Fall

I always try to scrapbook the school photos or sports photos that I get from the kids.  Usually in a one page spread.

Scrapbooking again

Braquel graduated from Declo high school last spring, and I'm finally getting it scrapbooked.  I'm making headway...I have finished all the layouts that I had in kits at the retreat.  In fact, most of the last few I've done were just in page protectors without paper or any ideas.  So I've just been reaching in and grabbing a packet and going from there.  I still have quite a few left to do for the 09-10 year.  I'm not sure they are all going to fit in two albums.  I may have to go digital just to save space! 

I don't know if you can read the journaling, but I have so proud to help Braquel make her announcements.  It was while I was taking the photo shop class and I sort of knew how to make the collage.  It's been awhile since I've done it now, and I'm not even sure I can do it.  I need to get back to working in PS before I forget everything I learned.  I just don't have enough hours in the day.

Braquel is such a beautiful girl and the sweetest thing.  She has a special place in my heart. 
Last night my mother had our birthday dinner.  Jeena's boyfriend was telling her how his family was going to have a reunion, and they were going to have over 40 people there.  Jeena told him that was nothing...our family would have more than that at our birthday dinner.  He couldn't believe it.  He got sick and couldn't come, but Jeena was counting...over 90.  That's alot of people from one family huh?  Ivy stayed and worked with the colt again, but he acted up a little last night.  Of course, lots of kids running around, the sprinklers were on in the pasture so she couldn't go out there...we'll get her out here again next week.
I got some awesome gifts, and I'll take photos and post them before long.  I hate getting older, but it's still always fun to get together.

June Exchange cards I received

These are most of the exchange cards I received from the June exchange.  I did get a couple of my own back, and the ones I helped Mom make, so I'm not reposting those.  They were all to be made using punches, and it's amazing what some people came up with...isn't it?
Wow, I'm almost glad to go back to work today.  We did so much work this weekend, and I'm sunburned and sore.  My back has been out almost all weekend, which didn't help.  Love getting old!

"Getting Ready for Summer" challenge

As you all probably know, I have barrels around my house that I usually plant with flowers.  I usually try to do this the end of May first of June when I think it's finally warmed up enough that they won't freeze.  Well, I finally got started on them yesterday...June 25th.  Is that crazy or what.  Anyway, I took a photo of the flowers in the back of my Yukon..."getting ready for summer".

This is probably my favorite photo.  I took it up North Heglar last week.  I'm not sure why I like dandelions that have gone to seed, but I seem to.  I really like the wonderful definition.

Summer for us always means going camping and riding the 4-wheelers.  It isn't the most interesting photo, or the best color, but it does mean "getting ready for summer" to us.
I am loving the challenge, and hope more of you will participate.  Thanks Ashley for sharing with us.

Love wild flowers

I took about 30-40 photos of flowers...up close while I was at Heglar.  I really loved almost all of them.  It was so green and lush up there.  But...I promise.  This will be the last I share.  Except for maybe the one I submit to Ashley for the "getting ready for summer" challenge.  Unless I decided to use a different one.
We finished hauling the hay last night.  I think we were all totally beat.  My back was killing me, but I did my exercises a few times and slept on the heating pad and I'm not too bad this morning.  I actually think it's good for us.
We worked on Chief's leg again.  I called Trevor and he thought we should have had him come over the night before...in case he needed stitches.  He's going to stop by this morning and look at him and leave us some medication.  Poor Chief.  Trevor said to soak his leg in warm water with Dawn in it.  I couldn't get a bucket high enough, so I just took a rag and poured the water over his cuts.  He was just shaking.  I'm sure it hurt and he was scared.  But he stood very still for us and was good.  Hopefully it didn't cut a tendon and he'll be okay.
Now on to putting out the sprinkler pipes on the hay and getting everything watered...oh...the life of a small farmer.

Up close with flowers

I had alot of fun taking photos of flowers up North Heglar on Saturday morning.  Everyone else left on a ride, and I thought I'd stay around camp and wait for Jason & Sally and the kids to come.  I spent about an hour hiking around finding things that interested me.  I loved this little white flowers.  Tomorrow I'll share some of the rest of them...then I promise, I'll move on to something else!
Last night we hauled part of our hay...Jeff was stacking and Vern was trying to throw the bales up on the trailer.  After about one row, I could see he wasn't faring too well, so I let him drive and I started doing it.  Most of the bales weren't TOO bad...and I survived.  I laid on the floor and did all my back exercises I could and this morning...I'm a little sore, but my back isn't out at least.  Tonight we'll try to finish it.  What a job.  Jeff and I are both tooooo old to be doing this.  Or just wimpy!

Flowers

I took a bunch of up-close photos while we were in North Heglar this weekend.  Ashley is doing a challenge for photography, and I want to do it.  I was thinking along the lines of "getting ready for summer", which is her theme for the first week, as spring flowers, etc.  The first photograph is of a danelion that's gone to seed...sure sign of summer.  And the chokecherries up North Heglar.  The trees are just loaded with them.  I'm excited to go pick them this fall and make syrup.  Last year I did that and gave jars of it as little gifts.  Everyone really liked it.
The other idea I had for the "getting ready for summer" is photos of our 4-wheelers all loaded up and ready to ride.  I'm having a hard time deciding what photo to send Ashley.  I'll post the other photos tomorrow...maybe.

Ivy

Tonight, Ivy came out to help us with the horses.  It's the first time we've worked with them so far.  It's been so cold and wet that we just have had a hard time getting them shoed and ready to go.  But, finally...we had a nice day.  Ivy has been so patient.  She probably got pretty tired of asking us when we were going to ride and work with them.
Tonight, we brushed and curried all three of them.  Ivy started out leading Boots, the colt, while Jeff and I worked on Chief and Sage.  Then Jeff saddled Sage up and I rode him around the corral three or four times to make sure he wasn't going to act up.  Then we let Ivy ride him.  Jeff opened the corral and let her take him out in the pasture.  She rode for awhile and then I got on him and worked with him a little.  Then Ivy rode again.  She did very well.  Sometimes horses try to do what they want and not what the rider wants.  But Ivy made him mind, which is good.  I hate it when horses don't mind.
Boots did very well.  We haven't worked with him since last fall and he followed us around and worked very well.  I worked on Chief's tail.  A couple of weeks ago, we found a big piece of wire tangled up in his tail.  He was so good to let Jeff work it out.  Tonight we brushed their tails and manes and coats.  They like it so well, they get to leaning on you and relaxing.  Stretching their necks so you can rub them even more.
The next time we have Ivy out, we'll get some photos of her with the horses and share them.
Thanks Ivy...for coming out and sharing with us.  Tonight when her mother came to pick her up, Ivy said ...I got to ride...and it made my summer so far!  Wow.  Makes me feel great that we love having her come and she enjoys it.

Father's Day/Family Reunion

Braquel and Mikayla came and asked if they could ride the bikes.  I see that Braquel drove instead of Keven.  They went for a ride, and when they came back, Mikayla said they rode the "whoop-te-doo" trail.  Even though it was blocked at one end...??? She said it was tradition.  We used to camp at the end of it and the kids rode it constantly.  From about sun-up to sun-down.

We got a letter from the state of Idaho this spring, that said no one without a licensce or adult supervision should be allowed on the 4-wheelers.  Luckily...Mikayla and Braquel both have theirs.  I love how they enjoy doing things together.  Chelsey was the only one that didn't come up.  She was babysitting...she's pretty dedicated about earning money for school clothes.

I thought it was so cool that Treven was so willing to share his bike with Sam.  And Gary was so patient teaching Sam how to hold the bike up while he used the kickstarter.  Gary has taught Treven such good mechanical skills.  Jeff said Treven knew that you went down with the kick starter until you felt resistance and --then--kicked hard.  Gary is such a good dad.

The Gibbons' kids were hamming it up for the photo.  Look at Sam in the back...fingers in the air above their head.  Where do kids learn this stuff...especially so early.

Kylie wasn't at all sure she wanted to ride the bike with me, but evidently she felt safe with Jason.  She had a good time riding with him.  I couldn't figure out why it took them so long to get there Saturday morning...until Natalie, Sam and Whitney came running up to the trailer.  They had another (this makes 3 times coming to the reunion) flat tire.  They couldn't get the spare to release and come down, so they walked about a mile or so to where we were camped.  Jeff & Steve later went down and finally got it to come down.  Poor Jason was sweating terribly.  They weren't going to stay for dinner that night, but ended up staying and we were so glad.  It is always so much fun having the kids come up.  Great-grandpa Wood made his famous home-made ice cream for us.  It started raining just before we got the food ready for dinner, and never quit.  It rained all night and it was a muddy mess getting the trailer and the 4-wheelers out.  Everything we took was wet, and covered in mud.  Especially the trailer and the bikes and our vehicles.  It took us forever just to spray everything off.  We had to put up our canopy and our chairs in the shop to try and let them dry out.

I looked over at Kylie once, and she was sitting on Jason and Sally's cooler with her hands in a praying position.  I had to run and get my camera, and of course she had quit by then.  But she was more than willing to poise for me.  She loves having her picture taken.

Treven loves this bike.  Gary said he would ride it 24/7 if he let him.  Treven and Sam actually ran it out of gas they rode it so much.  We were in the snowmobile parking lot at North Hegler, and Gary told them they could only ride around that.  Down to the shed and back.  Sam had a little trouble...he ran right "into" the shed once.

All in all it was sure a great weekend.  Even with all the mud and rain...we love spending time with our family. 
A few things we found delight in:
Sam:   (to Jason)" I'm only afraid of two things.  Going straight downhill (on the 4-wheeler) and vampires."
Ellie:  Jumping (almost in convulsions) when she accidently turned the vaccum on in the 5th wheel.  I couldn't stop laughing.
Kylie:  Has special names for her family...Ivy is "Bob", Natalie is "lu-lu", Whitney...is clucking of the tongue, Sam is "hamm".  What a kid.
Ken & Viki:  Getting lost on their ride and ending up in Rockland and having lunch there...mainly because Viki wasn't sure she get back for dinner.
Steve:  Sleeping in his tent
Gary & Danelle:  Bringing beef brisbit that was sooooo good
Vern & Reta:  No hot water, ran out of gas
and then Jeff & I did the same thing...not so funny then.
All the kids were so good.  Thanks to all of you who came.  It made Father's Day wonderful.

Milner Dam

This was just above Caldrin Linn, and I know that this little island of trees and rocks were way above water before.

This water fall is just as you climb up from the bridge at Caldron Linn.  Isn't it pretty?

The water fall below, and these old cars below it, were between Caldron Linn and Milner Dam.  It was a great drive and we really enjoyed it.  You can't tell, but the sky was black and the wind was blowing fairly good by this time.

This is the water rushing by below Milner Dam.  I've never seen so much water going through there.  I know I keep repeating this, but it was really cool.  I just hope we don't get flooding.  I've been hearing there are still 8 foot drifts in Island Park, and Tuesday, I had a rep tell me that Snowbird was staying open for skiing until the 4th of July...can you believe it?
We got the bikes ready for riding, got the 5th wheel loaded...we may make it yet.

Caldron Lin

I'm not even sure if this is how you spell the name, but it's a pretty fast moving stretch in the Snake River.  People kyak through here, and sometimes there are accidents because of the rapids.  It wasn't too long ago a guy from Boise drowned here.  This spring, with all the water they are releasing, it was pretty fast and wild.  It's been quite awhile since we 've driven down this way, so it was fun to see it again.
Tomorrow I'll share a few more photos from our drive.  Some falls and must below Milner dam.
Idaho is a beautiful state to live in and I love it.

Punched card

This is the second punched card I helped mom make.  I thought it was way cute.  We just used the SU punch for the owl and then I didn't have a stamp for a limb, so I just used a copic marker and drew it.  Then we punched some leaves out of green and just glued them on.  I thought they turned out pretty cute.
Jeff is staying home from work today, and lazin' out...of course, this afternoon he's taking the truck down to get the hitch put in it so we can pull the trailer out and get it ready...if summer ever comes it will be great.  We'll be ready to go camping!