Sunblock

On Thursday we lathered Jayden in sunblock for his end of school outdoor party. And even though the act of applying sunblock to a kid is a rather mundane activity I found myself really enjoying it because of the smell. I love the smell of sunblock. I love how its slightly sweet and smells like sand, the move theatres, water, hot plastic inner tubes, grass, watermelon, lemonade and probably about a million other sights and sounds associated to summer.

I love the summer time. It is my favorite part of the entire year. I love the warm evenings when you sit on your porch enjoying the last rays or lights or go for a stroll. I love the fun activities that come with summer such as camping, picnics, nature hikes, sun tans, swimming, naps, 4th of July, going to the movies in the middle of the day to escape the heat. I love traveling in the summer. I even like to see the heat waves coming off the pavement as you drive.

I especially enjoy planting when it is warm enough to. I look forward every year to planting new flowers and my vegetable garden. I eagerly go around my yard watering the plants and see what new progress of growth they have accomplished. This especially applies to my trees. I love trees. There are simply not enough of them in Arizona. I love the sound of the wind rushing through the leaves or gently stirring them to a whisper.

When I was younger in Idaho I loved playing on the grass and staying out to 10:30 PM playing because it was still light outside. I liked going to the river to go boating. I liked going on all the hikes and camps and other adventures put on by my YW leaders and Stake. I miss that time.

There are many more things about summer I love. One of the best though are taking Lance to see the ocean for the 1st time last summer and to Disney Land. I really miss him this time of year. In June it will be 2 years ago that he had to leave. I still think about him everyday.

One of the other second best things I have ever been able to do in the summer time is have Aurora. I loved meeting her. It was like when I was a child and I got a new toy I had hoped to have for a long time and then when it finally happened you can't bare to part with it for even a second? It was and is like that still with Aurora (of course I don't actually consider her a toy). Except of course when she is puking all over me then I am happy to trade for a bit!