My best friend Steph and I have started a lunch tradition this summer. Some of my favorite lunches have been going on picnics. We went to Red Butte a few weeks ago. It is so beautiful up there. I love our lunch tradition. It is so fun to see Steph and Sophia. I love her little sunglasses. She is growing up so fast!
This year was my first year participating in the popular music festival Federation. I only entered two of my students that were transfer students because I just wanted to get get my feet wet the first year and see how I liked it. I was a little nervous when preparing my students for the festival since they had received superior ratings the previous two years (the highest rating). If they received a superior rating for a third year, they would receive a gold cup. Needless to say, I felt a little pressure when choosing their pieces and helping them learn them. I also had them skip four levels since I felt that they had surpassed the material from those levels. However, they are both wonderful students and are very artistic and musical. They not only impressed me, but the judges as well. Good job girls!
My favorite holiday of the year is the fourth of July. There is just something about the magic of summer nights, bbqs and fireworks. We also have been lucky enough to be able to go up to the Foster cabin and the Oakley Rodeo as part of our fourth of July tradition.
For another hike we went to Dog Lake. It was a rainy Saturday. (back when it seemed to rain everyday). All of the mountain bikers coming down the trail were just covered in mud. However, it was nice that it wasn't so hot, and the views were absolutely stunning. We are just loving playing outdoors this summer! Let us know if you know of any other really great hikes! 
If any of you remember our cute little bird we got last summer (the yellow one), he passed away on Sunday. While we were house sitting for my parents, I was going to clean their cage, and so I had left the cage door open. Well long story short, I got distracted and my dear sweet dog Keisha caught and killed Sunny. I feel just awful. I hope our other bird Buddy will be ok, he is not eating. What a month with animals.
My dear sweet dog Penny, although recovered from her amputation caused by an infection managed to hurt her other back leg, and now cannot walk, but drags her back end as a mode of transportation. It is really heartbreaking. However, my dad and I know how much she loves walks and so we take her on walks in my old red wagon. I love my dog!
