July

July has been a very fun and busy month!

We started off on July 3rd by having a BBQ with Mom & Dad Perkins. It was fun because when Andrea & I got there, the power had been out for an hour or so and nobody knew when it was going to turn back on. Since we had no oven to use and lots of food to cook, Dad just got the big grill going and then he pulled out this awesome little travel grill as well. We cooked the brats, tri-tip, beans, and the corn. The corn turned out very good. I have never been in charge of the grill in my life, and I didn't know what the best way to cook corn would be, so I just put it on the grill like I think I've seen them do in Brazil sometimes. While some of the kernels got quite black, it was just SO GOOD! I have never cared two cents about corn on the cob in my life, but since that fateful dinner, Andrea and I are crazy about grilled corn on the cob and we look forward to a lifetime of summers eating it as much as possible!

Hmmm, what else what else. We had planned to go camping with our dear friends Amanda and Tim, but we are very inexperienced and couldn't figure out where/how to reserve a site on the internet (it appeared that all of them were first come first serve). So we planned out how to snag a site on a friday afternoon but alas . . . they filled up too quick and we couldn't go. We had all of the food prepared though so we ended up just eating it at our apartment, and then in the morning we went over to Amanda and Tim's to have the breakfast that they had prepared. It's too bad that we didn't get to have the delicious meals at a picnic table in the woods, but we'd have a great time doing anything anywhere with Amanda and Tim.

Meanwhile in our day to day normal life, Peter has been becoming ever more mobile. It's SO fun to hear the "PAT PAT PAT" of his hands as he races across the floor! He's gotten really fast! We also enjoy his little jabbering. It's so funny, sometimes he uses what we call his "devil voice" cause he makes these low grumbling evil noises while he plays. Also Peter just keeps getting better at eating. He eats more and more all of the time and it's so fun to just shovel in as much as he can handle.

This is a picture of one of the mini bean burgers that we made one weekend. It was so good. We used my sister's french bread recipe to make buns . . . oh man. They were so good! Andrea and I have also been making sourdough bread. Can I just say I am about the luckiest guy in the world? My wife LOVES to learn how to make anything and everything from scratch and I LOVE to eat it.

Next event: the July Court Activity. Andrea and I had been helping a family move in and when we got back to our court to unload there was a court activity going on where our RA Julia had set up some water games and had pizza etc. I was so happy! Earlier that day I told Andrea "I would really like some Little Caesar's right now" and there it was waiting for us. So we ate our fill, helped move a little more, and then Andrea got Peter in his swimming duds and they went to play in the slip & slide. Peter just loved getting wet! When I got there he was just sitting still in the streams of water and enjoying the coolness. I'm glad that he loves the water, it'll be fun when he's old enough to swim.

On Monday the 18th we were able to go to the "Day's of '47 Rodeo" at the Maverick Center for really cheap due to our Stake High Councilman's involvement in it as medical staff I think. I had never been to a real rodeo and I wasn't expecting much, but it was sooo fun! They had several different events, and none of them lasted too long to get boring and the show just moved right along. We didn't get to stay the whole time but what we saw was so much fun. The most memorable event for me was when they let 6-8 dairy cows loose, and then they had about four two-man teams that had to rope the cows and then get some of their milk in a baby bottle! It was really fun to watch because the cows were obviously not inclined to help any of the cowboys out, and some of them were pretty mad and annoyed about it. One of them just sat down and wouldn't get up for anything. Hah hah!

The following Tuesday Peter had to get the two cavities in his front teeth filled. Apparently from grinding his teeth or from chipping them (who knows when that could've happened) he had worn off the enamel on the bottom edge of his teeth. Andrea and I noticed them looking greenish/brownish on the bottom so we took him in and the poor kid had cavities. It was not the funnest thing to have to go through, but they numbed him and everything so after it was over he was just fine and is happy as a clam to this day.

The following Friday, we attempted to go camping again with much greater success! Andrea will have to take it from here though.

All right, Andrea here. This past weekend was the Friday in question, and, as all the other events in this post, it was so fun! Ha ha! We were able to reserve a camping spot in Wasatch Mountain State Park, which is located by Midway and Heber. Luke and I headed up around 4pm, but due to bad directions and lack of helpful signs, we spent about three hours driving around trying to find it, only succeeding once Heidi and Devin met us with a visitor's center map, and another lost guy consulted his GPS. Once we were finally there we unloaded our gear, set the boys (Ashton, Kaden, and their friends Adam and Everett) loose for awhile, set up shop and started dinner. Being entrenched in the mountains as we were, sunset came early, and we prepared most of dinner in the dark. This was not a problem for the corn, however, which we stuck in their husks right in the fire! May I reiterate, grilled or fire-cooked corn-on-the-cob is sooooo good!

A word about camping: it's COLD at night. Always. Period. This fact has long kept me from wanting to adventure out in the wild. I have, however, finally discovered a few tips for keeping warm which I will disclose here. First, wear a hat! Peter and I slept the whole night with beanies on and couldn't have been toastier. I also made sure to wear a sweatshirt to bed so I had long sleeves, and we put Peter in footie pajamas. Luke found he was quite warm with only a sweatshirt and shorts, which I chalk up to his being able to cuddle in to his sleeping bag, while I needed to keep mine open enough to make sure Peter wasn't getting covered up. We also had two comforters on top of our sleeping bags, but I think one would have been fine, now that I know the hat and long sleeves trick. There you are.

Peter was sooo happy when he woke up in the morning and found himself in a colorful new room! Its pure delight to see how surprised and excited he his when he wakes up in a tent.

For some reason peter really liked this rock. Andrea set him down on it and then he would scream whenever she tried to take him off. Guess he likes being king of the mountain!

The next day we enjoyed a fine breakfast with everyone, then packed up and headed out. We made a pit stop at our apartment to eat lunch, during which time Ashton and Kaden and their friends spontaneously helped a new couple move into their apartment. I must say I was quite proud and impressed. That sort of thing is what gives our prophets so much confidence and hope for the youth of today, I'm sure. Awesome!

Next, we headed down to 106th South where there is a great climbing gym right next to REI called Momentum. This was only the second time Luke or I had been, and the first for all the boys! Ashton and Adam came with me and Luke to learn how to belay, since they were old enough. I admit to having been really nervous about letting them be on the saving end of the rope, but turned out to be impressed once more as they showed how well they could and would listen to directions when someone's safety is on the line. We all had a blast climbing and belaying one another, and Luke and I are already planning a time to go again.

Devin and I were matching that day. Huh.

This is me going on about the easiest wall I could find. Rock climbing is harder than it looks, and I needed a confidence builder after my first try.

Kaden, Ashton, Adam, and Everett were MADE to climb. Or maybe it's just that they are youthful and have unlimited energy. Kaden was right back up on the wall after his short rest here.

Andrea had to sit out a bit because Peter was nursing. She had fun belaying a few times though and eventually got to climb a little too.

Heidi scaling one of the many high walls at the gym.

Unfortunately, it seems like summer is running out faster than sand through a sieve. We celebrated my mom and Heidi's birthdays Saturday evening, next week we'll have a family picnic party for Peter, then we only have three weeks of August before Luke starts school again. Why does summer have to go so fast? I used to always be excited for school to start and fall to come again, but now that Luke and I have been having so much fun camping and learning to rock climb, I want more time to just play!