Island Park 2013 Part 2

I guess I have already posted about our Island Park trip this year. Some of these pictures are different, so I guess I will just leave them. We look forward to our Island Park trip every year. We have a lot of fun traditions that we make sure and do almost every year. We stop at the same rest stop every year for a bathroom break and picture. We love to do a big long ride into west, which usually ends at the "car wash" where we play in the mud holes and get really wet. We always celebrate Kyle's birthday by going to Tim and Julie's for dinner and cake and ice cream. We love to take a long ride to Big Springs and Jonny Sacks cabin. We try and ride everyday and find new trails. This year was a success. We found a couple of new trails that led to the most beautiful spots by water. This year we did a float trip from the dam. We spend more time with Chad's cousin Don and his wife Tiffany and their family. We shared a cabin with Chad's cousin Kelly and her husband Kenny and their two cute daughters, Emily and Savannah. We played games (mostly spoons) and ate yummy food and had a great time making memories together. I am so thankful that we are able to make such fun memories there. I am thankful that we ride and ride and ride and have always been able to remain safe!

Flaming Gorge 2013

This was our 2nd annual Flaming Gorge trip. This year we decided to invite some of our neighbors. We invited the Blackhurst's, Olsen's and also the Dryer's. We had so much fun! Our trip started off a little rough. As Chad was buttoning up the boat, he jumped off of the trailer and landed on his ankle wrong and hurt it pretty badly. We wrapped and iced it and off we went. As we were driving through Wyoming we blew a tire on the boat trailer. So, we stopped and bought four new tires. We were running super late and actually ended up setting up camp in the dark. It was quite an adventure. We each took a night to cook and provided our own breakfast and lunches. I was so impressed with how we all got along. The kids had a blast together and so did the adults. We had our boat and everyone had chipped in on two wave runners. We played from sun up until sun down. Everyone tried something new. We wake boarded, knee boarded, slalom skiied, surfed and road wave runner's and cliff jumped until we were blue in the face. We took over 1,000 pictures so I couldn't possible post them all.

First Day of School

The first day of school is always bittersweet for me. I felt like this summer flew by and I really wanted a couple more weeks at home with the kids. We had such a fun summer in Island Park and at Flaming Gorge. We swam and played almost everyday. I love how the kids like to dress up on the first day of school and then after that I can't get them to wear anything with a button or collar. This year Kyle entered the 9th grade. He is still at the Jr. High, but all of his grades count for High School Credit. Jared is in 6th grade and is in his last year of Elementary school. Jared's teacher is Mr. Kowallis. We have loved him. Besides being a fantastic academic teacher he had taught Jared some really great life skills. He is teaching the kids interpersonal relation skills. How to look people in the eye when talking to them. I think so many of our youth are lacking this lately. It is so weird to me that Jared will be in Jr. High next year. He and Kyle will never be at the same school again. Landon is in the fourth grade. His teacher is Miss Wood. Jared had her in the fourth grade. She is just an okay teacher. Nice, but doesn't really connect with the kids. Spencer is in the third grade. His teacher is Miss Baxter. All four boys have had her now, and we just love her. She absolutely knows how to connect with the kids and teach them so much. The kids eat up everything she says and does.

Hard Workers

This summer my boys got put to work. I was very proud to see them literally put their shoulder to the wheel and go to work. We got a phone call when day from my brother Adam asking if he could get Kyle's help on a job site. Well, he took Kyle and Jared both with him. Landon and Spencer and I went to visit them. My heart just about stopped when I saw them on the very top of the scaffolding with a big staple gun installing Soffit and Facia. I was really scared for their safety, but was also very proud because they were working hard.

Landon and Spencer got to go to Island Park with Grandma and Grandpa. They worked hard while they were there! They helped Grandpa mow and get ready for winter. I think they even had a little fun while they were there. They stopped in Pocatello on the way there to eat at Buddy's. They had a fantastic time!