25th of July - 2nd day camping

Rachel took this great picture of her Grandpa and Grandma.


Kaitlyn, Jason, and Hannah sitting by the fire waiting for breakfast.


Rachel has been trying to get a picture she wants to submit for the county fair next week. I think she got some great ones to choose from.

We had to hike to the spring before we left. What a beautiful place! Trevor walked the whole way up, but decided he wanted to be carried about halfway back down. Garrick always like to hike to the top of the cliff above the spring. Jenn and Brandon went with him, but were wondering what they got themselves into when he BLAZED a trail back down. They all made it back safely, besides a few ant bites.

We sure had a fun time, so thanks Jenn and Brandon for the encouragement and help in getting this family on a camping trip (even if it was for less than 24 hours!).

July 24th Camping Trip

We have been looking forward to this little camping trip for a long time. Sometime last year Jenn and Brandon talked CeCille into reserving a spot at Willow Flats (about 1/2 hour from our house) for the 24th of July. Jenn and Brandon took our kids camping last summer, so our kids have been looking forward to this all summer. Garrick had to milk the next morning, so he had a good excuse to go home and sleep in his own bed. I had a pretty good excuse too (seven months pregnant), but I knew Trevor would not want to come home with me, and he did not want me to leave without him either. I will admit I did not sleep well at all, but the kids all slept great!

Trevor spent a big chunk of his time playing in the dirt with his skidsteer. When I first got up there, he said, "I wish I brought my skidsteer." I was so happy to reprt that I had brought his skidsteer, and boy was he happy.

Brandon took the kids fishing. Kyle especially enjoyed the fishing. When we got home on Saturday, he said that was way too short of a camping trip. "We weren't even ther 24 hours- Next time we go camping we need to stay two nights."

We celebrated Rachel's 11th birthday while we were camping. Garrick called her name in to the radio station on her birthday. SHe won the drawing! SHe won several prizes including a Birthday Cake from Shaeffer HOuse BAkery. I was most excited about that, because I wouldn't have to heat up my house to bake the cake, and the cake would be cute!

Jenn and Brandon gave her the Game of Life. On Saturday, after camping and getting cleaned up Jenn and Brandon played the game with the kids for a couple hours. The kids had so much fun! I played with them on Sunday afternoon, but it just wasn't the same as when Jenn and Brandon were here.

We had smores and sang songs around the campfire!

24th celebration with Cove Ward

Well, we missed the breakfast, flag ceremony, fun run, and bike race, but we still got in on some of the fun. They had a 3-legged race, hand cart race, and water balloon toss. Fun for all!

I love this picture of Rachel and her best friend Robin.

Rachel, Robin, and Lauren are laughing after Lauren threw a water balloon at Robin, but it bounced off Robin's head and got Lauren all wet!

Kyle missed the first bike race, but they had another one just so he could participate. He got 2nd place!

24th of July Breakfast with the Hall's

We had a great 24th- starting with the breakfast with the Hall family. Our ward has a breakfast on the 24th, but I couldn't get anyone in my family to go there and pass up breakfast with the Halls. I must admit it's hard to beat the quality, quantity, and variety of food available at this breakfast. Besides that, we really like the people too!

Trevor thoroughly enjoyed himself. Eggs with ketchup were his favorite.

Hannah doesn't eat a whole lot, but she sure did look cute!

Garrick's only complaint was that he just didn't have enough room in his belly to eat all the food that looked good to him.

Rachel, Hannah, Emily, and Kaitlyn. Beautiful girls!

July 23rd- Rachel's 11th Birthday

So Rachel is 11!! We did some fun things this week, but didn't get pictures of much of it.
-On Tuesday, Rachel spent some time at her best friend Robin's house. I know they jumped on the tramp with the sprinkler, and played some kind of American Idol game with the hose for the microphone. When I picked Rachel up she said, "Mom, that was the funnest time I've had all summer." I responded, "Wow, Rachel what were you doing there?" She said, "I don't know, whenever Robin and I get together, we mostly just laugh allot!" Note to self: It doesn't take much for kids to have a great time!

-Wednesday, Rachel and I went to the Beadles Bead Shop in Logan to learn to make a Watch Bracelet. This was one thing Rachel really wanted for her birthday, so we made it a date. Rachel picked out the beads, and the lady helped her decide how it would all fit on the bracelet. Then she showed her how to put it all together. It was great to have one on one help like that. And Rachel did a great job. The lady said that age 11 is the perfect age to learn to do this kind of stuff. I guess I'm a little past my prime beading age. In fact the only time I tried to help Rachel, I let go of one end and dropped most of the beads of the string! Rachel was very patient about it, and I didn't offer to help again!
After the watch was finished, we went to IHop and shared a Banana Macedonian Nut Pancake Breakfast for lunch!

-Thursday (her actual Birthday!), Grandma and Courtney came and brought her presents to open. Rachel had been shopping with Grandma the week before, and was so excited about the things she had picked out. She was really in style with the new clothes and shoes!

That evening my parents came to Lewiston for my cousin's wedding reception. So we had them come for dinner. Rachel wanted new potatoes and peas, steak, and some of Robbie's famous orange jello salad. Then we went to the reception where they served Ice Cream Sundaes. After the reception Jason lit off some fireworks special for Rachel's Birthday! All in all, I think she had a pretty good birthday week.

Celabrating Tevor's 3rd Birthday

A few more pictures by Rachel of Trevor

A New Load of Cotton Seed Means more Summer Fun. July 1, 2009

YF&R State Committee Social June 29, 2009

Our State Committee and their families came to Logan on Monday to help us feed the FFA teachers lunch at a teachers conference at USU. Then they all came out to our end of the valley to see our farms and have some fun. That evening we had dinner and a kid rodeo at the Lewiston rodeo grounds. Rachel took several pictures while I was cooking the dinner.

Kyle was planning on riding a calf, but he actually got on several, before he actually went ahead with it. Look at that smile after he did it. Trevor of course wanted to ride a calf. and he did. The girls liked riding the ponies.

Swimming at Indian Springs

The plan was to meet everyone in Pocatello at the Aquatic Center, but it was raining and hailing there so we went to Indian Springs which is on the other side of American Falls. We ended uphaveing a great time swimming with the cousins. Trevor did not drown! He loved the slide and the balls. When the life guard asked him not to run, he ran faster. I don't know if he realized she was yelling at him, but it was funny to see the lifeguard's reaction. I did try to hold onto him whenever he got out of the pool, because if I let go, he would take off.

The girls are gone for the week. We took a drive. June 24, 2009

Well, Rachel went to my mom's house, and Kaitlyn and Hannah went to John and Care's house to spend the week with their cousins. That left me and the boys. WE had a very enjoyable week. Trevor really missed his sisters, and kept asking when they would be back. Kyle didn't have anyone to fight with, and I didn't have anyone to unload my dishwasher. We all missed them, but at the same time we had a fun week with just the boys.
On Wednesday, we took a drive through Avon in Cache County into Liberty and then over the hill into Ogden. WE stopped at Smith and Edwards and ate at Maddox on the way home.

Some Pictures Rachel Took June 14, 2009