Happy Birthday Madilyn Joy

17 years!  Holy Cow where has the time gone?

 

 

Zebra Pig bank!

 

 

Zebra Cake - outside...

 

...and inside! 

 

Happy Birthday Sweet Madilyn.  We love you!!

xoxo

 

 

 

September 2012

I hit a deer.  I've been driving for over 25 years and this was my first (I don't count the fawn of 2010).  Considering the miles I've racked up on Hwy 395 and Dahl/Williams Valley Roads, I think that's a pretty good record! 

 

 

I saw a moose.  Glad to have hit the deer and not the moose.

 

School started. 

 

Gracie and I now have lots of time to do fun things together!

 

 

The family cycled through the Martian Death Flu.  (Picture proves that you're never too old to need to sleep in your mommy's bedroom when you're sick.)

 

Jacob dressed as Minion (MegaMind) for Superhero day!

 

Brandon...you know, just messing around with his phone's camera.

 

Jason is still working at Yoke's.

 

I was diagnosed with Plantar Fasciiatis.  If you know what it is, you just cringed.  If you don't - it's ok.  It's too complicated to explain.  I am healing well though - I've been down for 2 weeks and I'm finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Luckily, I found some really, really cool athletic tape!

 

 

So odds are you can't see them, but there ARE bruises right on the top of my feet - both of them.  Right behind my index toes.  Which, coincidently, is right where both feet now pop every time I move after sitting down.  Weird.  Not as cool as crop circles, but still interesting.

 

 

Homecoming Dance Cousins

 

Jacob, Cami, Cameron & Madilyn all went together to the Homecoming dance this year.  Such cute cousins!

 

And, we canned...a lot of stuff.  I don't even have pictures of it all.  So representing our efforts this year are:

 

 Peach Jam.

 

Apricot Jam.

 

 

Dried Apricots.

 

 

Canned Tomatoes. 

 

Pear Bread & Pear Spread.

 

 

 

Absent on picture day:  Green Beans, Dried Pears, Beets & Peaches

August 2012

Silverwood

 

 

19 years and counting...

 

 

A surprise visit from Elder Stubbs.  He served his mission here in 1999 - 2001 and was in our ward in Spokane when Brandon was the bishop.  We haven't seen him since he went home in 2001.  The kids have all grown - Malorie, Melanie, Joseph & Meredith are all new to him.  But seeing him again was almost like he never left.

 

 

We wound up August with our trip to Deer Lake Resort!  Friends of ours own the property and we spend a week with them each summer!

 

 

The evening fires are everyone's favorite - especially Joseph!

 

 

Some time in the water. 

 

 

 

Feeding the ducks.

 

Put-Put.

 

Somehow we went from this...

 

 

...to this... 

 

...to this...(I'm sparing you the really grody pics!) 

Boy Scout Encampment - Camp Sunrise

This year our troop attended a large encampment on Diamond Lake - Camp Sunrise.

  

 

Brandon and I both got to attend.  (I think I had more fun!)

 

 

 

Almost all of my uncles were there, too!

 

 

My three oldest sons (and some adopted sons) were there.

 

 

The absolute highlight of my week was meeting Bill Burch.  You know

"those bolos" that you see so many scouters wearing?  He is the mastermind behind them.  He passed away in September, just 8 weeks after spending the week with us at camp.  In those 8 weeks he finished an "Uncle Sam" bolo for me - it is one of the very last ones he made.

 

 

Jacob participated in the triathalon and did really well.  We're proud of him - it wasn't an easy course!

 

Uncle Dick came as one of the camp cooks - there aren't words to describe the amount of laughter experienced by one and all that week! 

 

It was a HOT & DUSTY week!  Jacob and his friend (another adopted son) Jason opted to follow the water truck!  It seemed like a good idea...

...and then you realize just how much pressure those trucks spray...

Totally worth it, mom!!

 

Jared's troop watched for their friend Jevin to arrive each day.  Such a good group of boys!