Summer Stuff

Summer went by so fast!

School starts next week, and the kids are enjoying their last few carefree days . . .

. . . playing with friends . . .

. . . finishing a family Dungeons and Dragons adventure . . .

. . . hanging out with the chickens . . .

. . . and finding our first egg this afternoon!

The girls and I also took a drive to the Boston Temple this evening with a few friends from church.

We strolled the beautiful grounds, then spent some quiet time praying and reflecting in the lobby.

We didn't have a baptism appointment, 

and the girls are too young to participate in the other ordinances,

but anyone can reverently spend time in the waiting room,

and we all agreed that there is a peaceful and uplifting spirit there

that we hope to come feel again very soon.

Falling for Rex

I'm enjoying our chicken adventure,

but I noticed early on that whenever I went out to check on our hens . . .

. . . I was more eager to see their cute little bunny neighbor 

(whom Joy has dubbed Sir Frederick).

I'm not planning to get rid of the chickens,

but I started thinking that perhaps I should have built a tractor for meat rabbits instead.

After toying with that idea for the last few months . . .

. . . I decided to visit a big rabbit show in Topsfield today

to talk to some breeders about what raising rabbits is like.

It was fun to see rabbits of all shapes and sizes (including this Jersey Wooly) . . .

. . . waiting their turn to be examined by a certified rabbit judge.

This black rabbit is a variety called Rex, which is famous for its short, velvety fur.

I went to the show leaning toward raising Silver Fox rabbits 

because they have good size, gentle temperaments, and are good moms,

but when I held a Rex rabbit at the show today I fell in love.

They are so divinely soft!

Although I didn't buy any Rex rabbits at the show

(I still want to figure out some things before I dive headfirst into rabbit raising)

it's probably a only a matter of time before I put some stickers like these on my minivan.

Hero Camp 2023

Our Primary hosted a fun Hero Camp this week!

Peter, Paul, and Mary traveled back in time

to teach us some important lessons.

We also made crafts . . .

. . . ate olives . . .

 . . . and learned some songs and dances

to perform for parents on the last day of camp.

Todd's favorite part was the water balloon toss at the end!

Camp Week Commences

This morning . . .

. . . Anna helped me decorate the church

for the first day of Hero Camp tomorrow . . .

. . . then I drove her to her very first day of Girls Camp.

 Joy will be a counselor for the first time this summer.

She's a little nervous, but I'm sure she'll do a good job.

She always does.

Coming Home to God

Massachusetts has a lot of natural beauty,

but I think the loveliest place in our state . . .

. . . is the Boston Temple at sunset,

especially when I'm there with my family.

We were excited to see that this portion of the grounds

was finally open again after months of renovation.

We took a pleasant little twilight walk to see how it turned out,

then we went inside to ponder and pray in the temple waiting room.

It's hard to get an appointment for temple baptisms, 

so sometimes we just come to commune with God for a while.

Near the end of our visit,

I opened a Church magazine and read an article by President Ballard

about the importance of making the temple part of our lives.

As I read the article, I was initially surprised to see a picture

where Jesus wasn't the central focus.

His gaze and the gesture of His hand seemed to direct the viewer

toward the door of the temple in the middle of the painting.

On reflection, I realized there was poignant symbolism there.

The temple represents God's invitation to purify our lives

and ultimately return to His presence.

Everything Jesus taught was meant to help us

do precisely that.

Supper Time!

We love Neighborhood Supper night every month!

This hot summer evening, Anna made sure the guests

had plenty of lemonade . . .

. . . and Bishop Jeffrey helped us get little plates ready for the salad.

After dinner, one of the guests helped us put the chairs away . . .

. . . then Sister Stoddard (one of the missionaries currently serving in our ward)

joined the kids for a few twirls around a pole.

It's the simple pleasures that make life worth living!

A Monkey in the Woods

While Joy, Daniel, and Anna . . .

. . . attended a "kindergarten day" youth activity at the church . . .

. . . Todd's activity group hiked the Whitetail Woods trail.

We even stopped at good old Picnic Rock for a snack.

We kept up a brisk pace most of the time so we wouldn't run out of daylight,

but I managed to snap a few fun photos of the boys lining up on a log . . .

. . . Todd flexing his muscles . . .

. . . and a nimble kid who loved to shimmy up saplings.

He must have climbed at least a dozen during the course of our hike.

Who knew there were monkeys in Massachusetts?