"I miss carpet"

Just an exerpt from Al P's e-mail this week! He got a new comp- they are getting along well! He said he's a dancer, so occassionally there is a random pirrouette in the kitchen, but other than that - they are doing great and working hard!

Two things he misses this week:
1- carpet
2- driving a car

Funny - I don't miss either of those things this week!

What's the difference?

Conversation that Kenyon and I had in the car yesterday while driving past a big farm..

Kris: "Wow - Look at that!"
Kenyon: "Oh - those are Elk, for a second I thought they were Reindeer"
Kris: "Aren't Elk and Reindeer the same thing"?
Kenyon: "No!"
Kris: "What's the difference?"
Kenyon: "Elk are wild"

Voices in Kris' head: "Oh and Reindeer live at the North Pole with Santa, so they are not wild."

Hmmmm...

Shiny, Happy People

I got home from Camp on Saturday afternoon! Good to be home, but SO FUN at camp!
Our Camp Theme this year was "Anchor Yourself to Christ" which worked out perfectly, because we had started our year with New Beginnings at the beginning of the year and our theme was "Steadfast in Him" and we did a nautical theme as well! This camp tied together perfectly.
My friend Wendy was called as the Stake Camp Director and there could NOT have been a better director for this year. Some of my favorite things about Wendy are.. She's fun, dramatic, creative, artsy, introduces me to new things that I don't get, super spiritual, a great mom, and she's one of my dearest friends.. (plus she helped me with my mailbags totally last minute - as if she didn't have anything else to do).

On our first day we were given sailor hats, and each girl, prior to camp had made 15 individual pins that were to be traded with other girls, to make new friends at camp. When I first heard this idea, I was like - wow - that sounds like a pain, and a lot of work, but they turned out SO cute.. I totally get it now! It was super fun to see all the girls with their hats on and their cute collection of pins! I LOVED IT!

The second day was the hike - which I usually hate, but this year, I got to hike with my new 2nd counselor, and new BF for Life.. Melonie! She was so super fun to hike with, and I feel lucky to be able to work with her! We spent a lot of time getting to know each other and she now knows a lot about me like, what a smart mouth I have, how I mock the girls, and that I'm not as cool as I try to pretend!

Third day was a highlight this year.. for one reason - it's testimony meeting, and that is always the best part of camp - but the 2nd best part was that we had the MOTHER OF ALL WATERFIGHTS!! So fun - the leaders snuck squirt guns to the creek, but they were kind of leaking and not very powerful - so the girls pretty much just laughed at us and said "next year, you might want to buy more powerful guns".. but little did they know - that in the trees was a giant pail of water! I went up and got it and doused the same 2 girls 3 different times. The best part was they totally saw it coming, but were in the creek with croc's and couldn't move, so they pretty much had to stand there and take it ALL THREE TIMES! They got me back though.. I can't explain how - but let's just say my clothes were soaked to the skin when the bishop got there.. I mean ALL of my clothes!! I had to make sure not to hug anyone too tight! If you were there - you know what I'm talking about.. If you weren't - sorry! But it's dang funny!

Why do I love camp so much? Maybe it's permission to act like a 15 year old! Maybe it's staying up in the leader tent making Julie laugh ALL NIGHT, or maybe it's that there is such a great spirit - that going home to a clean bed and shower, just feels wrong! I LOVE CAMP! Every last yellow inch of it!

A perfecto combinacion

Two of his favorites (not together).. Cholula and Ben and Jerrys - Courtesy of Walmart!!

Just an update from Alex today, Monday, July 14th. His e-mail sounded great! He said that there are some changes coming and he'll be getting a new companion on Tuesday. Elder Polendo has been a great companion for him - I'll be forever grateful to him for showing Alex the way for the first 2 1/2 months.

Al's spirits are great, he had another baptism - a woman who he has been working with for several weeks. Actually, he and Elder Polendo taught her, but her son was able to baptize her. Very cool!

One great quote in this weeks e-mail "You will never see a homesick missionary in the baptismal font". As usual he is looking on the bright side and as always - it's all in the attitude! He's working hard and say's that time is flying - before you know it he'll be burning a tie!

I love you Elder! Keep up the good work!

My District

It's a bit too much Yellow!!

I walked by my dining room table tonight and it was covered with stuff for camp! I realized that my camp is a little too happy! At this point, it kinda makes me want to throw up! So... I wanted you to have the same experience!

No - Your eyes do not decieve you... you DO see a yellow cowbell! It's a long story!!

Baby Fat!

Meet the squishiest baby ever! This is my nephew Elliot! He is the sweetest thing you've ever seen!

This is my nephew Ezra and his Daddy Shane! They live in China.. Ezra and his big brother Jonas (elected not to be on camera) both speak Chinese! Yeah - they have to "dumb it down" for Kenyon and I.

The only baby fat missing was Naomi.. who slept the whole time I was there! How convenient.. well at least she won't have squish bruises, and sore cheeks from too much lovin'.. I will admit thought that Elliot flirted with me all night and at the end - I even got the sloppiest tounge kiss ever! Good stuff!

These two scary guys are making a baby sandwhich with Elliot!

Stage 1 - Valverde (Spain) in Yellow

Happy Stage 1 of the "Tour de France" everyone! Day one, Stage one goes to Alejandro Valverde!

I have no one to cheer for this year since Tom Boonen got booted for recreational cocaine use! He was my front-runner this year! :(

I guess I can always go back to my standard "big George".

Kenyon is cheering for the Slip Stream Garmin Chipotle Team and his front runner is Christian Vande Velde. (thus the argyle blog page - in case you've been wondering)!

A birthday with 5,000 of his closest friends...

Clay's Birthday is on July 3rd and we celebrated with he and 5,000 of his closest friends at the fireworks at Eaglewood Golf Course! Here are some snapshots of our party! Happy Birthday Clay!

Clay gets cuffed at booked by Henry!!

Oliver

May the fourth be with you!!

A Smoke Bomb Tradition

For the 4th of July - we have a tradition! We bring Duncan smoke bombs and he lights them all in a bucket and jumps over the bucket, say about 1,000 times! Tonight the entire backyard smelled like smoke bombs and I'm sure we ruined a neighborhood 4th of July BBQ or two, with the cloud of smoke as thick as the atomic bomb floating over Midvale.