4th of July Weekend!!

So I'd have to admit, I was pretty disappointed while making plans for the forth because it was on a SUNDAY! What the heck! How can you celebrate on a SUNDAY! Not to mention, my Dad was flying in on the 3rd, so we weren't going to be able to celebrate with my family, like we had planned. BUT it turned out perfect!  We had three days of celebrating!! 

Mom and Dianna drove up from Utah on Friday so they could spend an extra day with us!  We got everything ready.  We grilled steaks and had a fun BBQ outside as soon as Phil and Camille got here with Dad and Bridger!  Then we went and sat RIGHT UNDER then Hamer fireworks! 

Madilyn and Landon loved them!

Landon kept trying to reach up and touch them!

Then Monday, Menan, Ron's hometown, celebrated THEIR fourth of July.

Ron really wanted our kids to run in the races and do the booths.

Landon racing!

We didn't realize how good Landon did!  We should have stuck around to get prizes!  Looking at the pictures he came in first place!!

Madilyn getting ready for her race!

She on the other hand, was too busy scoping out the competition to even run!

 I think she was dead last!!

Then we took the kids around to the booths!

 Here's Madilyn's version of fishing:

Pick your fish, grab it with your hands, then put it on your hook!

Try it!  You'll win every time!!

Landon even got to try it!

Check out these stylin' glasses she won!

Picking out the next prize!

Just hanging out waiting for lunch!

Sharing a FUN DIP!!

It was a great weekend we had lots of fun with the WHOLE family! 

All my sisters were there!

Family Pictures

Since we can only get my side of the family all together only once a year, we took to opportunity to get a family picture taken.  Ron thinks were crazy, but what can I say. 

 WE LOVE PICTURES!!

We were lucky, Allison's boyfriend Tim took the pictures for us...but I personally think eventually he'll end up in them next time ;) hehe

 

Allison and Tim

Mom and her 4 girls! 

 Allison, Brittney, Mom, Camille, Dianna

Daddy's Girls!

The whole family!

Ron, Dad, Phil

Mom, Camille, Bridger

Brittney, Landon, Allison, Madilyn and Dianna

A special thanks to Tim, for taking the pictures and for all the men (RONALD) for cooperating with all these demanding women!

Swimming Lessons!!

I got Madilyn into swimming lessons this summer. 

We went to Hibbard Fishies and she LOVED it! 

30 mintues just wasn't long enough to swim!

I'd recommend it to anyone!  She takes everything VERY slow (maybe a little too slow for Madilyn) but I liked that.  Madilyn is confident and is still not afraid of the water.  They really focused on blowing bubbles under water.  That was the main infaces, just getting them used to being under, and getting their faces in.  It would be really good for kids who ARE afraid, or are younger.  She offers the class to kids as young as 6 months-its a parent/child class.  I'd actually really like to get Landon in next.    For Madilyn though, I do wish we had been able to spend more time working on floating, and actually swimming.  But I am happy with the results.  I know she's really to start learning the techniques...hopefully we'll get to do more at our last lesson! 

Just a BAD night!

The scariest thing happened here last night.  I had just gotten the kids in the tub, Ron was out working in the garden, and I was about to start on the dinner dishes.  The power kinda flickered and went off but came right back on.  I was standing at my kitchen sink and I heard the weirdest loudest humming/zapping sound and then the power went OUT. From the look on Ron's face in the garden I knew it was SOMETHING.  It was kind of stormy so I thought maybe he saw lightning touch the ground.  I ran outside and asked what on earth it was (okay, maybe I didn't use those words because I was so freaked out by it), but I got out there just in time to see it for myself.

The power lines were zapping!

Right in front of the house!

It was a HUGE ball of...

light? 

(It reminded me of the bug on The Fox and the Hound when he's going across the power lines.)
Just much much
BIGGER, LOUDER, and FASTER! 

 It scared me so bad, I ran in, got the kids out of the tub and out of the house because I didn't want them to be inside when it started the house on fire. 

 Okay, so maybe I over reacted, but I had no idea what caused it, and it was so close to the house that I could just see it traveling to the house and then who knows what. 

BUT it was all because of a wind gust blowing the wires causing two of the lines to touch each other, then it ended up tripping the breaker down at the sub station. 

We finally got the kids bathed and put in bed, the dishes done, and the fish tank cleaned.  I went to sit on the couch and talk to Ron while he messed with his fish before we went to bed, when I wasn't paying attention and ran RIGHT into the couch!  BREAKING my toe! It was seriously the 2nd worst sound of the night.  I sat on the couch in agonizing pain (okay, maybe I'm over reacting AGAIN!) when Ron asked, was that your TOE NAIL!?!  Nope, pretty sure I just broke my toe!

Man, you never realize how much you take for granted until you can't use it, from power to a stupid little toe!   xc

SUMMER LOVIN'

Until the end of last week I was HATING Idaho. 

 SERIOUSLY HATING IDAHO! 

 I hate that winter has to last so stinkin long! 

I love the snow

(now that I don't have to drive 35 miles in it

ONE WAY everyday to get to school/work). 

 I love that we actually have seasons like spring and fall!  I love the change. 

But the wind is OBNOXIOUS!

And that fact that it wouldn't get over 68 degrees was seriously killing me. 

I've realized I'm still used to having 8-9 months of SUMMER not 8-9 months of WINTER.  I hate feeling trapped in the house, building fires to keep the house warm, putting plastic on the windows so you can't enjoy the little bit of sunshine we do get during those LONG WINTER MONTHS! 

 But the last couple weeks have been

 HEAVEN

 for me! 

We've been able to spend our days outside for the most part. 

We LOVE

...the swing set

...our walks/bike rides around the school

...playing in the sprinkler

...doing yard work

...gardening

...laying out and attempting to get a tan

...being able to walk wherever we want to go (church, library, school)

Today I even cleaned the outside windows...which lead to "pressure washing" the house.  ANYTHING to stay outside and enjoy the sun while we have it!!

We're loving this summer weather and hope its lasts THROUGH October!! 

 (I know I know...I'm still in Idaho...but I can at least wish!)

*NOTE: Ronald is not included in the "WE"

The 8-9 months of Idaho Winter is in his blood!

Bountiful Baskets

Ok.  For those who have not heard of bountiful baskets its AMAZING!  Its a Co-op that runs along I-15 and has several stops here in East Idaho now.  My friend Kristin tried getting me into it about a year and half ago.  But the only stop in Idaho was over 2 hours away! :(  SO...Its finally made its way up here and there are TONS and TONS of pick up sites now!  I've been wanting to try it for months, but haven't been on the ball enough to get it done! 

All you do is

 pay $16.50

 go to the pick up site with your laundry basket

and you get tons of fresh fruit and veggies!

Every week is a surprise.  This week we got:

1. Really Big Stock of Celery

2. Swiss Chard (yah, not sure about that one)

3. A LARGE head of leaf lettuce.

4. A bag of baby carrots

5. THREE red onions

6. TWO avacados

7. SIX plump tomatoes

8. ONE large bunch of grapes

9. TWELVE plums

10. ONE bunch of bananas

11. ONE cantelope

12 EIGHT apples

I don't know about you, but I LOVE having fresh fruits and vegetables around the house!  I haven't been buying them because we have tons and tons of canned peaches and pears!  But FRESH is so much better..and this is a STEAL!!

SPLASH PARK

We had a BLAST at the spray park in Rexburg today. It was kind of a one las HOORAH before Moss' leave us for Wyoming next week. The park was PACKED.

(Probably because it was the first nice week of the summer!!)

But it didn't bother Madilyn one bit! She didn't care who was with her or who she was cutting in line to go down the slides! Landon even had a great time, although he wasn't too keen on the slide. He's rather sit at the bottom and get splashed when the big kids came down.

I think Bobi has pictures of my kids going down the slides...I already stole Pam's memory card so I'll have to sneak Bobi's next :)




Here are a FEW of the pictures Pam took for us:

(By the way, I HATE picking music...I won't be offended if you just turn the sound down!)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com