Sweet 'n Juicy

These are a couple of pictures of our steer. He had several nicknames: Sweet 'n Juicy, Toby, Sweetie. We had fun raising him through the spring and summer. Unfortunately for him, he is now in our freezer but he is providing enough meat for us to last the winter and we are most grateful to him! He was a good pet for us!

Preschool Fun

I can't believe it, but Samantha was able to start preschool this fall. We are part of a neighborhood Joy School with some other moms in our ward so she gets to change houses each week. She is learning about the different joys of Obedience, Decisions, Spontaneous Delight, and the Earth. She is also enjoying learning how to write her name. Samantha is a very big word sometimes but she keeps working at it! Sam can't get enough of school and wishes that she could go each day instead of just twice a week. It is a pleasure for me to be able to take my turn each month and teach these sweet children.

Samantha has school in the morning and Emma has school in the afternoon so I am blessed to have priceless alone time with both of my girls during the week.

First Day of School

So it was a special moment in our family to have Emma start Kindergarten! We had been looking forward to it all summer but when it came we were pretty nervous (Mom was nervous, not Emma). She had her backpack all ready to go and Daddy gave her a father's blessing before school started and she had a wonderful time!

We are very fortunate to live within a couple of blocks of the elementary school so we can walk to and from school together. Emma is doing so wonderful in school and we have been able to participate in lots of school activities like the book fair and Bingo night. I am happy to be volunteering in her classroom once a week and she is thriving with all of her friends. She reads at a third grade level and is working hard at math and sorting and patterns. Hopefully her enthusiasm for school and learning will last for years to come!

End of Summer Trip

Over Labor Day we decided to take a quick trip down to Utah for the weekend to visit Tracie, Todd, Sue, Luke and Kate for a couple of days. We didn't have a lot of time to spend together but we hadn't been to Utah for over two years and we felt like we needed to get back to our old stomping grounds. The kids started with some water fun in the backyard - (Katie isn't quite sure how wet she'd like to get) We went to church with Todd and Sue in Draper. They have a very nice ward and the kids just look so cute dressed in their Sunday best.After Church we hit Temple Square. It was so beautiful. I had forgotten what a special place it is. We could have spent all day there basking in the peacefulness of the atmosphere.
We needed to head home the next day but we can't wait to go back again. We surely do miss our family.

Huckleberry Picking

Today, the girls and I went with some friends to do some huckleberry picking. It was a beautiful day up at Mount Emily and the kids had lots of fun exploring the mountain while the moms were busy picking the berries. We picked for a couple of hours and then had a picnic lunch. Hmmm....I think the berries will turn into a fine jam!

Farmers Market

One of the downsides to living in a small town is that our local farmers' market, although quaint, doesn't provide much of a selection when you are looking for fresh produce. We really enjoy participating and exploring at other farmers' markets so we were anxious to try out the one in Boise. It was really fun and there was tons to choose from. It reminded us of our days in Salt Lake City at Pioneer Park each Saturday morning. We came away with lots of veggies and other samples. The girls even got some balloon arrangements from a sweet little clown by the fountain.

Idaho State Fair

We took a trip to Boise this past weekend to do a few things together as a family. We had a really wonderful time going to the State Fair, the farmers market, getting some shopping done, and visiting family. Here are a few pictures from our getaway.....

There was a petting zoo at the fair. The girls enjoyed looking at all the different animals and getting them to eat from their hands. And don't forget: A FAMILY THAT MILKS TOGETHER - STAYS TOGETHER!!!! The girls did a fine job, as you can see from this video. Who knows, maybe someday we'll have our own milking cow. (I seriously hope not)

And don't forget the rides..... they were the best part!

Swim Lessons and more Swim Lessons

We literally spent the last six weeks at our local swimming pool so Emma could continue taking swimming lessons which she loves. She really enjoys being in the water and could stay in there all day long if we would let her. She learned lots of new things and hopefully we'll be able to keep taking her to the pool to work on the techniques she has learned.

Unfortunately, on the last day of lessons we had a little "mishap" with the diving board. Warning: This video is a little hard to watch. :)

This is a picture of what her knee and leg looked like afterwards. Emma was a trooper, though and she got right back into the water the next day. Nothing can stop her!

'Til next summer......

Zucchini Success!

One of the fun things we did this summer is take care of our little garden. We weren't too sure how it was going to fare as the patch of ground we used wasn't real great, but through hard work, lots of water and sunshine, the vegetables have done quite well. This is a picture of our first zucchini we harvested. It made some very yummy zucchini bread. The rest will be turned into zucchini relish and put into our food storage.

Where Did the Summer Go?

Well the summer season went by way too quickly and what was supposed to be a nice, relaxing summer turned into a very busy one instead. It was great for the kiddos and especially great for the parents who were able to watch and enjoy the successes of their children. One of the activities Emma participated in was soccer. Their team didn't score the most points during their season, but they had a fun time and learned alot about teamwork.

This is Emma's good friend Bailey. Her parents sponsored the team she played on: Dr. Marshall Podiatrist!

There were actually ten players on the team, but these seven were there for the final game!

And who could forget the world's greatest cheerleader? Little sister, Samantha!

Summer Vacation

So I am pretty late in getting our family vacation pictures put onto our blog. The summer has flown by so quickly. I wish I had an extra 12 hours in the day sometimes. Anyway, back in June we were lucky enough to make the trek out to Minnesota to spend some time with Mark's family. It's a three day drive one way so it's the first time we have made it back there in about four years. It was wonderful to see family and get out to see the country. On the way there we stopped to see the new Rexburg Temple as well as my sister Shellie and her husband Joshua in Wyoming:

Then we drove through the Big Horn Mountains. It was the middle of June and there was STILL a ton of snow:

On the third day of our trip we stopped to spend some time at Mount Rushmore. It was really beautiful and exciting to be at such a historic place. Hopefully someday our girls will be glad they went:

After three days we finally arrived in Minnesota and were able to attend Church with Mark's parents:

The girls were able to spend some quality time with Gramma who is an expert at bread making. They were good helpers and the bread was delicious!

Probably the funnest aspect of the trip for the girls was being able to hang out with all of their cousins, except for McKay who is on his mission in Tacoma, Washington.

After about a week in Minnesota it was time to hit the road. On the way back home we drove through Montana and stopped at the site of the Little Big Horn. There was lots to see and do!
All in all it was a wonderful trip and unfortunately there are just too many pictures to add to our blog. These are just a few of the hundred or so that I took. We had so much fun and will hopefully make it back to Minnesota again next year!

Family Night Bike Ride

The past couple of weeks we have had so much rain here. We are not complaining because the rain is desperately needed and plus it's nice not to have to worry about watering our lawn and garden. However, yesterday the sun was out and it was a perfect night. So, we hopped on our bikes for Family Night and went for a much needed bike ride. The girls really love their bikes and are getting better and better at it. Samantha still has trouble steering and pedaling at the same time but we are working on it and by the end of the summer she will be a pro. Emma is almost ready to take those training wheels off and then she'll be riding around like crazy! It was really wonderful to get out there as a family and enjoy the lovely weather and our surroundings.

Sisterly Affection

Today I was in the kitchen getting some things done and realized after a few minutes how quiet it was in the living room. I could hear Emma reading but hadn't heard Samantha. This generally means trouble so I quick peeked in the living room to make sure that all was well. I saw that Emma was being a good sister and reading to Samantha. It was so sweet! Although the girls have moments of terrorizing each other, we are very grateful that they love each other and are wonderful sisters!

A Special Visit

This past weekend, Aunt Tracie came to Oregon for a visit with the family. We haven't seen her since last fall so we were anxious to see her again. She is the best auntie and always brings fun things for the girls. Today we had to say good-bye but she eased our pain by bringing new books for Emma and Samantha - Ratatouille and Enchanted! That was good thinking. Hopefully we'll see her again soon.

The Fruits of our Labors.....

Mother's Day marks the beginning of Spring for us in our family. Each year we spend the weekend planting flowers and vegetables that will last us through the summer. We have a great time together and always look forward to working hard. We wore ourselves out! The girls were very anxious to help us this year and they get a lot of satisfaction in watering the plants and getting rid of the weeds in the yard. It is definitely a family effort! Here are a few pictures of our accomplishments. We are quite proud of our little garden and flower beds. Hopefully we'll have vegetables a-plenty this summer to add to our food storage....Keep your fingers crossed for us!