July 26 & 27th

Monday we went to Forest Park in Everett.  I remember coming to this park as a child and enjoy bringing my children here as an adult.  The playground is in the same location as the one I played at as a child but has been totally updated. 

The old wading pool has been replaced by a spray pool that the kids enjoyed playing in. 

Here are the girls' new swim suit coverups.  They're made out of $5 Wal-Mart towels and elastic thread.  It took about 30 minutes to make each one.  I saw the tutorial here.  beach towel cover up tutorial

There's not much different about the petting zoo, it's still down a steep hill from the main park area. 

The bathrooms are still a long walk from the play area too.  It pays to plan ahead!

I'd gone over to the Wilmont's (a family from church) in the morning to let their dog out (we were doing the pet/plant thing for them while they were out of town) and my wallet had fallen out of my purse in the little van.  I grabbed my purse when I got everyone into the big van but didn't notice the wallet.  I'd planned to run a bunch of errands on the way home but with no money, and an almost empty gas tank, that wasn't going to happen.  I was worried how I was going to get my gas guzzling van full of children back home without running out of gas but decided there was nothing I could do about it and we might as well enjoy the day.  (I learned this trick from Dode.  Once we were driving to church when the fuel pump on the van conked out.  He decided we'd worry about it when church was over so we left the van where it died (very close to the building) and went in to enjoy the meeting.)  Thankfully, I found $60 stuffed in my camera bag from our road trip and that let me put gas in the tank and get three out of four errands done.

Tuesday I was one of the chaperones at Elizabeth's activity day camp. 

She loved having mom there with her.  She kept sneaking glances at me to smile and I was the recipient of lots of hugs.  She learned a song, planned a family home evening,

decorated a pillowcase,

and did some Zumba. 

The event finished with a lunch where Elizabeth really enjoyed the brownie bites (she had six) and the fruit kabobs.  

My new addiction!

My step-dad Greg knows I have a taste for good chocolate and spoils me by bringing/sending me dark chocolate bars.  My favorite chocolate company is Theo Chocolates, based out of Seattle.  Last week, he brought me a spicy dark chocolate bar.  I wasn't so sure about it, I'm pretty much a whimp when it comes to spicy things but since it was here, I gave it a try.  The 1st time I had a piece, I thought it was so-so.  But, the 2nd time I was hooked.  There's something about dark chocolate with the background heat of the chili peppers that makes my mouth say YUM!  I'm very good at savoring the chocolate he brings me and can usually make one bar last two weeks, breaking off tiny pieces I let melt in my mouth.  Not with this one.  It's taking all my self control to make this one last.  I never would have believed the combination of rich bitter dark chocolate would go so well with spicy but it totally works!  I'm scheming how to buy them by the case!