Summing up summer '08..

Hi all. I apologize for the terribly long time that has past since I last blogged. I was told about a week or so ago that I haven't blogged in a while and I just now decided at 2am to fix this. :) Well its been about 2 months since I last blogged...wow I didn't think it had been that long. hmm oh well. lets see what has happened since then, i will go in order and put some lovely pictures in here too! oh im getting fancy ;).

***JUNE***

well first off again i was baptized on the 14th :) this has been the most amazing blessing that has been given to me and i am just so grateful to have this church and the people who came along with it in my life. it truly has been amazing. at the end of june i got to experience my first FHE's and one particular one that was fun was the softball FHE! here is a random picture from that the rest are on facebook...***JULY***

well july had a lot of exciting things going on in it! i was able to come home to etown for the rest of the summer in july and spend it with my family and be closer to my church friends. so the first exciting thing was the 4th of july and it was an awesome fourth of july. i got to watch a lot of firework shows with my parents. that was so much fun. we had a candid photo session on the steps of an old school where we watched the fireworks at and i got to play with my new camera and take pictures of the fireworks not only the professional ones but the ones that me and my parents did on 4th of july night. we had so much fun. i love them so much!!! but anyways here are some of those pictures...

*I love them*

*Our Silly Faces*

So not only did i get to have 4th of july with my mom and dad but with my cousins and grandma and grandpa and aunts and uncles! we have a bbq every 4th of july and unfortunately since we are all getting older not everyone finds it as fun as i do, therefore i have a ton of firecrackers left over :( but we still have a great time visiting and just being together. i love my family so much! here are a couple of pictures from that event!

*John and Grandma*

*The whole Gang*

*My Beautiful cousins*

Then the next day AFTER the wonderful 4th of july was the 5th of july and that was my very first temple trip! which was totally awesome and i just CANT WAIT until lanners comes home and we get to go to the san diego temple! but yea so it was just an amazing experience and i was so humbled by the atmosphere and i just love it! and i am looking forward to the next one in september! so of course here are just a couple of pictures from that trip :) i tried to pick a few that werent up on facebook, to keep this post interesting of course :).

*Winter Quarters Temple*

*Lindsey and I*

*Post temple trip at a delicious Mexican restaurant*

the rest of july was taken up by work, and just a slew of YSA FHE and other church activities that i was so very gladly attending. here are just a couple random pictures from those events with corresponding captions.

*curtis and naomi dancin it up and the singles confrence, josh admiring the skills*

*The lovely Heidi and I at the 2nd YSA beach party on the boat of course*

*Lee got baptized!!*

*I got to hang out with the lovely lindsay laday!*

***AUGUST***

Well august is not over quite yet but it has flown by just like july did. and just like july it has been filled with a lot of fun church activities, work, and just being home with my family and spending some last few precious summer days with friends. started off with a bang with racheys baptism!! so here are just a couple of pictures i have from that :( cause i didnt get to go..im still REALLY sorry about that rach!

*Pre-Baptism*

*Look at her glowing! :-D this makes me so happy*

so i didnt get to go to her baptism because i had a birthday party (which was BEFORE her baptism so thats not why i missed it lol) and a family reunion (which is why i missed it) so starting with the birthday party. it was little jaxys birthday and i just loved gettin to see him and kameryn and brookelin! oh and 2 of their other cousins (lanis nephews) were there! so i got to see them too!! :-D so here are just a couple pictures from that.

Then from that birthday party i went to my moms sides family reunion! oh i had a lot of fun there too. got to see some family i hadnt seen in a while and visit with some new people that i had never met and it was just a great time with great people :) here are a couple pictures from that as well!

*Churnin the homemade ice cream maker!*

*Grandma Eat the ice cream off the paddle, she is so cute!*

*My Great Aunt Catherine*

*Gramma and my cousin Josh catchin up*
*The Whole Gang*

The rest of august has been filled with even more church events, which like i said before...i love!! :-D they really are the staple of my week. knowing that every saturday, sunday, and monday i have something to look forward to, someone(s) to look forward to seeing and being around and knowing that i will be around people who are so awesome and just sincerely care about eachothers well being. its amazing and for those of you reading this, you are amazing. i mean that from my heart you guys are such wonderful people and i couldnt ask for a better group of friends, brothers, sisters, a support system that i know if and when needed will be there for me. thank you guys for all of that. here are just a few more pictures from the rest of the summer events with the church.

*Luau Ultimate Frisbee match*

*Real Hawaiian dancers dancin like real Hawaiians do*

finally the last thing i did this summer (before this post anyways) was the JACK JOHNSON concert as all of you know very well i went to. It was SOO amazing!!! My friend/roommate erica and i pulled up to the parking gates at 11:30 am friday morning to begin our wait. we were the 12th car in line...at 2:30 they opened the gates. we parked ran to the main gates and waited there in line until 5:15. we ran again to get a wrist band and get as close to the stage as possible, which you will see we did a very good job. we then waited there until 7pm for the opening acts to come out which they did and they were very good (neil hailstead and rogue wave) then FINALLY at 9pm jack johnson came out....and jamed for 2 hours. he played and sang so very well, wasnt the best showman but his talent i feel like made up for that. it was the best 40$ i have ever spent! :-D so here, of course are some pictures and a video clip from the concert. :)

*Neil Hailstead*
*Rogue Wave*
*Jack Johson!!!*
*Amazing*
*So fun!!*

*Taylor*

so over all i would say that i had a pretty magnificent summer :) and i would like to thank all those who helped me have this magnificent summer. you guys are great people and so very dear to me. i thank heavenly father each day that i am blessed to know each and every one of you. i love you all. i cant wait to see what this fall has in store for me, i just know it will be great. so thank you for reading this far and just for the record its about 3:40 am as i finish this blog..lol. i have learned my lesson and will never get this behind again! haha hope you all have enjoyed this blog and feel free to leave comments! have a wonderful rest of your day(s) :-D

love ya!
Michelle