We're Back!!!

Okay. so we just got home from a trip to Oregon to see family and see the wonderful Oregon Coast! We had a great time!We got to see our cousins who I have not seen for at least 13 years! And they have never met my kids! So it was great to see them and spend time with them. They were so wonderful to put us up at their house and show us the land! We then traveled to Northern CA to see the Redwoods, wow! They are huge amazing trees. The pictures didn't turn out to be the best because of the lighting in the grove. But you get the main idea. And then up to the Oregon Coast! We saw lighthouses, amazing views and had fun looking for sea shells on the beach. We also stopped at Sea Lion Caves. It was so neat to see all the Sea Lions out on the rocks at the base of the mountain, and in the cave. We saw some amazing scenery! It was a great trip! My mom and sister and niece got to join us so it was even better!Check out the slide show, there are tons of pictures! (And I didn't even put them all on!) And our summer fun isn't over yet! So stay tuned!

Summer Fun!

Well we have been busy! I have been trying to to lots with the kids so they would stay happy and worn out! So we went for a hike the other day. Not a long one, but it was still fun. We took a picnic and played it the creek, and toke lots of pictures! We had a great time. And my niece Sara is staying with us so that was fun to have her with us. Then today we went to the zoo! Which all the kids loved! Bekah loves animals so it was really fun to watch her get excited every time we say something new! It was her first time at the zoo, so it was really fun! Then we hurried home to see some wonderful friends from Alaska who were driving thru town! The Jean's! It was so great to see them! The kids are so big! And I have missed my wonderful friend Bekki! I am so glad they got to stop and see us, even only for a short visit! So look at our new slide show full of fun pictures from the hike, zoo, and Jean's visit! And there is more fun to come!

My Heritage Album

Okay, like I said I have been trying some digital scrap booking. Well Here is one of my pages. I don't do anything fancy. I am enjoying digital scrap booking, I think one reason is because I can sit at my computer, with Bekah on my lap and scrap book and she can't mess it up, there is no mess, or clean up. I still enjoy my traditional scrap booking, but it is fun to do some digital. Anyway, here is one page out of my first digital scrap book, Enjoy!

Going Digital!

Okay so we all have noticed that everything has gone digital, right? Well I was great with the camera going digital, I mean who doesn't want to be able to view their pictures right away, put them on the computer the easy way to email... Well, I have been having a lot harder time with going digital when it comes to scrap booking! It just never seemed that fun! Well, I have seen the error of my ways! Oh I still love the 'old ways' for some scrap booking, but I have found a great way to make awesome books, cards, posters, and even make a 12 x12 page to add to my good 'old' scrapbooks! After searching and playing with different programs and web sites, I have found that I really like Heritagemakers.com! They have tons of cute things to put with your photos, and the price is about the same as buying a book, paper, add ons, and printing the million pictures for the book! (I have about 5 years worth of pictures just waiting for something to happen to them!) And some I will still print and scrapbook the 'old' way, but I am having fun going digital!

Summer trips

If any of you are coming my way in your summer travels, let me know! I would love to play! And I will let you all know the same! Keep looking for more summer fun photos! We have lots planned!!!

Craters of the Moon

Wind, wind, and more wind! Other than the wind we had a great day at the Craters of the Moon volcano fields reserve park. The kids and I have been studying volcano's and happen to leave only a couple hours from the park, so we went to have a look. It was a beautiful day, other than the wind, that we thought would blow us back to Alaska! We got to climb down in a lava cave, and hike through a lava tunnel and hike up to see into a 'mini volcano', called a spitter cone. It was a lot of fun, the kids even said it was worth the long drive to see. After we had seen everything we stopped at the visitors center to look around it. While we were there we learned about a cool program called, Junior Rangers, that you can do at every National Park in the USA. They have a little pamphlet that the kids must do three things from, (like hike one of the trails, and not remove anything from the park...) and then the kids got a certificate and a badge and were made Junior Rangers! We thought it was neat, every park has there own badge that you can get. So we are going to start collecting JR badges! It was great fun! Bekah stayed with Grandma Marie since we were going to be hiking and climbing and she is a little to small for that yet.

The thoughts of a 5 year old!

Okay, on the way out there the kids were asking when I had been there last, I said it was at least 15 years ago, or longer! Then Jake asked how long Dustin and I had been married, I said almost 11 years, then Gracie asked, 'And you still like Daddy?! Even after that long?' It was so cute! I said I did still like Daddy, I even still loved him. She was amazed. It was so funny! I had to share.

School's OUT!!!

Yeah! We are all done with school for the summer! And fun we have been having! First off, we were all sick! Yeah, not! We are better now, after two weeks! The weather finally got nice so we got to plant our flowers, the ones who didn't die from frostbite! Some of our friends from Alaska, the Bundy's are in town and we got to get together with them and the Evan's and play! We had lunch at Leo's, a great family place, they have every kind of food, a huge play center with a climb, jump, slide thing, and arcades with Laser tag. We ate and played in the play center, more than enough fun for us! We also got to hang out and have dinner and watch a movie and the kids played the night away! It was so fun, the kids were great friends again after a year of not seeing each other! We should all learn from them! And I had such a great time that I want to move back to Alaska! I have really missed all my great friends up north! If any more of you are coming to town, let me know! And the fun isn't over yet! We get to get together one more time before they leave for home! Yeah!!! We also talked my wonderful brother and sister in law to help put up our new trampoline! We had fun! And the kids are really enjoying it! I have a safety enclosure, but it got to dark to put it up, so it will be up soon. So the summer is off to great fun! The kids and I thought it would be fun to learn about some fun science things this summer, so we are going to be learning about volcanoes first! We are going to learn how they work, why and make a model that erupts! And then we are going out to Craters of the Moon, a local park that is a volcano rock field, tubes, caves and all kinds of things from a volcano that went off forever ago here in Idaho! So it will be fun. Look for pictures from our science fun soon! (That is only the first science project!) SEE the pictures from some of our fun in May 2008 to the left side!

Summer has Arrived, Finally!!!

Well, it's true, summer is finally here, we think. This is Idaho so it could snow tomorrow, but I think we are safe. It has been really nice, in the 80's, with a breeze. Last Friday I did an activity at Jake's school and it was the first nice day, and I of course got sun burnt, more like crisp. But it was a fun day.

Jacob can't wait to get out of school for summer! He is very excited. I think all of us are a little tried of early rising and school stuff, we all need a break. Gracie was so excited about planting flowers, well we bought some and as we were checking out it started snowing! So we came home, and waited, it got nice for a few days, then it snowed! And repeated itself for a few weeks, needless to say she was very disappointed. We did plant them finally today! She was very happy. We also just got a trampoline! The kids are very excited about that.

I helped the Willis family move last week. It was fun to be able to see them and help. They are all growing fast! Well, the kids are. They are such a great family, I just love them. We have lots of friends coming thru town this summer, and we are even going on a trip with my family to see some cousins, so it will be a great summer. And best of all, Dustin gets to visit for R & R this summer!!!! He gets to be at his sisters wedding! We are all very excited about it!

You are all always welcome to visit us anytime! We love visitors!

Still going strong!

Well things are still busy! Both Jake & Grace just signed up for soccer so that will be fun. Bekah is trying so hard to be a big girl! She thinks she has to do everything big brother and sister do, sometimes it drives me crazy! Grace is very excited about kindergarten next year, that is all I hear about! Jake is ready for summer break!

I was asked to do a short lesson on dating ideas for our last enrichment night, which I thought was funny since I currently don't have a husband around to date, but thought what the hay! It was a fun night. There are so many new faces in our ward that I feel I don't know anyone! But I am lucky to have family near to help with the kids! They really love going to Grandma & Papa's, and of course Grandma Great's! Bekah is a really Gradma's girl! We get to do a big wedding this summer, so that will be fun. Dustin's only sister is getting married! We hope he can get leave around then to be here for her wedding. We'll see! Ya just feel old when younger siblings get married!

Well not a lot new happening! I hope everyone is doing great! I get to go to Boise and Provo in a few weeks, that will be fun.