Again, please note that I am recollecting memories written on the calendar in order to write this entry. I promise to be better for March :).
Our New Year was most uneventful - THANK HEAVEN! We spent the day at home, watched a few movies, did some laundry How great is that? I am pretty sure that 10 years ago I would have been pretty BUMBED not to have smokin' hot plans for New Years Eve. Derek made call ahead reservations at Texas Roadhouse. It of course was amazing food. - anything that I don't have to cook is out of this world.
Monday marked our first day back to school after the break. The kids of course did not want to get up. We were up late and slept in nearly every day. Totally love that. We are all night owls, except Gage-R. He falls asleep the second his head hits the pillow, unless he is watching Fineas and Ferb on Disney. He stays awake to see what they are building and then falls asleep :) I am sure when my kids are grown and gone, I will be sad , but right now, it makes me crazy that my room is the HUB of our house. My bed is where we hang out, watch movies, take naps, read scriptures, have family prayer, and where my little babies fall asleep for the night before they are transferred to their beds. Alot has happened in that bed over the last 14 years. WOW. All Hail the California King Pillow TOP!
I went to Lunch with some dear friends on TGIF. Ladies Lunch Out. On the way home, after a most enjoyable meal and amazing uninterrupted conversation... I found myself wondering if these incredible women know how grateful I am for their constant support & friendship. We have been scrapbook chicas for many years, and are really the only ones who truly know how much money was spent on scrapbook supplies in the craft room. SHHHHH. Nobody else needs to know.
We scheduled more Dance photos for the Rec Center in conjunction with the dress rehearsal prior to the recital. IT was a ZOO, but as always, we were grateful for the opportunity. With every photo shoot I think we get a little more organized, a little better at our poses, and our pictures are little bit cuter also. WOW there are some really darling little girls in this city.
Along with the day to day HUB-BUB I have been working on 3 different temple orders for Enrichment meetings. I totally love this, but wonder for how long. I am out of practice staying awake all night so my day time is crazy trying to juggle more. One of these days when I am like 90 or something, I will wish I had things to do to keep me busy.
The 12th was Mady's Dance Recital. She LOVES DANCE & CHEER! We love to watch her. Upon arrival, Chloee asks me, "Mom did you bring my dancing clothes?" I am saying to her... " UHMMM no, not tonight. She asked me several times when it was her turn to get up there and do her dance show. Hmmm I thought to myself... if you run up there during a performance, I will die! We were able to contain her through the recital, but she has bugged me since to take a dance class.
For the first time in the History of the Leslie Cabin, we did not go there for Martin Luther King HOliday. Yeah. It was great. I can't figure out why I am so far behind all of the time... because we never stay home.... that's why. It felt amazing! Every Saturday this month the kids and I have ripped into at least one room to get some deep cleaning done. This weekend, we did the kitchen. We had everyone on a dust rag wiping cabinets and baseboards. Amazing how fast it happens when we all pitch in. All of a sudden the hardwood started to get a little slippery so the kids were sliding in their socks... of course having a great time, while the rest of us nearly killed ourselves. After about 20 minutes, I finally realized why the floor was getting slick. GAGE WAS SPRAYING HIS SOCKS WITH FURNITURE POLISH AND THEN MAKING A RUN FOR IT DOWN THE HALL. Leave it to Gage to think of that one! Needless to say, the floor was slick for at least a week.
We had our ward conference on the 31st. As a general rule, this is uneventful for me, but our Bishop gave a talk and I actually felt inspired by a comment in his talk. Many people know how slow the construction business has been. This has been a real trial for me. We have been sooo busy for soooo long that I just didn't think we would ever get a break. Well, we have had that break. We have not had a closing since July. It is only because Derek has always managed & budgeted our money so well that we are surviving the economy. Bishop spoke about how many righteous, faithful people had lost their jobs, or would be loosing jobs in the future but that we would all see Miracles. Those miracles might not be in the form of a better job, or a job with better benefits, but that the miracles might be in our ability to learn to live with less and to better manage what we have. This is totally the Leslie's. It has really been a difficult lesson for me, but I am learning it. We have all made some lifestyle adjustments and are adapting. I am grateful to have been taught the importance of food storage, managing debt, saving money for a rainy day, and that our home is paid for! That is a great feeling. oh, and it never hurts to have your own "School of Boating", just in case you need to earn a little bit of cash on the side ( This was a joke made by our good friend the Stake President... he made reference to Holli's school of Boating in his talk, and that my philosophy was that if you aren't having fun, you aren't going fast enough... Oddly enough, some thought he was serious. We can always count on him to keep things lively :)
January has come and gone and I am wondering if I am going to survive the cold weather & lack of sunshine - or my pasty skin tone, rather. Mom and dad are in Nevada, soaking up the rays. We are just here...grateful for a slower pace.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
DecembRRRRR!
So far this month there has been no decking the halls with anything that is staying here. Everything is headed out the door to the Festival of Trees crafty booth. I have been frantically painting, staining, packing, etc. things for this 2nd show. Somewhere I lost a week on the calendar. I was thinking I had 2 weeks between these shows and in reality only had one. WOW!
Although, a long and crazy week at the Festival of trees, I met some really amazing women and had a few moments of downtime to get my act together. I am also making a note to self to get tickets to the Princess Tea for my girls... I think they would seriously love it!
On the 9th we began taking dance photos for the Pocatello Rec Center. There are some seriously darling little girls in this city. We had to start early this time...my little partner Noelle Merzlock is very pregnant... She is actually going to be induced on the 17th. I pray she makes it until then.
On the 11th, we spent the entire evening setting up the foyer for CeleBrate Christ. Somehow that was my responsibility again this year... thankfully that was only one night this year and we were able to tear it all down on Sunday after the program.
I still have no Christmas tree up... I still don't care that I don't have a tree up.
On the 13th we had our annual Leslie cousin Christmas party. Good food, good company, fun activities, were had by most.
The craziness continues... on the 17th we had the adult Leslie party... we went bowling in Blackfoot - there is never a boring moment with Brandt in your company.
The 18th was our Ratliff Christmas party. We had it at the Red Lion... the kids swam, we sat in the hot tub, opened great gifts from mom & dad and slept over, only to wake up and leave the mess for the merry maids! It was the greatest.
As all of this is going on, I continued to make temple pictures... was trying to pack for our trip to Arizona, Christmas shop, wrap, Plan a school Christmas party, clean up messes from the previous month, decorate a spec home to free up the red trailer that was full of decorations, had a tooth pulled, was drowning in laundry, had two birthdays to buy presents for ( Chloee 21st and Gage 26th) birthday cakes to make..... woOOOOOW! I'm not so sure I don't need to be evaluated after this month is over.
Our trip to Arizona was anything but relaxing for me. We,, well, I worked from the minute we arrived until them minute we left. Painting... cleaning... cooking... we put up a tree, finshed the shopping, wrapped presents, made cake, baked cookies for Santa, watched the Nativity movie.... seriously. By the time Christmas was here, I was struggling to even CARE!!!
On the ride home, all 16 hours of it, I had plenty of time to review the hellacious month(s) previous. Nobody cares that i am stressed to the max, Nobody cares that I get fewer than 5 and sometimes 4 hours of sleep / night, Nobody cares that I have a "To-DO" list as long as both of my legs. NObody. As I found myself longing for days as a child when I was bored and had nothing to do, I also took time to think about resolutions for the New Year... and funny, many of them can easily be achieved by learning to say the word(s) NO, and Gee,I am sooo sorry... wish me luck!
Although, a long and crazy week at the Festival of trees, I met some really amazing women and had a few moments of downtime to get my act together. I am also making a note to self to get tickets to the Princess Tea for my girls... I think they would seriously love it!
On the 9th we began taking dance photos for the Pocatello Rec Center. There are some seriously darling little girls in this city. We had to start early this time...my little partner Noelle Merzlock is very pregnant... She is actually going to be induced on the 17th. I pray she makes it until then.
On the 11th, we spent the entire evening setting up the foyer for CeleBrate Christ. Somehow that was my responsibility again this year... thankfully that was only one night this year and we were able to tear it all down on Sunday after the program.
I still have no Christmas tree up... I still don't care that I don't have a tree up.
On the 13th we had our annual Leslie cousin Christmas party. Good food, good company, fun activities, were had by most.
The craziness continues... on the 17th we had the adult Leslie party... we went bowling in Blackfoot - there is never a boring moment with Brandt in your company.
The 18th was our Ratliff Christmas party. We had it at the Red Lion... the kids swam, we sat in the hot tub, opened great gifts from mom & dad and slept over, only to wake up and leave the mess for the merry maids! It was the greatest.
As all of this is going on, I continued to make temple pictures... was trying to pack for our trip to Arizona, Christmas shop, wrap, Plan a school Christmas party, clean up messes from the previous month, decorate a spec home to free up the red trailer that was full of decorations, had a tooth pulled, was drowning in laundry, had two birthdays to buy presents for ( Chloee 21st and Gage 26th) birthday cakes to make..... woOOOOOW! I'm not so sure I don't need to be evaluated after this month is over.
Our trip to Arizona was anything but relaxing for me. We,, well, I worked from the minute we arrived until them minute we left. Painting... cleaning... cooking... we put up a tree, finshed the shopping, wrapped presents, made cake, baked cookies for Santa, watched the Nativity movie.... seriously. By the time Christmas was here, I was struggling to even CARE!!!
On the ride home, all 16 hours of it, I had plenty of time to review the hellacious month(s) previous. Nobody cares that i am stressed to the max, Nobody cares that I get fewer than 5 and sometimes 4 hours of sleep / night, Nobody cares that I have a "To-DO" list as long as both of my legs. NObody. As I found myself longing for days as a child when I was bored and had nothing to do, I also took time to think about resolutions for the New Year... and funny, many of them can easily be achieved by learning to say the word(s) NO, and Gee,I am sooo sorry... wish me luck!
NovemBURRRR!
Baby it is already really cold outside - or am I just a serious wimp! Maybe I am just cold because I am unable to maintain my own body temperature due to my LACK OF SLEEP these past few weeks. I am wishing I had started making crafties back in March or something for this show and wonder what in the world I have bit off this time! I have made over 120 temple plaques myself, ok, mom and steph also helped, 5 snowmen, 3 large pumpkins and now am working on large santas and blocks. SHEEESH!
We have continued to make temple pictures for Super Saturdays and Fantastic Fridays... by the end of the month, we will have made close to 1000 copies of various temple pictures.
On the 12th, Brennan got his braces off! His teeth look so great!
Derek made me a crafty booth - we finally got it all painted and I think I know how it is all going to work together with my display tables, etc. It is insane - all of the things to think about. My kids totally love the cash register that I bought. Madelyn wants to come help at the show so she can be in charge of the money.... right....
On the 20th we finally got the trailer packed up thanks to Steph and Ronnie. We would have never made it without their help. We arrived in I.F. in barely enough time to get things set up, before the janitor kicked us out. That place is intense. I haven't seen anything like it ... ever.
Our show was a success, it thought. Certainly, we sold enough inventory to have made it worth it and received a few custom orders in the meantime. Will I do it again? We'll see.
Thanksgiving was a little different this year... neither of the Grandma's were there to celebrate with us, but we invited aunt betty. Immediately following dinner, we got a call from RJ at Grandma's Motel, saying the Hot Water Heating system had blown loose! There was water shooting everywhere! What a way to illiminate a post thanksgiving dinner nap! We threw the carpet cleaner in the truck and away we went! I pray that place doesn't blow itself off the map before Grandma's will is settled. That could be another nightmare all by itself.
As this month rolls to a close, I am thankful for Family and Home. I seriously would not have made it through this month without Derek, my Mom and Steph and their willing hearts, helping hands, and many hours of service. I am also appreciative of the days when my house was clean, organized and decorated for the holidays.. as of now, it is none of those.
We have continued to make temple pictures for Super Saturdays and Fantastic Fridays... by the end of the month, we will have made close to 1000 copies of various temple pictures.
On the 12th, Brennan got his braces off! His teeth look so great!
Derek made me a crafty booth - we finally got it all painted and I think I know how it is all going to work together with my display tables, etc. It is insane - all of the things to think about. My kids totally love the cash register that I bought. Madelyn wants to come help at the show so she can be in charge of the money.... right....
On the 20th we finally got the trailer packed up thanks to Steph and Ronnie. We would have never made it without their help. We arrived in I.F. in barely enough time to get things set up, before the janitor kicked us out. That place is intense. I haven't seen anything like it ... ever.
Our show was a success, it thought. Certainly, we sold enough inventory to have made it worth it and received a few custom orders in the meantime. Will I do it again? We'll see.
Thanksgiving was a little different this year... neither of the Grandma's were there to celebrate with us, but we invited aunt betty. Immediately following dinner, we got a call from RJ at Grandma's Motel, saying the Hot Water Heating system had blown loose! There was water shooting everywhere! What a way to illiminate a post thanksgiving dinner nap! We threw the carpet cleaner in the truck and away we went! I pray that place doesn't blow itself off the map before Grandma's will is settled. That could be another nightmare all by itself.
As this month rolls to a close, I am thankful for Family and Home. I seriously would not have made it through this month without Derek, my Mom and Steph and their willing hearts, helping hands, and many hours of service. I am also appreciative of the days when my house was clean, organized and decorated for the holidays.. as of now, it is none of those.
OctoBLURRR!
This seriously was the craziest, fastest quarter of my whole life. It is a really good thing I took notes on the calendar - or this might also be the shortest entry on the whole blog.
We started off the month looking forward to listening to conference. Seriously, at first I had a little trouble with President Monson... only because President HincKley was soooo my favorite prophet of all time. Anyway, he is growing on me. I love to hear him speak and now, really love to hear his daughter speak as well. The Monson family will for sure go down in history as being a Power family for me.
Funny... I have been making temple pictures fairly steadily throughout the summer, but October hits and all of a sudden it is Super Slammin Saturday every week. By the time the month is over, I will have developed over 300 temple pictures for different wards.
On the 8th, we went to the cabin. It was cold as heck, but our kids still wanted to ride motorcycles. They came in freezing half to death. This has been an unusually cold Fall. I am hoping it isn't an indication of a subzero winter. It is always fun to go and relax, watch videos, play games and eat great food, but I am wishing we had a housekeeping fairy to pick up the slack while we are packing up to go home. That for sure kicks my rear end!
I have a new calling, I teach the 18 year old Sunday School Class. It is actually ok. Our babysitter Chelsie is in that class, so it is tolerable. Wondering how it will be when she moves on??? I don't even want to go there. She has been our babysitter for 5 years. I can bearly stand the thought of her going off to college this next fall.
This year I was swindled into being a room mother for Mady's class. I have serious brain rot at this time and have struggled to come up with anything worth while. We finally decided to play a crazy halloween bingo game, make caramel apples, and ghosts out of suckers. Thank heaven, kids aren't too picky. The caramel apples were soooo yummy. Those are on the list again for next year.
Halloween is always a pain in the AAAAAAAA for me. Now that we have 4 children, it is an even bigger drag. ok... if we could just dress up one time and go trick or treating once, it would be fine. NOOOOO. Not in our neighborhood. We have a trunk or treak a few days before Halloween, then we dress up for school parties and parade through the school, then actually trick or treat again on Halloween night. YEEEEESH! Besides passing out over 400 pieces of candy each year, My rear end drags by the time it is over. I find myself becoming less and less excited about this holiday every year. And each year, the candy gets thrown away a little sooner because the wrappers are all over my house. Calgon take me away!
I have been full-on in crafty mode. Now that super Saturday is over, I finally have time to work on my own crafties for the Craft Fair in November. Right now, I am working on temple pictures. sanding. painting. mod podging. ..... it seems endless. Derek's garage will never be the same, I am sure.
We went to dinner with some seriously fun couples! We spend so much time trying to act mature, be responsible, appear flawless and speak intelligently as adults. It is sooooo great to ME when you can just HANG out sometimes. We didn't take kids with us so we could talk about whatever came up without being interrupted. We laughed until I think my eyes started watering and my guts were hurting, We we politically incorrect as often as possible, nobody spilled anything or had to go the bathroom 10 times, we ate some amazing food that you can't afford when you take your family out to eat, and drank lots of PEPSI! It was for sure a great night. Only to be topped off with a drag race home. Just for the record... The ladies totally won Baby!!!
We started off the month looking forward to listening to conference. Seriously, at first I had a little trouble with President Monson... only because President HincKley was soooo my favorite prophet of all time. Anyway, he is growing on me. I love to hear him speak and now, really love to hear his daughter speak as well. The Monson family will for sure go down in history as being a Power family for me.
Funny... I have been making temple pictures fairly steadily throughout the summer, but October hits and all of a sudden it is Super Slammin Saturday every week. By the time the month is over, I will have developed over 300 temple pictures for different wards.
On the 8th, we went to the cabin. It was cold as heck, but our kids still wanted to ride motorcycles. They came in freezing half to death. This has been an unusually cold Fall. I am hoping it isn't an indication of a subzero winter. It is always fun to go and relax, watch videos, play games and eat great food, but I am wishing we had a housekeeping fairy to pick up the slack while we are packing up to go home. That for sure kicks my rear end!
I have a new calling, I teach the 18 year old Sunday School Class. It is actually ok. Our babysitter Chelsie is in that class, so it is tolerable. Wondering how it will be when she moves on??? I don't even want to go there. She has been our babysitter for 5 years. I can bearly stand the thought of her going off to college this next fall.
This year I was swindled into being a room mother for Mady's class. I have serious brain rot at this time and have struggled to come up with anything worth while. We finally decided to play a crazy halloween bingo game, make caramel apples, and ghosts out of suckers. Thank heaven, kids aren't too picky. The caramel apples were soooo yummy. Those are on the list again for next year.
Halloween is always a pain in the AAAAAAAA for me. Now that we have 4 children, it is an even bigger drag. ok... if we could just dress up one time and go trick or treating once, it would be fine. NOOOOO. Not in our neighborhood. We have a trunk or treak a few days before Halloween, then we dress up for school parties and parade through the school, then actually trick or treat again on Halloween night. YEEEEESH! Besides passing out over 400 pieces of candy each year, My rear end drags by the time it is over. I find myself becoming less and less excited about this holiday every year. And each year, the candy gets thrown away a little sooner because the wrappers are all over my house. Calgon take me away!
I have been full-on in crafty mode. Now that super Saturday is over, I finally have time to work on my own crafties for the Craft Fair in November. Right now, I am working on temple pictures. sanding. painting. mod podging. ..... it seems endless. Derek's garage will never be the same, I am sure.
We went to dinner with some seriously fun couples! We spend so much time trying to act mature, be responsible, appear flawless and speak intelligently as adults. It is sooooo great to ME when you can just HANG out sometimes. We didn't take kids with us so we could talk about whatever came up without being interrupted. We laughed until I think my eyes started watering and my guts were hurting, We we politically incorrect as often as possible, nobody spilled anything or had to go the bathroom 10 times, we ate some amazing food that you can't afford when you take your family out to eat, and drank lots of PEPSI! It was for sure a great night. Only to be topped off with a drag race home. Just for the record... The ladies totally won Baby!!!
Say it isn't September!
(I am writing this post from notes jotted months ago, that are finally being recorded in January as an effort to keep at least one New Year's resolution from 2009!!!)
SeptemBer arrives, the rest of the year goes by lickety split! This year was no exception.
Our children are of course back in school full swing. PM Kindergarten is seriously the greatest. SO far, Gage doesn't mind going to school, if we agree to take him to SUBWAY for lunch before school. cha. AS IF! Mady loves school and is soooo delighted to be back on the social scene. New friends are alway so great. Brennan is in 6th grade at Hawthorne middle school... the first year 6th graders were moved up. Honestly. I know that I will look back and it will all be well. This added responsiblity of a locker and transporting his personals back & forth is a little much. He will get used to it (I pray... because I don't want to afford to replace another Math workbook!) Chloee and Mom are digging the time to ourselves. Man this joint is quiet until about 2:38 p.m. and then all H-e-double hockey sticks breaks loose!(or is that just gage breaking through the door - so relieved to be home and out the door to play!)
For whatever reason, I have had several requests to take family photos for different people and that started the month off with an extra dallop of craZiness.
Brennan has Football Practice 4 nights a week and then a game on Saturdays. Go Rams! Seriously... for only being 6th graders, I could swear they get their butts handed to them each practice. I know it will be good for him. He will hopefully learn to be tough - BUT holy cow! Again, they are 6th graders!
Madelyn has started Hip Hop and Cheer/Tumbling Classes again. She of course loves them. If we would let her, she would have something every night of the week. She also is taking piano lessons again. I pray my nerves will stand it. :)
Gage Loves to play outside on the vacant lot behind our house. Derek has scooped some dirt into piles and they have all made some jumps that they like to ride their bikes on. He is quiet the dare devil.
Chloee loves to play with dollies and ride her bike with training wheels. She is a serious GYPSY! I struggle to keep her at home now that she has "Wheels" WOW! She is usually out the door and gone before I can slip shoes on to race after her.
We celebrated Brennan's 12th birthday on the 9th. Yeah. I have a 12 year old. what about it? He is delighted to hold the Priesthood, to get to pass the Sacrament and all of the other great stuff that goes along with being a Deacon.
Madelyn turned 9 on the 13th. WOW! I still to this day do not know what we were thinking having September Birthdays. It seems like this month is NUT_VILLE by the time we pay everything the attention it needs.- oh and we can barely roll out the door because we have eaten sooo much birthday cake and icecream.
I have been busily preparing for our Super Saturday coming up. WOW!
On the 17th, I took a "Mama's day out" trip to the Great Valley. I dearly love shopping in Salt Lake. First comes the TaiPan in Roy, then Taiwan Imports in Murray and then the Taipan in Sandy and then took a few more temple pictures along the way to add to the collection.
As I look back on this month, I am grateful for many things, beautiful autumn sunsets, cooler temperatures, and to be back on a schedule!
SeptemBer arrives, the rest of the year goes by lickety split! This year was no exception.
Our children are of course back in school full swing. PM Kindergarten is seriously the greatest. SO far, Gage doesn't mind going to school, if we agree to take him to SUBWAY for lunch before school. cha. AS IF! Mady loves school and is soooo delighted to be back on the social scene. New friends are alway so great. Brennan is in 6th grade at Hawthorne middle school... the first year 6th graders were moved up. Honestly. I know that I will look back and it will all be well. This added responsiblity of a locker and transporting his personals back & forth is a little much. He will get used to it (I pray... because I don't want to afford to replace another Math workbook!) Chloee and Mom are digging the time to ourselves. Man this joint is quiet until about 2:38 p.m. and then all H-e-double hockey sticks breaks loose!(or is that just gage breaking through the door - so relieved to be home and out the door to play!)
For whatever reason, I have had several requests to take family photos for different people and that started the month off with an extra dallop of craZiness.
Brennan has Football Practice 4 nights a week and then a game on Saturdays. Go Rams! Seriously... for only being 6th graders, I could swear they get their butts handed to them each practice. I know it will be good for him. He will hopefully learn to be tough - BUT holy cow! Again, they are 6th graders!
Madelyn has started Hip Hop and Cheer/Tumbling Classes again. She of course loves them. If we would let her, she would have something every night of the week. She also is taking piano lessons again. I pray my nerves will stand it. :)
Gage Loves to play outside on the vacant lot behind our house. Derek has scooped some dirt into piles and they have all made some jumps that they like to ride their bikes on. He is quiet the dare devil.
Chloee loves to play with dollies and ride her bike with training wheels. She is a serious GYPSY! I struggle to keep her at home now that she has "Wheels" WOW! She is usually out the door and gone before I can slip shoes on to race after her.
We celebrated Brennan's 12th birthday on the 9th. Yeah. I have a 12 year old. what about it? He is delighted to hold the Priesthood, to get to pass the Sacrament and all of the other great stuff that goes along with being a Deacon.
Madelyn turned 9 on the 13th. WOW! I still to this day do not know what we were thinking having September Birthdays. It seems like this month is NUT_VILLE by the time we pay everything the attention it needs.- oh and we can barely roll out the door because we have eaten sooo much birthday cake and icecream.
I have been busily preparing for our Super Saturday coming up. WOW!
On the 17th, I took a "Mama's day out" trip to the Great Valley. I dearly love shopping in Salt Lake. First comes the TaiPan in Roy, then Taiwan Imports in Murray and then the Taipan in Sandy and then took a few more temple pictures along the way to add to the collection.
As I look back on this month, I am grateful for many things, beautiful autumn sunsets, cooler temperatures, and to be back on a schedule!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
OHHHH August!
We began the month of August with a Leslie FaMiLy ReUnion in Island Park. Many of Derek's siblings and Aunt's & Uncles stayed at the cabin. To maintain our sanity, I opted to bring the camper along. Besides... DUH ! The campground has a pool and a hot tub - the cabin does not. Anyway. It ended up being kind of a convenience thing as it was close to the pavillion and we had easy access to everything in my little kitchen while we prepared many of our meals at the pavillion.
Had a great time visiting with the FamiLy. It of course is always a JOY to be around Brandt and his Family. He for sure keeps things lively.
The next week, our Little babysitter Chelsie had Girls Camp. So that means we didn't get a whole lot done. Ok. Maybe we did. In preparation for our trip to Arizona coming up, I have been on a mission to gather furniture and other things to take with us in order to furnish the "Winter HOME" we purchased with Derek's parents. This week, I finally got around to refinishing the chairs to the dining set and completely tore apart 2 wing back chairs that I inherited from my Grandmother. (I am sure I unpicked 4 trillion staples and so did Steph.)
This week we went to the Temple with Tara as she took out her endowments and then enjoyed an amazing meal at the Olive Garden. Serious YUM. We also suffered the wrath of Montazuma's revenge. All of us had the stomach flu - some worse than others.
On the 8th, we rode to Firth and helped with the final Yard work Preparatory to Tara's wedding. Todd & Wendy's kids and our kids were there. That is an army of helpers. We seriously kicked that yard into shape in about 5 hours. Mowing, weeding, bark down, window washing, etc. POW. It looked great.
Late in the project, I took off for IF to run some errands. The usual. Fabric store, Old Navy and Big Lots were on the agenda. In one hour, I returned an old Navy purchase, selected fabric for the 2 wingback chairs and found an amazing bargain on a sofa for the Arizona house. WOW! $220.00 for a sofa!
The next week of course was spend recovering the wingback chairs. I completely dig the fabric. If only I did NOT need to eat or sleep. I could be the most productive individual on the planet. Unfortunately, the older I get, sleep is SOOOOOO necessary.
The past few weeks, Grandma Fern has been really ill. She of course has been getting worse the last 2 years until just a few weeks ago, Dad had her transferred from her home to Ashley Manor on Hawthorne Road. She continued to deteriorate there. The last few days, we have been worried about her so mom asked Derek to give her a blessing. We went over just before we had to leave to drive to Firth. She of course was not doing well at all and was hardly responding. She did open her eyes and look at me when I said "Grandma, It's Holli" Bless her heart. When I think of the Sacrifices this woman has made in her lifetime, I can't help but feel like this last portion of craziness that she has had to endure is slightly unfair. Derek gave her a nice blessing and then we had to leave for Firth.
We of course were in a hurry to get to Tara's Meet the Family dinner. It turned out delightful and we all approve of Nick and his Parents. Delightful.
Tara's wedding was the next day. Instead of us staying there, we came home in order to keep plugging away on some of the projects necessary for our trip. Early Friday we went to Idaho Falls for the wedding. On the way to the temple, I got a phone call from Steph saying that Grandma had passed away. So sad for us but so great for her that she is free from her suffering. More than anything, I felt bad that I wasn't able to be there to be a support for my dad.
The wedding ceremony was really nice. We were all very happy for her. The reception was seriously Chaotic. The wind was blowing outside until right before we had to set up the tables. We had very little help in the kitchen until Tara's friend's mom showed up to bail me out. Shirleys nieces's arrived just in the Nick of time too. I would have been to feet under in chicken salad and Frape!
As you might imagine... all of the back and Forth and this and that did not allow much time for us to pack and prepare for our trip to Arizona. On Saturday the 15th, we had originally planned to be on the road by about 1:00 pm. By the time we went to see Grandma at the mortuary, went to visit dad, made arrangements for a flight home & a rental car, mowed lawns, and packed, it was 8pm. We hit the wendy's drive thru for din-din and then the road. WOW! Perpetual Motion lately.
We wanted to drive as far as we could the first night. As we continued on, we decided to pull an all nighter and go the entire way. We pulled into Queen Creek Arizona at 11:30 am and another adventure began.
The home is really cute. I had never seen it before. Derek and his parents picked it out in April. We finally closed on it in August. The floor plan is completely workable but the best part is the swimming pool. We completely LOVED it!
This trip was spent cleaning, painting and moving in. I am hoping the next trip will be a little more fun for me (what isn't fun about buying stuff at Wal-mart?) Next time we will have a few things to do, but not to the extent we did this time. Still, it was fun. HOT! One after noon, Derek said it was 117 on his truck thermometer. Sweet nibblets.
Ok. we arrived Sunday at 11:30 am. we worked and moved all day Sunday. Monday was more of the same. At 2:30 Derek drove me to the Phoenix airport so I could make it home for Grandma's funeral. By 8:00 pm I was finally on a plane heading for Salt Lake. My flight had been delayed 3 times. I caught the last flight out of Arizona that night. I arrived in Salt Lake at 11:00 ish and then had to catch a rental car and still drive home. By the time I got to SLC, most of the rental cars were gone. I had a choice between a diesel Excursion, a yellow YUGO or a Bright blue mustang. NO Brainer. I took the mustang.
I arrived in Pocatello at 2:30 am, went to sleep, woke up at 8:00 was at the Funeral home by 9:45 for a 10:00 funeral. We had a nice time visiting with all of the cousins and relatives that I haven't seen in a very long time. We had our luncheon at the Golden Corral and then at 4:00 pm I was on the road back to SLC. I caught an 8:00 pm flight (once again, it was delayed ) and after a layover in Denver, Derek picked me up at the airport in Phoenix and we drove back to the house. We dropped into bed at 2:00 am AZ time. exhausted!!!
The next few days were spent finishing projects, throwing rooms together, swimming hour after hour (kids only) and of course cleaning.
On Friday, we cleaned and packed and shampooed carpet, hung drapes and then finally got on the road at 6:00 ish. (My kids were seriously sick of McDonalds after this week.) Dinner at McD's again and then on the road. We drove as far as Flagstaff and then bunked down for the night.
By 10:00 am we were on the road - well at least out of the hotel and looking for breakfast. After a visit to Walmart for drinks and crochet hooks for mady, we were on our way. Little did we know this would turn out to be the longest day in history. We didn't pull into the driveway until 2:30 am. Just for the record. It is much easier to pull that ride in one solid trip. It goes by much quicker in the dark while watching a movie. Kids are much more pleasant while trying to sleep. Many lessons were learned. We are excited to visit again over Christmas break. Two weeks of Fabulito weather. Bring it.
Monday morning our kids started school. Brennan's weeks of anxiety were in vain as he was introduced to Hawthorne Middle School. He really likes it and is completely impressed with all of the options he has for lunch. Mady likes her teacher and is making new friends. Gage is totally cooperative if he can go to SUBWAY before school. (AS if) He likes to ride the bus and his buddy MAX is in his class. What could be better?
Tuesday the 25th, Derek and I celeBrated our 14th anniversary. Ok celebrated? That was an exaggeration. I didn't get him anything, he gave me a card and a hedge trimmer and we went to the Road House for dinner on a gift certificate from our T-Ball team. Celebrated? We have been so busy lately this event took a back seat.
Wednesday, I cancelled Pack Meeting.. Mostly because... WHO cares about Pack meeting right now? NOT me.
Thursday and Friday , Noelle and I made crafties for our up and coming Super Saturday. Be looking for those on my porch. 'Can't wait to have them.
On Saturday, we went to Bren's game at 1:30, Rushed home and then went to Kate's baptism in Firth where I gave probably the crappiest talk of my career, we had sundays and drove home.
What is it all for? I do not remember my parents sitting down with at calendar and trying to fit everything in to their lives. In contrast, Derek and I live by the calendar. We have to plan time to sit and discuss things. SIck and wrong. SOmething has to give. I pray it isn't my sanity - oh... oooopps. That was gone a long time ago.
Had a great time visiting with the FamiLy. It of course is always a JOY to be around Brandt and his Family. He for sure keeps things lively.
The next week, our Little babysitter Chelsie had Girls Camp. So that means we didn't get a whole lot done. Ok. Maybe we did. In preparation for our trip to Arizona coming up, I have been on a mission to gather furniture and other things to take with us in order to furnish the "Winter HOME" we purchased with Derek's parents. This week, I finally got around to refinishing the chairs to the dining set and completely tore apart 2 wing back chairs that I inherited from my Grandmother. (I am sure I unpicked 4 trillion staples and so did Steph.)
This week we went to the Temple with Tara as she took out her endowments and then enjoyed an amazing meal at the Olive Garden. Serious YUM. We also suffered the wrath of Montazuma's revenge. All of us had the stomach flu - some worse than others.
On the 8th, we rode to Firth and helped with the final Yard work Preparatory to Tara's wedding. Todd & Wendy's kids and our kids were there. That is an army of helpers. We seriously kicked that yard into shape in about 5 hours. Mowing, weeding, bark down, window washing, etc. POW. It looked great.
Late in the project, I took off for IF to run some errands. The usual. Fabric store, Old Navy and Big Lots were on the agenda. In one hour, I returned an old Navy purchase, selected fabric for the 2 wingback chairs and found an amazing bargain on a sofa for the Arizona house. WOW! $220.00 for a sofa!
The next week of course was spend recovering the wingback chairs. I completely dig the fabric. If only I did NOT need to eat or sleep. I could be the most productive individual on the planet. Unfortunately, the older I get, sleep is SOOOOOO necessary.
The past few weeks, Grandma Fern has been really ill. She of course has been getting worse the last 2 years until just a few weeks ago, Dad had her transferred from her home to Ashley Manor on Hawthorne Road. She continued to deteriorate there. The last few days, we have been worried about her so mom asked Derek to give her a blessing. We went over just before we had to leave to drive to Firth. She of course was not doing well at all and was hardly responding. She did open her eyes and look at me when I said "Grandma, It's Holli" Bless her heart. When I think of the Sacrifices this woman has made in her lifetime, I can't help but feel like this last portion of craziness that she has had to endure is slightly unfair. Derek gave her a nice blessing and then we had to leave for Firth.
We of course were in a hurry to get to Tara's Meet the Family dinner. It turned out delightful and we all approve of Nick and his Parents. Delightful.
Tara's wedding was the next day. Instead of us staying there, we came home in order to keep plugging away on some of the projects necessary for our trip. Early Friday we went to Idaho Falls for the wedding. On the way to the temple, I got a phone call from Steph saying that Grandma had passed away. So sad for us but so great for her that she is free from her suffering. More than anything, I felt bad that I wasn't able to be there to be a support for my dad.
The wedding ceremony was really nice. We were all very happy for her. The reception was seriously Chaotic. The wind was blowing outside until right before we had to set up the tables. We had very little help in the kitchen until Tara's friend's mom showed up to bail me out. Shirleys nieces's arrived just in the Nick of time too. I would have been to feet under in chicken salad and Frape!
As you might imagine... all of the back and Forth and this and that did not allow much time for us to pack and prepare for our trip to Arizona. On Saturday the 15th, we had originally planned to be on the road by about 1:00 pm. By the time we went to see Grandma at the mortuary, went to visit dad, made arrangements for a flight home & a rental car, mowed lawns, and packed, it was 8pm. We hit the wendy's drive thru for din-din and then the road. WOW! Perpetual Motion lately.
We wanted to drive as far as we could the first night. As we continued on, we decided to pull an all nighter and go the entire way. We pulled into Queen Creek Arizona at 11:30 am and another adventure began.
The home is really cute. I had never seen it before. Derek and his parents picked it out in April. We finally closed on it in August. The floor plan is completely workable but the best part is the swimming pool. We completely LOVED it!
This trip was spent cleaning, painting and moving in. I am hoping the next trip will be a little more fun for me (what isn't fun about buying stuff at Wal-mart?) Next time we will have a few things to do, but not to the extent we did this time. Still, it was fun. HOT! One after noon, Derek said it was 117 on his truck thermometer. Sweet nibblets.
Ok. we arrived Sunday at 11:30 am. we worked and moved all day Sunday. Monday was more of the same. At 2:30 Derek drove me to the Phoenix airport so I could make it home for Grandma's funeral. By 8:00 pm I was finally on a plane heading for Salt Lake. My flight had been delayed 3 times. I caught the last flight out of Arizona that night. I arrived in Salt Lake at 11:00 ish and then had to catch a rental car and still drive home. By the time I got to SLC, most of the rental cars were gone. I had a choice between a diesel Excursion, a yellow YUGO or a Bright blue mustang. NO Brainer. I took the mustang.
I arrived in Pocatello at 2:30 am, went to sleep, woke up at 8:00 was at the Funeral home by 9:45 for a 10:00 funeral. We had a nice time visiting with all of the cousins and relatives that I haven't seen in a very long time. We had our luncheon at the Golden Corral and then at 4:00 pm I was on the road back to SLC. I caught an 8:00 pm flight (once again, it was delayed ) and after a layover in Denver, Derek picked me up at the airport in Phoenix and we drove back to the house. We dropped into bed at 2:00 am AZ time. exhausted!!!
The next few days were spent finishing projects, throwing rooms together, swimming hour after hour (kids only) and of course cleaning.
On Friday, we cleaned and packed and shampooed carpet, hung drapes and then finally got on the road at 6:00 ish. (My kids were seriously sick of McDonalds after this week.) Dinner at McD's again and then on the road. We drove as far as Flagstaff and then bunked down for the night.
By 10:00 am we were on the road - well at least out of the hotel and looking for breakfast. After a visit to Walmart for drinks and crochet hooks for mady, we were on our way. Little did we know this would turn out to be the longest day in history. We didn't pull into the driveway until 2:30 am. Just for the record. It is much easier to pull that ride in one solid trip. It goes by much quicker in the dark while watching a movie. Kids are much more pleasant while trying to sleep. Many lessons were learned. We are excited to visit again over Christmas break. Two weeks of Fabulito weather. Bring it.
Monday morning our kids started school. Brennan's weeks of anxiety were in vain as he was introduced to Hawthorne Middle School. He really likes it and is completely impressed with all of the options he has for lunch. Mady likes her teacher and is making new friends. Gage is totally cooperative if he can go to SUBWAY before school. (AS if) He likes to ride the bus and his buddy MAX is in his class. What could be better?
Tuesday the 25th, Derek and I celeBrated our 14th anniversary. Ok celebrated? That was an exaggeration. I didn't get him anything, he gave me a card and a hedge trimmer and we went to the Road House for dinner on a gift certificate from our T-Ball team. Celebrated? We have been so busy lately this event took a back seat.
Wednesday, I cancelled Pack Meeting.. Mostly because... WHO cares about Pack meeting right now? NOT me.
Thursday and Friday , Noelle and I made crafties for our up and coming Super Saturday. Be looking for those on my porch. 'Can't wait to have them.
On Saturday, we went to Bren's game at 1:30, Rushed home and then went to Kate's baptism in Firth where I gave probably the crappiest talk of my career, we had sundays and drove home.
What is it all for? I do not remember my parents sitting down with at calendar and trying to fit everything in to their lives. In contrast, Derek and I live by the calendar. We have to plan time to sit and discuss things. SIck and wrong. SOmething has to give. I pray it isn't my sanity - oh... oooopps. That was gone a long time ago.
Friday, September 4, 2009
July.
Seriously. I am nearly two months behind in my blogger journal and I am having to look back to my planner to remember what in sam heck happened in July... because right now It is a BLURRRRR. oh yeah. I remember now.
Right out of the starting gate, we began the month with an outing to the cabin in Island Park to Whoop it up over the Independence Day weekend... and did we ever! Below please find the top 10 reasons cabin outings are bittersweet for me.
1. By the time I wash and pack clothing for 6 people, I am completely exhausted and want to stay home.
2. We eat like kings nearly every meal... why? I don't know. We don't eat this way at home. Maybe there is just more time to cook yummy food and nothing to do but eat it? We have learned not to forget many grocery items when going to the Park simply because Robins Roost charges $8.00 for a bottle of worcestechire sauce. Sweet Nibblets. That store is owned by a family of Millionaires. (They totally have it figured out :) By the time we shop for and pack the food for the weekend, we are exhausted and want to stay home and have cheerios or better yet... NOthing - to save ourselves the 2 week crash diet once we get home.
3. We usually never get out of town at the time we planned. This results in grabbing dinner on the Fly - which is seriously my favorite. Everyone is quiet until at least Blackfoot because they are busy stuffing their KISSERS with a chicken nugget. I am all about playing the quiet game in the car. Unfortunately, nobody else really likes that game. Brennan loses everytime. He still just doesn't get that the way to win is to just "shut up". Oh yes, one day he will get what is coming to him. I have formally issued the mother's curse exclusively for him and his lovely future companion.
4. The ride to Island Park is a tad long. We have to "Pit" in St. Anthony in order to prevent any unwanted accidents in the back seat. This usually sets us back a $20 spot in order to get out of the store without a hissy fit from Gage. He won't just choose the quick and easy cheap treat. He heads straight for the suckers with the battery powered helicopter and blinkie blinkie lights that costs $6.99. Seriously - he has the ability to stir it up when he doesnt' get his way. Derek and I feel it is cheaper to just let him have what he wants than to have to post BAIL for one another as we are being hauled off to Jail for child abuse. It's safer than a Jail Break too.
5. The scenery is of course beautiful on the way. Derek always has to comment on what a STUD his truck is on the Ashton Hill..."Yeah. She's still doing 70" as we fly by all of the SLOW truckers and all the FOrds in the right lane. "Good thing we have a Diesel... SO IT CAN HAUL ALL OF THE CRAP THAT I HAD TO PACK!
6. The first breath of amazing, crisp, fresh, mountain air is completely invigorating. I will never tire of the smell the mountains and pine trees.
7. Derek is always the first one out of the Truck to open the cabin door. He has an inspection ritual where can't wait to see if our efforts from the last trip, made in vain - to see if we could keep the rodents (most especially the squirrels) out of the cabin - worked. There is almost always evidence that the squirrels have visited... shredded insulation, shredded pillow cases, etc. That is until Derek bought the Squirrel Deaf-i-nator 6000. Of course something this real can only be purchased on the internet. I am sure the headquarters / manufacturer is in some Hollar in Kentucky or something (joking- Dena!) So far this is the only thing that has proven effective. It is so loud, you can hear it on the steps. Once inside, you have 2.3 seconds to run in and unplug it (because finding the power switch takes too much time)or we all lose our hearing until morning. One of these times we might see squirrels jumping from tree to tree sporting the latest in rodent hearing aids... yeah. It could happen.:)
8. The first few hours of unpacking are reDONKuLUS! My kids want to immediately change into PJ's, play with the friends that have come with us, and always act like they haven't seen food in weeks. What is it about that mountain air that makes you ravenous? (and crave Pepsi & chocolate?)
9. As mentioned before, we generally take friends with us. Many of these friends have accompanied us for as long as we have been going. They are dear friends and we love to spend time together. Our children are similar in age and for the most part they get along amazingly. Good Friends *Good Times is an understatement. The memories we have made will remain - at least until we all have Alzheimers from the snowmachine exhaust. oh and it is somewhat similar to Vegas... What happens at the cabin--STAYS at the cabin. (Especially the part about me falling down the stairs while everyone was watching! Wow.)
10. The day we pack up to come home is for sure the most bitter sweet of all. Yes, we are relaxed and ready to take on the world again, but HOLY COW it takes an army of Merry Maids to get that cabin cleaned up after 20 people have been there. We have all agreed that there are times when plural marriage would be handy - and this is one of those times. We whip that place into shape in no time with all of the happy helping hands (that is an exaggeration:) Dad's are packing, moms are scrubbing, kids are dusting and vacuuming. It is team work to the MAX*I*MUS baby!
The ride home is fabulous. The kids are completely wiped out from the 72+ hours of
FUll-ON insanity, and I finally get my few hours of peace and quiet. Mission accomplished :).
This cabin trip was no different from any other. We did however visit Hebgen Lake for the first time. Good thing we brought the boat. It was the perfect outing. Across the Lake to the far shore, we found a little cove with some private docks that we "borrowed" (I do not know what happened to that sign). The water was amazing most of the day. We all enjoyed it to the MaX! Skiing, wakeboarding and tubing - even Mady couldn't resist (She hates boating) Brennan is mastering the wakeboard- for a Merit badge and went outside the wake for the first time.
WaHoo Brennan!
The Dyes were with us the first part of the trip. Troy took Karami, Geoff and Brennan Fishing at Henry's Lake for most of a day. They brought home several Trout and of course lots of stories. We grilled it up for dinner and it was some serious YUM!
Crocketts arrived later due to overlapping schedules. Friday we all rode to John Sacks Cabin on the Motorcycles . That is a lot of MOtorcycles. 16 Bikes single file on the roads is a big deal. People would just stare at us like we were nuts or something. Well, guess what! We are nuts.
On Sunday morning, we decided to have Sacrament Mtg at the cabin. Really, when you hang out with the Stake President, you can do about whatever... (joking) We skipped church because of the crowds and we had received word from home that they had a monster Hail storm and there were lots of people with water in their basements from the rain and flooding. - so in the spirit of needing to get home, we had a song,the sacrament and listened to a brief Patriotic talk and then finished the cleaning and got on the road. (My kind of sacrament meeting)
Once home, we could see evidence of the Hail and Pounding Rain storm that hit Chubbuck. It had pelted anything alive. There were leaves and branches everywhere. The intense amount of water delivered in such a short time filled window wells and flooded the basements of many homes out here. CRAZY. The worst part of it all is that the HAIL was so large it also beat the heck out of peoples roofs and lots of the homes will also need a new roof. Our house was in great shape (most likely due to the outstanding Master Builder - who built it) and so our energies were focused on helping those who are continually suffering the effects of inferior building techniques :) I just had to get that jab in... didn't I? Any who.
Most of that next week was again fast and furious as we unpacked, relaundered and repacked for a trip to Lagoon. In all honesty - I hate Lagoon. I admit it. I am a complete premenopausal pansie. I get totally motion sick, it is smoking hot outside, and I don't appreciate the costly overcrowded environment. Sorry. My Family on the other hand completely LOVES it. So, I suck it up and endure it only because Derek drags our trailer along. This way I can take Chloee back for a nap and we can save money on meals, etc. It was ok. (I am sure i WILL get my revenge the next time I go to TaiPan Trading !! I will make them all push a cart full of raging Greenery around for an hour as I revisit every aisle making sure that I have seen everything. oh! They hate that store :) It is great!
This was just one of the many times they rode the colosus.
(Check out these reactions. Adrenaline junkies...all of them.)
The following week, Dena and Her girls were in town for a visit. This is truly a highlight for my kids. It is unfortunate that they don't live closer so that could be together more often.
Pioneer Day had a whole new twist this year as Gage participated in the Motorcycle Barrel race. He took 2nd in his age group. Hilarious. He had a blast and is the proud recipient of a shiny new trophy. He thinks he is some kind of STUD or something!
The following week was spent partially at Scout Camp for Brennan and Derek and then we frantically prepared the camper for an outing to Lake WalCott near Rupert.
We all got our fill of skiing and wake boarding and of course playing on the docks.
Saturday the 25th was Tara's bridal shower. We packed up early and busted it home so Mady and I could make it to Firth by 7:00. WOW! Crazy!
The last week of the month is usually Hopping for us. Thankfully this month we had a closing and we were jumping to get the last minute projects finished. I did 14 million square feet of faux finish in this house and my tennis elbow is reminding me. It is a drag to get old. I fear it will only get worse.
Along with a closing, we were busily preparing food for Derek's Family reunion at the Cabin to be held on the 31st - the 1st. That is a big job. Generally I am up for a challenge, but after the month I have had... it was a bit much. We always have a great time at this reunion because we don't ever get to see Derek's cousins, except for at this reunion or a funeral. I enjoy visiting with his aunt's tremendously and he has some seriously fun cousins. Unfortunately, many of them were unable to come. We counted out that if all of the families had attended, there would have been upward of 120 people present. WOW! Way to Go Guy and LaRue(That's Derek's grandparents... How about that for Posterity?)
As you may well imagine, the end of this month leaves me feeling Thrashed mentally, out of energy and in serious need of a mani/pedi. (And that is only after reviewing the calendar) No wonder I had a bit of a slow start in August. Summer is more than half over. We have no regrets as we Grab each moment by the horns and hang on with all of our might. We will continue to drink it in... For in just 3 short weeks we will be back in school dreading the boring nightly ritural of homework and bathtime.
Right out of the starting gate, we began the month with an outing to the cabin in Island Park to Whoop it up over the Independence Day weekend... and did we ever! Below please find the top 10 reasons cabin outings are bittersweet for me.
1. By the time I wash and pack clothing for 6 people, I am completely exhausted and want to stay home.
2. We eat like kings nearly every meal... why? I don't know. We don't eat this way at home. Maybe there is just more time to cook yummy food and nothing to do but eat it? We have learned not to forget many grocery items when going to the Park simply because Robins Roost charges $8.00 for a bottle of worcestechire sauce. Sweet Nibblets. That store is owned by a family of Millionaires. (They totally have it figured out :) By the time we shop for and pack the food for the weekend, we are exhausted and want to stay home and have cheerios or better yet... NOthing - to save ourselves the 2 week crash diet once we get home.
3. We usually never get out of town at the time we planned. This results in grabbing dinner on the Fly - which is seriously my favorite. Everyone is quiet until at least Blackfoot because they are busy stuffing their KISSERS with a chicken nugget. I am all about playing the quiet game in the car. Unfortunately, nobody else really likes that game. Brennan loses everytime. He still just doesn't get that the way to win is to just "shut up". Oh yes, one day he will get what is coming to him. I have formally issued the mother's curse exclusively for him and his lovely future companion.
4. The ride to Island Park is a tad long. We have to "Pit" in St. Anthony in order to prevent any unwanted accidents in the back seat. This usually sets us back a $20 spot in order to get out of the store without a hissy fit from Gage. He won't just choose the quick and easy cheap treat. He heads straight for the suckers with the battery powered helicopter and blinkie blinkie lights that costs $6.99. Seriously - he has the ability to stir it up when he doesnt' get his way. Derek and I feel it is cheaper to just let him have what he wants than to have to post BAIL for one another as we are being hauled off to Jail for child abuse. It's safer than a Jail Break too.
5. The scenery is of course beautiful on the way. Derek always has to comment on what a STUD his truck is on the Ashton Hill..."Yeah. She's still doing 70" as we fly by all of the SLOW truckers and all the FOrds in the right lane. "Good thing we have a Diesel... SO IT CAN HAUL ALL OF THE CRAP THAT I HAD TO PACK!
6. The first breath of amazing, crisp, fresh, mountain air is completely invigorating. I will never tire of the smell the mountains and pine trees.
7. Derek is always the first one out of the Truck to open the cabin door. He has an inspection ritual where can't wait to see if our efforts from the last trip, made in vain - to see if we could keep the rodents (most especially the squirrels) out of the cabin - worked. There is almost always evidence that the squirrels have visited... shredded insulation, shredded pillow cases, etc. That is until Derek bought the Squirrel Deaf-i-nator 6000. Of course something this real can only be purchased on the internet. I am sure the headquarters / manufacturer is in some Hollar in Kentucky or something (joking- Dena!) So far this is the only thing that has proven effective. It is so loud, you can hear it on the steps. Once inside, you have 2.3 seconds to run in and unplug it (because finding the power switch takes too much time)or we all lose our hearing until morning. One of these times we might see squirrels jumping from tree to tree sporting the latest in rodent hearing aids... yeah. It could happen.:)
8. The first few hours of unpacking are reDONKuLUS! My kids want to immediately change into PJ's, play with the friends that have come with us, and always act like they haven't seen food in weeks. What is it about that mountain air that makes you ravenous? (and crave Pepsi & chocolate?)
9. As mentioned before, we generally take friends with us. Many of these friends have accompanied us for as long as we have been going. They are dear friends and we love to spend time together. Our children are similar in age and for the most part they get along amazingly. Good Friends *Good Times is an understatement. The memories we have made will remain - at least until we all have Alzheimers from the snowmachine exhaust. oh and it is somewhat similar to Vegas... What happens at the cabin--STAYS at the cabin. (Especially the part about me falling down the stairs while everyone was watching! Wow.)
10. The day we pack up to come home is for sure the most bitter sweet of all. Yes, we are relaxed and ready to take on the world again, but HOLY COW it takes an army of Merry Maids to get that cabin cleaned up after 20 people have been there. We have all agreed that there are times when plural marriage would be handy - and this is one of those times. We whip that place into shape in no time with all of the happy helping hands (that is an exaggeration:) Dad's are packing, moms are scrubbing, kids are dusting and vacuuming. It is team work to the MAX*I*MUS baby!
The ride home is fabulous. The kids are completely wiped out from the 72+ hours of
FUll-ON insanity, and I finally get my few hours of peace and quiet. Mission accomplished :).
This cabin trip was no different from any other. We did however visit Hebgen Lake for the first time. Good thing we brought the boat. It was the perfect outing. Across the Lake to the far shore, we found a little cove with some private docks that we "borrowed" (I do not know what happened to that sign). The water was amazing most of the day. We all enjoyed it to the MaX! Skiing, wakeboarding and tubing - even Mady couldn't resist (She hates boating) Brennan is mastering the wakeboard- for a Merit badge and went outside the wake for the first time.
WaHoo Brennan!
The Dyes were with us the first part of the trip. Troy took Karami, Geoff and Brennan Fishing at Henry's Lake for most of a day. They brought home several Trout and of course lots of stories. We grilled it up for dinner and it was some serious YUM!
Crocketts arrived later due to overlapping schedules. Friday we all rode to John Sacks Cabin on the Motorcycles . That is a lot of MOtorcycles. 16 Bikes single file on the roads is a big deal. People would just stare at us like we were nuts or something. Well, guess what! We are nuts.
On Sunday morning, we decided to have Sacrament Mtg at the cabin. Really, when you hang out with the Stake President, you can do about whatever... (joking) We skipped church because of the crowds and we had received word from home that they had a monster Hail storm and there were lots of people with water in their basements from the rain and flooding. - so in the spirit of needing to get home, we had a song,the sacrament and listened to a brief Patriotic talk and then finished the cleaning and got on the road. (My kind of sacrament meeting)
Once home, we could see evidence of the Hail and Pounding Rain storm that hit Chubbuck. It had pelted anything alive. There were leaves and branches everywhere. The intense amount of water delivered in such a short time filled window wells and flooded the basements of many homes out here. CRAZY. The worst part of it all is that the HAIL was so large it also beat the heck out of peoples roofs and lots of the homes will also need a new roof. Our house was in great shape (most likely due to the outstanding Master Builder - who built it) and so our energies were focused on helping those who are continually suffering the effects of inferior building techniques :) I just had to get that jab in... didn't I? Any who.
Most of that next week was again fast and furious as we unpacked, relaundered and repacked for a trip to Lagoon. In all honesty - I hate Lagoon. I admit it. I am a complete premenopausal pansie. I get totally motion sick, it is smoking hot outside, and I don't appreciate the costly overcrowded environment. Sorry. My Family on the other hand completely LOVES it. So, I suck it up and endure it only because Derek drags our trailer along. This way I can take Chloee back for a nap and we can save money on meals, etc. It was ok. (I am sure i WILL get my revenge the next time I go to TaiPan Trading !! I will make them all push a cart full of raging Greenery around for an hour as I revisit every aisle making sure that I have seen everything. oh! They hate that store :) It is great!
This was just one of the many times they rode the colosus.
(Check out these reactions. Adrenaline junkies...all of them.)
The following week, Dena and Her girls were in town for a visit. This is truly a highlight for my kids. It is unfortunate that they don't live closer so that could be together more often.
Pioneer Day had a whole new twist this year as Gage participated in the Motorcycle Barrel race. He took 2nd in his age group. Hilarious. He had a blast and is the proud recipient of a shiny new trophy. He thinks he is some kind of STUD or something!
The following week was spent partially at Scout Camp for Brennan and Derek and then we frantically prepared the camper for an outing to Lake WalCott near Rupert.
We all got our fill of skiing and wake boarding and of course playing on the docks.
Saturday the 25th was Tara's bridal shower. We packed up early and busted it home so Mady and I could make it to Firth by 7:00. WOW! Crazy!
The last week of the month is usually Hopping for us. Thankfully this month we had a closing and we were jumping to get the last minute projects finished. I did 14 million square feet of faux finish in this house and my tennis elbow is reminding me. It is a drag to get old. I fear it will only get worse.
Along with a closing, we were busily preparing food for Derek's Family reunion at the Cabin to be held on the 31st - the 1st. That is a big job. Generally I am up for a challenge, but after the month I have had... it was a bit much. We always have a great time at this reunion because we don't ever get to see Derek's cousins, except for at this reunion or a funeral. I enjoy visiting with his aunt's tremendously and he has some seriously fun cousins. Unfortunately, many of them were unable to come. We counted out that if all of the families had attended, there would have been upward of 120 people present. WOW! Way to Go Guy and LaRue(That's Derek's grandparents... How about that for Posterity?)
As you may well imagine, the end of this month leaves me feeling Thrashed mentally, out of energy and in serious need of a mani/pedi. (And that is only after reviewing the calendar) No wonder I had a bit of a slow start in August. Summer is more than half over. We have no regrets as we Grab each moment by the horns and hang on with all of our might. We will continue to drink it in... For in just 3 short weeks we will be back in school dreading the boring nightly ritural of homework and bathtime.
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