Halloween 2012

For Halloween A. was a cheetah and C. was a wolf. I made A's because I could not find a costume. For C. I bought the shirt and pants and made the tail and ears. He looks like monk. Anyway next year if they chose something other than animals it would be easier.

Family Pictures

Labor Day weekend we had family photos taken near Ashton, Idaho. We had some taken in a wheat field and left because they were combining right behind us. Then we went up on the Ashton hill to take some photos. It was so windy and the sun kept coming out of clouds. We got a few we could use.

Then we went camping right after to our usual spot.

Where to go.....

So we have a job offer in Denver, CO. And another interview this week the job would be in Fort Lewis. And we will hear back from Hensel Phelps this week. And maybe other companies. Waiting is terrible. Anyway The future is yet to be determined. In days we may know where, but haven't decided how or anything past that point.

Party

So Eli is in the Sunday School Presidency. And every three months they do a teacher training. And in September I was asked to help make the treats. We were told cookies were not good enough, they had already done brownie sunday's and root beer floats. So I did caramel apples, with apple pie which is white chocolate and cinnamon and sugar, and caramel then milk chocolate and m&m's and the same but no m&m's and pecans. And truffles and something else I don't remember oh, yes I do mini cupcakes with raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting.

So today we had creamchees with shrimp cocktail sauce and covered with baby shrimp, cheese fondue in a bread bowl, sparkling grape drink and sparkling orange, peach, mango, chocolate and caramel pretzels, truffles orange and peppermint, chocolate caramel thumbprint cookies, peanut butter balls, mini cheese cakes, nutlella fruit dip, chicken chipolte cups, and peppers, and crackers. and white chocolate coins, with crasins and pastishaoes on them. Not bad, it was almost all eaten.

I am tired, but can't sleep. So now I can retire from helping. Oh yes.

Exciting

So, Eli has had two interviews. They are pre screenings to see if you would be a fit to have a call back interview. He first interviewed with Mortenson, then a week later Hensel Phelps. He thought he bombed the Hensel Phelps interview and felt better about Mortenson. However, he got a call back from Hensel Phelps, Phoenix division. With this company every division interviews. So he has also signed up to interview this Friday with the Southern California division. He flies out to Phoenix for several days of round robin interviews the end of the month. I have been researching companies, employee owned companies today to see what options we have.

I am slightly sad that we will be leaving this area. I like the small town, recreation, and other things, but it is time to have some room to stretch. Make new friends, see new things, etc....

Family Photos

That time to change the family photo. Yes, crying, fighting, and lots of annoyance. We had crying from both boys, disagreements on what to wear, where to take the photos, throwing dirt, eating cookies and getting shirts dirty. Good thing we don't have photos taken very often. We had them taken in Ashton, Idaho in a wheat field and up on the hill off fisherman's drive. We had Amber Redd take them from Rexburg, Idaho. I would post them but it won't read on the mac. Go figure, so I will use my brothers computer. The boys are not the best at smiling, however they tried because they were promised cookies and smores. We had them taken Friday--Labor Day weekend. We go camping every Labor Day. So we were packed and ready to go. We left afterwords to enjoy ourselves. Our awesome friends picked up the tent and had it set up for us so that we would not be setting it up in the dark. Photos to come.

Two birthday and school begins

Well as school draws closer we celebrate the boys birthdays. First one done, sort of we still need to make the cake. We went to dairy queen instead. I didn't want to turn on the oven when it is really hot outside. So D.Q was what we did however, the little guy didn't even eat ice cream he wanted a hamburger. So that is what he got. He got new cowboy boots and a remote control boat from the Utah grandparents. I know super exciting.  We went up to Island Park Reservoir  and both boys played with the boat until the battery died. While playing with the boat they would catch crawdads and leeches, looking under the rocks for stuff. They would catch leeches and put them on fishing poles to catch fish. The fish were small but just the right size for little guys, to reel in, take off the hook, and release them back into the water.

Conversing in the Car to School

Once the boys finally get in the car to go to school the morning conversation begins:
C says "I am moving to Texas!".
I ask "Why?"
C. replies "Because they have horses."
A. says "I am moving in with Dennis"
I say "Grandpa"
A. says "Dennis, ok Grandpa."
 I ask "why"
A. says "because he said he likes me."
I them try to explain that when we move it will be to an area where dad gets work, sighs and moans.
C. "I am moving to Texas."
A. "They don't have water in Texas!"
I ask "How do you know?"
A. "I know."
I explain that they do have water
A "oh, you sure"

Ashton's Trailer

Man to have air conditioning

Usually I do not mind not having a.c. however it is day two of really muggy humidity with heat up to 95, 97 degrees. And we get the afternoon sun on the upper level of a duplex so it gets hot. I am in the almost cool room not really but I do not want to sit in the bathroom. At least it is almost five o'clock so by 9 it should get cooler. The last couple nights of running it has not cooled off, and not thunderstorms, I wish it would get cooler but then fires. We do have a lot of smoke so the sunset and moon look super orange. Love it. I like a.c. but it makes me so cold when I am not use to it and others have their house so cold. Oh, well. I did finish the wallpaper happy days for me. I guess I need to get more photos off the camera. Tonight is A's last soccer game. Then school in a week and 1/2. That went by fast. I had so much planned to give him a boost for school and we only did a fraction of it. He liked playing with bugs, ants, grasshoppers, and outside better, although I do not blame him.

New Leaf, or dying leaf when done

So I began two weeks ago working with a friend whom is trying to win her families biggest looser competition in 60 days. So we talk about what to eat how to sub food ingredients. The not so fun part is  two a day work outs. Morning is usually Tabeo ok Ty-bow is the phonetic or a Jillian Micheals DVD. Then at night usually from 8, 9 or 10 depends on when she gets off work we go jogging. We started at smith park and moved to 7th S. Which in Rexburg, Idaho is a mountain when you are running it is, but a hill with small hills on it. You can feel it walking up. So we do that sometime up and down and up and down. Other times we run from above the temple down to university over to 7th and then up to the first church then walk. Then we walk/jog to BYUI campus and then to the bathroom at the garden, for a pit stop then to the stairs by the bookstore bldg. Then we do stair laps, cause two sets of stairs are close buy. Six stark laps then walk back to the car and drive home. Usually by 11:15 or 11:30pm. Why to get in shape. She lost 7.5 lbs in two weeks. So tonight her husband is coming so we better run fast so he can drop dead in his sweat and see that we sweet.

Wallpaper

Oh, if I knew who invented wallpaper I would have words with them. We, Eli and myself, were asked to help remove wallpaper from a rental. Horrible invention. Three sometimes four layers. So I mixed equal parts of Downy-fabric softener and water in a spray bottle. I spray it on, or my boys depends on who wants the job, and wait 15 minutes. Then use a steam to hold for 10 seconds and it comes off easier. However, whomever put this paper up put it on sheet rock with out paint so it takes time we were there for 5 hours and only a little of the hallway and front room. I will never ever put wall paper put horrible stuff, paint people.

Piano Guys

We, Eli, myself, Jim Bollinger, and A. attended the Piano Guys concert last night. Wow, it was awesome. Check them out on u-tube. So I left with a. to go to soccer, then stopped to check on my sister who was watching C. He was in the closet asleep, crying fit. Anyway then I left to get Eli and Jim and then we stopped to get A. Then we headed home to change and get C. Then up to Ashton to help load hay. We were the retriever it was broke down. then to unload in the barn we finished up around 10pm. Then back to our place.

Bear World May 2012

So in May they offer Bear World at a reduced price, so we decided to go. We have lived her for over two years and had never been. I would tell the kids when we would drive by. However, I wanted to see the baby cubs and they had been advertising them so we went. It was awesome. We drove through and the boys loved it. We saw deer, elk, mountain goats, buffalo, antelope. Then we entered the bear area. We saw 3 grizzles, and many brown bears that come right next to you. Then we saw a silver wolf and a moose. Then we stopped so we could go to where they keep the cubs, so cute and we got to pet them. Then we read the signs, went to the petting zoo. Finally once they got the rides going the boys did that and had a blast. So while doing this we heard that you can pay more and go on the large truck and feed the animals so we knew when we would go back through the animal and bear park. We got in  second car from the truck. So in the bears they were close and standing up. They have a guy in there called the bear ranger to scare and get the bears off cars and keep people moving. We had bears try to climb on the hood and then one wiped a booger on the side of the window the boys were screaming with excitement and nervousness. We bought some fudge and it was good, lunch for us. It was a cold day so we headed home.  Many photos below.

 A. Petting the baby cub.

 C. going in, a little unsure. The cub was nuzzling and really noisy. P

 Peek a boo!

 Now you see us.

 Even though they are bears they still wrestle. We all loved watching them play.

 Petting zoo, A. loved touching everything.

 C. loved this pot bellied pig.  Typical attire, boots on wrong feet and cowboy hat pulled down to ears smashing them.

 The moose.

 C. was obsessed with the deer.

 Here is the baby the boys liked to pet. It looks sick with loosing hair and so skinny. Yes, we made sure everyone washed there hands after leaving the petting zoo.

 Riding the rides. This is the first time they have done anything like this. They were excited.

 Roller Coaster.

 All smiles at the end.

 4-wheeler ride.

 They were so excited to ride the engine and blow the horn.

 All aboard the dinosaur train, they were both hollering this.

 We all enjoyed watching the bears sit on their bums and beg for food. Some were so fat they looked liked it was a struggle to balance.