Is Summer Really Over?

Summer seemed to go by way too fast this year. It's hard to think about gearing up for the cold ahead. I think I won't think about it just yet. Here are a few highlights of our summer:

Getting together with my sisters in SLC

Miscellaneous 4-wheeler rides. This one with Karen and John near Lava

With Bancroft friends to the local mountain top called "Baldy"

Boundary Trail with some of the kids and grandkids

We didn't make it all the way around the Boundary Trail that day..maybe another year...

Pontoon boat ride with the grandkids

Swimming at Lava (and trying to get a group shot)

Camping with some of my favorite people

Bear Lake and the Oregon Trail Museum with Jim and Paula

Fishing and camping with the Williams girls at Topance Canyon

It's been a great summer, all in all. We spent lots of quality time with the kids and grandkids. We want them to have good memories of fun times spent with Grandma and Grandpa. Mission accomplished...for now.

My Husband, the Gardener

Roy is a lot like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get. Some years he doesn't want anything to do with the garden, and other years it seems he can't get enough. This year I was lucky...he liked the garden. Early in the spring, right after I planted it, there was a cat that kept doing his business right in the garden. Roy declared war on it and put a trap out there. The next morning, sure enough, there was a cat, but not the stray we thought was doing it. It was someone's pet, and he didn't have the heart to do away with it. Lucky for the cat, it must have found a new place, because we didn't see it again, and the trap was taken away. He also declared war on the birds around here. There were pigeons, waking us up in the morning, making nests in our eaves, and doing unsightly things on our windows. Then there were the robins....do they not know that we are not in the mood to share with them?

Roy built this nice strawberry patch. He worked tirelessly hauling in manure and mixing it with fill dirt. Then getting strawberry starts from three different places. When the robins started showing just a little too much interest, he built this net over it, with some camouflage netting he got at the army store and some copper tubing. It has hinges on it so you can lift it up to weed and pick. I told him it looked like some kind of bunker out there.

The plants are beautiful, and have already given us a handful of strawberries. Next year, hopefully, enough to eat our fill and make jam. And notice, there are absolutely no weeds. He kept them out of the whole garden...lucky me!


The tomatoes in the little greenhouse are doing great, too.

I love it when Roy is in the right mood for gardening. Do you think it is the farming blood that's running through his veins? Reminds me of the old saying, "You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy."

Home Away from Home

It's exciting for us to have a camper again. Di and Russ were selling theirs, so we jumped all over it. It's so nice and roomy.

Shortly after getting it we were off to our annual Eddins campout. It was held again at Buttermilk campground on the Island Park reservoir. The kids did their best to enjoy the water, even though the weather was less than desirable.

This is Jane's $1.00 find at a garage sale. It was quite an amazing tent with three rooms. We called it the "camping condo."

Roy found his happy place.

Avery's sister, Andrea, came up for part of one day. She and Avery entertained us around the campfire with some amazing singing.

Just chillin'....

around the campfire.....

Andrea surprised Avery with a birthday cake.

We made edible play-doh with the kids.

"Everyone make a funny face!"

I Spy

Di got us excited about doing an "I Spy" quilt when we were in SLC together in June. So we each bought a few pieces of fabric, then shared them and cut out the blocks....it's called "fussy-cutting," a new quilting term for me. The idea is when you're sitting and snuggling with a toddler grandchild, you can play I Spy with them......"Can you find a butterfly?".... "I Spy a school bus..." I got my top done and thought it turned out so cute. Brenda and Di's are all done and machine quilted already. They used different colors, and its interesting how different they all look. (Wish I had pictures of them.)

I think I'll hand-quilt this one....it's what I do.

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!