We drove all night to get up there, and then decided to drive back during the day. The drive up was long, but Benjamin slept through it which helped a lot. The drive back was brutal. We stopped at Temple Square and tried to visit Andrea, but she was busy. We then went to Grandma and Grandpa Poulson's house for a night. We picked raspberries, and Grandma made us raspberry jam, which we got to take home. (We also picked Huckleberries in Montana, and brought home Huckleberry jam.) We had a good nights sleep, and then drove another brutal 5 hours to home. Our backyard suffered from lack of water, and it is way too hot in Vegas, but it is nice to be home. Damon and I brought home a cold, and mine turned into pneumonia, which has been rough. I am finally starting to feel better.
Now it is time for school to start and real life to resume. We had a fantastic summer of swimming, travel and fun. My little sister got married in Montana, and I spent a week alone with Benjamin while Damon went to Scout Camp. We had a blast. Benjamin is so big and smart. He talks to us like he is an adult, and asks regularly "so what are we going to do today?" We love him dearly and hope to add another to our family soon. Benjamin loves other children and makes friends wherever he goes. He misses his friends, and cries whenever we have to leave. He is gentle and kind and gets upset when others are not. I wish that I could give him everything and anything his heart desired, and usually do, but he still has much to learn. Damon is excited for a new year as a GATE teacher, and I am trying to find my role as a wife and mother. Life is never what we expect, but it is great beyond our imagination.