Joy Ride

I happened across a bike aficionado at a garage sale. He hooked me up with a '73, 3-speed, Raleigh. Brent really liked the ride. We lucked out because the same guy had a mens '76. We got it for Brent for Father's Day.They are so fun to ride. You can't help but smile while you pedal. We took them up to Snake River Landing to ride around for a date. We rounded out the evening with snow cones from the Caboose.

18 hour Camping Trip

4:30 pm- negotiated a deal on a camper.
5:00 pm- threw in sleeping bags and headed out of town. sniffing begins bothering us all.
5:30 pm- stop for allergy meds for Hudson
6:00 pm- sniffing continues even with nasal spray
7:30 pm- arrive at camper location. check it out.
8:00 pm- make transaction & orientation
9:00 pm- Hudson's misery continues, eyes are itching
9:30 pm- find a camping spot at Willard covered in 'snow' aka cotton from cottonwoods
10:00 pm- allergy affair continues
10:30 pm- finally fall asleep

We were home before any of the 24 hour medication even started helping.

Summer Job

Hudson and Mitch have taken on the job of cleaning out the semi trucks. I offered it to them and all Hudson could do was calculate his earnings (before he even started). Mitch is good to keep Hudson on task and motivated. Otherwise I'm sure he'd mosey into Grandma's for treats quite frequently and he'd still be on the first truck. He's more the manager type.

And not to be outdone, the girls have been spraying the tires and bumpers.I wonder if he can figure what his earnings will be on the 10% to the girls, 60% to Mitch, and 30% for himself.

Nursery Bound

Ruby went to nursery for her first time. It was a huge improvement over the other two kids. I dropped her off and I left the room. No clinging to my leg or screaming inconsolably. It was nice. I hardly knew what to do during the other meetings without wrangling a busy body.

Up At The Ranch

The ranch is so beautiful this time of year. Everything is green and the wildflowers are blooming. All of the run off has made a stream right in front of the cabin. We enjoyed listening to it, jumping across it, and of course, throwing rocks in it. There was also a pair of Moutain Bluebirds that were fun to watch.

It was our first horse ride of the season and Dalanie was a bit nervous. Once she settle into the saddle, her and Duke made a great pair. Hudson was totally in his element and said on several occassions "Don't you just love the mountain air?" He's learning to handle Mobile well and becoming a good little rider.Between the horses and kids, it was hard to get a picture with everyone looking.

We rounded out the day with a fire in the fire pit. It was sprinkling by then, but we still got our dogs and mallows roasted. We made some of the best s'mores with fudge and peanut butter cookies.

Tamales

I've gotten several good lessons in Mexican cooking while being in the Spanish branch, but none as thorough as our recent tamale adventure. The camp director decided to have a fundraiser and make tamales. I was excited to learn and help. The orders kept pouring in and around 140 dozen we put on the brakes.
We worked non-stop for 12 solid hours at my house. We were up to our ears in big pots and corn husks and got 70 dozen made. So the next day I helped for a few hours, but then excused myself to go scrub down my kitchen. The kids were saints and very patient and cooperative. It was quite the undertaking, but we did it!
All involved agreed, we'll buy our next tamales too!



A majority of the time was spent preparing the sauces, meat, and masa.
The assembly, production line.

Planter Technology Institute (PTI)

As a new dealer of Precision Planting, Brent was excited when the PTI trailer scheduled to make stops in Idaho. This big rig rolled into Twin Falls and American Falls, transforming into a state of the art classroom. The entire set up is quite impressive, as is the crew.
Hudson was equally excited about the trailer. He got the royal treatment and even got to sit in the driver's seat.

Shindig

Over the weekend we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday at the annual commemorative BBQ, and witnessed little Millie's blessing. It was non-stop fun. Some of the highlights included:
Brewing up a big pot of rootbeer. It was a group effort involving all the males in the family.
Ruby gave it her seal of approval.The photo booth that my sisters master-mined. Complete with props from Dad's closet, a collection of 'staches Dad has had over the years, and thought bubbles for your favorite 'Warren-isms.' Oh, and tattoo mustaches the grandkids sported around.Lyle's smiling face.
A makeover for the serving pots.Meeting and holding this sweet little cousin.Blowing out one blazing birthday cake.And a picnic at Shoshone Falls.
Grandpa's swing and rocket blaster and family pictures.

We sure can pack in the fun. Thanks everyone!

The Birds & The Bees

The two older kids helped me perform our first hive inspection and boy howdy were they excited. I think half the fun was just getting outfitted and dressed up. It was equally exciting to see the queen in action, laying her eggs. Dalanie's lacking a veil, but she wasn't about to keep her distance and be left out.

Because of the cold, windy, and wet weather we've been feeding them to try and grow the colony a little faster. With sunshine in the forecast and all sorts of flowering going on, we're hoping to fill up our bottom super soon.


We have a Killdeer couple that has taken up residency in our garden/orchard. They've been attending to their four eggs for awhile now. Their protection and 'broken wing dance' have been at heightened levels for the past few days. Although Ruby wanders too close for comfort in complete oblivion and Dalanie runs screaming to the house "I'm taking a nap!" We're hoping the little chicks will emerge soon so we can get some weeding done and work in peace.

You can see the little nest just left of the base of the sapling and stake.