Evy and Nelson's birthdays, September 2013

Sweet Lil' Kim came up to gift me with her cake-baking skills. Evy wanted a Princess cake for the past two years and I told her mommy doesn't know how. So when I told Evy we were making her one, she didn't believe I could do it.

It was a super hot day so it kept melting. Evy wanted her to look like Sleeping Beauty since that is how Evy is dressing for her party.

We asked our kids to take pictures of us and they all turned out pretty bad. We were laughing. I think Wyatt told us to "say cheese".

Evy soaked up all the attention and acted like her party was to be the event of the century.

Barbie's got back.

The day of the party. Kate came up from SJ with my mom.

We played hot potato only it was "poisoned apple".

We decorated crowns and magic wands.

Cake time. The big 4. Do you love where I put the candle? I had no idea where to put that thing.

Cheers. They toasted each other and I LOL'd.

Present time.

And this was post-party. We hurried over to the River Heights parade for Apple Days.

Coleman will thrust himself into the street for any piece of candy thrown at him.

See that empty spot? Coleman was sitting there but when I put him on Evy refused to ride with him and claimed he'd freak out and ruin the ride, so the ride operator made me take hime off. I was mad at both of them and the lady behind me agreed.

Evy on her birthday. It was a Sunday this year. Here she is wearing her Rapunzel braid that she broke in half a week later. Sigh.

For Nelson's birthday we hit the Aggies vs. Weber game the weekend before. His parents came along too.

We had cake and invited his buddy Bryan Henrie over with his family since he had a birthday a few days before.

We went to Elements restaurant and to buy him new church clothes on his actual birthday. What party animals. I can't believe we are getting so old. It's unreal.

Blackfoot or Bust

Every Labor Day weekend we head to my Grandparents' house in Blackfoot, Idaho for a fish fry and the Eastern Idaho State Fair.

There are too many of us to stay in Grandma's house anymore without making her crazy so we camp out on their property. We bring our trailer up and this is how Coleman spends his time. This is how he spends his time at home too.

We had a movie night in our trailer and watched "The Hobbit". Evy asked me 100 questions during the movie asking what was going on. I remember driving my mom crazy doing that.

Always nice when the kids hit the hay.

Evy and I explored the farm the next day while Nelson and Coleman napped. (Nelson got up early to fish in my grandparents' pond.)

My grandpa has many sheds and a lot of stuff.

That afternoon we had a fish fry and BBQ.

Casey, Aunt Shawna, Cousin Mark and Uncle Brent.

My kids with Aunt Michele. Kids are always fond of Auntie M.

Michele, Grandpa Ford, Grandma Carol, Evy, Aunt Shawna

We then hit the much anticipated fair. My kids loved the petting zoo.

We live for the treats there. Here is Steve enjoying some scuggets.

Was Nelson's huge waffle cone necessary?

Bring out the night life.

Shawna and Brent cooked a big "farm" breakfast the next morning.

Coleman enjoying the farm. It's a kid's dream.

How you know they've had a good time.

We always come home super stuffed and tired but then want more of the fabulous food we were spoiled with at Grandma's.

Grouse Creek August 16-18th, 2013

Coleman and I playing around on my phone in my car. I realize I am hideous here but I had fun with my little buddy.

We were headed to Grouse Creek to our friends' cabin but on the way we made a pit stop at the City of Rocks national park. Who would have thought this strange landscape existed out here in the boonies?

Nelson and Evy climbed up a big rock once we got there. It was so hot and desolate here. Many people come here to rock climb. I can't think of any other reason they would come.

The town elementary school. We peeked in the windows. It was very tiny with a small kitchen-like cafeteria. It was almost like a big house broken into segments. The basement windows were covered so Nelson tried to tell me freaky stories about it. It was cute though.

My kids (husband included) loved the school's playground. I love small towns.

We ate at the local steak house. It was dee-lightful. Nothing like a good meal in the middle of nowhere.

Horsey ride

We got to Grouse Creek. Robin and Nelson would hunt in the mornings and evenings. We would go on adventures during the day. Nelson and Robin bring out the redneck in each other. We do activities we don't normal do and get outside and get dirty. This is Nelson teaching Evy how to shoot a bow. I shot for awhile. I stunk at it but it was fun.

Evy and Avery riding "Whiskey". These kids live in Grouse Creek and horses are their lives. It was interesting to see the contrast in their lives to ours. Theirs seems a cleaner, wholesome life than our kids will probably be exposed to.

Coleman joined the ride. Yes that kid is hanging on the horse's neck and the horse is just mild enough to let him do it.

We swam in a couple shady (not literally) reservoirs. Amber and I swam in the first one but not in this one. When Avery came out, Robin had to pull a leach off of her leg. Nastiness.

Evy and Avery collected seashells.

Nelson and Coleman

We went sightseeing. This area is where many Native Americans dwelled as well as pioneers. There are many old homes that are hollowed but still standing. This is a small cave/cliff we drove to. I deemed this the butt of the cave.

Nelson enjoying the view. Below are many burned trees from a previous fire. There is a large canal/river with no water in it. There are cattle scattered around. It looks like a vast desert and it was hotter than hades. We got to enjoy our strawberry lemonades in our air conditioned car and thought about how spoiled we were compared to the previous settlers. If our car broke down we would have died.  Only joking. Maybe.

Nelson, Holly, Coleman and Evy

On this trip Coleman fell into the irrigation creek (just his body--he wasn't harmed), drank from Taggert's dog bowl, put a paintbrush full of paint I handed him into his mouth (it was for him to paint a barrel but he was confused), swam in 2 creeks with leaches, had his sandwich snatched out of his hands by a dog, rode bareback on a horse, went into a cave with bat poop and a live hawk, played in the mud and so forth. He got to experience how a real cowboy lives. Nothing makes a boy happier in my opinion.