Score!

What's better than a pair of skates and gear to match, given to ya for FREE from the neighbor girl down the street????

NOT MUCH!

Miss Avery J.....that's what we call a....

SCORE!

Together

"NO, it's a school night!"

"You are NOT scared!"

"You do not NEED Payton!"

"You do not ALWAYS have to sleep together!"

And every night, after all that, when Bob and I finally retire to our cozy bed, we get a good chuckle.

Where might we find the little ones?

Yup......you guessed it......

TOGETHER

Happy Birthday!

LOVER BOY!

AHHH

It just hit me HARD...

BAM

Like, "The punch heard round' the world!"

In excactly 2 weeks from TODAY...

I'll be running my FIRST MARATHON!

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

It Feels Like Christmas Morning!

IT'S GAME DAY!!THE SEASON OPENER!!

WE'RE PLAYING OREGON!!
WE'RE GOING TO THE GAME!!WE'RE READY TO SCREAM AND CHEER!!

THE WEATHER'S GOING TO BE PERFECT!!
WE'RE SPORTING OUR ORANGE AND BLUE!! OUR GAME FACES ARE ON!! I'M TELLING YA....

IT FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS MORNING!!

Moments

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We took the kids to Utah for one last SHA-BANG...before school started. We drove all the way to Park City, and I tell ya what, "By far the best purchase of the day was the $8, new Miley Cyrus CD." We blasted that thing most of the drive, never tiring of the beat or the lyrics. Nope, we just, "Nodded our heads like, "Yeah!" Moved our hips like, "Yeah!" Track 2, the trip theme song FO SHO!

So, we did lots of fun stuff.

We basked in the beauty of Park City.

Raced down the mountain side on a sled, screaming through trees and belly laughing the entire way.

We strolled the ever eclectic main street, ate too much delicious food, swam in the hotel pool, napped, and visited with some of the Logan Ladies.

The talented and lovely Miss Steph and Angie B. of Whimsy Pix took our family photos, and Em helped out by dancing and acting down right out of control, making us laugh hysterically. Afterwards, shy guy Owen kept telling Robert, "I love Aunt Emily."

We also spent a day in Lagoon. The weather was over cast and perfect. We rode the rides all day long until the kids were asking US when we were leaving. Wow! Now that was a first. They were EXHAUSTED!

So, I had a few MOMENTS on the trip. You know, moments when you step back and realize, this is MY life, I am the parent of these kids, and they're pretty amazing (most all of the time), and I love em' with this enormous feeling that I can't find a word to describe or justify its intensity,

and I am GRATEFUL.

I recognized that it wasn't the big trip that created these moments, but it was the simple times when the kids did or said something that cracked us up, or when we realized they were happiest just swimming with mom and dad in the hotel pool, or jumping wildly off the hotel beds. And my best moments were seeing them get along, laugh, wrestle and dance with each other. And even better was when they were plumb wore out and crashed on their beds. Then it was ME and BOB time! Boy was it nice to just hang out, snuggle on our bed and flip through the channels aimlessly, without working on our computers, talking or texting on our phones, folding laundry, or doing dishes!

I also had a few flashbacks of my own life growing up and taking road trips with my family. We traveled a lot in the summer, following my oldest brother's baseball team. I remember the excitement of being away from home, staying in a hotel, eating at restaurants, wrestling with my brothers, playing silly games in the car to pass the time, and loving chasing all the cute boys at the ball field!

I guess what I am trying to say, is I am thankful for ROAD TRIPS, those I took as a kid, and those I am taking now with my little family. The quality time rendered on road trips makes me step back, have a MOMENT, and feel grateful.

Perfect Day

What's my idea of a perfect day?

Family, games, deeelicious eats, visiting, football playing, hiking, beautiful views and weather to match?

Yup......that pretty much sums it up!

Baumgartners 2009

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Baumgartners is a camp ground up past Featherville in the Sawtooth wilderness area. It is one of the nicest, most fun, incredibly beautiful, campgrounds. When Robert's grandma was a little girl, her family camped in the mountains near Baumgartners. After she was married and had children of her own, she would take them camping there too. In fact, grandpa worked and couldn't always come, so she would take her three, young boys all by herself. They would fish all day and sleep under the stars at night. If it rained, they would crawl under the car to sleep where it was dry.

Well, those three boys grew up and had families of their own, and they continued to take them to Baumgartners too. So, back in the 70's the family decided to make the trip together, the entire extended family, the first week in August. To this very day, they have kept that tradition.

So, now it is Robert and his cousins too, with families of their own, grandpas and grandmas, aunts and uncles.....going to Baumgartners and enjoying the beautiful area and time together. Most of the family spend the entire week at camp. We never are able and always feel like our time there is too short, especially this year because it rained pretty much the entire few days we were there. When it wasn't raining, it was unusually cold. We didn't even get in the river this year. That was a first, and I had just learned to dive and was getting myself geared up for looking real cool, like the rest of the bunch, by diving off the rock this year! Boy did we get good use out of the hot spring pool. The kids swam and we adults pleasantly soaked up the warm water.

I love the Peterson family. They're a rare bunch of people who are so laid back, loving, giving, and just salt of the earth, GOOD people. I love that they have this family tradition. I love that it gives us an opportunity to visit and catch up. I love that when we get together it is as if no time has passed and we all enjoy each other's company, swimming, eating, gaming, and enjoying beautiful, Baumgartners together.

Here's looking forward to Baumgartners next year. May the sun shine and the weather be warm all week. May I get the GUTS up to dive off the rock, and may we somehow make it up for more than two nights!

I'm getting it!

So, I am really trying to figure out this Picasa 3. I have so many pics. from camp that I really want to display them in a collage, etc. Here's my first attempt! Woo Hoo, it worked. I'm finally getting it, thanks to Sally's step by step directions!

When we went to camp this year, the sun was sleeping. The rain and cold weather smothered us like a blanket the entire time. So, it's the last day, we're driving out of camp, headed home, and sure enough, we get our first pocket of SUNSHINE. Robert pulls the trailer out of the campsite, down the road, and off towards the river. We get out, and enjoy the SUN! The kids had a ball gathering wood and making a fire to roast some hot dogs for lunch. What is it that makes roasted hot dogs taste so incredibly good?! I don't know, but we scarfed em' down like we'd been starving for a week, and you know no one is starving at camp!

So, it's time for me to make this family some dinner, but later tonight when the monkeys are sleeping, I am going to really get this collage thing down and post more pics. of our last summer adventures!

If I were in Utah...

It has been almost a year since I was introduced to and fell in love with NieNie. She is everything I aspire to be. She has a vision of life and the things that encompass us in this big world that is unique and wonderful. She sees her husband, children, parents, family, home, food, nature, people and places in a light that is all her own. Through her blogging, she has shared this light with others, and I personally, have been uplifted and inspired, over and over again.

NieNie's life and story are remarkable, and (I must warn ya) sad too. I can't read her blog without shedding a few tears too. Alright, it's a down pour of tears.....every single time! But, it's a good cry. You see, she reminds me what is REALLY important in this life. She reminds me that "hey, things are never that bad." She reminds me to "stop and smell the roses." She reminds me to "be grateful for the things we do have." She reminds me to "have faith" and rely on my Heavenly Father and Savior. She also breaks down from time to time. She's real. For that....and much, much more....

I love NieNie.

So, she writes on her latest post....

This Saturday (15th...which is tomorrow) I am hiking the Y mountain at 7:00 pm in honor of our 1 year anniversary since the accident. If you want to join me, I would be honored and happy to have you along.This will be a big milestone in my life since last years life-changing events.I would love to thank you personally, from the bottom of my little heart. Kisses!

I can't be in Utah this weekend. I rallied mine and Robert's family. I invited them all to meet on Sat. in Twin Falls and have a "last weekend of my summer" PARTY! We're going to bring lots of food and visit and play in the park all day long. I love our families and am looking forward to spending the day with them.

But if it had been a different weekend, if we were twiddling our thumbs wondering what to do, if I had read this post a week prior...I would throw Robert and the kids (o.k I couldn't really throw Robert, but I could throw the 3 kids, and give Robert a giant shove) in the car and drive to Utah. I would tell my kids stories about NieNie the entire way there. We would meet her and all her peeps at the Y mountain at 7 p.m. and we would CLIMB!

Here's to you NieNie........You CAN do it, I know you will! I wish I could be there to hoot, holler, and cheer you on, and cheer for YOU.... I would.

If I were in Utah......