Gold Bond

What me and my girl friends have and strengthen every summer.

Also, the brand of itch cream I am constantly reapplying to each of my 22 bug bites.

Broken

Like sister, like brother.

Maci (13) : soccer

Jake (15): biking

Maci blocked a boy's goal. Her middle finger touched her wrist. The boy didn't even apologize.

Jake was found unconscious on the side of the road in a pool of blood... according to Grandma. He just fell on his bike and had to get stitches in a few places. Not to make the story any less cool.

Really Good Idea

My friends and I came up with this reeaallly good idea. But we can't tell you what it is because you might steal it. So if we ever ask you to invest in that really good idea of ours then you probably should because it is going to be huge. I just need to find a pyrotechnic and an engineer and maybe some other professionals who want to be my friend and help us out.

Any takers?

The Boy Who Lived

I can say I grew up with Harry Potter, right?

I mean, when he was 11 I was 9, but I think I read the first book when I was 10, so we were practically the same age.

And when he was 11 in the movie, I was 11 in real life.

and I only read 6 out of the 7 books but 6/7 isn't bad and I believe I am a fan.

All I know is that when I was watching the last movie, I was so nervous. I knew that if Harry died, I would cry.

Not the kind of cry when you are watching a sad movie and you are like poor girl's heart got broken, here's a few tears,

or for the friends and family who lost someone in Hollywood,

or the 'what if that happened to me'? cry.

I would have cried because I was rooting for Harry and I didn't want Harry to die because I've grown up with him.

and I wanted him to beat Voldemort,

and I was so nervous for Harry.

and I love Hermione and Ron so I didn't want them to lose a friend either.

and I was so pumped when the last movie was coming to an end,

but then the movie ended and I wasn't so pumped anymore.

Because the series is over.

I can read the books again and I probably will, but it's still all over.

And how awesome will it be to read the books with my kids and watch the movies with them and tell them that this came out while I was growing up?

And maybe if I'm lucky...

one of my children will be admitted to Hogwarts.

Camp

Take nothing but pictures,

Leave nothing but footprints,

Kill nothing but time.

Before last week I had never...

Gone to Fish Lake,

Fished,

Carved my name in a tree along with someone else's,

or hitch-hiked (unfortunately I didn't get a picture of this!)

Thank you Scott family for letting me be part of your vacation! I loved it!

Pondering

• How does it take 6 hours to get from Mesquite to Riverton?
• If my tan can peel off, why can't my freckles?

(a glimpse of the car ride)

SoCal

What to do on vaca:

1. Replace a boogie board with an air-mattress. My family was the coolest family at the beach.

2. Ride the accelerator at Knott's Berry Farm.

3. When getting on a ride, don't look at the person who was in the seat before you were. It may or may not freak you out.

4. If you plan on showing up at a restaurant with a group of 27, call ahead of time.

5. Buy It's its at the grocery store. 350 calories of ice cream in between 2 cookies covered in chocoloate- so worth it.

6. Watch Baby Mama and quote it even more.

7. Boys remember- 5 hours of golf for you does NOT equal 2 hours of shopping for us. 5 hours of golf = at LEAST 5 hours of shopping.

8. Wear sunscreen. and lots of it.

9. Embrace the humid-curly hair with the no-makeup face.

10. 1 huge family, or 3 big families, or 5 families. However you look at it, it means 6 cans of sunscreen, repeating every story 8 times, 10 boxes of Its-its, 12 boxes of soda, 15 bags of garbage, getting everywhere 30 minutes later than expected, and at least 100 laughs.

Pics and videos to come!

Travelling with my team vs. Travelling with my Family

Stickbags and gymbags vs. Tupperware boxes,

Jammin to music vs. no one agrees on what music to listen to,

Talk about boys, roommates, and random questions vs. What are the people in the front talking about? I'm in the back and no one wants to listen to each others stories anyways,

Does anyone have clothes I can borrow vs. Who stole my clothes?

Bonding vs. Recording fights.

I love my family. I am excited to spend a week with them in California. But I may have really overestimated myself by agreeing to be in a full car with them for 12 hours.

Utah, see you next Sunday!