The Love of a Family

Day 250

2008-11-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

Luke's favorite movie: Phantom of the Opera. He's awful quiet tonight so I look to see what he's doing and he's cutting up his skeleton costume's mask to turn it into a phantom mask!!! Little does the guy know I got him about 24 phantom masks that he can decorate himself for Christmas. Last night, as we were decorating the tree he bent down to Lilly and says really quiet "You are my angel, my angel of muuuuusicccc." Then he starts singing the song. It was hilarious. So anyways, here he is...my own personal Phantom of the Opera.

Days 248 and 249

2008-11-30T13:41:00.000-08:00

Just before the older kids left...gathered 'round our Thanksgiving Tree.

Decorating for Christmas!!!!

Days 244 245 246 247

2008-11-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

Reading to my gaggle of little kids...

The whole family at the Malad Gorge in Idaho.

At Chuck E Cheese!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner at my BIL's house. It was quite the packed house! The 10 of us, their family of 11, and another couple! I was thankful there was enough food! ;)

Day 243

2008-11-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of our kids having fun in the afternoon SUN! I'm not fond of the processing - but it was a quick play in Picasa.

PS They broke the picnic table. Good for us we have a spare!

Days 239, 240, 241, 242

2008-11-23T18:32:00.000-08:00

238 - candy making activity for church (that's not me - it's my friend Brandi)

No pic day 240

Day 241 - hubby's kids came into town (this is the peace, love and rock n' roll child - but I wouldn't want her any other way)

Day 242 - Lilly before church

Day 238

2008-11-19T19:25:00.000-08:00

We went to the Museum of Idaho today for their "World of the Pharaohs" exhibit that is on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston. It was AMAZING!!!!!!! All sorts of artifacts - even a mummified kitten! CRAZY! The boys really enjoyed it and asked lots of good questions - they especially liked learning about all of the Gods. Here they are in front of the museum walking like an Egyptian. LOL

Day 237

2008-11-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

The new bed!!!!! He didn't sleep in it much last night. He usually sleeps through the night no problem. Hopefully he'll do better tonight. *fingers crossed!*

Day 236

2008-11-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

I put this on my family blog, too...but here's a video shot with my Nikon D90 today of my daughter walking. That counts as a picture, right? It was taken with my camera!

Enjoy!

Day 235

2008-11-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

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Another lovely day in Idaho! I had a babywearing meeting this morning at the most adorable shops in town (we mostly just window shopped) and then I gave a bow making lesson at my church for our craft day and then we went into "town" to feed the ducks and do some shopping. We were going to get Carson his big boy bed (he's 4, it's about time he was out of a toddler bed...but he does love his "little tiny bed") but we - nor the stores - had nothing to tie it onto the car with. So, that will have to wait until Monday.

Day 234

2008-11-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here's yesterday's picture. I took it last night after I scrubbed & cleaned my WHOLE HOUSE. Top to bottom. Even organized the play room. Can you even tell today? Nope. Looks just like the tornado hit it...aka "normal". My sweet husband tried helping. He cleaned out our extra room...the one I'm afraid to even go into because there's so much "stuff" in there. He hung up a picture of my ancestor's in the closet. I haven't laughed that hard in ages. Maybe that'll be my POD tomorrow. After he did that, he worked in our greenhouse. It's really lovely in there. And, that's where the POD came from. The new planter box he made yesterday.

Day 233

2008-11-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

My birthday presents came today!!!! I got a new tripod (my old one was OLD and a bear), a polarizer (but will need to be changed out for one that fits my camera) and a SPEED LIGHT! YAY!!!!! Here's my first try with the speed light. PLEASE give me suggestions/hints on how to use this thing. I was bouncing it off the ceiling. Did it work? It's a huge improvement off of the shadow cast by my lens with the on-board flash, but still. What can I do to make it better?

Day 232

2008-11-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

Fun day with my birthday celebrations spilling over. We went to "town" and had ice cream at Leatherby's then drove around for a bit (taking a few pics along the way at sunset). Good times!

Day 231

2008-11-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

This picture was screaming POD (picture of the day). From the looks of it I was forcing him to eat the salad, but really it's his favorite. I ordered it and he was CHOWING it. In other news...yesterday was...MY 30TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I spent the entire morning in bed. Breakfast & movie in bed then to "town" with my family to spend the day shopping, feeding the ducks and eating out! I'm so happy to finally be an adult!

Day 229 & 230

2008-11-12T09:42:00.001-08:00

Nothin'. Why didn't I pick up the camera? There's no excuse. Dag GUM!

Day 228

2008-11-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

A portrait of self (and shadow) taken by my sweet husband. Here I am combining much of what I do...Babywearing (I'm the Idaho Chapter President of the International Babywearing Association), standing at the PTO (I'm on the board) Family Picnic, having a picture taken so I can edit it (aspiring photog), with my foster kids (we are licensed foster parents) nearby (whom are one of many the reasons I am a member of the Children's Mental Health Council here). I am a woman of many hats. ha ha ha

Day 227

2008-11-07T12:34:00.000-08:00

Whew! Getting a deal is tiring. Here's the big freezer, stocked and organized (NOT clean). I'll be adding another 60 bags of (FREE) veggies on Monday. I really hope I can fit it in. I'm about ready to buy another big freezer to fill with the awesome deals I've been getting! My little freezer is shoved full, too. I organized it thusly: Little freezer holds ice cream, open bags of veggies, frozen waffles, frozen bread dough, most of our juice concentrates, cookie dough, frozen go-gurts and a few other odds and ends. The big freezer has frozen meals, bulk veggies, the leftovers of the 1/2 cow we bought last spring, the leftovers of the fish my husband caught in Alaska 2 trips ago, chicken, bacon, etc, OJ containers, butter, loaves of bread, baking goods (small bags of flour, flax seed, wheat, gluten, etc), whip cream and other odds and ends.

Here are the details to get a deal...again. Email me if it doesn't make sense and I'll explain it better. Search your ads. Albertson's is having a great deal right now. Spend $30 on select items and get $15 back in register coupons (to use on your next transaction). So, you get the items (such as chex cereal, Knorr side dishes, Progresso soup, ALL laundry detergent, Macaroni Grill boxed dinners, Pillsbury frozen dough, etc - check the ad) and sort them into $30 transactions. Have the cashier ring them up in $30 transactions and then when you get the 3 $5 coupons off after you pay, use them on the next transaction. BESIDES doing that, bring coupons in with you. Newspaper coupons and online coupons. The $30 counts before you use coupons. So you won't be spending $30 on each transaction because you'll be using your coupons to get more of a discount. Albies also allows you to use other store's ads on your groceries, so I took in the Fred Meyer ad for $10/10 Oj/Milk 1/2 gallons and got OJ. So, now we have 10 containers of OJ in our freezer. It's not easy, it takes a lot of preparation and organization. But man is it worth it! We are building our food storage for less than what we usually spend on our monthly budget. My email address is brittany . lueck at gmail . com if you have any questions. Have fun saving money! I'm going to take a nap.

Day 226

2008-11-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here's yesterday's picture. We went to run errands in Idaho Falls (spent $70 - including 30# chicken, saved $190) and stopped to feed the ducks at the falls. I didn't have my camera on me (felt like I was missing a limb!) so my husband's camera phone had to do. It's the first time Lilly has seen ducks and she LOVED it. It was so cute the way she'd laugh and babble at them and throw the crackers at them (although I caught her sneaking bites of the stale, nasty things and had to dig it out of her mouth). We're hoping to be able to do this again before the winter sets in at least once more!

Day 225

2008-11-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

Shopping day! Well, I went a bit over budget but that's alright. I'll do even better next month. I spent $199 and saved over $300. Here are a few of the things I got: upwards of 15 boxes of cereal, salad, organic carrots, 2 gallons milk, 1 gallon organic milk, side dishes, snacks, produce, yogurt, cookie dough, muffin & cookie mix, boxed dinners (I forget exactly, but more than 20), shampoo, conditioner, body wash, baggies, flavored rice mixes, laundry detergent and much, much more. Tomorrow I'm going back for: 2-3 containers of Purex laundry detergent, 15# chicken, 2 lotions, 4 cans snack nuts, 5 1/2 gallons of OJ, 1 loaf of french bread & 60 bags of frozen veggies (yes, 60...about a year's worth for us, maybe not quite a year's worth) all for about $7. WOOT!

How can you do it? Get an awesome friend like Kimber to show you the ropes like she did me. LOL j/k But seriously, thanks Kimber. You rock. Look at your store's weekly ad (I use Alberston's) and gather coupons that match those advertised specials. Newspaper, Ebay, online. Then, use them together as well as be aware (through the ad/customer service people) of the promotions going on. For example, today it was spend $30 (BEFORE coupons) on certain items (which were many) and get $15 in coupons to use on your next transaction. So, I had many transactions and utilized the coupons on the next one. Doing this requires a LOT of time and organization but it's MONEY! (aka - WORTH IT)

Day 224

2008-11-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

I vow to do better posting pics as I take them. LOL Here are a couple of cloth diapers I'm selling. Well, the butterfly one sold super fast so I just have the other one left. I'm going to miss the yellow one and almost hope it doesn't sell, it's so CUTE!

Day 223

2008-11-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

Well, darn it! I forgot to post again. Here's the pic I took though! My sweet husband makes the YUMMIEST Rosemary french bread. I love it! The boys think it's funny because it has "weeds" in it. We love to have it along side soup, pasta, deluxe scrambled eggs (toasted), and use it with chicken salad sandwiches. LOVE IT!

Day 222

2008-11-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Whoops! Forgot to take a pic yesterday, so here's one I just snapped of what I was GOING to do. Coupon clipping. Sunday ritual. Love saving money!!!! My goal for groceries and other things for the month = $150 for our family of 5 (growing by 3 kids for Thanksgiving). This includes EVERYTHING except bills & gas. YAY!

Day 221

2008-11-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Busy work day today! Lawrence & Luke cleaned out the garage, dug up the garden, mowed the lawn (last time this season) and built this awesome greenhouse! Then, he organized the garage and magically fit everything back in. Carson, Lilly & I thoroughly cleaned and organized both kid's rooms, conqured Laundry Mountain, rearranged furniture and ran a couple of errands. As long as we're upstairs or in the garage our house feels great. ha ha ha ha Next week we'll keep going with it all!

Day 220

2008-10-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! One Kindergarten Halloween Party, one Halloween Parade, one children's maze, and hours of trick-or-treating leaves three children sugar-loaded and TIRED! Keep your fingers crossed that they sleep in tomorrow.

BTW - weather couldn't have been nicer. Low 60's for trick or treating!!!! That's livin'!

Day 219

2008-10-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Just a quick snapshot of these cute little friends at their Preschool party today! It was great! Lots of fun activities mixed into their normal routine and not a lot of sugar! I absolutely LOVE our preschool! There aren't a lot of kids in a class (8-10 maybe?), they do LOTS of fun things and tuition is very reasonable! The kids pictured are in our carpool...which I also love (only having to drive once every 3 weeks?! Awesome!). Happy Halloween Eve!

Day 218

2008-10-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today: Get Luke to school, other 2 kids to the Dr for yearly check-ups & (don't say it!) *shots*, make it home with the car running on fumes, clean house, laundry, tend to irritable children and meet their every demand out of guilt (from the shots, of course), try to check things off my never-ending To Do list, meet the bus and pray someone doesn't run over him as he crosses the street to me, make lunch, clean the kitchen while family eats lunch, clean up after family eats lunch, baby down for a nap, boys down for TV time, sort mail, more laundry and house cleaning, vote (we never know if we'll be in town on any given day so better safe than sorry), get homework and activities going for boys, threaten them with their lives for not being quiet (they wake the baby every. single. day!), clean play dough off the floor, start dinner, enjoy Aunt Mary's company, decorate Halloween cookies, clean up kitchen, bath, teeth, pj's, read scriptures, family prayer, loves all around...wait for it...wait for it...YES! Everybody is asleep!!!! Whew.

Day 217

2008-10-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

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We went to a friend's house today to play in their leaves. With 70 degree weather who wouldn't?! We had a ton of fun. This isn't the best shot I took. But I love the way that she's watching the leaves fall. Others are posted on my photog blog.

Would you have sacrificed DoF to get a cleaner shot of the leaves?

Day 216

2008-10-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

This little girl took ONE 20 minute nap today (20 minutes is even pushing it, it may not have been that long). She stayed up until midnight last night (happily, no screaming or fussing at all) and was up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning at 7! It's about time she zonked, she's exhausted ME so I imagine she was a bit tired. I love her! Other than that...she's getting better at walking and has been jabbering in her own language complete with hand gestures. Too cute. The house is pretty well put back together after the trip and the weekend. I always feel more peace when my house isn't trashed. Tired, but with a touch of peace. Nice day all in all! Even the weather is nice - 50's/60's? Which really helped me be able to clean the house since the kids could play outside most of the day! I never complain when it's warm!

Day 215

2008-10-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

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"Indy Andy" Luke here taking a break. Indiana Jones, get it? He even has a "whapper", see? I love my boy.

I'm Baaaccckkkk!!!!

2008-10-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Luke (aka Batman) at sunset. Fun Halloween-y day today!

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(All pics shot with Nikon D90 unless noted)

Day 131

2008-08-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

A beautiful Sabbath day. This pic was taken before church outside the house, then I darkened the background in photoshop CS3 Extended. Nothing much more to report!

Day 130

2008-08-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Lilly's new trick. She LOVES books. She goes straight for the bookshelf & pulls them all out then sorts through them and looks at them. Thankfully she doesn't rip them up like her brother's always did (yet?) but she does like to crumple every now and then...and gnaw on them! Today was such a relaxing day. Lawrence worked outside, Lilly & I spent a while out there...the boys ran around in their swimsuits and everything was calm and peaceful. Except the wind.

Day 129

2008-08-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Lawrence had his "procedure" today at the IF surgical center. Everything was great and he doesn't have to go in for another 10 years. Hopefully then I'll be able to leave all 3 kids at home as it was a bit boring for them. ha ha ha But, daddy wanted his family there for him and we were happy to oblige. The best part of the day was hearing the "10:32 Story" 1/2 dozen times. "The last thing I remember was looking at the monitor and it said 10:32 on it." Funny part is that the first thing he asked when he woke up is "What time is it?" And asked several times thereafter...as well as if we could go eat (hamburger with avocado specifically). We love you daddy!

Day 128

2008-08-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

Luke had his soccer game tonight and he scored a goal!!!! First goal he ever scored during a game. WAY TO GO LUKEY!!!!! Carson & I screamed and cheered for him after he kicked it in and I gave him a big thumbs up. He returned the gesture and then strode down the field, head high, arms a' swingin'! He told me earlier that he was going to do it and by golly, he did!

**This pic was taken with my Nikon N70 and not ON this day, but the next day**

Day 127

2008-08-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

The foster kids went home today, we miss them. Little Lilly is getting 2 new teeth that are very painful! Keeping her up at night, fevers and CRANKINESS! Poor baby. That middle one keeps going up and down. OUCH!

Day 126

2008-08-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Dinner at Chuck-A-Rama with 5 kids & 2 adults = good deal! BUT...Lawrence's face says it all. ha ha ha We love Thomas & Danica.

Day 125

2008-08-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Photoged by Lawrence, PP by me. We went to IF today. Came back & sold the dog & Explorer...YAY! Now I almost have enough $$$ to buy a new camera.

Day 124

2008-07-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Another day with no picture!!! But, I stayed up 1/2 the night learning how to create actions on photo shop. I did an action for this picture here - make smaller, sharpen for web, add a border & my watermark. I also learned how to soften the picture, like this one! Church was fine, the kids were very well behaved and all went to their classes fine. After church Lawrence, the foster kids, Lilly & I all took a nap. I was up within about 20 minutes though so I cleaned up the house a bit and fiddle farted around until everyone else got up. It was a nice day.

Day 123

2008-07-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't take a picture today (migraine) so here's one I edited! We went to IF today and got fish food, dog food and a Wii!!! That thing is soooooooo much FUN! Luke rocked the bowling game. Lawrence kicked my trash on bowling, tennis, shooting, cow races, and whatever else my migraine-haze-induced coma can't remember right now. I demand a rematch on account of he played for 3 1/2 hours before I even touched the remote and I couldn't see straight let alone play a game. BRING IT ON BUDDY!

Day 122

2008-07-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

What happens when daddy is feeding Lilly and leaves the bowl on her tray? WHAT A MESS!!!! Honestly, I don't think the boys ever got themselves this covered in food. She didn't like it one bit though. She was very happy to get in the shower and clean up. Everyone had a good laugh at her sitting there smearing her oatmeal/sweet potatoes all over her face and hair. Silly Lilly!

Day 121

2008-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little foster kids got here today. We love when they come visit us! Luke had his soccer game tonight. There he is with Savannah ready to SCORE! Today was the 24th of July and usually we'd go to the Stake celebration but the times overlapped with the game so we didn't get to go. We still appreciate our pioneer heritage though!

Day 120

2008-07-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

We had a nice day today lazing around the house. We didn't do a whole lot. It's been nice. We are so glad that daddy is home. Like Luke said before family prayer tonight, "Now our family is complete again".

Day 119

2008-07-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

Luke had soccer practice today. Coach says he's doing GREAT and his enthusiasm for the game is growing. They got popsicles after the game, not sure why but Luke's been expecting it for a couple of weeks now. Carson somehow got their refrigerator toy out front on the door. *sigh* It never ends. ;) The rest of the day was spent cleaning up the playroom. Now, having typed that I see it comes across as the playroom being very messy. NOT TRUE! It wasn't bad at ALL. So, why did it take over 8 hours to get it done? That's what I want to know! In the end, most of the toys ended up in a trash bag headed for the DI. Oh, MOM! What a cruel thing to do! Right? WRONG. Luke was overheard whispering to Carson, "Now we don't have to clean up toys anymore." I guess it's best for everyone. On a brighter note DADDY GOT HOME!!! YAY! We missed him soooo much. Welcome home sweetheart! We love you!

Day 118

2008-07-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

Our bffae's left today. :( We miss you guys so much already! Since Kimberly & I stayed up until after 3am last night laughing and talking we weren't much fun for the kids. We went to lunch and had popsicles outside today before saying goodbye. I have 3 words for you guys, "MOVE. TO. RIGBY." On a happier note, Lawrence gets back tomorrow! YAY!

Day 117

2008-07-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

We headed out to the homestead again today to do a few more shots. I am really happy with what we got! Of course, it helps to have an incredible model that's a total natural in front of the camera. The kids enjoyed the sun and played in the fields and then in the sprinklers when we got home. Very low-key day.

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Day 116

2008-07-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Kimberly & I took all of the kids to the Homestead and met Kimber & AnnaMarie out there to play around with our cameras. It was a lot of fun! The kids swore there were rattle snakes in the grass so & they were determined to find them. They were so cute all filled with purpose. We did get some AWESOME shots, I'm pleased with them anyways. I'm excited to do it again, just wish Kimberly would be able to join us again. I also went to Corine's wedding and reception. It was so nice. I really enjoyed it. I went to the wedding with Jada and then picked up Kimberly & the kids for the reception. Alexis and Luke danced the night away. Carson asked Aislyn to dance but she turned him down, twice. He confessed his love to "Aunt Kimmy" and asked her if he could marry Aislyn. Isn't that the cutest?! We all had a very nice time.

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Day 115

2008-07-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

Lilly's started waving. But she does this Heil Hitler wave. It's hilarious. To top that off, when I ask her to sign (more, eat, drink, all done, fish, dog...ANYTHING) she does this. She kills me. Kimberly S & her kids came today to visit us. We love them! We are so excited to be able to spend the weekend with them. Lilly had her 9 month check up today. She's gained a pound (now 17 pounds) and an inch (27 inches) in the last 3 months. She's a shrimpy and we love her!

Day 114

2008-07-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Daddy left today. We miss him sooooo much! Lilly is so funny when daddy talks to her on the phone. She gets the cutest puppy-confused face and turns the phone over and over in her hands looking for daddy. Then she'll smile big and bounce when he starts saying a familiar phrase "I'm gonna EAT her!" "There's my girl, there's my girl, there's my little tiny GIRL!" "Patty Cake..." "This is the way the ladies ride..." etc. So sweet! We had a very busy, fun day. After we took daddy to the shuttle I dropped the boys off at LoLo's and I went to my Children's Mental Health Council meeting. Kimber, her cousin and Angela came this time. After the meeting I cleaned up the house a bit before we headed to Idaho Falls for Baxter's dog food. We ended up getting a toy for him and a few new fish, too. We came home, the boys changed into their suits and we went to the Tower's house for some backyard water fun. Then it was dinner, prayers, visit and bed!

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Day 113

2008-07-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Luke had soccer pictures then practice this morning. He is really getting good at soccer. The best part is how much he LOVES playing. He is really good about listening to his coach and trying his best. After soccer practice the battery was dead in the van so I ran to Aunt Mary's house and borrowed her car & jumper cables. A quick jump got us going & we were back home! We had a fun day playing the rest of the day. The boys ran a loaf of bread over to our neighbor's house and wanted to do it by themselves. When it came to leaving the house they asked me to stand at the mailbox...then the lilac bush - just so somebody wouldn't grab them and run away with them. So they went up by themselves from there. What thoughtful boys to want to bring that over to her.

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Day112

2008-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

Summer movie (Alvin & The Chipmunks...gag), shopping, dinner at Johnny Carinos & swimming in the backyard...wahoo! And the best part is that daddy came with us! What a great day! Carson gave a great FHE lesson on kindness. He did so well, what a good boy!

Day 111

2008-07-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Luke gave a talk in Primary today. He did great. I'd forgotten he was asked to speak until 1/2 way through Sacrament meeting so I quickly got one put together for him. It was about sharing the gospel. So he spoke about how he loves Scripture stories (and told a couple of them) and how he wants to share them with other people so they can live with Heavenly Father again someday. What a good boy he is.

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Day 110

2008-07-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

What says summer more than eating watermelon in the backyard while wearing your swimsuit?! That's the kind of day we had today. Ahhh, I live for summer.

Day 109

2008-07-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Another wonderfully lazy summer day! We just played around the house and enjoyed our day. Here's a picture of Luke. He was so excited to get his "Pirate Pictures" taken. Isn't he the cutest?!

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Day 108

2008-07-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

Luke had his first soccer game today. He did AWESOME!!!! He really loved every minute of it. I never knew how much fun it would be to watch my child play sports. I really look forward to it! Even though it was hot and really windy we loved sitting on the sidelines cheering him on.

Day 107

2008-07-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Daddy got us a swimming pool!!! It is so much fun!!! We played in it ALL day! Who could ask for more??? Even Lilly got in on the fun, splashing and kicking. We love it, thank you daddy! After dinner L's brother and his family came over to play. They even brought their dog, Duke, to play with Baxter. We had a nice time visiting, playing and shooting off fireworks (what we had left anyways).

Day 106

2008-07-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

What an enjoyable day! Luke had his first soccer practice today. He did GREAT! He was really into it, loving the game. He even made a goal in the scrimmage! GO LUKEY! Daddy trenched the garden today and made a moat of sorts in it so when we got back the boys were in it before I could blink. Naturally, with them as dirty as they were I got a call that Aunt Joyce and Uncle Vince were in Rexburg and can they stop by. So, we rushed to get them cleaned up before they got here. We really enjoyed their visit and we're so glad that they came! After they left we went for a nice walk to the homestead so I could shoot some pics of Lilly. Well, she took the opportunity to devour the all-you-can-eat dirt/stick fest. I couldn't get her hands out of her mouth, wipe her off and shoot a picture for the life of me! Regardless, we got some cute shots. This one was totally blown so I messed with it and I like the artistic flare I ended up with. It's still not perfect in the technical sense, but I like it.

I forgot to mention that last night Luke gave the FHE lesson on Moroni and the golden plates and Joseph Smith. He did a very nice job.

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Day 105

2008-07-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing, lazy day today! We just love summer! Warm weather, long days, plenty to do! The kids and I went to the summer movie today (Veggie Tales: Pirates) and loved the show. Then we did our shopping and looked for a pool several places (can you believe there weren't any left?!). Then we picked up the awesome deal at Johnny Carinos (family night...our whole family ate for $11 and we had leftovers!). YAY!

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Day 104

2008-07-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Our little angel! How I adore this little girl! I substituted in nursery today. Lilly LOVED being with all of the kids. It was fun! Aunt Mary and her daughter Sharon and her husband are coming over for dinner tonight. We love spending time with Aunt Mary and feel so lucky to know her.

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Day 103

2008-07-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Working on shutter speed here. What fun! We did a few with sparklers that turned out awesome, but not what I was wanting. So we tried tonight with glow sticks. We got some fun ones! We had a fun day today, too. Shopping in Idaho Falls for the month. Luke & Carson have been working hard doing chores to earn money and took part of what they've saved to the dollar store to buy themselves a slinky. They are supremely happy with their purchase. What good boys. Not much else to report.

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Day 102

2008-07-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!!!!! We had a great day cleaning house & playing outside. Lilly's been pulling herself up to stand using whatever's near her (couch, her brother's head, etc) then trying to stand on her own. She's gotten really good at falling! She's been able to stay up for a couple of seconds at a time! :) We're so proud of our little girl! We picked up Aunt Mary and we all went to Dairy Queen for dinner then met up with some neighbors (Douglas', Walkers and more filtered in through the night) for fireworks. The kids played with water balloons for a while then the firework show lasted a little over an hour. It was so much FUN!

Luke and Carson were talking about what "beat" means. Luke said it means "win" and Carson replied with, "No, it means the other guy trips and falls and then you run really fast."

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Day 101

2008-07-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

We ran over to Alpine, Wyoming today. Along the way we stopped for a picnic lunch at a campsite near the Palisades Reservoir. We got to see a hawk with a fish in his talons flying through a canyon, lots of fuzz from Cottonwood trees and amazingly beautiful scenic views. What a fun day! Of course, we got some fireworks for our 4th of July celebration tomorrow. Lilly went nuts eating chicken tenders at lunch (her first time eating meat). She LOVED it! That girl's taste in foods never ceases to amaze me. The lake was beautiful, I can't wait to go back there! The boys thought it was so cool to walk through the mud...until we ran into some little beetles community, they got all over our feet! A wonderful day all in all!

DAY 100!!!!!!

2008-07-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

YAY! It's my 100th posting!!!! I wanted to do a good one for such a milestone. So I thought about it all day. This is what I ended on. I had several I tried deciding on, but I love the way the setting sun is landing on little Lilly while she's munching on the grass around her. We had a fun day today. The kids and I went to summer movies (Game Plan) and out to lunch, we went to Petsmart and tested our fish tank's water (it's perfect!) and bought Baxter some more food and 3 more fish (Glass fish, they're really cool! You can see right through them!). Then we played outside a while, had dinner then headed over to a birthday party for a sweet little boy in our ward. The boys (daddy, Luke, Carson and Baxter) went for a walk after and Lilly & I headed out to take pictures.

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Day 99

2008-07-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

What a warm, beautiful day! There was more gardening, running in the sprinklers, housework and a LOT of photo editing going on today! Lawrence made a slew of chili and canned it (as well as some butter) so we had a busy kitchen! I forgot to mention yesterday that Lilly started waving! She'd sling her hand up (think Heil Hitler), hold it there for a minute then quick wave a few times. SO CUTE! As if that's not enough for her she's been pulling herself up to standing using whatever's near her (my knee, a chair, the boys head). What a big girl! Needless to say, she's been flopping herself around quite enough (laying, rolling/scooting around then sitting herself up). The boys squeal and give me constant updates as to her goings on moment by moment. We love Lilly!

Day 98

2008-06-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 73rd BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!! We had a lovely day here. We got some housework done, weeded the garden, then went to Idaho Falls to pick up Baxter (he got fixed today), ran a few errands then picked up some Johnny Carinos for dinner (one of my FAVES) and had a picnic outside! We ended the day with some more gardening before turning in for the evening.

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Day 97

2008-06-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to take a picture today!!! Lawrence spoke in church today on behalf of the singles. He did a great job. He's a wonderful speaker, so I didn't expect anything but greatness from him. After church I worked on family history. I found this neat picture from the Lueck family reunion a couple of years ago. It's of my dad & I wandering the cemeteries taking pictures of headstones to research. It's one of my favorite pastimes.

Day 96

2008-06-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 75th BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!! Last day of the trip for us! Grandma took Lawrence and the boys garage saling this morning. They got some fun toys! Then we met Lawrence's sister & her husband and had breakfast at a buffet to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. It was so yummy! We had some cake and ice cream back at their house before we drove home. Happy day for Luke...his soccer uniform was waiting for him! He had to put it on right away, of course! We're glad to be back home! :)

Day 95

2008-06-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

The best day of the trip!!! Daddy was with us all day! We went to Julia Davis Park and rode the paddle boats (we even saw a turtle in one of the bays), ate snow cones, played on the playground, and walked around. We went to Chuck E Cheese for lunch and games (daddy agrees that we need one in Rigby, what a fun place!). Then we went to the store for a few things we needed and went to Grandma & Grandpa's house for the evening. Lawrence's nephew & his wife came over and we played cards and had boston creme pie after dinner.

Day 94

2008-06-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Another fabulous day! Daddy spent the day at meetings so the kids & I were on our own! We headed to Grandma & Grandpa's house and picked them up to go to the zoo. We had fun seeing all of the animals (there was even a legless lizard there we were able to touch), playing on the fun playground things there and the boys even got to ride a carousel! We had a nice picnic in the park after the zoo. Then we took Grandma & Grandpa home and the kids & I stopped for an ice cream cone before we went swimming at the hotel. Luke & Carson took their floaties off and they were able to swim without them!!!!! They were GREAT! We hurried over to pick up daddy and meet Gma & Gpa at a Chinese food restaurant for dinner. I was terrified when I saw baby octopus offered. The boys were all excited so they asked for them. I was further terrified when they were the only thing Lilly would eat!!! GROSS! The girl won't eat ANYTHING (peaches, applesauce, green beans, NORMAL food) but she eats octopus?!?! Who did she come from!?!?! The boys each took a little bite, Grandpa popped one in his mouth like it was a bite sized candy bar and Lawrence even ate a bite. I passed on my opportunity. I had one in Advanced Biology in high school...that was enough for my lifetime. Anyways, it was a nice dinner and we enjoyed visiting with Grandma and Grandpa.

Day 93

2008-06-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

What a fun fun day! We went to the Discovery Center and had a BLAST playing with all of the fun science things there. We looked in a microscope to see bugs and cocoa, another showed us our blood cells in our retinas, we learned about sound vibrations (one computer even showed us how tall we were just by talking to it!), the boys went into a little grocery store where they got the items on their list and then paid for them, there was a bed of nails, a yelling tube (Carson especially liked that one) and so many other fun fun things! After we were done there we dropped daddy off at his conference and we headed to CHUCK E CHEESE!!! The boys have DREAMED of going there for ages. So, you can imagine their excitement when we were able to go. They were in awe walking in. We invited Grandma and Grandpa and we all had lunch before hitting the games. It was so much fun! We spent the better part of the afternoon there before we said "see you later" to Grandma, Grandpa and Chuck E Cheese and went back to the hotel to go SWIMMING!!! It was so nice and warm outside it made the pool feel heavenly! By the time we were done swimming daddy was done with his meetings so we picked him up, had dinner with Grandma & Grandpa and went back to their house for some fun visiting before we went back to the hotel for bed!

Day 92

2008-06-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

We drove to Boise today! We checked into our hotel (Red Lion, the boys LOVED seeing the lion on the side of the bldg and pointing it out whenever we drove by it) then headed over to Grandma & Grandpa's house. We had the tastiest dinner and visited for a while before we headed back to the hotel and turned in for the night.

Day 91

2008-06-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

What a nice day. We all worked hard. We set the timer for 23 minutes of cleaning then 10 minutes of down time. It worked GREAT! We're just about ready for our trip tomorrow. I have planned some fun things for us to do, we're so excited!!! FHE was awesome tonight, we talked about testimonies. It was touching.

Here's Luke with his FHE treat goofing off. I was working on DOF.
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Day 90

2008-06-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you mix a long trip, late nights, no nap and too much fun? Tears. Over nothing. Here's sweet little Carson playing with Kolton & Luke in the backyard after dinner today. We had Jeanie and Aunt Mary over. It was a lot of fun! Church was nice, too.

Day 89

2008-06-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Saturday today! Finally it's feeling like summer (just in time as today was the first day of summer). Upper 80's, little breezes, NO WIND!!! Maybe I just cursed myself. ;) Lawrence and the boys slept out back in the tent last night with Peter & his kids. They seemed to have a blast. They all had breakfast while Lilly & I slept in. Baxter was groomed this morning (shaved bald) and looks much cleaner. We went out to look at a Willy's that's for sale in the area in hopes of restoring it but it was junk. Then we grabbed lunch at Wendy's and ate it at the city park. What a NICE day for a picnic! Then we went to the local nursery and bought some flowers for our front yard. We planted them under the trees out front, hopefully they take! Then the thing that is so rare it is almost non-existent happened...we all took a NAP! After the boys woke up they put their suits on and ran in the sprinklers. We all ate dinner and then watched some TV before bath time, story & BED! Isn't that the perfect day???

The pic is of a spider's web on the Willy's, as requested by the boys.
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Day 88

2008-06-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day. Even better than yesterday! It's just breezy enough but warm and sunny. We had a sweet, summer day today lazing around the house and enjoying the weather. The boys (Baxter included) and I weeded the garden with Lilly strapped on my back, we ate some snacks outside, Carson was THIS close to catching a butterfly and we laid on our backs watching the puffy clouds float by. SOOOO nice! Here's a picture of Carson climbing the tree out front. Last year he was so jealous of Luke being able to climb it so it's extra special that this year he is able to do it, too!

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Day 87

2008-06-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well, Lawrence got his birthday wish! We got a dog. He's a 2 year old Miniature Schnauzer that we named Baxter. He looks a little rough in this picture but he's got an appointment to get groomed, fixed and shots! He's the sweetest, most calm, obedient dog. We really lucked out with him. He comes when called, has yet to bark, and is so sweet and loving with the kids. It was fun buying all the doggy stuff for him. Welcome to the family Baxter!

Day 86 - Happy Birthday Lawrence!

2008-06-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

We had such a FUN day today! Lawrence had breakfast on the porch (french toast, bacon, OJ) after he and the boys played outside in the BEAUTIFUL weather for a while. Then I ran to my Children's Mental Health Council meeting. When I got back we went to Idaho Falls and saw Prince Caspian at the theater (it was SUCH a good movie, but it's among my favorite of all books ever so no surprise). Then Lawrence wanted to go to the Animal Shelter and play with the dogs. We loved this chocolate lab so much. He was so sweet and playful. We also saw two miniature schnauzers that we fell for. After that we went to dinner at Lawrence and Luke's favorite restaurant, Chuck A Rama! We stuffed ourselves then went to the pet store where we got two black fish (the person that worked there gave us a girl and boy so our hopes of babies might be realised). There was a teeny, tiny little baby fish in the tank that she threw in for free!!!! It is SO cute! We named it Puff. When we got home we all crashed. It was such a nice day. I love spending time with my family! It just never gets old.

Day 85

2008-06-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful, warm but BREEZY day. We are so glad to be back home. Lilly seems to be the happiest about being home. She slept most of the day! Luke did GREAT in T-Ball tonight. He played short stop and did so good grabbing the ball and throwing it to first! He still gets stuck at 2nd base though. He seems to forget to run to 3rd. I love it. SO CUTE!

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Day 84

2008-06-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here we all are just before we rolled out for home! Grandma and Grandpa are so sweet to us. We love them so much! They are so kind and hospitable whenever we visit. The kids get so excited when we tell them we're going out there. Lucky for us, we'll be there again next week!!! We can't wait!

Day 83 - Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

We drove back from Tahoe to Boise today. What a long, tiring drive! We drove straight to Lawrence's brother's house for a DELICIOUS dinner and fun times with them. It was a lot of fun visiting with them. If Lawrence and the kids look a little run down it's because we were. The picture was taken around 11pm and everyone was ready for bed. Luke even got into bed and put himself to sleep that night. I don't know if he's ever done that before! Carson fell asleep during family prayer. We all slept well (and in the next day) with no problems!

Day 82

2008-06-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

The day of the wedding. It took place on this dock. It was a beautiful day, really perfect weather. I was chosen to take all of the pictures, which was a bit intimidating. But, it's over and done with now. Here is Lawrence with our kids before the ceremony.

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Day 81

2008-06-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

We drove the rest of the way to Lake Tahoe today. What a LOOOONNNNGGGG drive! The best part of the day was Carson City. He's been waiting so patiently so we could take him there. He loved seeing his name everywhere (Carson Mall, Carson Community Center, Carson Gas & Go, etc). Luke was just as excited pointing out "Carson" everywhere.

Day 80

2008-06-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Craters of the Moon!!! It didn't look much like the moon to us, but it was still fun to be there. This is the first time we've taken this route to Boise. It was a beautiful drive! Daddy stuck a dollar under a couple of rocks and the boys thought it was SOOOOO cool when they found them! We stayed with Grandma & Grandpa Blackburn over night. What fun we had!

Day 79

2008-06-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some sweet little yellow bellied birds sitting in the field next to our house this evening. Does anyone know what kind they are? It snowed this morning. Yup, it's June 11 and it was snowing! The wind is still whipping...will it ever END?! Despite that, Lawrence planted a bunch of flowers and bushes that we got through a seed catalog. Isn't that cute? A seed catalog! We got all of the laundry done, the house cleaned, everything out ready to pack away and I even got over to my friend Kimber's house to borrow a couple of ring slings for the upcoming trip! We're pretty well ready to go tomorrow! I won't be posting my POD until we get back in town.

Day 78

2008-06-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

D went home this afternoon. We miss her very much. We went to Rexburg for our family haircut day. D and I also got a manicure. It was so cute how excited she was to pick out the color and keep her hands very still as they primped them for her. Tonight we had Luke's T Ball pictures and a game. It was SOOOOO windy and cold!!!!! We almost didn't stay for the game but I felt a little guilty for leaving his team there without him, so I took the kids (daddy stayed home to clean up and get some things done). They only did a short game; everyone bats once. Here's a picture of Luke stuck on second with Isabelle keeping him company. Then Isabelle ran to short stop. Then to third. Then when she was at 3rd Luke ran to short stop. Then Luke went to 3rd. Then they ran home together. And the game was over. SO CUTE! We were dying laughing. I don't know why parents say they don't like watching Tball, it's HILARIOUS!

Day 77

2008-06-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

T went home today but we got to keep D an extra day!!! Look how cute her hair looks this morning. We put a huge korker that was all different shades of pink in it. It looked so GOOD! We had a really good FHE on Temples tonight with a scavenger hunt and everything! The kids loved it. Luke walked around with his magnetic draw that had the list on it and would say, "Ok, we found the picture of Jesus...check check! Let's see what's next." It was so cute.

Day 76

2008-06-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

We're going to miss our friends when they leave tomorrow! It's been a blast having them here. Hopefully they'll come back to visit again soon. Here are the girls before church. Don't they look pretty? Church was wonderful. The kids are always so well behaved, they make me so proud! I even had a woman come up to me after Sacrament Meeting asking if I'd teach a class on how to have your children behave reverently. I laughed but when I looked up at her she wasn't laughing. ha ha ha...it's true, our Sacrament meeting does seem to be out of control at times!

Day 75

2008-06-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

What a fun day today! We went to the summer movie (Underdog) and had lots of treats there...then we got to come home and set up an indoor campsite!!! The kids thought that was the COOLEST thing ever. They got to watch a couple of cartoons before going to sleep for the night. Carson decided he'd rather sleep in his bed just before everyone fell asleep.

Day 74

2008-06-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

Our little friends came today to stay the weekend! We love it when they come visit us!!! Lilly was especially excited to have another girl in the house. We went to Luke's Tball game (which was INCREDIBLY windy...big surprise) then played on the playground after. We all had a great time!

Day 73

2008-06-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

Did lots of shopping today. We got these camping cots for $25 each (we got 2 of them), they retail for $70! So, that was exciting. Other than that, just food and other fun necessities!

Day 72

2008-06-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Luke had his first Tball game today. I think he had a lot of fun! Except it was 45 degrees, raining and breezy...COLD!!!! I don't think it bothered him much until the end. His team did great! We're excited for the next game! (We just hope it's WARMER!)

Day 71

2008-06-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

I was standing at the sink this morning doing dishes. When I turned to put one in the dishwasher I saw Lawrence kneeling holding a rolled, tied paper up to me. It was a sweet invitation to dinner tonight at my favorite restaurant, Johnny Carinos! He made all of the arrangements to have the boys at LoLo's and we all got our work done quickly so that we would be ready in time to go. We even went to Robert's and got some things for a SMOKING deal! Dinner was soooooooo good! And the manager is in our ward so he kindly gave us dessert for FREE! It was my favorite, Italian Chocolate Cake. WOW. That stuff is to die for. We picked up the kids, played Tball outside for a while (not as enjoyable as it sounds with the 40+mph winds) and fed them dinner. Not long after that Lawrence was called back to IF to the hospital to give a man a blessing. A fine day indeed!

The picture is of Lilly in the car, waiting for dad while he was running some errands before our big day out. Nothin' special...it was all I shot today. Although her funny little face is awful cute!

Day 70

2008-06-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

It was an interesting Sunday! Carson gagged himself in Primary and threw up during Sharing Time. On a better note, his teacher was impressed that we had pancakes for breakfast. No food worth eating in the house so we had chicken salad on crackers for lunch and ice cream cones for dinner. The kids liked that. We went for a LONG walk after church (2 1/2 hours) and snuck into some of the houses being built in our neighborhood. We ran into a friend in the ward doing the same thing so I don't feel so bad. Oh! I curled Lilly's hair for the first time today. It was really pretty for the 7 1/2 minutes it stayed curled (and yes, I used hairspray). We're ready for the new week! Bring it on!

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Day 69

2008-05-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

Today was Luke's first day of Tball!!! He did great and seemed to have a lot of fun. His first game is Tuesday...stay tuned! After practice we QUICKLY planted our garden (peas, green beans, corn, spinach, cucumbers, pumpkin, beets, tomatoes, cantalope, and I think I'm forgetting one other thing). Then we got cleaned up for my Children's Mental Health Council's family lunch, guest speaker, vendors and party at Riot Zone. The food was AWESOME (BYU-I catered) and the speaker was fun and the inflatable toys were a huge HIT with the boys. There were at least twice as many people there this year as last year. It was a good time. What a fun filled day!

Pic by Lawrence

Day 68

2008-05-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Lilly's first tooth popped through today!!!!! It's on the bottom right. The one next to it is *almost* there. My baby girl is growing up!!!

Day 67

2008-05-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

Margaret left today. We'll miss her. We had fun while she was here. Today was also Luke's last day of creative dance at Shelley's for the summer. Here's Carson holding REALLY still so I could play with the aperature this evening. He did great! Even with a SLOW SS it's still very sharp!
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Day 66

2008-05-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER cold, windy, rainy day in Eastern Idaho!!! Nice. Anyhow, we made our way to Rexburg for a little shopping and other errands. We were going to walk around the college with Margaret, but graduation was starting so we decided against it. Here's little Lilly this afternoon making her funny face as she watched the cars drive by out front.

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Day 65

2008-05-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

The boys had their allergy/asthma appointment today...they did GREAT! Luke's breathing is so much better he doesn't need his nebulizer treatment every day anymore! Carson has one ear that has some fluid behind his eardrum. So, he'll get that tested again in a few months. We took Margaret to Lawrence's favorite mexican place to eat then we took it easy the rest of the day. Before dinner, we went to the homestead so I could play around with the camera while the boys explored around.

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Day 64

2008-05-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today our family took Margaret to Yellowstone Park today. It was cold, windy and rainy but so much FUN! We saw Old Faithful and walked around there and a few other places. We saw elk, geese, pretty blue birds, other colorful birds and a TON of buffalo. The most exciting part was when a HUGE buffalo walked RIGHT BY our van! It was at LEAST as tall as the van and gave us such a thrill! Here is Carson by the paint pots. It is such a beautiful area, I love going there and seeing it all. I feel so close to my creator when I'm there.

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Day 63 - Happy Anniversary

2008-05-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today is our 6th Wedding Anniversary! We will officially celebrate it next week though. I am so in love with my sweet husband. He is fun and supportive, loving and generous. I feel so lucky to call him mine!

Day 62

2008-05-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Saturday today! Playing outside, farmer's market, shopping, more playing outside and a nice dinner with Margaret (she got here last night). Here's Luke this evening hamming it up for the camera (one of the rare moments he was enjoying being my model). The skies were overcast, LOTS of wind and quite cold with some rain today (and some fun thunder).

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Day 61

2008-05-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

Rain Rain GO AWAY! It's SOOOOO COLD! Margaret is coming to stay for a week. It'll be fun going around showing her the sights and doing fun things! :) The lilacs are blooming in spite of the weather.