Summer Is Almost Ending

It's been so relaxing! We went to Utah from June 18th until July 6th. It was wonderful to visit our families and not to have to do house chores for almost a month!
I ran my second 5K in Utah (Freedom Run in Provo) , and it was so good! I ran the whole time - no stops or walking at all! It was a really fun thing to do on July 4th - very liberating and it was kind of a celebration of my American Citizenship.
I am so grateful I've been a Citizen for 2 years on August 17th. I love the American Constitution and it's because of it that I am here. This Country is really blessed and beautiful. The people here are wonderful and kind.
We got a kitty in May. Julianna named her Bayla (she first had a pretend cat named Bayla and that's why we decided to get a kitty in the first place :-)) Bayla is so sweet and funny. She is always hunting our hands and feet. I cannot do laundry without having her go crazy (my hands folding the laundry look like a thousand birds trying to get away). Yesterday she had surgery and vaccines. She was spayed and declawed. I feel so bad for declawing her, but I get scared she will scratch my kids on the eye (she got too close a couple times). She looks so fragile now and I realize how much I am already attached. She is like a baby to us.

A sister in my Ward shared this quote in our Yahoo group. It really touched me. I hope my kids will feel this way someday. I am grateful to have had a mother who taught me so many things, one of the biggest is the love of reading.


"You may have tangible wealth untold. Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be. I had a Mother who read to me. (From “The Reading Mother” by Strickland Gillilan)