We've just spent another fun and relaxing night with the Vancouver Stinchfields...to officially celebrate Isaac's 11th birthday. He got a new bike and loved all of his other gifts. Marnie - the shoes were a huge hit, so thank you! I think you've really started something...

School starts next week. Considering what a noisy and busy summer it has been, you'd think I'd be jumping at the chance to send the kiddos back, but in all honesty, I know I will be so lonesome without them. I'm pretty pathetic. We just really have a lot of fun together and every day seems to go too fast to do all we wanted to. Anyway - we have all their school supplies, Isaac has his schedule - he is in middle school now, so he has different periods to go to. He is nervous, but takes comfort in the fact that most of his friends will be there with him.

The Hood to Coast is this weekend. I know Dave is ready and I hope it is a great experience for him. His legs are at 3pm, 1am, and 10 am approximately. We are hoping for tolerable weather and no injuries. We went and got him a new pair of running shoes. Ouch. Brent - all I can say is Thank you - for saving us so much money for so long. :) Now we have to pay what normal people pay.

Our 13th Anniversary is tomorrow. Doesn't seem like it's only been 13 years - I honestly feel like I've been with Dave forever. And I mean that in the best way possible. We have the purchase of the practice looming over us - it consumes much of our thoughts and conversations. We are also prone to 'heated discussions' in front of family...but it is a big decision. In the end, we will rely heavily upon the advice and wisdom of K&B - and upon our own good sense. But truth be told, I have total faith in Dave and trust him completely. After all, the last 13 years have just been getting better and better.

Enough mush. Love the Andrew pictures - he is an adorable boy. Can't wait to see you all again.
Love, Adina

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely positive
for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a
child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's
nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to
18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker
shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if
you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how
your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up.

You get to:

* fingerprint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.
* decorate cookies

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* going to Disney movies, and
* wishing on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets
and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay
or Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero
just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that
never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

* first step,
* first word,
* first lost tooth
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and
if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren
and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal
justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the
power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken
heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without
limits, So . one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is
quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

I need to get rid of that video being the first thing I see. The last 2 days I have had that song in my head nonstop and Peter decided to watch it twice before we left for church today at 9am. Anyways, Our camera decided to start working again so I have gotten a few pictures in this last week.

I started coaching volleyball at Timberline High School this last week. I am assisting the JV team which should be great. The head coach of the program/varsity team keeps saying how excited she is that I chose to coach there being that I am the first coach there that has ever actually played under the system/philosophy that they are teaching the girls. It has been a lot of fun and quite the learning experience in just getting used to really being a coach and having other coaches really trust what I am saying and take it and use it. Andrew is cooperating with me and being quite the good baby in allowing me to do this while he is in the office sleeping with a baby monitor so I know when he cries. School starts back up at BSU tomorrow and so I am starting the babysitter thing. It is hard to give up that time with him but I know if I get my degree finished ASAP I won't have to worry about it later on. My plan is to graduate a year from December, hoping everything goes the way we have planned it out.

Andrew had his first appointment this last week where we found out that he gained 1 lb since leaving the hospital but I swear he has put on even more just since monday. I still can't believe that he is already 3 weeks old. Time definitely flies by too fast. I am calling the orthopedic specialist tomorrow to make an appointment to get his thumb checked out and find out ultimately what will be done about it. Other than that, he is doing fantastic and continues to be such a great baby.

Peter continues to do well with work and everything. He is helping out more and more each day with Andrew and all the things I need to do. He is such a fabulous help and I love him more everyday because of it.

We love you all and are so glad to be apart of this family. We miss you and hope sometime to be able to see you all in the near future.

Love, Anne

In case you're wondering, we look bad on purpose :) 

Hey everyone,

I would like to take a second and just say a happy happy day to everyone who has a birthday or anniversary this month. First Birthday's, Brooke, Issac, and Jane. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!. Next Happy Anniversary to Dave and Adina, Kim and Treven, and last but not least Mom and Dad. Happy Anniversary. 37 years ago today this whole Sundry Seven began at it roots. Congrats Mom and Dad on this wonderful day. You guys have been excellent role models for us all. Hello to everyone else and I hope all were able to get some good things at Gap for friends and family. Buffy is going through her internship and beginning to get a job offer. Please keep us in your prayer to make the right choice. Tracey, you are so brave, I would like to think I would be so calm and try to react like that but I am sure I would have freaked out. Love you all and keep in touch. For you guys in the fantasy football league, the draft is Saturday morning at 9 am pacific time. Mike, I need your info so I can operate your draft for you.

Love
Brent

We are finally home again. I couldn't be happier. It has been a really fun few weeks, but it is just so nice to be home. The party for my parents was awesome...they were totally surprised and we got 57 people there. It couldn't have been better. Thanks again to Kenn & Barb for coming - I know it meant so much to my parents. The rest of the trip was fun - we went to Santa Cruz - the Boardwalk - on our last day. Great weather, fun rides, greasy food - it was great. We got home tonight at about 7:30 - we hit horrific traffic and trudged along for about an hour - in which time, Morgan threw up. So - all in all - a typical road trip.

It is nice to get home and get re-connected with everyone. Tracey - sorry to hear about the tragic accident you witnessed - but I've no doubt that you did your best. It was very interesting to read your blog and it serves as a good reminder of our own mortality and the importance of every day. Hope you're feeling better...

Marnie - no Vans yet, but I will be sure to let you know when they get here. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes for Isaac - not sure what our plans are yet for the family celebration, but I'm sure we'll get it worked out. Can't believe he's 11.
Brooke - thanks again for taking care of Bailey. She was so happy to see the kids again. Nice note on our white board - I didn't get it at first, but Dave did and started laughing hysterically. Anyway - sorry you have to know us that well. :)
Peter & Anne - love the pictures. I shared them with my family and they were very excited for you.

Gotta go - I'm beat. Love you all...
Adina

First...I have been very negligent on getting on here...especially to wish all well on their birthdays...Brooke..on Sunday...Jane...on Monday and Isaac today!! Our August birthday run! I think the trip down to California and Dad's biking trip so close on the heels of it really disrupted any possible brain I have left. We were going to celebrate all on next Saturday so I'd mentally put it down for that...then Brooke and girls will be going down to Utah for the Bennett family reunion. So hopefully eventually, I'll make it all right. Brooke and the girls are coming over tonight. I'm going to make that yummy salad that Tracey made with the frozen raspberries in it.

The last two weeks I've been substituting on another shift at the temple. So I've been spending both Tuesday and Friday mornings there. It kind of puts a hole in your week but is great for my spirituality. Yesterday, down in Oakland, we went up to the visitors center at the temple and saw the Joseph Smith movie. Dad hadn't seen it before and really enjoyed it. By the way, in rewatching the movie, I did see that they did show the aaronic priesthood ordination prior to the baptism. However, it is very brief..probably about 10 seconds if that and just says something about John the Baptist giving authority to baptize. They then show Peter, James and John giving the Melchezidek Priesthood...but I'm not sure they even say Melchezidek. Anyway, it makes me feel better that they didn't reverse it!!!

Well, at that point, Brooke and the girls got here...we had dinner...Buffy came home midway through dinner so I haven't had as boring of a night as I anticipated!

Grandma was in pretty good spirits today. The owner came and handed me an envelope with $5 in it. Apparently, she keeps trying to pay them for her dinner and gets very upset when they won't take the money. So, the agreement now is that they will take the money and then just give it back to me. Meredith called her and had a pretty good talk with her.

So excited about your apartment, Marnie....and Andrew looks just great...obviously thriving.

Love,

Mom

Isaac, we all hope you are having a great birthday. I can't believe that in one more year you will be a deacon! You are such a good boy and a caring cousin. We love you.

Love, uncle Mike, aunt Brooke, Janie, Sadie, and Ellyn

Great pictures Anne and Peter! He looks so cute! It is crazy how fast they grow! Seems like everyone had a fun time in Fremont. It was pretty cool on Sunday we got me, Tom, and Dad's computers hooked up in a video conference chat. It was cool because Mom and Dad were at the Carlile's house and they were all there along with a few of the Bodily's. I haven't seen any of them in quite a while so that was really fun. You should all get on that!

Anyway, update on San Diego life I guess. One big thing is that I am going to be moving at the end of the month...no, not to Washington...just a few miles away from where I live now. I found a 1-bed condo that is being rented out. I don't know how many of you are familiar with San Diego neighborhoods but it is on Mission Gorge Rd in Allied Gardens just east of the I-15 Freeway and north of the I-8. It is more of a house-neighborhood as opposed to a apartment-neighborhood and there are a lot of families but still sufficient singletons because it is somewhat close to SDSU. It is about the same distance from work as my current place (closer north-wise but farther east-wise). It is bigger than my current place with newer appliances (dishwasher!!), a/c (!!!), assigned parking (glory be to God!), and a little patio with a cool view of the golf course across the street. It is also in a complex of condos with a pool and jacuzzi and quite a bit of security (there are about 3 locked gates to get through before you get to my apt) so that makes Mom and Dad feel a bit better. It is also really close to a shopping/food center so that is nice. There is a Vons less then a block away so I may actually go grocery shopping! So anyway, I will be moving in there over Labor Day weekend. Should be a better place for me and I am excited about it.

Other than that I have just been working. Work is getting busier with a few projects having just been thrown at me. So that is nice, I will have something to do. I think I will be going to Disneyland this weekend since my Southern California Annual Pass will start working again (darn you blackout days!) and it is my friend's birthday. I haven't been since I went with Mom and Dad so I am ready to go again. I haven't even seen the new Pirates yet so that will be cool.

Happy Birthday Brooke, Isaac and Jane! I am hoping that Isaac's shoes have already gotten there. I just got an email from Vans saying that the shoes that I got for Jane that she wanted have been discontinued!! So I am going to need to talk to her to see what kind she wants now and I can get them out to her ASAP.

Well that's about it from me. Hope everyone is doing well! Love seeing an active blog! :)

--
Marnie