Meeting Gerri

Some old stuff today. Did laundry, straightened my house and made Amish Sugar Cookies with Bailee. Then in the afternoon Harley and I went for her drive. As we were going down the road I got a call from Gerri saying that they were at Sandy Downs in Idaho Falls. So off Harley and I went to find her. We finally got the GPS working. It wouldn't recognize 6500. But I finally figured it out and we made it there. We saw the two horse her friend is racing in the rodeo and they it was off the Sizzler for linner or dunch. Then after we ate we took Gerri to Walmart. I got a small trash can for my bathroom, a magnetic shopping list for my fridge and 3 flexible cutting pads for cutting chicken and onions. I don't like to cut them on my new cutting board so I'll just put these on top.
They we dropped Gerri off and I drove home because it looked like it was going to pour down rain. It was cloudy and lightning. It was a fun time with Gerri and I'm glad she called me so we could hang out together for a little while. And I had my camera with me and forgot to take a single picture. I have officially lost my mind.
Grateful Statement: I am grateful for good friends like Gerri. They make my life happy

Driving to Ririe Reservoir

Today Harley drove me to Ririe Reservoir. It really was beautiful. She had gone on a field trip there so she knew where it was. We ended up on a dirt road that took us to the end of the reservoir. It was pretty rocky but Harley did well. Now I get to wash my car again.

 This is volcanic ash that is from "The Butte's" that we went to yesterday. She learned all about this in Environmental class she took. You can see the layer of black ash.

Then we drove to Idaho Falls to go to Pet Smart to get some guppies for Bailee. I was so impressed with Harley that she wanted to do this for her sister. Bailee was so excited to get her fish. We had gone to Walmart in Rexburg but they didn't have any. What a terrible Walmart. Tiny and messy. Not going there again. I did get a popcorn popper so I can make popcorn for the kids to snack on. My old one was so greasy that I threw it away when I moved. I had had it for years. My new one is shiny and nice and I love the stir one that you use a little oil in the bottom. The popcorn is really good. 

I spent the afternoon making corn bread to go with the beans I put on this morning. I love crock pots. I also made Jello for the kids. That's been my day. A little housework, a little playing, a little frontierville and a little laundry.
Grateful Statement: Today I am grateful for Tommy. I really miss him and want Saturday to come quick.

Bookkeeping Today

I got up this morning feeling sort of tired and sick. I have a sore throat and an ear ache. Could explain why I felt bad yesterday. So I'm drinking Orange Juice and getting better. I managed to catch up on all my laundry today. I love, love, love my washer and dryer. It makes laundry so easy. I balanced all the checkbooks and reconciled them. I love when they all balance to the penny. 

Harley came over and got me to go driving with her. We had to go to Janna's work to get her learner's permit and then we just headed out down the road towards Roberts. She kept looking for "The Butte's" that she had went to on a field trip to. And lo and behold, she found them. They are vocano's that have erupted a long time ago. What a place I've moved to. You can see the crater. It's pretty eerie.

Harley wanted me to walk up this trail. I told her I would when I had tennis shoes on and not flip flops.

On the way back as we were going down all these country roads we got a little lost. We finally found our way back to Rigby. It was a nice 1 1/2 hour drive. She is so funny. She just makes me laugh.

I took the kids to YM/YW and Janna, Harley and I went to Mexican Food in Ririe.

When we came home Austin showed up early. He came in the door and put out his hands and said, "It's so stupid. Nobody showed up." I agree with him. All the young men and women went boating. But the 11 year old scouts can't go. Wouldn't you think someone would tell him not to come. Or better yet have scouts. He worked on requirements for his Tenderfoot. I am really trying not to be critical of his leaders but for pity sakes, if it's not important enough to have scouts what message does that send to the kids. Okay, I'm done venting.

Now I'm going to bed and get a good nights sleep.

Grateful Statement: Today I am grateful for sweet grandkids that love me so much. What a blessing they are in my life.

Saying Goodbye

Amie, Tommy and the kids left for Utah early this morning. Tommy is going to do some signs for Dean so he rode down with Amie and he's taking the shuttle back home on Saturday. I will miss these two boys but probably not all the water messes. But I must say they seemed to have an awful lot of fun playing on the farm. Harrison did get homesick. He said he had gone to scout camp for a week and then came to grandma's so he'd been away from home a long time.

 Here they are leaving in the rain storm we woke up to this morning. I don't like it when the sun doesn't shine. I was kind of down all day. Don't know why, but maybe it was lack of sunshine.

I pretty much did nothing today. A few loads of laundry and straightened up my house. That was the extent of my day. Look at Melanie and Bailee. They went out to the canal and played in the mud. Then they had to wash off using the hose. I think that was very cold.

I'm going to watch TV for a little while (The Closer is on tonight) and then I'm going to bed.

Grateful Statement: I am grateful for Amie. She is one of the sweetest people I know and she gets to be my daughter-in-law. I am blessed...

Going to Church with the Grandkids

The kids and I, except Harley got up and went to church. It was very good. We had a combined 5th Sunday lesson taught by a principal at the Junior High or High School. Very informative. He told us about the problems they have had in the schools this last year and what parents should look for and talk with their children about. Then we came home and all the kids had a contest to see who could jump the highest.

 Playing Ring Around the Rosey was another activity they did on the tramp. They were on this thing all the time. They really had fun jumping.

I made Chicken and Rice for dinner with watermelon for Hayden and Harrison. And  then I just sat around and did nothing. Harrison and I watched a movie called "Temple Grandin" after church. It was so good. Really inspiring about an austistic woman who changed the way they run slaughter houses around America so the animals weren't treated so cruel.
Now we are waiting for Amie to make it here and then it's my bed time.
Grateful Statement: Today I am grateful for my grandkids that go to church with me so willingly. It just really makes me happy to go to church with them.

Hailey First Date Page

The boys started out the day on the tramp. They are soaking up the sun or freezing because they have a spinkler under the tramp. The things they think are fun!

Janna and I got up and went to Walmart this morning. I have no wooden spoons and no spatcula. I think a box with my Corelle dishes and my spatulas and wooden spoond went to DI or something. So I got some new wooden spoons. I thought that was all I was missing until I made Quesadillas for lunch and realized I didn't have a spatula. I borrowed one of Janna's and when I took the kids to the Dollar Store I bought one. I'm going to the kitchen store and get a set very soon. Here are the kids doing something.

And Bailee is making us some Cowboy Cookies. She is quite the little baker. We appreciate it because Janna and I can't seem to get any cookies made. Janna doesn't want them and I'm too lazy so it's a good thing we have Bailee. (Or maybe a bad thing for me, like I need another cookie.)

We went out to the barn after dinner. The kids fed the critters carrots. Isn't this little goat cute. Horses especially love to eat carrots. Harley and Janna are teaching the kids how to hold their hands flat to they don't get their fingers in the horses mouth when they feed them.

 Austin made a swing on the walker. This kid is always thinking of something to do. Too bad we don't have a big tree. They could make a swing and a tree house. One day...

 The man next door has an old pick up that he has parked out back. Amie had said it would be a good place to take pictures and she was right. The kids thought it was fun.

I worked on this page off and on all day. Amie's shirt was bright orange and so I had to find my lesson for recoloring and I changed it to match the rest of the page. Photoshop is awesome.

That has been my day. Amie is coming tomorrow after church and staying the night and taking the boys home. I wish I would have been able to do more with them. Hiese was way too expensive and I was concerned about taking them to the top of the falls because it has a drop off to the river below and I wasn't sure I could keep track of Hayden. Maybe when Dean and Amie come up in September we can go up there. But I think they have had fun on the farm and playing with the cousins. The boys are tired tonight so it's showers and bed. We'll try to do it a little early. We'll see how that works.
Grateful Statement: Today I am grateful for all my scrapping buddies that made all these templates with me. It's so wonderful to have so many to choose from. Scrapping Angels, that's what I call them.

Hayden's Soccer Page

Today was another terrific one. Look at these two boys with the hose and the tramp. They practically live on this tramp. I guess the water is the best part of it.

 They were all doing the Harrison trick. Tommy looked out the window and Harrison was 10 feet in the air. I'm glad I didn't see it. I would have yelled to quit jumping so high. That's the grandma in me.

 I had my camera ready so I could take pictures of these kids drying off after they got soaked on the tramp. Aren't they the cutest things.

 The next favorite thing they had was Austin's power scooter. They all took turns and had a good time. Next year we must have bicycles all ready for them. They love to go around the block. And in Rigby around the block is pretty far.

And I made this page of Hayden playing soccer. My favorite picture is the kid whispering in Hayden's ear. Too cute!!

Janna and her dad went to the storage unit and got the rest of my stuff out of it. Wahoo, I now have my freezer back. They swept it out and now we are done. Everything is in the garage. My food storage is stacked high. It's not the ideal place for it but it will have to do. It's so good to have access to it whenever I want.

Last night we made spaghetti for dinner then the kids rode horses and jumped on the tramp. I didn't know Harrison and Bailee were riding or I would have gotten pictures. Maybe tomorrow. That's been my wonderful day.

Grateful Statement: Today I am grateful for Janna and her willingness to work so hard with her dad. She just gets in and gets things done for us.