Moms and Babies

Last week we had all the girls and grandkids here for the annual week of swimming lessons at Lava Hot Springs. Times like these remind me just how lucky we are to have such great moms for our grand-sweeties. They are so patient and caring for the little people they have been entrusted with. The love shown to all the kiddos, not just their own, did not go unnoticed. They each took a night and cooked dinner, plus made treats and did their best to keep things picked up and tidy. It was joy to have them here.

Lataun and baby, Mia

Lataun is such a great mom. She has the ability to giggle when things go wrong, instead of losing her cool. She's really good at talking with her kids and making them feel important. She is so good at keeping a clean house and everything caught up and in order for them. And she tries never to embarrass her girls by saying things about them in a crowd. You can just tell she truly enjoys being a mom.

Jane and baby Axel
How lucky are those kids to have Jane for a mom? She is always so gentle and caring with them, and is always looking for something fun to do with them. I've never known a mom who truly enjoys her kids and takes them to fun places as much as she does....to the park, swimming, museums, parties...and still manages to work 2 days a week and keep up at home. And she always seems to have a smile on her face.

Avery and baby Simon
I think Avery gets the award for the most patient mom....staying so calm and collected when the boys act up or get hurt or get in trouble. She loves to do projects with them and doesn't mind too much when a mess is made. She has a fun, bubbly personality that is infectious. She's a great little homemaker and a very good cook....a good thing, because those boys love to eat!

Megan and baby Bella
Meg is probably never going to be guilty of yelling at her kids. She's so soft-spoken and kind, but a true disciplinarian as well. She has a real playful side, too. It's not uncommon to see her jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes, or playing hide and seek with Jack. She has the rare talent of seeing what needs to be done and doing it whenever she is at our house. She also has the challenge of keeping up with her adult child.....Val!

M & M's, anyone?

Sisters...Best Friends with a Lifetime Guarantee

I just have to go back to last month and blog about our sister sneak. It had been lots of years since we got to do this, so we thought it was time. The four of us met in Salt Lake and had a couple of fun-filled days together.

After picking Brenda up at the airport, we had lunch on Trolley Square. Then did a little shopping and went to a movie, "The Proposal."
(Good movie)

The next morning, we did a little craft in the breakfast area of the motel.

It's a small wall-hanging with mom and dad's wedding picture and marriage license.


Found a cute little shopping plaza called Gardner Village that none of us had been to before. Had lunch there and had fun looking around the unique shops and bakeries.


Did some more shopping....Karen and Di found some cute shorts alike.

Had dinner at the Mayan that night. It's a fun Mexican restaurant that looks like a tropical rain forest inside, complete with divers jumping off tall rock ledges into pools below.


Had to pose with this cool looking Mayan thing outside the restaurant.


Di was our driver....she only fell asleep once behind the wheel.

Those in the backseat were only mildly terrified!
(Sorry, Lucy, we had to copy you)

Had to pose one more time in front of the motel as we were leaving.

Saying good-bye at the airport.

How I love these people.... they are my best friends. We have so much in common and always have plenty to talk about. I can always be myself with them. They lift me up and make me giggle. Can't wait till next time!

Two Days of Celebrating

I love a lot of things about the 4th of July. I love the flags, the soldiers, the parades, the fireworks, the good times with good people. This year we celebrated on the 3rd and on the 4th. On Friday, it turned into a mini reunion when Max announced that he, Claire and the girls would be coming to Idaho, and stopping off here in Bancroft. A few phone calls and text messages later, there was a party planned. Gary, Angie, and 2 girls came with their boat. Di and Russ flew over from Boise. Karen, John, Trevor, Alesha, Haily, Josh, and kids came, too. We had a great day at Alexander reservior on the water and at the reserved dock and picnic area there.

The older set was pretty happy to ride in the boat and watch the younger set do all the water stuff. But later on, Di wowed us with a ride on the tube with some of the Skidmore girls.

And, little brother Gary, is still "all that" with his wakeboarding skills, including a dazzling 360. (Doesn't he know how old he is?) This picture is a few years ago, but he's still doing the same things.

Brook is getting ready to jump!

She was the only one I got a picture of on the rope swing. Everyone else did good, too. However, David, Macy's husband, hit the water hard on the side of his face and later ended up in the emergency room with a broken eardrum. It seems like there's always got to be a casualty of some sort.

Val, Megan, and Jack went for a ride on the tube, too.
Everyone headed for home around 6:00 when the lightning, thunder, and HAIL started!
**********************

The next day, after going to the parade in Soda, we geared up for more company. We had the day planned with Roy's sister, Sandi, and some of her kids. They came last year on the 4th and had such a good time, we did it again. Val took them soapboxing down the old fish creek hill, then swimming and "fluming" over by Grace. Last year there were some injuries after tubing down the river in Lava. So this year I was hoping there would be no more blood. No such luck...

Tia took a fall on a grated crosswalk over a bridge and "grated" up her leg pretty bad. Another casualty...dang it!

Roy was the amazing chef...again....cooking up several different kinds of fish. Here he is finally getting to sit down and enjoy his efforts.

Everyone else enjoyed them, too!
Hurray for the 4th of July!