4th of July

The 4th of July in Menan Idaho....

Walking the green belt with Dad.... Braden was off working, and Colton is is Missouri { I miss that kid!}

Ed Ryan on his tractor that has "snuck" over and plowed our snow many a time.....

Central Fire...

Bagley maybe? Couldn't see inside the cockpit....

Mitch Raymond {Dee was still trying to recover from his surgery}

Aunt Nola and her new husband Tim Hale in his latest project...

The South family {in the new toy }

Boyce's

Eckersell's funeral home

Oliva's broken thumb, and their new shades....

Before the fireworks started and after the bug spray!

Oliva and Ella

This is what happens when two little 3 year old darling girls decide that a US Army Humvee needs some "sprucing up"! They found a black sharpie marker and the rest is hIsToRy!!!

1000 Springs and Emigrant Canyon

We did some "toodleing" Thursday after Chris got out of class, went to 1000 springs, Emigrant Canyon {you can still see the wagon ruts} and Salmon Falls {where Indian tribes used to come one time a year and catch and dry a years supply of fish}.

There is also fossil deposits out there that we didn't have time to see, lots more day trips we chose, and learned about "melon gravel" the result of Bonneville Lake collapsing. Gigantic pieces of gravel that were torn and tumbled then left as water receded {canyons edge and in the dessert}.

It was fun! Wished the older kids could have been there, as they would have loved it.

While we stayed in Twin Falls, we visited Shoshone Falls one night after Chris got out of class. Olivia loved it!

I wish it would have made her so tired that she wouldn't have to sleep with us though. We just didn't take into consideration that she has never been away from home {so different from the other kids huh} with the exception of going to Missouri to visit Nanna and Pop, and then she had her siblings with her. There was lots of weeping and wailing and even screaming {in her sleep}.

Ok, so I really DID NOT get enough pictures of the kids all together as there are none that have that "WOW I should frame that!" quality. O-well. Live and learn.

Mattilda....the spaz dog.

the girls

stinky boys

Braden ( who just started on the track team *whoot*)

Savannah Bannana

W. Colton ....happens to LOVE the camera.

Olivia Grace.....Livvy Lovey...Liv....the Liv....you get the idea.

It was near impossible to find a spot to take pictures for Easter this year. I was hoping for a wonderful spring park shot that would have tulips and daffodils etc. in the back with a lovely trellis etc, at the very least a few leaves and some green grass with a crocus or something, but NO!!!

Idaho is holding onto winter for as long as possible and that is ok, but it doesn't make for very "springy" photos.

I wanted to go to the college in the botanical gardens there. I was pretty sure that we would find something nice, but Chris had to put his new Christmas present to use ( a HONKIN big grill) and smoke the Easter ham so we couldn't leave because his apple wood smoking thing needed monitoring. It was worth the drab backgrounds for pics though, as we had a super QUIET and small Easter dinner. It was so nice.

We did miss the fact that our Hootah cousins didn't make it up. Hopefully we will see them soon, as I think we will all go through withdrawls, or at least suffer the effects of it from the kids!

Livvybug

Olivia and I were leaving the funeral of D. Woods, a dear friend of my Aunt B's and my Aunt D's Sister. It was apparently too much sitting for Olivia because she was EXCTATIC to be outside. Even though I was running late to get to the ROTC closing social for the semester, and it was raining/snowing she apparently needed to get a good run in. I had my camera, and just took some shots of her getting some energy spent. They turned out pretty cute.

What a monkey!

Olivia got this outfit for Christmas, but got the hat later, as I think I am going to do her 3 year old photos in this outfit, but she CUT her hair off! A good 4" off the back and then the next day she lopped off her pony tail that Aunt Mia put on top of her head. Stinky baby.

Having a bad day? Watch this link, you will feel better!!!

We are told from a young age that we all have something special to offer. How easy it is to think that to be something special, one must fit into a mold of what our society values.Talents come in all forms, and although not always revealed in such a big way, we all have things to offer that might surprise and uplift those around us.Take a moment, watch this link that I have posted here, and ponder what your personal talent that might be. Whether it be a little hidden; either to yourself or to others, or something that you might not consider a talent at all. Having watched this video I was brought to think about how sometimes we forget our own worth because of fear of the scoffing from the great and spacious building. Please watch this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY