Family togetherness

One night I came home from work and found Blaine and the kids wrapping our dining room table in plastic wrap.   The kids were so excited, asking if they could get out ice cream yet.  I was confused but soon found out.  We were going to all have some ice cream.  Blaine dumped it on the table, poured chocolate sauce on it and everyone took a spoon and dug in.

The kids were loving this!   Coolest dad ever!

I have to admit, it was lots of fun!   And easy clean up-love that!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to my Dad (in July!)    The coolest guy I know!

Happy Birthday Garrett!

Garrett turned 11 this year.  On his birthday, we had a party out at the fishing pond.  He invited his friends, we had lunch, did a little fishing and a lot of swimming.  Perfect fun for 11 year old boys!

Garrett and Bridger

Colton

Topher

Karsten

The whole crew:  Noah in back, Karsten, Topher, Garrett & Bridger in the boat, Colton floating in the front.

The boys swam and swam and swam.  We had a hard time getting them out, they were having so much fun!

After dinner at Pizza Pie Cafe, we went back home and enjoyed the fabulously warm evening.  Grandma and Grandpa Purcell came over and showered Garrett with some fun t-shirts and new church clothes!   Garrett got his other presents from the family as well, including getting contact lenses!  (I was so excited when I got contacts and Garrett was very excited too!  He had an eye doctor appointment the next day!)

Grandma brought bubbles for everyone!

Hannah got Garrett some Jones soda, his favorite!

Grandma and Grandpa had dinner of leftover sandwich (from the birthday lunch at the pond).  I had to include this picture of my dad talking to Blake.  Its classic!   Overall, Garrett had a great birthday spent with family and friends!  Happy 11th birthday Garrett!!

Lovin' Summer!

Right after Memorial Day, the weather got real warm.  Hey, when you are used to 60 degree weather, high 70's feel like a heat wave.  I can't remember how warm it was this day but it was in the 80's at least.  Time to break out the kiddie pool, water slide and lawn chairs for sure.

The kids sure thought it was warm enough to be playing in the water and lounging in the sun.  Me too!

I love seeing my kids hang out together like this!  

Love these guys, especially like this.  Playing together, hanging out in the sun! 

We love summer around here and this was just a small taste of how much we lived in swim suits this summer!

Garrett's Arrow of Light

In May, Garrett received his Arrow of Light award.  

They had a special ceremony for it.  There is a wonderful family in our district that puts on a great ceremony, filled with lots of Native American stuff and explains everything to the boys.  Very cool.

This is the group that puts it on.  You could get your picture taken with them.  Garrett was kind of embarrssed to do this but I'm glad he did.  I think its a great picture!

Later that month, our pack had a bridging ceremony for the boys turning 11.  Garrett got a new scout shirt and a new neckerchief for this event.  There is a lady in our ward who has hand painted the neckerchiefs for many many years for the scouts. No two are alike.  I am glad Garrett was able to have one of these special items.  Here is Garrett with Grandma Purcell who came for the bridging ceremony.

Garrett with Mom and Dad.  We are so proud of him.   As a webelos scout, he earned all 20 activity pins.  That's a huge accomplishment and we know he'll do well as an 11 year old scout and beyond!

Blaine's trip to Washington

Ok, I wasn't going to write about this because I wasn't there but the pictures are too pretty to not share.   

In April, Blaine's sister Rachelle got married up near Seattle Washington.  Blaine, along with his sister Shareese and brother Clifton, his wife Jenn and their sons Brandon and Gavin drove up to see her get married.  It was a quick trip and while they had a good time, they were exhausted when they got home.  I could not go because I had to work.   Here is Rachelle with her husband Darren.

During the time they were in Washington, there was a tulip festival going on.  They drove around and saw fields of flowers-daffodils and tulips everywhere.  I wish I could have been there to see it!

Field of daffodils.  It was raining, obviously.

Pretty barn with tulip fields.

Rows and rows of tulips.

They went to this place called Tulip Town.  Little Holland knock off, I think.

More tulips.  I love seeing all the colors.

So pretty!!

I wish my garden looked like this in the spring!

The rest of Spring Break 2013

We spent the last couple days of spring break visiting Blaine's parents in Burley.   The kids had fun doing farm stuff and helping Grandma and Grandpa Jones.

Ryan rode in the tractor with Grandpa.  He loves any type of tractor or truck or train 

so this was very fun for him.  Luckily, it wasn't very long because his attention span is short!

Off they go!

Garrett helped Grandma Jones move chickens from one coop to another.  Interesting work.

What a good helper.  This is right before this chicken got away and started running all over the yard.  Luckily, cousin Christopher was right there and is a fast chicken catcher!   Could have made for an interesting day otherwise.  I didn't want to grab it.

The weather was so nice that we decided to go to the park.   We went to visit Shareese at the Library in Rupert, got some ice cream and then went to Story Book Park in Burley.   We used to take Garrett there when he was about Blake's age.  Younger even.   

Ryan had a great time playing on the toys and of course found the boat to drive.

We had an Easter Egg hunt, thanks to Aunt JaNene and Grandma Jones!

And, we aquired the newest member of the family, Elsie the cow.  She is actually my dad's cow and is now very tame.  The kids love going over to see her be milked and have learned a lot about where milk comes from, what raw milk tastes like, how to skim the cream off the milk and what happens if you don't get all the cream off.   Fun times.

It was a great spring break and we are so thankful for all the family who let us crash with them!

Spring Break Day 2

 

Clifton and Jenn took us for a picnic on our second day with them.  We went into the canyon in Buhl near a fish hatchery.  It was a gorgeous area and so warm for March.  (At least for us).  Here is Brandon on a huge rock.

Hannah and Gavin waiting for lunch.

Blaine and Jodi-twinners

After lunch we went to the viewing window at the hatchery.  It was so cool and there were tons of fish in the pond.  We were feeding them crackers and stuff so they were swarming near the window up above. 

They had a huge sturgeon in there too.  Very big and ugly looking.

There was a grassy hill near the pond and the kids loved rolling down it.   It was such a nice day and almost hot.  We were loving it.  Everything was green and the flowers were in bloom.  

Roll, Garrett, Roll

Ryan and Blake going back up the hill.  See the daffodils in bloom?  Loved it!

Jordan, Blake and Ryan

Garrett, Ryan and Hannah rolling down the hill.

After that, we drove in the canyon a little ways and went to another fish hatchery.  This one had alligators, though.  There were 5 or 6 and they were kinda boring.  Didn't move at all.  Boo.

Cool alligator parking sign with the whole family!

Then we took a little scenic drive through Thousand Springs and Hagerman to Malad Gorge.  Its this super deep gorge and there is a waterfall down there somewhere.  

You walked across this metal bridge that is over the gorge.  It is a little bouncy when everyone gets on.  The freeway runs right next to it.  Underneath us here is a waterfall.   

After you cross the bridge, there is a path and you get a better scenic view of the waterfall.  That brown strip at the top is the bridge we walked across.  Very cool!

We had so much fun these two days with Clifton and Jenn and their family!  Thanks so much for having us!