July

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We were invited to our friend Cora's birthday and she had the cutest stitch cake! 

Brett started looking up crochet patterns for little animals. He started with  a penguin, this picture is before it got its feet and wings. 

Mom P came and took me to my podiatrist appointment. She was so kind and wheeled me down to get x-rays since their office machine was broken. They uncovered my foot and I got to see where the actual incision was and what it looked like. I was pretty scared that removing the stitches would hurt, but I hardly felt it at all and it was so fast! Here's the top with the stitches still in:

And here's my ankle where they took the bone out to put in the top. 

You can see the metal plate in the x-rays.

My sister taught me to make pot holders and here is the start of the many many that I did over the course of my recovery. 

We are always so happy to come home to Oreo and take way too many pictures of him doing the same cute things. 

Alana wanted to try a new hairstyle for church. 

It felt so good to wash my foot and it was interesting to see how the anatomy of my foot had changed. My big toe now is lower than that second toe. 

Shulamith and I decided to do an Under the Sea theme in our classroom this year and we bought this fun tank. 

Another fun hairstyle for church. 

It was really hard for all of us that I couldn't drive. The kids would get bored and want to go somewhere and we couldn't go without planning a ride. One day I pulled out canvases and the kids painted. Alana painted a beach, Brett a space frog, and Lizzie Starry Night. 

We had originally planned to go to Bear Lake for a few nights, but with how hard it was to travel and do anything with my foot, we decided to cancel. Instead we bought a way bigger sand box. The kids had a very fun time helping to put it together. 

The primary activity kids came and decorated our sidewalks to say thank you. 

Brett crocheted a dinosaur. 

One of the things that I found most stressful is that you could see my muscles atrophy! I was off my leg for four weeks and you could see how the muscle shrunk! 

My friend Shulamith took me to my next podiatry appointment and just dropped me off. Sean met me there and took me home. I got clearance to walk on my foot, but had to stay in the boot for 3 more weeks. At first stepping on my foot was just super tingly and uncomfortable! He said I still couldn't drive and after trying I agreed. I did start driving a little here and there about a week after that appointment. 

Brett got to go to the ward young mens camp and they had a great time boating on Jordanelle. 

We celebrated the 24th of July with some fajitas. We had Mom and Dad Z over for dinner and then we did some fireworks and fun tattoos with the Ellis family. 

We went to visit the Saffrons in Logan. They are building a playhouse in their preschool room! 

We went to Cowabunga Bay a lot this summer. And the kids and I were both grateful when I could finally drive us over there. We were so blessed to have others give us rides too! 

We got to babysit Chewy for the Ellis family. He sleeps at their house and then just comes here during the day. 

More pictures of Oreo doing cute things. 

When we visited Logan we had Aggie ice cream and then went to a trampoline park. 

More from the 24th:

Hello Everyone!! 

Eric and Natalie when do you leave for Disneyworld? Can’t wait to see pictures! Hope you stay nice a cool and that Sofia’s rash is getting better! Thats fun Estelle is doing speech. Lizzie is in speech as well and loves it, although not during summer. She struggles a lot with her R’s and L’s and has been working hard.

Brandon and Michal we wish we could have been at the symphony concert, it was so fun to be there all together last year! Hope Reese is doing well! We’d love to see more pictures!

Neil and Rebecca we are alwasy amazed at how much you guys can fit in one day! Im so glad you got to spend time with Maria’s family before they move and we are also excited you got to go to Yellowstone! Can’t wait to hear more about it!

Jill and Brian, Lucy looked so cute in her Belle costume for princess camp. We have some friends in Salt Lake who attend a Unitarian service. Not sure how many there are or if its the same one. Their names are Jordan and Shauni Roberts. He does a lot of the music there. It would be cool if its the same one. Do you guys think you will attend again? 

We’ve had a good week here! We had a friend take the kids and me to Cowabunga Bay on Tuesday which was really fun! We have season passes there this summer and its a fun water park. Alana is very sad that I can’t drive right now because she wants to go everytime she gets bored! Sean does a good job at helping us get out of the house in the evenings. He took us for menchies frozen yogurt on Tuesday and then on 7-11 he took us for slurpees. I stayed in the car, but the reports of the sticky floor and watery slurpees was pretty funny. 
Sean is still working at St Marks residency on Wednesday’s and has had fun the last two weeks meeting the new residents. He was also given an award for teaching the residents at their recent graduation. Brett hiked to the Timpanogos cave yesterday with some friends and really enjoyed it! He continues to do astronomy most clear nights and was able to find a globular cluster called M-22 this week. We went to a friends neighborhood pool on Friday and Alana got to play with a friend from her class at school. It was fun to watch them giggle together. Lizzie was brave at the pool since I forgot her life vest. I need to get her into some swim lessons. I’ve been working on crocheting pot holders and getting some routine posters made for my classroom next year. I am taking a summer course on classroom managment and have really enjoyed that. 
We went mini golfing and to an arcade yesterday and watched the new Garfield movie last night with Mimi. Brett and I found a recipe for an icecream sandwich cake and Alana made it this morning.  Also, Oreo has been too scared to go on walks for a long time now and he hasn’t been on one for probably 2 months! But surprisingly yesterday and today he asked Sean to take him! We are hoping he will start walking with us again. He turns 5 on July 19! I see the foot doctor again on Tuesday and am hoping I will be cleared to start putting weight on my foot again. 
Hope you all have a wonderful week! 
Love Jennie, Sean, Brett, Alana, Lizzie, and Oreo