What a treat.

Because I work in a very old brick building, and because it has been in the 100's outside all week, and because there is no air conditioning in this very old brick building which means it's in the 95+'s inside all week, I have been getting off early. For the sake of my sanity.

As a result of these aforementioned circumstances, Daniel and I have been spending a lot of time at my parents house...because they have a pool, and because they have a window air conditioner in one room, and also because we love them. This makes these super hot days much more enjoyable.

But even the swimming pool gets hot quickly in this kind of weather, and the window a/c unit can only do so much. So yesterday, we escaped to the cool darkness of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was so pleasant sitting inside the theater that when we left to go outside, the hot air felt foreign and wrong. This weather had put my body into a funk of thinking it's on vacation somewhere exotic, and all the hours playing in the pool, and lounging around trying to stay cool have only reinforced this vacation notion. Somehow this relaxed lifestyle doesn't mesh very well with the reality of still having to get to work by 7:30 and sitting at a desk all morning. Waiting for the go ahead to leave because of the temperature.

So I sit here, nearby fans recirculating stuffy air, with little to do, finished with lunch, waiting to come up with some sort of entertainment to get through the next couple hours. I decided an after lunch piece of gum might do the trick, so I went to my purse, opened it up, and saw our leftover bag of peanut butter m&m's from the movie yesterday. I managed to have some self control, after all, Daniel would miss them if I didn't leave any for him. I must say though, that little interlude in my day, of peanut butter-chocolate goodness definitely hit the spot. It seemed to mend this mental gap between the worlds of vacation and work.

"Celebrate Summer - Sun drenched days and starlit nights..."

As is usually the case during the summer, I had a fabulous weekend with family and friends. On Friday, Daniel and I crashed Mike and Cindy's vacation at my uncle's houses on Mason Lake. It was fun to get outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather. I took Friday afternoon off, and it was the perfect day to not be stuck inside a stuffy, old brick building. Friday night we watched Toy Story 2 under the stars. I loved looking up in the middle of the movie to see a sky full of stars. We were out in the middle of nowhere, so the stars were extra bright. I'm still sore from tubing on Saturday, but it's a fun kind of sore. It just means we played hard. I love summer, and spending time at the lake is one of my favorite activities. Sadly, I didn't pull out my camera once, so hopefully my pictures from Sunday make up for it.

On Sunday we went to Nathan's missionary homecoming talk. My parents ward meets at 9:00, which felt really early, but left us with a wonderfully long afternoon. Instead of going to 6 hours of church, we got a substitute for our primary class, and after morning church, spent the afternoon having lunch with family. That evening I got together with two of my best friends from high school since one was here from Utah. We met up at Priest Point Park, and walked down to the water. It was fun to catch up and enjoy a relaxing evening. Thanks Emily and Liz for an evening remembering why I love you guys!

I love Olympia in the summer. I love life in the summer, it fills me with so much hope and gratitude. Some of my favorite summer things as of late are:

Waking up to daylight, even if it's early
Crisp morning air
The stars at night
Playing in my parents pool
Summer skirts
Summer fruit
Popsicles
Spending time outside
Exercising outdoors
Spending time with family
Sunshine!

More work escapades and random thoughts

I felt pretty fancy last night when I went to the Board of Trustees Dinner for work. I was selected to be on the University Council, and to kick off the retreat we had today, there was a dinner last night. I wasn't sure what to expect, so I was a little nervous at the thought of a dinner with the President, cabinet, and trustees, but it went well. Daniel and I got there a part way through "social hour" to find a bunch of older adults mingling around the open bar. We got ourselves a drink, (Izze sparkling juice. I had blackberry and Daniel had pomegranate,) and tried to meet a few people. Most of the crowd were CEO's of local businesses, and other well known community members so I felt moderately intimidated, but it was kind of exciting at the same time. At 6:30 I was immensely relieved that we got to sit down for dinner. In order to facilitate getting to know each other, they split up couples around the table. I got to sit across from Daniel and smile at him all night. We were assigned to the same table as the President, his wife, a board member and his wife, a student from the council and Bill Tolliver, the keynote speaker at the retreat today. It turned out to be an enjoyable dinner, and it ended up being a lot less nerve wracking than I thought it might be. Today's retreat was also good. We had more food, and worked on strategic planning for the University. I felt involved, and enjoyed a day out of the office.

There's only one picture, because I felt a little awkward taking pictures!

Mike and Cindy came down to my parents on Sunday, and after a wonderful evening with lots of laughs, I was holding Danee when Daniel asked for a turn. For him, this is a monumental. I couldn't help but snap a picture of her sleeping in his arms. Hopefully soon he'll be able to put his own little babe to sleep! (not an announcement)

I think I might enjoy running. But I'm not sure yet. I'm continuing to train for a triathlon, and for the most part my swimming and biking are where they should be. So I decided I need to focus on running. I've never enjoyed running, and I usually end up feeling like I'm about to die, but the last few times, I've been able to go farther and longer. I've enjoyed exploring the streets close to where I live. They are lined with trees and old houses. I even discovered a cute little bed and breakfast just a block and a half away. I've loved getting out and exercising, this triathlon is exactly the motivation I needed.

Dear Abby would take too long.

I don't usually use this blog as an outlet for venting, but there's a first time for everything.

My bosses 50th birthday is coming up, which is great. She's worked at Saint Martin's for her whole life, and I'm happy to celebrate with her. My dilemma is that a co-worker is getting her a gift and asking us to pitch in. I don't mind pitching in, but the gift she selected is a Bracelet from Tiffany's.

Maybe since I'm fairly new to the working world, and I haven't had a lot of experience with office gifts, I don't know how these things work, but this seems really excessive. I only worked in this office for 9 months, and this really isn't a high paying job. The amount she's asking for is more than Daniel and I spend on date nights/entertainment each month, and about what we'd spend for a few days of groceries. Mind you, we're cheap people, this still seems like a lot. Most of the time I enjoy my job, and don't get me wrong, this is for a boss that I like, but don't really know her that well.

I wouldn't get this gift for my mom, or mother-in-law, and these are two women I do know and love, so why would a Tiffany's Bracelet be the perfect gift for a boss? Is this normal? Those of you out there with more years of work experience than me, tell me please, is this excessive, or am I stingy, miserly, and not used to office gifts. I need advice/answers quick!

A good night

After two years, my brother Nathan returned from his mission in Berlin, Germany. Last night was pretty fun because we all got to go meet him at the airport.

We did a lot of waiting before he came up the escalator.

Some of us were patiently waiting...others were about to call church head quarters and ask where her son might be since he didn't seem to come out with the rest of his flight.

More waiting. Daniel was the photographer.

Rachel was texting.

The whole family. This time it's true, and I'm not forgetting any siblings. Nathan had a really late flight in, so by the time we got home last night, it was past midnight. We all went to bed without really visiting too much, after all it had been a very long day for him. We spent most of today catching up, and so far it has been fun hearing stories and looking at pictures and hearing all about Germany.