Monday, October 15, 2012

Fair Fun



The beginning of September is a wonderful time of year, school starts for the kiddos, the weather starts to turn, the leaves are changing, and the fair comes to Eastern Idaho!! I look forward to the fair each year, I am able to enjoy good weather, yummy food, see my kids having a blast on the rides, and take a stroll through all the displays and booths.

This year me, Kimball and Brandon joined up with my parents and went to the fair on its opening day, September 1st, which was busy but so so fun! Zachary and Dad stayed home and watched football, took naps, and studied for his pre-qualifying and  qualifying tests for the PhD program. I had a good time, I almost tossed my cookies a few times though. Brandon was not tall enough to ride the rides so I had to ride some of them with him... I am not the thrill seeker anymore like I was in my teenage years. There was one ride that was particularly horrible, but the boys had fun laughing at mommy. At least they enjoyed that ride:)

My favorite part of the fair has to be the Kitchen store (I'm not sure what the exact name is). I purposely left my wallet in the car so I would not be able to purchase any kitchen gadgets. Well, we ended up going to the kitchen store later on in our trip this year and I started piling gadgets in my arms, forgetting all the while that my wallet was not with me and I had spent my $30 already. I had all sorts of cool kitchen toys and I was getting really excited. That is until I got to the counter and realized that I didn't bring my wallet with me... for this exact purpose:)  I felt foolish telling the clerk that I wouldn't be purchasing my stash of items because I had successfully thwarted my kitchen shopping spree. Anyways, here are a few of my favorite pics from the fair this year:




Kimball and Brandon having a jolly time on a mini kids coaster

Thats right, my son chose to ride a Rooster on the carousel

Looking devilishly cute there Brandon

We couldn't resist a pic with a large inflatable Mario

Brandon riding a pony

Kimball on the pony


Kimball and Brandon putting their hands in the air














What took us so long???



We have lived in Idaho for quite a few years now, for me since January of 2005 and for Mike since May 2005. We have talked about going to Yellowstone every single year, and every single year we ask ourselves the same question, why didn't we go this year? After seven years we decided there would be no more excuses, we were going to Yellowstone!! And what better way to experience Yellowstone than with 3 people who have never been? I have been several times as a young girl but my hubby, his brother Nate and Nate's wife Mia haven't been. We invited Mia and Nate, seeing as how they live so much closer to us now that they have moved across country, Florida to Utah.

Our trip started on August 18th, before the sun even dared to give light. We made the four hour, two hundred and nine mile trip early, making it to West Yellowstone at about 10:30 (this included a stop in Rexburg to borrow a converter from my bro. Corey and donuts at Paradise Donuts...yum). We had to make another stop though, at the border of Montana and Idaho, a new state for our two Floridians.
We headed first to our "campground", if it could even be called a campground. It was an R.V. park that boasted on their website of having one tent site. It was the cheapest tent site within the city limits of West Yellowstone, so of course I reserved it (I admit it, I am cheap). Well you get what you pay for. This "tent site" was right next to the road, with all its light, noise and traffic. Oh well, it was a fun adventure, even though our sleep was not as deep as it could have been, had it not been for the ambiance of sleeping by a street in West Yellowstone.

Now that we had our tent set up, our bed blown up, and our bedding laid out, it was time for our grand entrance into the park. Here are some pictures of our adventures:

Mike and Nate hiking down a steep slope so they could get a better view of Kepler Cascades



What's a trip to Yellowstone without seeing any wildlife?






Catching Old Faithful's eruption

The four of us post eruption
Everyone around us was taking pictures by this sign, we had to do it as well:)
Quite possibly the most magnificent natural view of nature that I have ever witnessed! The artist's point view of the lower falls, in the Yellowstone Grand Canyon
Our last stop in Yellowstone, artist point of lower falls
How can one be in West Yellowtone and not visit Playmill? After we left the park, we had a small dinner at our campground and then headed downtown to window shop before the show at Playmill. We saw a musical within a play called "The Drowsy Chaperone." I was skeptical when I purchased the tickets because I'd never seen it, but we were very delighted with the show!  It was hilarious, we were laughing throughout the whole performance:)

What a great trip, we made so many good memories the four of us. Now maybe in the next 7 years we will take a family trip to Yellowstone so our boys can explore the beauty and wonder of the west.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

A little trip to Logan

I was in desperate need of a break after Camp, and Mike and the boys needed to get out of the house so we headed to Logan. We stayed in Logan the whole weekend, August 10th-12th. Mia and Nate joined us on Saturday morning. We enjoyed going to the temple and being instructed from on High, good food together, games, swimming, and laughter. The boys had a ball with their grammy and grampy and aunt and uncle.While there we made plans for a fabulous getaway to Yellowstone National Park with Mia and Nate. Thanks Grammy and Grampy for putting up with all of us, we enjoyed every minute of it!








Girls Camp 2012- Route to Eternity

This happened within the first hour of arriving at camp... crazy beehives
August 7 to August 10th
Girls camp was just what I needed, the Lord always knows! I am so grateful for those precious few days with such amazing girls! They lifted and inspired me to be a better woman and to live my life as they do, reaching upward and outward. I hope that I can go to Girls camp many many more times in my life, those girls are not the same when they return, they are forever changed by their experiences.
The priesthood made sure they were represented at roll call, thanks to president Jensen.

Leaders, L-R: Jenn Jeppsen, Kim Taylor, Leslie Jones, Me, Cherene Bates

I walked into camp when Jenn was preparing dinner, she had sliced her finger. So I jumped in where she left off and sliced my finger, and then Kim jumped in where I left off and yup, you guessed it, sliced her finger. Crazy!

Matching Laurels!

Setting their pet cricket free! They had a ceremony

Late night personal progress work:)

These girls went for a dip in the mud lake, they smelled so horrible! I had the privelage of hosing them down

Group pic of girls

Girls and leaders

I love my beehives, so sweet...

...and sassy

Last night at camp, eating woof 'ems

Akayla and her mom Angela downing a woof 'em

Woof 'em champs?

Ned measuring the newbies for coffins

Exhausted!!!!!!!!!!


Getting a little wild

The day before I headed off to girls camp, my mom wanted to go to the Idaho Falls Zoo. We had quite the group, me, mike, our boys, my mom, Matt's 3 kids, Corey, Daymi and their 4 kiddos. It was a blast, the kids enjoyed their time and so did the adults. I love the Idaho Falls Zoo, so much better than the Poky zoo.
The kids were excited to drink from the lion's mouth
The three year olds

The five year olds

The eight year olds

Chickens in a nest

I never knew so many crazy chicks could come from a single egg!

They boys

The girls

The matusek boys

How do you measure up Brianna?