A Day In The Life.. On Vacation!

This will be a multitasking blog post.  Why??  Because I'm busy.  And we just got back from a trip.  And I forgot to post last week.  And I just have to do it this way.  It will make me happy.  And I'm hot.  So happy is good!

So let's go back 2 weeks for a day in the life.  I'll go day to day for these last two weeks and share our vacation trip along the way.  Plus I don't have pictures for the first of the two weeks.  I didn't take pictures.  I was busy.

Monday...  So this was a Monday when we went to the local pool.  The kids swam and I read a book.  It was lovely.  Below is a picture in Lava Hot Springs.  That's where we spent last week. 

The boys.

Tuesday... This Tuesday was stormy.  I went to do missionary visits and then it began to rain.  The plan was to go to the drive in, but it rained and rained.  So we didn't go to the drive in.  The picture below is to prove that I, Jennie, wore swim gear and even went in the water.

The girls.

Wednesday...  This paricular Wednesday I went into the dentist.  I have had a molar hurting like crazy cakes and thought for sure that if I didn't go in that I would bite down on something hard and break my tooth and we would be up in Idaho. So I went in.  Nothing.  That was the verdict.  There is just no explanation for the pain.  There's no swelling, no infection, nada.  So he gave me a script for an antibiotic.  Just in case.  I should fill it and take it and see if it helps. 

We also had the missionaries and our neighbors over for dinner.  Lots of fun!

  This is a picture of the kids in the tent watching the laptop.  Ruthie is telling her brothers to shut up.  They are giggling and hiding from the camera.  Sheesh.

Thursday...  This is the day I took the hoodlums, I mean my wonderful children, to the Leonardo.  Fun museum for sure!  Go!  You'll love it.

This is my husband.  Striking a pose.

Friday...  Ruthie and I went to get our hair cut.  Always a good thing.  Daniel and I went to the temple on a date.  Good stuff.

This is supposed to show my eye that was bright red and just all around bugged.  I went through 5 contacts from Monday to Friday in my right eye alone.  I wore my glasses most of the time.  I don't know what was going on with the eye, but I'm all clear now.

Saturday... We got up early and headed to the cemetary to help a boy in our ward with this Eagle project.  We cleaned up headstones-trimming and edging and sweeping, then recorded names and took pictures.  All the information goes to be recorded as family history records.  It was so much fun.  All our family was able to be there to help.  Thanks Nate!

We had a family reunion with my mom's family.  It was fun to catch up with my aunts and uncles.  We played games and ate good food.

Here are the kids and Daniel watching the laptop.  See the fence behind them?  We were in a spot with a fence around it. It was so peaceful to not have neighbors right next to us. 

Sunday... Went to church and then packed for the trip.  Finally... The trip!

Sam, in the car.

Monday...  Took off for Lava after Daniel had a dentist appointment.  This was just a 6 month cleaning. We spent the rest of our afternoon setting up camp and walkiing into town to sight see a little.  Here are Daniel, Isaac and Ruthie on the river.

Tuesday... The plan was to hit the river and then head to the Olympic pools.  Instead we packed a lunch and treats and just went to the pool.  The first two pictures are all of us at the pool.  We spent most of the day there playing.  This is Daniel, Ruthie and me on the river.  Sam went down and then got in the car.  He had had an allergic reaction to the chlorine on Tuesday and didn't want to go back on the raft.

Wednesday...  We spent a couple hours on the river.  It was low so we bumped our bums on lots of rocks.  Here's our site.

Thursday... Time to pack up for home.  Sam in the tent while packing up. After getting home we decided that we were still on vacation.  So we packed up quilts and treats and really went to the drive in.  We watched Turbo and Monsters University.  We didn't get home unitl 1 am. 

Friday... Sleep in, laundry and grocery shopping.  Daniel went to work.  I made dinner for a gal in our ward who is having contractions but so not close enough to her due date. 

Saturday... Lazy day.  Yard work, house work, more laundry.  Daniel had put the pool up and found holes.  He tried patching, but to no avail.  So the kids slashed it with a razor and shot at it with a BB gun.  Daniel finally took it down and threw it away.  I spoke at a baptism for a woman in our ward.  It was so fun to be a part of it.  I love convert baptisms.

Sunday... Meetings, church, choir practice, home teachers, home teaching and family get together.  We went to my brother's house and hung out with cousins for a while.  Time to get back to the normals of life. 

Here are the kids at the drive in Thursday night.

Have a fun week!

Reunion Weekend.

But First!! 

I graduated from high school many many many years ago.  Ok.  24 years ago.  Almost a quarter century ago.  I guess in the scheme of things it's not really that long ago.  Anyhoo, I went to high school for 3 years in California.  Then we moved to Utah right before my senior year.  Who planned that?!  I graduated from Alta in 1989.  I never ever ever got a reunion notice for either school.  I spent 3 years at one, but didn't graduate from it, then graduated from one that I was only in for 1 lousy year.  So I didn't expect much.  Last week I got this.  It's a postcard from Alta asking for my information so they can put me in the Alumni book. 

Um.  No thanks.

Last Friday was my kids' last day of school.  Yay!  After school we got packed up and headed to our family reunion.  Each year we go up to the Ranch in Idaho and spend Memorial weekend together. 

This is the view from our tent door.  We invested in a new tent that will hold heat better at night when we're cold.  We use a heater. 



THIS is the view from the other end of the tent.  I spent Saturday morning sitting in that blue chair with these windows open just sitting and looking.  It's so pretty.

Here's the tent.  This is out of order but I don't want to move it. Do you believe me now?  So so pretty!

Here is what I was doing while sitting and looking on Saturday morning.  I was editing.  And I think I edited well.  I sent in my submission to the Ensign magazine when we got home.  I'll let you know if I hear anything!

Sam in the car so we can go for a drive.  Sunday after church we went to Malad to the 2 cemeteries where we have family buried.  Grandpa told us stories and tales.  It was so fun to hear them and spend time together.  And it was also nice to get cell service to catch up on some texts ;)

Roooooothie!

There is a very thick and long rope hanging in the garage part of the building.  The kids spent hours swinging.

Saturday morning was the Almosta-thon.  Almosta is a name for the Ranch.  It's Almost-a-ranch.  Get it?  All the people who ran in the Almosta-thon got a t-shirt.  It says Almosta-Thon  23.6 miles of mud and glory.  Ruthie and Sam each got one.  Isaac didn't run and Daniel has a hurt heel and my back was killing me.  Plus, I had some editing to do.  That, and I really don't find any enjoyment in running.  Or sweating. Absolutely no enjoyment whatsoever!  Not even for a cool t-shirt.

Sunday afternoon we had a huge yellow scary smiley face pinata.  Here's Sam taking a swing.  Hi aunt Jennifer!

Isaac took a swing.  A couple of cousins later it looked like...

this....

Then one great swipe with the stick and it fell to the ground.  All the kids and many adults grabbed candy.  There was tons!  Hear me?  ToNs! of candy.

We spent Sunday evening sharing missionary stories.  Our family has a rich missionary heritage.  Not just the full time kind, though there are many who have served full time, but in everyday experiences.  Monday morning we played, rode 4 wheelers and packed for home.  We had a terrific time with family and came home exhausted and with many fun memories!

Thanks aunt Jennifer and uncle Bryan for planning a fun fun weekend.

What A Weekend!

We went up to the Ranch this last Friday and Saturday.  We have been waiting for an un-busy weekend to go.  Grandma and Grandpa went too!

Sam looked out the window and saw this little guy staring back.

On Saturday, Daniel, the boys and grandpa got some work done.  This guy gave me a fun ride on grandpa's 4-wheeler.  He wore a helmet and drove the speed limit grandpa had set for the grand kids.  Then he dropped me off and went on by himself.

Not too long later, he came in with dad and grandpa right behind.  He'd had an accident.  He was going too fast and flew off the machine and rolled.  The machine rolled too.  Isaac was bashed up on his shoulder, arm and back. 

The machine rolled so fast there was grass stuck in the wheels.  So we packed those up with us.  That didn't make Isaac feel very good.  Too close a reminder.  We kept reminding him that he was okay.  Nothing was broken on him or the machine.  But he was pretty shaken up and sore.

And here's our carpet money!  I mean the new car.

We are now saving again for carpet to finish the basement.

Our new deadline for finishing is Labor Day. 

We'll just see how that turns out.

Only 9 days left of school!!  Rah Rah!

Back In The Saddle Again.

So our weekend plans changed but in the end we had a blast!  Here's how it went.  Daniel took Friday off and went grocery shopping with me.  We went to lunch too.  We decided to go to Jimmy Johns for a sandwich and as we walked up to the front door, an older gentleman called out "Do you know anything about cars?" So Daniel went over and asked what the trouble was.  It just wouldn't start.  So I pulled the Durango up and we jumped his battery and Daniel told him to go have it looked at.  Might need a new one.  Aahh.  Felt good to be of service to someone. 

 

We got all the camping gear up from the basement and got our stuff packed.  The plan was to get to the cemetery by 5 to celebrate our sweet friend Lyndsay.  Then we were to head down to Payson to camp with my sister Laurie and her family.  Kids came home from school and got  their duffels packed.  Then Laurie called and said her kids were coming home from school not feeling well.  Dang.  So we huddled and made a decision.  We would go to the Ranch instead.  I mean the lakes would have been fun, roughing it would have been awesome.  But what about the lonely factor.  And there might even be cousins up at the Ranch! 

 

We headed to the cemetery.  Late.  But got there in time to do the butterfly release.  Then toasted friendship and such.  Then we bugged out and got to the Ranch.  Grandma and Grandpa and some of the teenage boy cousins were there.  Grandpa brought them up to fix fences and do some yard work.  Deanna and Clark (Daniel's sister and hubby) were to come up later in the evening. 

 

There was a lot of 4 wheel riding.  I want a 4 wheeler.  When the basement's done, 4 wheelers and a camper are on the I Want Them Now list.  Not that it'll go like that.  But a girl can dream. 

On Saturday we pulled out all the furniture, pulled the old orange carpet out, scrubbed the floors, cleaned corners, scraped dead mouse out and then put this lovely blue carpet in.  It fit so nicely, too.  Luckily for us, Marylynne (another sister) got new carpet at her house.  The "old" carpet is at the Ranch now.  Deanna and I went through the boxes of stuff that has accumulated and threw out yucky stuff, and organized the rest. 

The plan is to get all the gals together for a couple of days to paint and do more organizing.  My plan is to find a more comfortable couch!  But it's an antique. 

Everyone left on Saturday afternoon and evening.  Then we had a quiet and clean place to ourselves.  Daniel and the kids did some 4 wheeling. Umm... they're out there somewhere.  But isn't it pretty?!

Farmer Dan and my kiddos.  Later I took the kids out, but we don't take pictures of mom on the machine.

There was some dancing!

There was a lot of snacking.

.Oh, and there were cows everywhere.  The problem was, they weren't all Uncle Lewis' cattle.  So when Grandpa left he went to tell Lewis that there were extra cows.  On Sunday afternoon, Lewis and his son Steve and his wife Nicole and her 2 daughters (whew!) came up to drive the cattle.  Daniel headed out with Uncle Lewis on the 4 wheeler with Isaac in tow, while Steve and Nicole went out on the horses.  The little girls stayed with us and we colored and snacked and watched Gilligan's Island.  When they got back, Ruthie got a ride on Roscoe.  That's Steve there.  Isaac helped get the cows through a fence and rode the horse and sped around the cows on the 4 wheeler.  He had a great time and may go in to cattle driving!

Aahh.  All our stuff is packed up and Sam is playing his DS.  Can't get away from technology completely. 

On Sunday night we introduced the kiddos to Agatha Christie.  We watched Death On The Nile.  Oooh, scary and intense.

Isaac couldn't get enough of Grandpa's 4 wheeler.  I'm pretty sure he wants one too. 

We went into town to dump trash and get gas for the 4 wheeler and generator and were going to see the goats.  They weren't there!  We were so bummed.  We don't know if they got moved or sold.  We'll have to ask Uncle Lewis.  We got home Monday afternoon and went right to laundry.  5 loads of our own and 2 loads of Ranch stuff. 

It was a fun weekend.  This morning everyone had a hard time getting up for school.  We are back to real life again.  In fact, I better get a move on to get all my at home stuff done today!

Hope you all had a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!

Scout Camper.

My favorite Isaac the Scout Camper picture.

Scout Camp.

My boy at Scout Camp last week.

My Lovely Car.

My Durango.  Oh how I love my Durango.  See it all nice and resting peacefully in the garage?  Sunday, after making a deal about needing to leave a planning meeting early, I get out to my lovely Durango and it's dead.  Totally and completely dead.  So I called Daniel who came to the rescue, as usual.  My knight in a Sunday suit.  The battery was dead but also corroded so he did what he could in the church parking lot and after about 30 minutes, got it started.  I drove home and once I was in the drive way it died.  Again.  So early Monday morning Daniel ran out and got a new battery.  It works like a charm now.  Not that I got to drive it today.

Hey!  It's Boy Scout Isaac.  It's about 6:30 this morning.  He and Daniel took my lovely Durango to Scout Camp.  In the Uintahs. 

They hiked in a couple miles.  Anything they'd need up there they had to pack in themselves.  Except the food.  Isaac looks so excited!  I hope he is still excited. Way up there in the Uintahs. 

This is what I'm driving now.  Do you know that's it's like 1000 degrees outside??  Oops.  One too many zeros.  It's hot!  Dang hot!  Daniel's car had a bad radiator so he ordered a new one and put it in.  Then it began leaking like a sieve.  Gushing!  Can't hold its water.  So he decided on Monday he needed a new car.  Then he called the radiator company and they're sending a new one.  That works. 

Until it comes and Daniel comes home, I keep putting bottles of water into the radiator.  So far I've been able to drive with the A/C on.  Yay!  'Cause when it overheats I have to turn on the heater.  Yuck.  They are gone until Saturday.  Hopefully we make it through the blasted heat!

At least my eyebrows look good.