I believe that God performed a miracle in her behalf with those little fingers. = UP
*While wandering around a stinky, sulpherous, belching area of Yellowstone, Ben says, "Mother Nature sure is gassy today!" = UP
*We run into our same friends that we saw in the Tetons over and over, until we begin to accuse each other of stalking = UP
*We head home after a long, and mostly-enjoyable vacation = UP
*James and I attend the temple on our way home, while the kids hang out with Great Grandpa = UP
*We make it safely home, to find all is well = UP

Well, life has been continuing, but at a slower, more relaxed pace since returning home. Brianna attended a two-day ballet camp; Ben read the second Harry Potter novel; we've been getting school supplies and school clothes ready; I received a new calling to serve as WEBELOS leader (Ben's age group); and James has become a star on his rec soccer team.

We hope that YOUR summer ride has been fun, with more UPs than DOWNs, and that it has included happy surprises and laughter, and an increase in faith with each twist and turn, as has ours!