dripping with passion

i am reading a book called “the happiness project.” i’ve been reading it since march or so. i hate that i’ve allowed my life to nearly completely crowd my reading-for-pleasure time. i’m determined to un-cram and read more. anyway, the author of “the happiness project” spent a year focusing on being happier and wrote about her experiences to share with the world. she based her happiness work on an initial list of self-created life commandments. she inspired me to develop my own set of rules for large and deliberate living. 1 – be my temple self 2 – be good in the middle 3 – best is the enemy of good        & good is the enemy of best 4 – do it 5 – {almost} nothing is a big deal 6 – savor 7 – act how you want to feel 8 – be on time 9 – love your choice 10 – don’t say anything negative 11 – expect less i’ve mulled over this list for many weeks, and i’m sure it will continually be edited. but i am grateful for the opportunity to think about what truly makes me happy. i don’t think

i super love pioneer day. even though i wasn’t in utah this july the 24, i couldn’t let the day pass without some true celebration of something so worth celebrating. i have a soft spot for the legacy of the mormon pioneers. in church on sunday, i was leading the congregation in singing hymns, and i got all teary in front of the crowd as we sang “come, come ye saints” together. i am truly, truly grateful for the sacrifices of the pioneers and the lessons i have learned and can apply to my own life from their incredible faith, diligence and resilience. so, to honor, commemorate and revel, brittany and i hosted a little neighborhood party in our friends’ backyard. we made four pies to share: apple (recipe handed down all the way from brittany’s pioneer ancestors), strawberry rhubarb, peach raspberry and banoffee (an english dessert that we both adore). i have to say all the pies turned out amazingly well – they were delicious! our guests enjoyed while bluegrass hymns filled the night

my friend susie was in town last weekend. isn’t she adorable?? susie and i spent a couple of weeks together in guatemala last summer. as it turns out, our spirits are astonishingly kindred. our friendship is packed with real empathy and loads of understanding. susie is so refreshing to be around. it was so fun and easy to hang out with her for a few hours in the city that gloriously sunny saturday. i told you i’d dedicate a blog post to you, susie girl! and! bonus! i also got to see my mission companion sister jenks (that is thoroughly not her name now that she’s both no longer a missionary and has a new last name thanks to marriage – but that’s what she’ll always be to me) on saturday in the city! we met up for ike’s sandwiches at dolores park. it was fantastic to catch up and meet her husband and most of all to reminisce on the incredible days we spent together as missionaries. hooray for san francisco being a gathering place!

the last full day of the reunion included a morning talent show featuring pretty awesome dance routines, some ukulele playing, a couple gymnastics moves and also mckay showcasing how he can smile and drink out of a straw at the very same time! these older grandkids love driving lessons from their uncles. it is fun to have nieces and nephews to remind me of junior high and high school days. yes, i have a nephew who is fifteen and six-three. every year we have a doubles tennis tournament. since shawni’s husband had to leave on sunday, i got to be her doubles partner. we totally lost in the first round, but then we got to play another match with her teenage kids. elle and i smoked max and shawni. it was maybe the most fun tennis match i’ve ever played. hanging out with these people in the sun after lunch is the best. out on the boat in the middle of the lake on a hot afternoon is really really my happy place. the teal water, the bouncy clouds, the cheers and usually holding a baby or two