Why I love our summer in PA

I will always think fondly of Ithaca, NY. I love that it's quiet and beautiful, and I absolutely adore our ward. We've met some great people that I will miss not living so closely to when our time in school is done. BUT...there are some pretty important things I will enthusiastically enjoy here in Philly that we can't enjoy in Ithaca.

#1 Ben is making $$$$

Yea, for 10 wonderful weeks Ben will bring home a paycheck! 10 weeks that we don't have to enter deeper into the big black hole of student loan debt - and hopefully a few more weeks after that depending on how well we stretch it!

#2 We have more than 2 radio stations that play modern music

Up in the boonies known as the finger lakes region of NY we really only have 1 station that plays modern country music and another that plays top 40 stuff. That's it! The other 4 buttons in my car are programmed to who knows what! I never push them! While we're here I will enjoy 6 car radio buttons with 6 stations that play songs that I know and like.


#3 Air Conditioning!!!

We are only 4 hours south of Ithaca so the climate is not that different. I remember miserable 90 degree days in NY last August, but for some reason people in Ithaca have a strange "air conditioner's aren't necessary" viewpoint. I wonder if it has to do with the save the earth, vegan, air conditioner's aren't worth the energy they use mentality. People will say, "yea, we have some hot days, but then the rain comes and cools things off and it's really not that bad." It's true that just before you think you're gonna die from heat exhaustion, and you and your children are on your last nerve reserved for hot days that the storm will come and blow some cool air down, but I say, "Why do we have to suffer!!!!" So, why we're in Philly I will gratefully thank Sherry Lake apartments for installing central air in all their buildings.

Freakin' HOT!!!!

So we made it to Philadelphia, actually Conshohocken (yea, say that 10 times fast) a Philly suburb, right in time for their record breaking heat. It's been 98 degrees with intense humidity since we got here last Friday. Two nights ago a big storm moved in, thundered and rained on us, and now it's much more pleasant.

We went to a strawberry festival on Saturday at a 300 year old Quaker church. It was adorable, but crazy hot! Notice the wet hair and red faces.

We are liking our place despite the lack of furniture. Our search for summer housing is a novel itself so I'll spare you! We are living in a 2 bedroom apartment in a complex that offered short term leases (we're only here for 10 weeks). Luke sleeps on the floor, we sleep on a foam pad on the floor, we eat, play, read, and blog on the floor. AND, there's lots of floor space since there's no lousy furniture in the way! I should develop some tight quads with all the squatting I'll be doing this summer!

The luxurious master bedroom... Sleeping on the foam pad really isn't bad, it's the getting up that's miserable. You can't just roll off and find your way to the bathroom. You have to have muscles and use balance. Not fun at 7am, and definitely not fun in the middle of the night!


We look forward to visiting all the fun places in the Philly area over the next weeks. This Saturday we're going to head over to Hershey, PA for some chocolaty heaven. It is my birthday and all!!

The Little Sahara

Last Friday we drove down to the sand dunes just west of Nephi, UT with Ben's family. It was super fun! Both our boys loved the ATV and were constantly yelling for bigger hills and a faster speed. In 10 more years Ben's going to have some great 4-wheeling sons who are as crazy as he is! I only pray that we keep the ER visits to a minimum and that the docs are only needed to stitch minor cuts and cast repairable breaks!

While the ATV was occupied Ben and his brothers took to jumping off the incredible sandy hills. This is a pretty amazing picture John took of Ben.

Joyce made an amazing dutch oven dinner! It was super yummy...steak, potatoes, zucchini, onions, sand... I think sand in your food...

or on your binki is inevitable.


We had so much fun in UT with all our family. We're grateful for parents who take such good care of us with all sorts of food and entertainment when we visit. So, until next time, we miss you and peace out!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Caleb

Happy Birthday Caleb!! Today's the day!! I can't believe that it was 2 years ago that I was hugely pregnant and insanely uncomfortable. We love Caleb and he is turning into such a funny, very independent minded boy.




Ben was in Japan & Korea the last 2 weeks (we picked him up last night) and Caleb was super excited to see him again. He wouldn't let Ben put him down! We had a fun birthday celebration last night at Grandma & Grandpa Rollins house.

Have I mentioned Caleb is an intense sugar addict?? He vehemently refuses all things green, while inhaling all things chocolate and sugary! I'm amazed the kid still grows!

Luke's 1st set of stitches

Yesterday, Luke split his eyebrow open and we visited the local urgent care to get 6 studly stitches. Really the story is stupid and sad...he wasn't being crazy or even playing rough. He had just finished watching a movie on the Gorilla Bag. He turned around to find me and we started talking. The top of the bag he was still sitting on was covering part of the side table and he didn't realize. He went to throw his head into the bag and instead rammed it into the side of the table. Ben was taking a final and Caleb was asleep so we stopped the bleeding (mostly) and then Luke feel asleep holding a towel to his head.

When Ben got home and Luke woke up we drove over to see the doctor. We didn't have to wait long and Luke was super, super brave. Not a tear dropped. They draped his face so he couldn't see anything but a towel, the nurse held his head, and I held his hands, but we probably didn't need to. Really, he held totally still, squinted his little eyes and sort of shook. I teared up instead! I didn't expect him to it handle so well. O yea, the other part of his eyebrow is red because when I took off the band aid today it totally ripped out all his eyebrow hairs. Oops!

Here are some pictures Ben took today after church.

Who drives that car?

Imagine the kind of girl that drives this car...she's probably an athletic, strong, Teva wearing, camp loving, and REI shopping kind of girl. Everything that I'm not, yet I've been driving this car around all day masquerading as her. Ben took a kayaking class this semester and is also part of the Outdoors Club at school. Last night we had a BBQ with the club and he was in charge of bringing the kayaks.

Ben tells me he was shocked when he showed up to the kayak class and a couple girls were teaching. He says that he's been married to me for so long now that his ideas of what girls "do" has become skewed. Whoops!

Caleb at the picnic!

Johnson School Follies

At the end of each school year the Johnson school puts together a show called "The Johnson School Follies." Students create mini videos of all sorts of stuff in regards to business school. Last year a couple of dads made a video about the exclusive OGK club - Old Guys with Kids. You can go to youtube and search "johnson school follies" and it should show up, among others. So this year Ben decided to create an OGK production. He had kids of MBA students dress up and answer interview questions in a room at the school. For example, "Tell me about your strengths." Or, "Tell me about a time you showed leadership." Sort of an Out of the Mouths of Babes type film. It got lots of laughs last night and you might like to see it so here's the link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtePkwViKw8

Enjoy!