July Already?

I can't believe it's July already! I was sure it was just yesterday that we were attending our girls' end of the year programs. I couldn't wait for the relaxation of summer to settle in. Ya know... long, lazy days of basking in the sun. Sounds good, right? Uh, I don't think so. Summer has been so busy! So what has been happening in the Jackson world since my last post? A whole lot of fun :)

My in-laws visited for about a week and a half in June, which was great. The girls are always excited when Grandma and Grandpa come! We enjoyed showing them around this beautiful state we live in. We spent a day at the beach, checked out Multnomah Falls, and ate at some yummy places like Typhoon. (If you haven't been there, you've got to go. It's the best Thai food ever!) We really enjoyed their visit and 5 days after they left, my parents came for a week long visit. Again, we had a great time with them too. My girls were experiencing Grandma and Grandpa bliss! Of course we did more sight seeing with my parents throughout the week too. It was their first time out here since we've moved to Oregon. One of the highlights with my mom and dad was a visit to the Rose Gardens in Portland. Everything was in full bloom and it was just beautiful! Wow! Between our visits to the ocean, the water fall, the rose gardens, and the majestic views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, I was reminded again of how creative my God is. I am so thankful that He created such beauty for our eyes to see. Every time I watch the waves roll onto the sand, or watch an eagle soar above the bluff, I am reminded of my Heavenly Father and how much He loves me. It also makes me daydream what heaven will be like. If the earthly creations amaze me, the beauty in heaven is going to blow me away! So cool!

Anyway, back to what we've been up to :) This week the Jackson 6 are going to experience a first. All of us are going camping. I am so excited! When I say that to other women, they kind of look at me like, yea, sure you're excited. But really, I am so looking forward to this. I grew up camping, so I guess it's in my blood. I'm hoping the girls will have the same love for it that I do. I'm sure it won't go without a hitch, but that's okay. It looks like we're going to have perfect weather for it too. We recently bought new sleeping bags for the girls and a new humongous tent (thanks to our stimulus check) and some other little odds and ends that are going to make this trip a success.... hopefully :) We're going with some other families from church so our girls will have other kids to play with, and Adam and I will have our friends to hang with too. I'm sure I'll have some great stories to share when we come back.

Hmmm, what else is new with us? Oh yes, I got a new washing machine! I must say, it has brought me much joy watching my laundry pile go down...way down. Our washer broke down about 1 1/2 months ago and not wanting to go outside of our budget, we said we'd hold out until our stimulus check arrived. Needless to say, it took a little longer than we'd hoped to get that check, but it was well worth the wait! I won't bore you with this topic much longer (how exciting can laundry be?) but I have actually sat and watched entire cycles of wash (it's a front loader where you can see the clothes being washed) just because it excites me so much! I realize the things on my wish list might be different than yours, but the washing machine is a BIG part of my world and I appreciate having one that works efficiently and properly. Okay, enough about that :)

I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th this past week. We went to Vancouver to see the fireworks and had a great time. We spent all day hanging out at the festival and eating foods that probably permanently clogged our arteries and rotted our teeth. Fun times! We picnicked on a blanket and danced to the band and just enjoyed each other. It was a great day.

I hope to blog again soon. I have some recent pictures that I'd like to share, but don't know if they're on my computer yet. I'll have to get my hubby to help me with that.

Hope you are enjoying your summer. Even in the busyness of things, take time to take in the beauty around you, whether it's a shrinking pile of laundry, the scenery, or the love of your family. Enjoy your summer my friends!