Week at the Cabin

Mindy tries to finish her book, Jordan is probably wondering if there are really any fish our there

I suspect this conversation has something to do with where Brizzo and the squirrels

Silly Tyra

Tyra Maggie and Johnny show off the Castle Jordan helped them build

This is a great sunset picture off the dock.

We had the best time on the lake this year. After a couple cool days, the
rest were perfect and we enjoyed every second!

Jessica and Josie

Johnny and Josie

Tyra, Spencer, Josie and Johnny

Hal and Scott in the Boat I think, with John and the kids on the paddle boat

Scott Skiing

Maggie, Josie and Tyra

Jessica and Jordan

One of my favorite views from the cosway crossing to Bills Island

Scott, Jorine and Brizzo

Jordan takes the wake

Hal - masters the water

TOO MUCH TO TITLE

It was a busy few days!
July 3rd, Got up early:
Arrived where?

Mindy and John's New House!!!!!
Beautiful! Very Exciting!

They had worked really hard getting all moved. We were really amazed at all they had done. I felt bad to not be there to help her put her kitchen in. I couldn't imagine how she could put her kitchen away without me! Surely she needed me for that. How would she know where to put everything? But then.....I saw her new kitchen......no, she didn't need my help she has about 6 times the cupboard space that I do and has a pantry! It was a beautiful thing! Just a side note...I have never felt bad that I didn't have a big beautiful house. I really have been happy just where I am but.....if there was one thing from her house that I could pick up and move to mine.....it would be the.......can you wait......it would be the laundry room.
You should really see the laundry room.Jessica & Jordan came that night. I felt bad because by that time, I was sick-on the couch.
I guess sleeping 6 hours is not enough for two days.

4th of July JESSICA'S 10 K FREEDOM RUN

Got up early-really I was too excited for her to sleep very well. My heart ached as she put on her shoes because I really wanted to run with her. She had worked so hard to be ready-it was so exciting and I was so proud of her! Running has become an emotional thing as morning after morning for years I have tried to get my body to work with my will and mind.
I have most of what it takes, my leg just doesn't want to follow.
I was so teared up I could hardly see through the camera lens.
(Obviously I didn't realize the date was wrong on my camera either!)
Jessica's early Birthday,
we also got to celebrate Jessica's birthday while we were there too.
We made her a cake and had a little party while enjoying the 4th.
We went to the movie, golfed, cleaned, and painted the
old house across the street.
The kids were creative with the hose and dirt outside don't you think!
We stayed up late again, just eating left overs and sandwiches....just enjoying the time together because we were up early and back home Sunday morning. Hal had to be at church-he thinks the ward can't run without him now. (Just kidding, he knew-he'd be gone the next week)
After church, Tyra and I went to Mom's and Dad's to have a Birthday Party!
It was her 75th. Melanie and Laura came. It was fun to see them and have a cookout in the backyard! There are somethings that shouldn't ever change.

discovery

I just found this picture on my sd card of the Tetons. We were at the
farm playing one Saturday in January and I sent Scott outside with my camera.
It's a great picture....maybe my camera is okay...and the operator is faulty!

Mike & Melissa's June Visit

It was so fun to have Melissa's Brothers get married this June! Thanks Michael and Issac!
It brought Melissa and the kids home for about three weeks home and Mike home for about 10 days. One day while Mindy's kids were here we took the kids to the splash park in Rexburg.

It was fun to watch them play. Johnny loved the water, he wasn't bothered by the cold a bit.

Drake wasn't too sure about water dumping on his head at first but was pretty happy about most of it. Josie had fun washing Madelyns hair.
Madelyn just flitted around from fountain to fountain. It was pretty cute.
Maggie was too cold to play. Mike's face was peeling from a sunburn. Drake got right in his face and said,
"Dad, your face is melting off!"

Memorial Day 09

Sunday we took flowers to the cemetery out in Snake River which after our meetings put us home to late to get away until the next morning when we went to the farm . We decorated Grandpa and Grandma Rices graves in St. Anthony on the way to Ashton and then did Grandpa and Grandma Hillam's there. Dad needed had a list of things he needed someone with some muscles (Hal) to help him with. We took the four wheelers in case we had time to play a little.

One of the jobs dad needed help with was to get rid of the huge tree stump. They dug it out, lifted it onto this metal tray kind of thingy ma bob (I'm sure that's it's name) and then Hal held it on while dad pulled it to the pit behind the tractor. Dad took us for a good four wheeler ride down the tracks by the river. Tyra and her friend Taylinn are on the famous rock. We ate water cress we picked from the spring and got to see this beautiful summer home some mlb baseball player built down by the river. It would be fun to know who's it was .

Another really fun thing we did that has to be documented is this....get ready, we went to the NEW CITY DRUG!!! It is just opened and is so nice. I do feel bad they don't have fresh lime milk shakes but...it's really fun. They have sandwiches, pizza and lots of good things to eat and have designed it around the theme of histoical Ashton. It was a good day.

May...we always love May

Just one of my favorite little girl pics of Ty

Concert.........

Do weeds really grow on temple square?

Tyra and I jumped in the Honda and met Mindy, Jennifer and Mom at temple square where we enjoyed the beauty of colorful flowers and tulips in full bloom. It was amazing! Mindy was sure that if she had such beautiful flowers, she wouldn't mind pulling the weeds. We wondered if weeds grew on temple grounds. Mom assured us they did. It was fun see Jennifer. She told us all about Jake, Aubrey and what a great Mr. Mom Jeremy is. Tyra has a friend at school named, Mahanna. When Mindy heard this, she couldn't believe such a thing. Especially as she is trying to come up with a baby girl name. Jennifer does a great impression of, "Ma-Hanna, Yo ug-ley." Tyra and I tried and tried to do it as well on the way home but....we just don't have it. Mindy and John were nice to put Tyra and I up for the night. When we got to Mindy's, Maggie had posted notes on the door for Tyra. She was sound asleep but was afraid Tyra would wake up early and leave before she got to see her. It was sweet. Johnny was sporting new glasses and Josie was as funny as usual. John had pieces of chairs all over the floor. He was salvaging good pieces and ended up with one fine sturdy chair. What a guy. It was a good, quick trip! These are the pictures Tyra took at temple square.

denial

What do you think about living in a state of denial? You all know that I am a sugar-a-holic. Dad has this theory that if, when we eat sugar, or something "unhealthy", we convince ourselves that what we are eating is really good for us, instead of bad for us, our bodies will use it in a healthy way. (did you follow that)? He calls it "mind over matter." This has been a long, long, long, long, winter for me. My winter survival technique was to accept dad's "mind over matter strategy"mixed with denial. I tried to convince myself that I loved winter and when that didn't work, I tried to pretend it wasn't winter. It didn't work out very well. Hopefully, after Sunday's snow storm, that is all behind us. There are signs of spring. The grass is green and the flowers are trying to wake up. The snowman background I thought was cute in January....has proved to be a bad idea. Each time I saw them....I quickly logged off. Today, I faced my fears and stayed on long enough to get rid of them and will try and remember that they are only cute one week out of the year.

what a roller coaster ride!!!

Griffey Returns to Seattle! When Mike called to tell us that Griffey was returning to play for what may be his last year with the with the mariners, we were so excited! We know....they don't have hopes of having a great team again this year but having him "in the house" would be so much fun....the fans would just be so happy-it would be a thrill. Saturday, when checking on things, I was sad to read that the Braves had stepped in and Griffey may want to be a Brave instead!!! For the next five days...nothing got done around here. As long as he couldn't commit, I couldn't commit to the dishes, the laundry or anything else. Wednesday afternoon I found this little bleep on this strange site from this blog comment that said he had choosen the Mariners. Shortly after, Braves website hinted they may not really have him as committed as they had been reporting. Mike and I had been doing a little texting back and forth and then he called telling me he had decieded, and it was true....Griffey is really going to be a Mariner one last time! Apparently he was influenced by his daughter and a phone call he got from Willey Mays this morning. Now I can get back to my dishes, and laundry and oh, that's right...I didn't want to do that stuff anyway.