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Every now and again I like to take a snapshot of what is current with our family. Here’s our list:

LOVING: Evening walks. Most nights we make our way outside. The three older kids ride their bikes and Steve and I walk the stroller with the two youngers. It gets us out of the house before bedtime which is a relief. We often run into neighbors which means our kids end up playing. And the weather is beautiful and we know it’s not going to last much longer. Sometimes it’s’ shoes optional. Other times it’s pants optional!

DREAMING: Remodeling our kitchen. It’s been on my wish list for a while – perhaps since we moved into the house. I understand its not going to be cheap so I’ve been saving for years. And then something comes along that requires using those funds. So it gets spent and then I keep saving. Its a one-step-forward-two-steps-back kind of process. But I’ll get there someday and in the meantime I dream of how awesome and amazing I’m going to make it. The problem is the longer I dream, the larger the project becomes!

WEARING: Flip flops. I’m tired of stinky socks and sand coming home from school. Unless it’s PE day – they’re in flip flops. Me too. And I’ve become the mom that buys 4 pairs of black flip flops from Old navy so as a kid loses a shoe or two, we can still find a match!

READING: I just finished reading the More of Less and I’m moving on to Essentialism. Steve is reading Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Hallie is reading the Diary of Anne Frank. Hunter is reading one of the series of “Stink” books.

WATCHING: TV is sparse here but we make the exception for Survivor. While I’m working on the computer I like to have something playing in the background, I just started the Gilmore Girls series again. I’m embarrassed to admit to how many times I’ve seen it, but it gives me warm fuzzies. The kids love watching episodes of Studio C. Also Moana and Trolls have been on repeat for two months.

LISTENING TO: Because the kids are obsessed with Moana and Trolls – it’s also the only thing we listen to. When Briggs hears the Trolls soundtrack, his body starts moving and it just won’t stop.

PRACTICING: Handwriting. I’ve taken an online calligraphy class and I loved it, but it takes practice. Tons of practice. I find myself without paper or pens practicing with my finger every where I go. Like mother, like daughter – Hallie has also been practicing calligraphy and I have no doubt she’ll pass me up in no time.

DOING: Purging the house. It’s a daily activity for me. Usually it’s something small like a closet shelf or drawer, but I try to make a daily effort. We’ve also been working on the yard and outdoor projects before we hibernate for summer.

NEEDING: More sleep. Everyone in the house needs more sleep. I go to bed too late. Steve gets up too early. And although we stick to strict bedtime schedules the kids seem to be getting up earlier and earlier as the sun rises. And Briggs is often only taking one nap a day. Let there be sleep.

PLANNING: Our summer vacation. It is going to be long with a lot of time in the car and we’ve been planning it for a while. Trying to coordinate with siblings and family reunions and mission farewells and mission homecomings and friends…it took some serious planning. But we’ve got a plan and it’s been several weeks since anything has changed so I think it’s set.

EATING: Red Roasted Pepper Hummus dip from Costco with Pita chips. We all love it. And we finally found a greek yogurt we really like – Oikos triple berry.

EXCITED ABOUT: After all of our planning – we’re pretty excited for our summer vacation. I always look forward to my Idaho time every year and this year is no exception.

SHOPPING FOR: Kid’s tennis shoes. Their shoes made it through the school year, barely, and now they’re in need. I hate buying new shoes going into summer, but they’re definitely going to need them before school starts. I’ve been scouring Last Chance hoping to score a deal. No luck. I’ll keep trying!