KIDS SAY THE DARNEDEST THINGS!

ME: Levi you need to go...( I can't even remember what I asked him to do now to be honest)
LEVI:  Mom, I love you and I'll always love you but I just can't do that for you, because... well... I just don't want to
Now you know why I can't remember what I asked him to do, what do you say to that?!

JAKE: What is that smell?
ME:  The irrigation in the farm fields.
JAKE: It didn't smell that bad when we were playing in it.

Again I couldn't stop laughing to answer him.

These are the riches the Lord blesses you with when you give up all the other stuff for your kids: laughter, joy and memories, and these are just from today.

GIRLS CAMP 2011

I was blessed to have been asked to go to Girls Camp this last week so I spent 5 days in a cabin with 7 girls and another cabin mom.  We were fed beans or chili 4 of the 5 days and the girls were only allowed to shower once, after the hike.  It was an experience I'd do again without hesitation.

  I was a bit worried about it since, for one thing I have very little patience for drama but mostly because I was worried about being away from my family for so long, especially because now that I'm working I feel like I don't get to see them very much already.  My awesome hubby took the 4th off and brought them up to Payson to have some fun out of the heat and watch the fireworks up there and then I got to ride home with them yesterday.  I was going to post a cabin pic but decided I had better not without parental approval but trust me, a beautiful group of fab girls!

  Camp was alot more spiritual than I remember it 20 years ago.  We had daily scripture study and classes for Personal Progress.  The first day, Thursday, Christy Bishop gave all of us a pillowcase, so stinking cute!

   We also found out, to our dismay, that the forest was and still is, closed due to fire danger so we weren't going to be going on the usual hikes, bummer.  Even more news, there have been 2 bears trapped in camp so far this summer so NOONE was allowed to go anywhere alone and absolutely no food in the cabins.  NICE!

Friday night was skit night.  Our girls took a little idea and ran with it and did great!!! The priesthood dressed up in their "stretchy pants" and came from Sherwood forest to serenade their wives. Instead of Robin Hood and his merry band we had Pancho and his merry band.  HILARIOUS!!!

So Saturday morning bright and early we set off on the Friendship loop, a hike that is nice, has great views, isn't terribly arduous but has some steep hills which was good for the girls.  We were able to go on that hike because it's entirely on church property so almost every girl in camp went.  We lost one girl and her mom on the first hill but 73 girls finished the entire hike!     Every girl in my cabin finished and so did every girl from our ward, all without complaining at all!  I was so proud of them and made sure to tell them so.

Check out the view!!  At the top of most of the hills we had an amazing view  to enjoy.  I love seeing the Lord's creations the way he made them.   We saw a few deer, with absolutely no fear, they just stood and stared at us and kept eating while we hiked past.

We saw a horny toad.  He didn't much care for being touched.

On Saturday night the bishops came up and first played minute to win it that was hilarious!  Then we went to the meat of the program.  The girls broke up into wards and the Bishops read to their girls the book, "My Wedding Day",  our sweet Bishop was teary eyed, he made it through the book but cried when he talked to the girls about his hopes for them to each have their own special day when they get married in the temple.  Awesome.

And lets not forget this not so little fellow who came to visit us in the bathroom on Saturday.  Thankfully the priesthood caught him and relocated him and just as thankfully, he was a very well fed bull snake which made me realize there were likely rattlesnakes around too and sure enough we came accross one on our way home from the sacred grove after testimony meeting on Monday night, we gave him a wide berth.  I was really surprised to see him being that it was dark out, it wasn't cold but still, pretty late at night.

Every night we were serenaded by the camp staff and priesthood.  Sister Hardesty is amazingly talented and made up lyrics to popular songs that were awesome!  They dressed up as Pancho and The All Earl Band and all manner of goofiness!

On Monday, July 4th, we were blessed to have a soldier who just returned from a tour in Iraq.  He and his wife spoke on how honoring their temple covenants gave them strength while they were separated.  Awesome.  They are such great speakers, could easily be professional speakers.  After they spoke we went to testimony meeting in the Sacred Grove, I always loved having church at camp, church in the forest, it doesn't get any better than that.  We ended with singing trees, also always phenomenal after which we met the rattlesnake in the path, but no worries. We stayed up way too late every night and got up early everyday and I came home completely exhausted but so grateful to have been able to go.  So grateful for my husband who took the helm so I could go.  Thankful for my mom who came over to babysit while R was at work on Thursday and Friday.  I even came home to a clean house, he even made the bed , which he thinks is a complete waste of time because you mess it back up every night, but he knows I care so he made it.  I am so blessed.

THEY CAN BE TAUGHT!

When we're helping we're happy...  or "that's right, he can be taught!" (my fave line from Aladdin)  AJ wanted to help wash dishes and then Levi wanted to help too... I taught AJ and then he taught Levi and we all did it together, and they even did a great job AND without arguing!    I was so pleased I paid each of them a quarter, now I feel like I'm running a sweatshop or something.  These are my future missionaries/husbands in training, you know, raise them up in the way they should go...

SWEET GIRL

Before we left Idaho and sold the boys horses R promised them he would replace them as soon as possible.  Since we've been back Jake has been on the computer almost daily looking for his new horse.  Moving is expensive and so the poor guy kept getting put off for my first paycheck.  I got paid last Thursday and Wednesday night he had sent me 3 new horses to go see.  We saw them and this sweet girl won Caleb's heart.   None of the other's worked out but have no fear, Jake is still looking, daily!
  So... this sweet girl was found wandering in the desert.  She wandered onto someone's property skin and bones and a dead look in her eyes.  They called the BLM and long story short after the long process of trying to find her owners she was sold to them and then to someone else and now to Caleb.  She has great ground manners and other than still being too skinny, but much better, she seems healthy.  Caleb saddled her,  rode her and when we bought her, caught her and loaded her into the trailer without any problems.  She fit right into our herd and now she and Tiger are always together except that she eats alone.  So welcome to the family Isabel.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY STUD

I have the greatest husband on earth or as he likes to say EEARTH (if you've ever seen Lilo and Stitch you know how to say that right) but back to the point.  He isn't perfect, thank goodness or he wouldn't put up with me, but I love him like no other.  He makes time for the kids.  He makes time for us.  He is never satisfied with mediocre.

He seeks to continually improve himself and those around him. He is a hard worker, an honest man, he has a great sense of humor.  He is so handsome I just love to look at him.  He loves to give service to anyone who may need it and frequently volunteers me to help him, which I am grateful for.  He honors his priesthood and magnifies his calling.  He is so stinking funny, I love his sense of humor.

I mean how can you not love this guy?  I am so grateful he chose me and is such a great father for our sons!  I love you R

SUMMER PART III (I KNOW YOU'RE THINKING HOW MANY PARTS COULD THERE BE?)

 Probably my favorite vacation is camping.  I love San Diego and all but camping is soooo much more relaxing for me.  I know there is dirt but since it's unavoidable I don't have to worry about the boys getting dirty or messing up the house with it.  They can't break anything, really.  We generally camp far enough away from others that they boys can be boys without bothering anyone else.  I don't have to clean really... it's just so much nicer than being in a hotel somewhere and worrying about the boys calling someone on the phone or breaking the tv or an arm jumping from bed to bed, their fave hotel past-time, or bothering the guests below, above or next to us.  You get the idea I'm sure.  We planned to go camping on Memorial weekend but since there is a well deserved fire restriction we had to postpone to the next weekend.    Anyway up to Payson we went.  Our good friends came up for dinner and to hang but couldn't stay, still fun and glad they came and brought the BIGGEST marshmellows ever known to man for s'mores.  Karla and Greg came with the coolest little trailer ever!  If you ever want to laugh out loud, ask Karla for the picture of Greg with the giant marshmellow oozing out of his mouth, classic!

R has decided to try his hand at fly fishing so this trip was his virgin effort.  He only lost 2 flies and caught 0 fish but in his defense we had to leave to come home for church right when the fish were starting to bite.This was also AJ's first ever fishing expedition and as you can see, he was ready!  So excited to go!

On Saturday Grandpa Dan and Mary came up for the day and to go fishing with us, thank goodness because even though we just wanted them to come and spend some time with us, Grandpa Dan was awesome with helping the boys, all of them, with their fishing poles.

Caleb has decided to try fly fishing also.  He and Jake and R took a class at Cabelas the week before we went to start learning the basics.

Jake and Caleb wisely decided to each get a different pole and share so that they could do both traditional and fly fishing.  Such smart boys!

Levi fished also but somehow the only pic I got of him was his bum trying to peak out while he was raiding the tackle box, at least I think that's what he was doing.  It's always hard to come home but at the same time, it's nice to sleep in a bed again and take a hot shower.  I'm so thankful for the time our family and friends took to come and share our weekend with us.  We are super excited to go again in a month or so, after our schedules calm down so if you're game...  we love to have friends go with us!

SUMMER FUN PART II

We have the most awesomest friends.  That is one of the few things, well pretty much the only thing, I miss about ID is the awesome people there.  Still we also have AWESOME friends here and after the splashpad we had some friends over the next day for bbq and cards.  It also happened to be a great friends b-day so we celebrated that too.  They brought some yummy cupcakes with patriotic frosting, being that it was Memorial day weekend after all, and as you can see all the kids enjoyed them to the fullest. 

We had a variety of red white and blue faces afterward.  Such a great time.  I count myself blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life!