Weekly Recap: with the lazy summer

It feels like summer is dragging on. It's hot, lazy, and it's starting to annoy me. I was feeling a bit down last week anyway, which adds a lot to my opinion and attitude. I'm trying to have more good energy all around this week.

One thing I love about this summer is the summer squash! I finally have one almost ready in my sad little garden, but our neighbor has been supplying us with his extras! WE eat zucchini and yellow squash SO MUCH that this has been a wonderful and very appreciated gift. We had extra last week so my kids made zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini cake (from the THM cookbook).



I got to do a photo shoot of my friend's baby girl, and I loved that! I haven't done any in a few years and it was fun to do again. My kids have been invited to play in the neighbor's pool a couple of times and they really enjoy swimming with their friends. We also picked up 2 white leghorn pullets to replace the rooster we gave away. They are cute little things! My husband and son did a lot of work in the garden, including moving my strawberry box. Now it's out where we can easily see it and not hidden behind the trampoline!

We got to watch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on Temple Square annual Pioneer Day concert! We were all really excited to see this because one of our favorite singers, Alex Boyé, was the special guest. You can watch the video here.

Car Shopping

We have been vehicle shopping since last fall. Let me explain what that means... it took us a few months to decide which vehicle we wanted. I made spreadsheets comparing legroom, cargo area, horsepower, etc. We have an 8 seat van and LOVE it (but the 2nd and 3rd row center seats are "car seat only" with only a lap belt). We want another 8 seater because our family of 6 wants the flexibility of extra storage with a seat or two down when traveling, or having a friend or two ride along when kids have activities. This also eliminates most vehicles... I will not let my children ride daily in a vehicle that would not protect them in a crash. There must be shoulder belts and headrests in every seat. Did you know that there are VERY few 8 seat vehicles that have 8 headrests? Two are vans (we'd like to move on from vans), and one is the vehicle we are looking for. Accidents at speeds of just 5 mph can cause whiplash, and it is the most frequently reported auto injury. It's like keeping my babies rear facing until they were 3-4 years old, why wouldn't I keep them as safe as possible?

Once we narrowed down which vehicles (and years) would fit our needs, we started watching classified ads. Looking at our budget, considering the amount we're approved for, and all the things we need plus some that we want, we've pinpointed which years and which specific model we will be buying. Let me say that this is the hard part. This specific vehicle seems to sell fast, and isn't easy to find. There was ONE available, about one hour and forty-five minutes away from our home. We really, really want to drive down and look but the dealer says "it has a slight smoke odor" and the VIN check reports two minor accidents that we'd like to know more about. So we didn't go down to see it. I am sad, I want to check it out but my husband wants to wait a month before we buy. So we're waiting and hoping another one becomes available. I don't like waiting :) But I hope that we'll find what's best for our family by being patient. And hopefully I'll get to go look at an actual vehicle soon, and sit in it, and test drive it.