summer reading

I need a good book to read. Something I can lose myself in (that just reminded me of Eminem). It can be a classic, something modern, a biography...anything that keeps me engaged. Any suggestions? I am completely open.

If YOU happen to be looking for some great summer reading, I suggest the books below:

I recently finished Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series, and I honestly read it in about 24-48 hours. I think I read the first one in about a day as well. I just couldn't put them down. They have me almost intrigued as the Harry Potter series, but that's tough to top. The third book comes out this summer, but...

I know there's time to squeeze something else in (as long as it's not Les Miserables or something).

Hope you're enjoying the summer weather. June gloom should disappear as of today, right? We'll see.

and we're in...

Almost. I have to remove the shower head in the old house (I can't part with it...it's such a great shower head - hand-held is the way to go!), replace it with a plastic one I found at Target and pick up our silverware holder that was left in a drawer in the kitchen. The new owners move in tomorrow so today is the last day.

The Seal Beach apartment is coming along. We managed to get most of the boxes in the front room to the back room, which means I'm literally boxed in my office everyday, but it's so much better than having piles of boxes in the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, there are still boxes in the front, but we can at least maneuver around them now. The apartment also had a stench to it, but I went crazy with some carpet powder and it smells a bit better now. I think the scent is coming from something else, but I can't put my finger on the culprit. Maybe the wood, the paint? I just don't know.

I think Seal Beach is going to be a fun place to live. Things I want to do:

1. Take Yoga classes at the local studio.
2. Go to the Fish Fry in July.
3. Get my library card so I can get books from the library down the street.
4. Attend the summer concerts near the pier.
5. Swim to the pier and back for exercise.
6. See a movie at the old theatre downtown.
7. Try all the restaurants on Main Street.

(The best thing about this list is that we can walk to all of the places on it. Ideal.)

The list will probably grow, but I'm going to start with those goals.

on our way

The little olive house on Gardenia has sold so our stay in the LBC is quickly drawing to a close. When we first moved here I didn't know how much I would like Long Beach, but now, I don't want to leave. We've made some great friends and I can't even begin to express how much I'll miss the young women I work with. I'll miss Grandma Helmi's house too; it's the only house Kent and I have known in our married life and it feels like home.









We were lucky to live here for the almost two years we have, but we're spoiled now. Going from a house to an apartment will be an adjustment. I'm not quite sure where we're going to fit everything that we've acquired. At least we'll only be a couple of blocks from the beach at our new place. That has to count for something, but I'll miss having a garage and a garden. Not necessities, but definitely niceties that I have appreciated.

Thanks to Mom and Dad Sommer for letting us live here; we've loved and appreciated it.

Next destination: Seal Beach.

the cup

When Kent has a spare moment (or a bored moment at work) he keeps people informed of the happenings in the soccer world on a blog called Fastbreak Futbol. Now, I have to be honest, I don't read every post like a good wife should, but this last post he and his brother did in preparation for the World Cup is pretty entertaining. I know they both put a lot of time into it so I read it and wasn't disappointed.

Kent and Matt compare each team playing in the World Cup to a band/singer. It's such a smart way to teach people (i.e. me) about soccer teams and their unique histories and characteristics. For instance, I now know that South Africa is like Janet Jackson and Brazil is like the Beatles. And because I know much more about the music world, I now understand the soccer world better. I'm even excited to watch the games now.

Find out which team goes with each band here. Soccer and music fans alike will enjoy the post.

Why Kent and Matt should feel famous: Hot clicks picked up the post and so did an Internet site in the Netherlands (they liked being compared to Radiohead). Fastbreak has had about 20,000 hits in the last two days-it's a record! Disclaimer: Please excuse the racy photos (esp. the Netherlands one) in the links above. I don't know why sports and scantily-clad women always have to go together.

Anyway, well done, Sommer boys, on an awesome post!

a year ago today...

Kent and I were here...

Waiting to board this plane...

To take us to these countries...

I really loved that trip. Who knows when we'll get to go to Europe again, but today I am content to reminisce via the Holga.

A street in Madrid

The Madrid Temple

A Spanish ruin

Grapevines and poppies in Provence

Fields of red

Normandy

Cannes

The happy travelers

I will always have wonderful memories of this trip. Hopefully, we'll return soon.

reunion rendezvous

With summer around the corner, we are approaching reunion season and what a season it is going to be. This summer, Kent and I will attend 3 reunions: West, Hatch and Sommer. Luckily, the West and Hatch reunions run perfectly into each other and they're both in Utah. They're actually both in Provo Canyon which simplifies things even more. The Sommer reunion is the following week, so we are booked solid with family for two weeks.

The West reunion includes my immediate family and will be at Aspen Grove. We've been there a couple of times and it's great. Being my year to plan and coordinate things (it rotates from one sibling to the next each year), I originally wanted to do a big house boating trip to Lake Powell. We used to go there every other year when I was growing up and I LOVED that vacation, but the family insisted on Aspen Grove. Why? While Aspen Grove is beautiful and fun, I think the main reason for the insisting is because they offer babysitting for children and infants 6 weeks old and up. Plus, the kids get split into groups according to age and go off with their group leader all day leaving the parents kid and fancy-free. It really is a vacation. Well, a vacation with 60 other people. It's also easy for me as the coordinator. I just had to put our name in a lottery to reserve our spot. Aspen Grove takes care of everything else: food, lodging, activities, etc. Looking forward to the mountain air and family fun.

That reunion will finish up and that very same day we'll be on to the Hatch reunion, my mom's family. It has been a few years since we've had a Hatch reunion so Kent is going to meet a lot of people, and I mean a lot. My mom has 6 siblings and they've all multiplied and replenished. To put things into perspective, my mom had 10 children and my Aunt Netta had 11 children and that's just two of the six siblings. Almost all of my cousins are married and have kids of their own and some of their kids of kids of their own, so it will be a full, crazy couple of days with a fun bunch of people. Here's the reminder flyer:


That's Grandma & Grandpa Hatch. They are no longer alive, but they were great people. They lived most of their lives in Mexico and have some good stories. Good old Colonia Juarez. I'm excited to take Kent there someday.

After the Hatch weekend, Kent and I will go to the Sommer reunion in San Diego. We can't stay for the entire week, but I can't wait to relax on the beach for a few days and spend time with the Sommer crew. Those beach house vacations are great. I'm looking forward to hearing more Sommer family stories, especially about Kent and his "cool" junior high years.

I'm glad summer is almost here and that Kent and I get to spend so much time with our families. We are so blessed to be part of wonderful families who have good values and who love and care for each other. Family time is always a great time.

hello hula

Growing up, I was always the sister with the "perky" bottom. We all got a little something from my mom, but I got a little more. To add to the pad, I did gymnastics. With all that arching and "stick it!" posing I was bound to look kind of like this. (This photo doesn't do the swoop back and accentuated bottom protrusion justice, but you get the idea.)

Admittedly, my back side isn't huge, but it definitely has some shape, especially for a white girl. I haven't gone down the Apple Bottoms road although maybe I should...who knows.

That being said, I have found a use for my "perky" bottom: Hula. "Hot Hula" to be exact. Last night I went to 24 Hour Fitness and did the hula class for the first time and thought, "This is why I have the bottom I do, to do Hula." I discovered I can't shake my hips very well, I am not coordinated like that, but I've got the bootie for hula so I'm determined to learn how. Maybe next summer I'll be good enough try out for the Polynesian Cultural Center or to at least dazzle everyone at a family Fourth of July picnic. We'll see.

Kent just needs to learn the Haka now.

Foxy.