Fun with Family

July 16th Andy's family came to visit from California for two weeks. Rip has vacation this week also. I have to go to girl's camp on Monday. I enjoy girl's camp which includes a "cougar sighting" one night. I returned home to lots of family and enjoyed the weekend. I have decided to be on vacation too and put off camp clean up until the family is gone. Trissa and Gavin came up Saturday and left Sunday.  James and Jordan and their families came up Friday night. Tuesday I go to Spokane with Grandma, Kathy, Didi and Ali. We had a wonderful time shopping and eating. We attended Tori's Bridal Shower that evening and I bring Makayla home with me. She got to stay with me until Saturday. Jim and I attended the Temple with Tori and her family and enjoyed lunch at the park afterward with a lot of the family. Sunday we got together for lunch after church. There were over 40 people in attendance. Dave's family left at 4:30pm and the others after that. Andy's family left Monday morning early and life is back to just us until this next weekend when Tori gets married.

Frisbee Golf

Ali playing with Makayla

Gavin with the trucks

Horseshoes

Andi and Sadie

Mark, Gavin and Jason

Andi and Evan

Grandma and Jason

Jordan and Cameron

Having fun at the park after the temple

Jeri and Evan

Jennifer, Lizzie and Mariah

Heidi, Nicole, Andi and Grandpa

Family at the Park

Jim, Rip and Jason(9 years old) the only ones that can do fingertip push-ups

These pictures were taken on Sunday when we all got together.

YW Campout

I have been busy getting ready for Girl's Camp. I had a pre-camp campout on Friday and Saturday. I had 11 girls come and we learned about fires and cooked foil dinners and of course smores, learned about clouds and their scientific names, and about the Stars. It was a clear night to observe the stars and very cold to sleep out under the stars but we all managed and had a great time. Saturday after enjoying biscuits and gravy cooked in Dutch ovens we ventured out on our hike. I took them out around grandpa's field and into State land. We all had a great time and can't wait for camp on the 18th.

4th of July Weekend

Jordan, Mariah and Della came up Friday night. Laura, Craig and Kendra arrived Saturday afternoon. Rip and Sarah came up so we enjoyed playing games and after dinner we helped Grandpa pull up a grove of little trees. He used his tractor to pull them up and Rip attached the chain and Jordan stacked the trees. The weather is perfect here. Highs in the upper 70's and low 80's and lows in the 50s. Sunday we all drove to Jordan's ward for Della's blessing. After church we all returned to our house for dinner. We ate and played games and then ate ice cream. At 9:00 is started getting dark so Rip and Jodi and their families went back up to Grandma's and we got ready for bed. Monday we went to our ward's 4th of July breakfast at the church. After a trip to Walmart we went home and played Frisbee golf and later a game of Settlers. We enjoyed BBQ steak, chicken, pineapple, with salads and brownies for dessert. Way too much good food. Instead of watching the fireworks we stayed home and watched "Adjustment Bureau" on Blu-ray.

Steve enjoying the coolness of the great room

Emma, Kendra and Craig relaxing on the tramp

Kathy and Jeff enjoying dessert

Sarah Grandpa and Grandma enjoying Giant Marshmallows

Mark finishing off his giant toasted marshmallow

In the air again

Monday afternoon I went with Mom and Kathy to Spokane for Jeri's flute recital. Jeri did an awesome job. We spent the night at Rip's and he took me to the airport Tuesday morning for the 6:30 flight to Denver. I made my flight and Trissa picked me up. I met Derrick, Trissa's boyfriend, that night. Wednesday Trissa went to her training meeting and I watched Gavin. Trissa had training Wed through Friday. Friday John came and picked up Gavin and I and took me to the airport for my 12:25 flight, they are going to see his mother so will fly out also. Laura picked me up and took me to her home. We enjoyed the afternoon and evening. Saturday my Dad and Alan came and picked me up and took me to Orem where my mother was waiting. We prepared food for all the company coming for Father's day. Alan and Lacy and their family arrived Friday night and will be staying until the 28th. They are traveling back to Japan so I will not see them for a while. I had a great time with them. Lacy taught me how to make a purse that turns into a baby doll cradle. I also got to visit my cousin Becky and her family. I flew out of the Provo airport Friday and made my connection in Denver and made it to Spokane by 1:30pm. Jim picked me up and we shopped in Spokane before returning home.

Gavin

Alan and my Dad helping at Laura's

Laura working on her yard

Kendra and Sarah

Cameron, Kyle and Jace

Lacy

Week in Denver with Trissa and Gavin

Gavin and I flew to Denver on Tuesday May 31st (Audra's Birthday).  I miss calculated my time of departure from home so I was very stressed when arriving at the airport.  Jeff and Kathy drove us and Jeff helped to get my two roller bags, backback and computer along with Gavin, carseat and diaper bag to the security line.  Just as I was entering the security checkpoint Cindy and her husband arrive and help my through security.  They were flying another airline but they helped me get all my stuff to my gate.  I couldn't have done it without them.  They were an answer to my prayer.  Gavin and I had a good flight and Trissa was there to pick us up.  Wednesday we took Gavin to Kung Fu Panda 2.  He loved the movie.  Thursday we started potty training Gavin.  He enjoys wearing underware and has gone to the bathroom several times in the toilet but still has a way to go before he is trained.  Trissa took Sunday off so we went to her ward for church.  John returned home late Sunday.  Monday John came and took Gavin and Trissa and I headed for the airport.  Trissa works from 3:30 until Midnight.  John gave me a candle holder from Thailand.  I love it.  I didn't expect him to get me something so was surprized when he handed me something wrapped in newpaper.(Thailand Newspaper)  I flew to Seattle on the 4:30 flight.  Jim met me at the airport and we took a shuttle to the hotel.

Trissa's visit

Trissa and Gavin flew in on Tuesday afternoon. My parents and I drove to Spokane and picked them up and then went to visit Mariah, Della, Jordan, James and family. Evan showed me that he can walk now. He walked between James and Audra. We had fun visiting for a couple of hours and then we headed for Colville. Jim and Jeff made us a very yummy dinner which we enjoyed as soon as we got home. Wednesday my parents left and Trissa, Gavin and I went out to Tabby's to visit. Jeff took Trissa to the airport Thursday morning so she could be back to work that afternoon. Gavin will stay with me until I take him back next week.

James Micheal, Evan, Gavin and Makayla

My mom and Della

Gavin, Trissa and Issac

Gavin, Issac and I

My parents came to visit

My parents came to visit this past week. They arrived on Saturday evening in time for dinner. Sunday we found water under our house and so my dad set up the sump pump and we got the water level down. There is about 8 inches of water but Jim has our water heater up on a platform so the water has not reached it yet. The level has not changed in the past few days. Monday my dad went down under the new part out our house and dug down and put a big barrel in the ground for the sump pump. By the end of the day he had the pump working on its own. We have had over a foot of water under that part of the house since last Monday. We have been running the pump by hand every couple of hours. If the pump is not in the ground the float does not work so we had to turn it on and off. Dad also helped Jim dig a ditch to bury the drainage pipe.

Dad digging ditch and my Mom giving a helping hand.  You can see the water draining in the background.

My mom wanted a picture of the side of our house.

The ditch coming away from our house.

Progress on House

Jeff has been busy with our great room. Most of the sheet rock is up and he has started to mud.

Mother's Day

Despite Jim flying to Portland for a funeral of a good friend, I had a great Mother's day. Jordan, Mariah and Della came to visit Saturday and Sunday. Dustin called from Peru after church at 1:00pm. We all got on the phones and were able to talk to him for an hour. We had Grandma and Grandpa over for dinner and William called after dinner just before 3:00pm. He called on my cell phone but I managed to get everyone on the phone and we enjoyed hearing from him for an hour. We ended the day by going to Grandma's and making chocolate aebelskivers. Mariah brought her pan and I used the one Grandma gave me for my birthday. She also gave me the chocolate aebelskiver mix. We put mini chocolate chips in the center and when they were cooked we dusted them with powdered sugar and then dipped them in whipped cream.

The Turkeys are out.

Mom Divis called us this morning and told us that the turkeys were out in their back yard. Jim went up with is camera and shot a few pictures. They were fun to see. A true sign that it is Spring. The birds and the bees you know.

Off to see Trissa and Laura

Jeff and Kathy took me to the airport Wednesday after Seminary. I flew to Denver and spent the day with Trissa and Gavin. Jim flew in from Renton after his three days of meetings. Jim spent the rest of the night fixing Trissa's plumbing. She has not been able to do laundry for three weeks. It took Jim over three hours to get it cleaned out. We didn't get to bed until after midnight.
Thursday we took the first flight to Salt Lake City and spent the day with Laura. We went to Kennecott Bingham Copper Mine. After dinner we walked to the fishing pond and fed the ducks. Friday we had fun with Laura and Kendra and that night we had pizza and watched a movie. Saturday my parents came up and visited for a while before we headed to the airport at noon. Our flight was sold out so we had to wait until 5:00. We arrived in Denver just after our connecting to Spokane left. We spent the night with Trissa and then took the morning flight home.

Jim to the rescue

It's a dirty job

Guiding the snake down the hole

It's been a long day

Kennecott Bingham Copper Mine

Jim and Kendra at the mine

Laura Kendra and Jim in front of big tire at the mine

Kendra with the giant goose

Kendra playing angry birds

Craig Laura and Kendra

My parents in front of Laura's