Sweet Summertime

We've been home for almost two weeks now and have filled every minute with all things summer. We are trying to make the most of our last days together. Danny will start school in the fall, I'll get a big girl job, and our days of hanging out all day long (which we've been doing for the past 6 months) will be over. In the mean time, we've been:
boating

hiking





(note the rainbow)


hanging with Bryce and sending him on his mission which proved more difficult than anticipated. Glad we got to hang a couple of days before he left though.



meeting up with old friends... we've had so much fun we didn't take pictures.

swimming... every day

meeting sweet Rylee Ruggles!

Harry Pottering (which did not disappoint, and thanks again Aly B for hooking us up with tickets!)

Loving the unpolluted blue sky and lushes plant life. I also can't believe how much snow is still in the mountains!

yard working. Mainly, digging up roots in the Masters backyard but also trimming, mowing, weeding, and anything in between.


And we are headed to Seattle tomorrow to hang out with the Brown's for a week! :)

Happy Birthday America!

Dear America,
I'm sorry I spent your birthday on trains, planes, buses, and in airports. I want to tell you the reasons I love you.

1) the 10 second rule exists here. There are many countries who do not enjoy this luxury, where food goes to waste when it falls to the floor. Some people in America even extend the 10 second rule to minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months.
2) I can walk barefoot here without worrying about contracting hepatitis.
3) You let me turn on a faucet, almost anywhere in the country, and I can drink water without dying.
4) You don't ever turn off my electric, water, and/or gas for lengthy periods of time and/or without warning.
5) In the majority of the country, on a sunny day, I can actually see the sun.
6) You have time zones! So the sun doesn't ever rise at the ungodly hour of 4a.m.
7) You offer free education to all, despite race, sex, economic circumstances. I never understood what a gift that is until I saw little kids working on the street as shoe shiners bc their families couldn't afford school.
8) Health care. I don't care what anyone says about how bad your health care system is, America. It's got it's nasty side, thats for sure, but I feel safe knowing if I bust my head open, there is some competent doctor who can fix it.
9) Your food is outstanding! No wonder there are so many large, large people.
10) You are beautiful from sea to shining sea.
11) You let me say what I want, believe what I want, marry who I want, live where I want, have the job I want.

I love you America. For your birthday this year, I won't take you for granted. Here's to 235 outstanding years.

P.S. I'm still posting here: dambermasters.wordpress.com until I'm all caught up on China and Thailand adventures

We're back! Ish

Hello friends! We are in Thailand and are loving freedom aka Internet access to any website we want. Home on Wednesday! Can't wait to reunite! Apologies now if we are socially awkward. It's been a while since we've hung out with people who speak English. And I promise we'll update on what's been up the past 3 weeks in detail. In 10 words: sharks, scooters, shopping, hikes, bikes, food, trains, temples, palaces, thieves. As the Chinese would say, cheeeeeeers!