Summer Fun

I may have been remiss in posting for a while, but I do have some redeeming photos to share now. It seems like I've just played this summer, considering my study abroad back to Ecuador, visiting with family, and not having a job until recently. I guess that's okay, though, since things seem to have worked out well.

My most recent playing was out in California. This was my first time out there, excepting my layover there to get my visa to go on my mission. It was also my first experience in the ocean off of a North American coast.
I went with a group of about 25 from my singles' ward. We stayed at someone's house, but most of us really slept in tents in the backyard. Let you think my summer has been too luxurious, I will also add the detail that there was one shower for 30 people at that house. Luckily, the local pool had a shower, too, albeit an outdoor shower.
Here we are in front of an old Catholic cathedral in the historic San Juan Capistrano area. There were all these quaint little old shops and buildings that we rather enjoyed visiting. We did spend a couple days at some beaches...I helped people share their artistic talents by being the body under the muscular sand body and ever attractive seaweed wear.

Jump pictures...how did they get to be so popular in the first place? (I rather like how all of us ladies were caught in this one!)
We also went to the Newport Beach Temple. We were able to go as a group and do baptisms for the dead. It was a great opportunity with this group of friends.

Since I've been back out in Provo, I've enjoyed playing with my good old BYU ward. As I didn't really get assigned to a specific family home evening group, I just started attending with whichever group had the most adventurous activity planned. Well, actually I just go with those who invite me first. Thus, I ended up rafting down the Provo River twice in three weeks. This is me with some of my "family" the second time around. By the end of the evening, though, most people were pretty wet, if not from falling in, they were wet from splashing wars. The water was freezing!!Earlier in the season we accomplished the great mulberry harvest of 2009. That involved setting up many tarps beneath the tree and sending James up a ladder to then shake the branches while we sat on a bench and watched/felt the raining berries. Then the real work started as James sorted through the collected berries with some cute helper kids while Caroline and I worked on the cooking and processing inside. It took the entire day, but the fruits of our labors sure are yummy. :p




Clark obviously stayed busy supervising. I think he learned it from Boss, or was it the bossy sister?