Summer Eats

This summer I have been totally hooked on popcicles! I eat 1-3 of them a day. I can't get enough. I am partial to the Dreyer's Creamy Coconut bar...but the Meadow Gold root beer float bar is a close second!

When neighbors say, "I've got zucchini coming out my ears," I'm happy to take it off their hands.

I also love to eat fruit during the summer, but I haven't been able to find any blueberries as good as the ones I had in Michigan last year. Hollie was kind enough to make a "I WANT FRUIT!" salad for me this week and sent me home with two containers of the leftovers. Yum!


I've only been twice this month, but the Cafe Rio pork barbacoa salad calls my name everytime I see a restaurant. My sister Mary is working for Cafe Rio and hooked me up with a coupon for a free Tres Leches cake. Bueno!


I LOVE Gary's Original Caramel Corn balls, but Taylor gets mad when I even talk about buying them. Something having to do with TWO teeth requiring crowns from popcorn balls in the past. I did sneak one in on my roadtrip between Denver and Salt Lake City last month....but I eye them longingly everytime I see them at convenience stores.

La Semaine Dernière

Celebrating Mary's 19th Birthday with Melina and Mary at Boondocks!

For the last 3+ years, I've lived outside of Utah. When I left, California immediately felt like my home...even though I spent 12 years in Utah and have regularly visited in that time. Michigan certainly didn't feel like home, and I felt like I was still getting used to Georgia when I left (But who knows, I may be back there sooner than I know it) I'm still in denial about my parents no longer living in Murray, although I love their new home in Lehi. I never thought I'd be living in Utah County (no offense!), but here I am blogging from my new abode in Spanish Fark.

This week has been unlike any in recent memory. I rested. A lot. And it was much needed. And in between I had quite a bit of fun. The last month has been a whirlwind of change, effort, emotion, frustration, and difficult choices. Life as I knew it was either packed into my Camry or a 10'x10' storage unit in Georgia. (My husband spent a grueling week finishing all the packing, cleaning, and moving of heavy furniture while I had a respite from my cares. Bless him.)

Some of this week's highlights:

-My sister Mary turned 19. To celebrate, my brother Shawn treated me, Rosie, Mary, and her friend Melina to lunch at Olive Garden and a day pass to Boondocks. We had a blast playing arcade games, the XD theater, flight simulator, mini-golf, bumper boats, and go karts. Then on Sunday was the traditional Watson family birthday dinner...complete with the "memory circle" game.

-Rosie got to have a sleepover in Sandy with Lola (practically a cousin) for two nights. The first day I spent catching up with Jacob and Andi...next thing I knew it...it was midnight and I slept over too!

-I finally met Jenn from Texas (an online buddy I was introduced to through my husband) We've been talking for five years, and we got to bond over Cafe Rio pork barbacoa salads. Yum!

-The 4th of July was great fun! I went to the SLC Farmers Market at Pioneer Park with Jacob and Andi, followed by the Murray Park carnival. Next, Rosie and I met up with Esther for lunch at Rumbi Grill (another Utah restaurant I've missed) Then, I spent the evening as an honorary Bytheway (my best friend Emily's last name)...a delicious dinner in Murray, followed by a big family gathering at Grandma By's across the street from Sugarhouse Park for fireworks. I didn't get back to Spanish Fork until after 1:00 am. Whew!

All in all, I drove over 400 miles between Spanish Fork, Lehi, SLC, Provo, American Fork, Draper, Murray, and all those other cities along I-15. That definitely won't be the norm while I live here.There are still so many people I want to see, but it's nice to not have to cram all my visiting on an extended weekend non-revving. This week I really need to get cracking on "responsible" things like actually UNPACKING all the bags that are sitting on the floor of the bedroom. And looking for jobs. And spending quality time with my dear Rosie.

Me, Rosie, and Esther on July 4th