What we've been up to...

This summer Brandon has been a busy boy! He's been going to school, working on the weekends, painting my parents house (with me), interning with a oral surgeon, and volunteering at Moffit Cancer center. WHICH MEANS....BRANDON WEARS THE CUTEST SCRUBS!!!.....

I've been taking a couple classes this summer as well (college algebra and drawing II), painting my parents house, and quitting jobs ;) lol. These are a couple of the drawings/paintings I did for the class.

I wanted to do some really loose stuff this summer, when I'm my program

(graphic design during FALL/SPRING semester) I have to do exact, tight, neat,

perfect work...so it was so nice to just do whatever I wanted this summer.

New Decor!

I've added some new decor in our little apartment! Thought'd I'd share...

The shelves next to the dining table are new! The mirror over the couch has been there for a while (thanks to my mom :)), I've just been lazy about getting pictures up.

I've started collecting these lanterns hanging above the window...it's not complete, I want to put like another 3 more up there, I just love their look.

The chair and table are a new corner of the family room! I actually got some of our wedding pictures framed, bought a clock, got a chair....

J.K. has stolen my heart....

PREFACE: You are about to witness an embarrassing confession. J.K. Rowling is the author of the epic tale of Harry Potter.

Dear J.K. Rowling:

You are amazing. I love to get lost in the magical world that you've created. I recently reread the 6th book, as a refresher for the movie, I laughed, cried, and smiled! Sometimes when I lay in bed, scared to fall asleep because I think "he who must not be named" will get me. I love that I become so immersed into the story that it becomes real, what else can I say....you're awesome.

Obsessed,

Laura McClain

I threw a Harry Potter party before the movie premier which I attended at 12:01! I love Nancy, Lance, and Becca for dressing up and sharing my love for the books! Thank you to Russell, Kempton, and Jenny for coming out of pity.

Family Reunion in Seattle!

We just got back fromSeattle this past week, it was sooooo fun & beautiful! The first day we got there, my parents, Brandon and I went to downtown Seattle and played around at the Pike Place Market! I loved looking at all the fresh flowers, artists' work, and fresh food (fish, Bing cherries, all sorts of produce)! My mom bought us a lot of berries while we were there, which are incomparable anywhere else in the U.S. I'd venture to say! We went out to eat in a restaurant with their windows open, the breeze and sun making it a perfect temperature, over looking the Sound. We ate ice cream too! Which was reaaaaalllly nice because Brandon and I had been dieting hardcore the previous week (we're getting skinny for a cruise next month), no carbs!

The next day was the reunion, it was my Grandma's family, the Larson's. It was really fun to see all of my family! I didn't get any pictures that day, but I'm sure my sister, Heather did! Look on her blog! :) Although we went to the Point Defiance Park Zoo with Dan and his little girls while at the reunion. Zoe with the mammoth Walrus, and Hannah with the "ceamy!"

Later that night a bunch of my cousins and Dad & I all got together to play Settlers of Catan....I'm not gonna brag too much but.......lets just say....I REPRESENTED two nights in a row! And did I forget to mention that we played a nine or ten person game of Settlers (won that game right down there-oops, guess i am bragging a lot!)

We stayed at my Aunt Sherry and Uncle Tim's house, they're AMAZING hosts! They lived right by the Pudget Sound, Brandon and I went on a walk by the golf course...it was so beautiful there, I grew up 3 minutes away from this view. I was nine when I left Tacoma, you don't understand anything when your nine. It must've been so amazing to have all of our family so close and in such a great area.

Girls Camp

So I was in charge of Sports this year at Girls Camp, it was SO MUCH FUN! We had a renaissance theme this year...

"15 Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice,

and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand.

16 Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, which I have sent mine angels to commit unto you;

17 Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;

18 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword o

f my Spirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word

which I reveal unto you, and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until I come, and ye shall be caught up, that where I am ye shall be also. Amen"

-- D&C 27:15-18

I thought, well Heather helped me, we've got to do jousting somehow! We decided that the girls were going to joust with pool noodles, with "frosted" tips (strawberry frosting) to act as blood-tasty blood that is, while strutting on a broomstick horse! They had to aim for the heart, but as you can imagine...aiming was the funniest part!! We also did a slip-n-slide, it was way too hot!

This is is an AMAZING shot, courtest of Lauren Ramsey.

Woof, wow Laura.

Summer in FLORIDA!

I have come to realize that this will be one of my last summers here in my hometown, Brandon and I will have to move somewhere cold, dry, different, landlocked, etc...for dental school. I love it here, I love the people, I love the attitude, I love the mix of culture.

Reasons why I love Florida summers...

1. Memories

2. Fell in love here

3. Beaches

4. To feel t

he intense sunshine on your face almost every single day.

5. Florida fashion....the white capris, constant sandals, crazy tan lines, bright neon colors on old women, printed shirts on old men, beach hair, white skirts, polo dresses, etc.

6. More time with my Muffin!!

7. Lake Rodgers park- my high school cross country team trained here, I ha

ve run and run and run my guts out here, pondered on life, run with Mark-my little brother.

8. Orange blossoms, jasmine blossoms, they smell heavenly.

9. Being Sun-kissed, although you'll probably get skin cancer later...

10. Playing at amusement parks!

Blogging AGAIN

I will admit, I have been super awful about blogging lately, so I got this app for my iPhone which allows me to blog and post pics off my phone...pretty cool.

So to update you on the past couple of weeks, I will stArt with Brandons new calling, he's in Elders Quorum, 2nd counsellor, so he's been pretty busy, especially on Sumdays. Brandon is a trooper, he's been working on the weekends at bj's still, and going to school 5 days a week! He's studying for the DAT (dental assesment test) which he will tAke this December.

I have been taking one class this summer, drawing ii, I'll post my artwork later, not that people really care. I also started a job at Nordstrom, there's a restaurant upstairs, I was a hostess, but it was short-lived, I quit yesterday. It wasn't what I thought it would be. Nuff said. I also went to girls camp last month, I was the sports director, it was really fun! We had a "put on the armor of God" theme, something like that, it was medieval. So I had the girls joust! The jousting was done with horsey broomsticks, pool noodles, and pink frosting (for blood, tasty blood I might add).

The whole Dickson clan has been plagued withthe flu this summer, I gave it to everyone! Sorry! It was awful, fever, vomitting, coughing, body aches, mucus, the whole nine yards. So be careful, tIe good care of yourselves this summer.


-- Post From My iPhone