Iowa : July 6- 16, 2011

We went back to Iowa to visit and so Matt could help clean out his grandparents farm. There was a lot to do and he was busy the whole time he was there. He had a great time strolling down memory lane with his family and finding lots of old items that his grandpa had hidden away. I'm surprised we didn't come back with anything on a trailer. Everyone was helping to get ready for an auction on September 11. They pulled out 15 tractors, I think, and 6 old cars that they decided were too sentimental to sell. Here is one of them with the kids posing next to it. I think the cars name is "Vicky". Matt was successful in getting all of the cars at least running, some not so well but they made noise. We had a great time even though it was very hot, humid, and the kids looked like they had chicken pox from all of their mosquito bites. Parker even had a visit to the ER for a bite, spider we think, that made his forehead and eyes swell.

Here are all the Great Grandkids: Madison, Josh, Morgan, Madi, Josie, Scotlyn, CJ, Parker, and Cooper.

Miss Scotlyn loves to pose for pictures.

The Grandkids: Kristie, Jennifer, Matt, and Cheri

"Thank you Aunt Jennifer for helping me with my hot dog." Parker kept dropping his hot dog in the coals and getting black on it.

We had a bonfire, a small one, and roasted hot dogs, marshmallows, and made smore's.

Matt and Parker were just getting to mow the back woods and side yard with this monstrous mower. Parker and Cooper loved taking rides on these tractors. In the afternoon when Cooper needed to take a nap, we would just take him for a tractor or 4 wheeler ride and he would fall fast asleep.

Parker loved to climb up and down and sit there pretending to drive the tractors. He didn't mind posing for pictures as long as he was on a tractor.

In this picture, you can tell that his face is swollen from the spider bite. It didn't hurt, itch, and wasn't red but it sure looked yucky.

Cooper getting a trailer ride on the back of the mower.

Cheri, Jen, Bonnie, and Wendy were washing and taking pictures of the tractors for the auction guy.

Kristie gave all the kids a ride in the trailer all around the yard.

Parker and CJ

Cooper was so tired each afternoon.

If Matt was fixing a car, then Cooper and Parker were right there, sometimes under his feet wanted to help him.

Matt and Steve discussing how to get the car running.

More washing tractor pictures.

Cooper and Parker taking a ride in the Galaxy 500 with Matt driving.

The girls: (Morgan, Madi, Josie, and Scotlyn) and Josh having a good time hanging out.

Matt, Parker, and Cooper

My little Scottie

Cooper in front of the corn field.

Cooper always wanted to be by a tractor. He was jealous because Parker could climb up on them and he couldn't.

Thanks dad for helping me up on the tractor.

Visitors From Other Places - June & July 2011

When our visitors come here from out of town, we go to the zoo a lot. Idaho Falls has an awesome zoo for our small city. It's very affordable and kids 3 and under are free which is even better. Here is Cooper on the copper lion.

Scotlyn & Alicia, Brandon & Parker are very happy to pose for me to take a picture. Cooper and Robert wanted nothing to do with any pictures.

Scotlyn and Brandon having a great time.

Scotlyn, Brandon, and Alicia

Parker, "Hey mom, look at me."

Parker and Robert are 5 months apart in age. Robert was born in October and Parker was in March.

Deann and I have been friends for over 10 years and have lots of fun together. She and her girls have been up to Idaho to visit us every year since we have moved from Southern Utah. We always have a great time and find lots of stuff to do together.

Kitura and Scotlyn found a moss pool...ewww!

Parker and Cooper

Again...Parker and Cooper at the zoo again.

All the kids down by the Idaho Falls. We walked down here after we visited the Farmer's Market.

The boys': Parker, Cooper, Jeff, and Matt down by the falls.

Kitura, Kambria, and Scotlyn at the zoo.

Kitura and Scoltyn

4th of July 2011

Parker was watching Scotlyn and Logan Sumo wrestle at the town fair.

Cooper and Parker watching the fire trucks pass by.

Matt bought this hat from a street vendor for way too much money but he thought he needed it. After we bought it, the sky went cloudy.

Trying to pose for a family picture but mom is the one that has to take the picture. They all still look pretty cute though.

We did a few fireworks in front of our house.

May, June, and Our First 5K...

School is finally out and we have been very busy so far. Grandma Wendy was able to come stay for a week so I could finish up cleaning my classroom and Matt and I could do a little playing. He had a business day trip to San Francisco. So, I got to tag along and we had lunch at Fisherman's Wharf and strolled along the shops. We brought the kids back a crab made out of sourdough bread.

We took a drive to Island Park the end of May and expected it to be a comfortable temperature. Instead, it was 32 degrees and was snowing. Instead of seeing fish we just had lunch and made the hour and a half drive back home.

Scotlyn and I decided to do our first 5k. Well, I walked the 5k and she ran a mile. I told her to run her heart out and she did. She finished in just under 10 minutes. When she passed the finish line she ran right to the bathroom to puke. We look forward to much more of these after we build up some endurance. These can be addicting.

There are 2 pictures of the boys at the local money hole (the carnival) that rolled through town. I love the smiles, amusement, and pleasure that we get from these things. They are just so darn expensive. I dropped 30 bucks for each kid to ride 4 rides. I would have much rather gone to Disneyland!!

Kite Festival at Sandy Downs...

We took the kids to The Kite Festival today and had a great time. Only in Idaho Falls does it snow one day and then we have a kite festival the next. It was a little chilly but luckily the wind cooperated. We attempted to fly Matt's airplane (of course we have an airplane kite) but in the end it was Parker's Lightning McQueen car kite that was the easiest. The kids had fun eating hot dogs and watching all the neat kites flying around us.