Happy Summer, it's the best of all holidays!!

Since I have spent the majority of my summer at home, in beautiful Austin I felt it was only appropriate to title my post after one of my many favorite memories of home.  Here's the story; My mom, Taylor and I were driving down Guadalupe one day last summer for some shopping on The Drag.  At one of the street corners we spotted a man standing with a sign.  This is not so unusual for downtown Austin but it wasn't until he flipped the sign over and we actually read it that we all burst out laughing.  On one side of the sign it said "Happy Saturday" and when he flipped it over it read "it's the best of all holidays!".  Our friend was not asking for money he was just making a statement.  He took note of us enjoying his sign and gave us a big smile with two thumbs up.  Since that day, we have used that phrase for various occasions around the Christensen household.  Today I use it for summer.  

I got home and had lots of fun helping my mom make cupcakes for birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers and teacher appreciation.  I have to give most of the credit to my mom and her friend Carolyn.  I just like to play around with the fondant.  Ever since I was little my mom always had some kind of "project".  She's so creative and talented!  Growing up I have loved watching, learning and then attempting to do the things she does.  

Memorial weekend I had some friends come in town.  I keep telling 

every one to come to Austin because it's so great.  We had so much fun eating/people watching at Whole Food, relaxing at 360 lookout, making 8 minute cakes, sliding down the stairs on a mattress (including my mom), seeing all there is to see on 6th and so much more.  It was a great weekend!  Now we just want them to come back.  Hopefully Amy will be getting a job here in the next year or so and we can continue to make some great memories!  

I have also been spending lots of time at my dad's spanish branch.  We got to go visit the Young Women at girls camp on Bishops Night (Taylor was at girls camp this year so it was so much fun to see her as well... I missed her very much while she was gone).  We helped them paint t-shirts and my mom brought them each a cupcake and a charm bracelet.  They loved the cupcakes so much they wanted us to teach them how to make them at Mutual.  So the week after they got back from camp we had a fun baking night at Mutual with the girls.  There has been a lot of other fun activities with the branch, most including homemade tamales.  I am going to miss that a lot when I go back to Utah.  

Most recently I just got back from Las Vegas.  Last year I cheered for UVU and decided after all my years cheering it was time to retire my pom pons.  I'm not completely finished with cheerleading though.  This upcoming year I will be helping out with the squad where ever they

need me.  I am very happy about this because that will be my job.  Part of this included

attending camp with the squad.  The cheer coach was not able to make it to camp with us so I took on his role as much as possible.  The squad really learned so much those few days, especially the boys.  I can't wait for this next year and even more, I'm looking forward toNationals in Daytona Beach!  I have so many fun pictures that I want to put up here but I will only choose a few.  

To the left we have a picture of the whole squad plus me and Carly (the cheer and dance director).

And the picture to the right is a funny story.  I literally went straight from the airport to camp. I got there right when they started to introduce all the staff and they announced Adam.  Adam was my private coach in Austin who taught me all my partner stunts and helped me get my full (straight body backflip with a twist). I was so surprised! It was very fun seeing him there, especially in Las Vegas of all places to run into him.  He's now the assistant cheer coach at The University of Texas at Arlington.

After camp I stayed a couple extra days with my friend Amy.  She's from Las Vegas so it was so great to have a nice home to go to and relax.  I had so much fun with her and her family.  Her mom always made sure we were well fed and that I had everything I needed.  Amy made sure I got to experience Las Vegas at it's best.  There was some great shopping there and I got lot of fun things!  I really appreciate their whole family for providing such a fun couple days!

Now, I have a few more weeks left of work and everyone around the house cannot wait for Lauryn to get here!!  We have so many plans for her so she can get a good trip home before her and Derek move to Washington.  Until she gets here I'm sure there will be plenty of updates from the pool.  The pool is quite the funny place and I have lots of stories.