4th Of July!

So fun having the never-ending Independence Day!  Our friends, The Heids, came from AZ on the 29th to see what the Teton Valley was all about.  The boys fished the Teton and got eaten by mosquitoes and that night we made our first Summer visit to The Spud drive-in to see Brave. Saturday we rode the lift at Targhee and then the kids swam in "the pit".  Waklee braved the home-made zip-line, Reese spectated. In the evening we enjoyed the Huntsman Springs firework show.  So good.  Sunday the Heids hit Yellowstone Park and we went to a baby blessing with the Kunz's.  We did fit in one night of Alhambra and laughed over how "we got together". Monday the boys golfed and the girls got pedi's.  That night was a really great experience watching my parents open their missions call.............Sydney, Australia!!!  I don't think I have ever seen my Dad so excited!  Tuesday the Heids headed back home and we already miss them!

On the 4th of July the kids got to tether up in a hot air balloon early in the morn and I have yet to attend the balloon festival...maybe next year. We went to the Victor parade and got rained on by candy!  Went to the street fair this year and then home for a nap.  Swam in a swamp with Chad and headed to Hamer for the best small town  celebration ever.  My kids rode with my parents in the parade announcing their mission call.  Canon liked "being" in the parade better than "watching" the parade.  So cute.  Delicious dinner, beautiful night and more great fireworks! 

Catsup!

A few things that stand out in the 2011-2012 School Year....

 1st day of school for Reese; that was a hard one.  Eric sent me on a scavenger hunt for my birthday ending with our 2nd annual Halloween excursion. This year we went to a haunted corn maze and yes my Dad came along and we may have lost our niece briefly.  Halloween of course one of my favorite holidays. 


 

 The snow came and we embraced it.  Canon would get excited every time it snowed.  Eric built up a mound of snow and got Canon on skis and he surprisingly did really well.  Kids rode the bumble bee a lot! Eric got to instruct at both girls' ski school.  Reese was so wimpy the first week and then took off after that.  On race day Reese took off down the hill with no fear and would have surely taken home the gold if she hadn't tried to wave at me....crash!  Waklee cautiously skied down the hill with perfection.  Fun to see their personalities come out in their skiing.  Eric took me and the older girls skiing and it was the first time I had gone in 11 years.  Alot of fun.  Then over Spring break I took the girls by myself.





  I coached Waklee's basketball team and we went undefeated.  All 6 of us rode into Cave Falls on snowmachines.  Babies did great and Canon spotted an alligator in the river; there was an island of snow that really did look like an alligator.  We all look forward to seeing what Cave Falls looks like in the Summer too.  Reese had a campfire with cousins for her 6th birthday and we all got sunburns.

 Scout finally started walking at 16 months and is now into everything.  She adores her Daddy and loves to visit him at work.  She also has a sweet tooth and may fall to the ground kicking and crying if you tell her, "no more pop." Ha ha. Reese got first place at field day in the softball throw and Waklee made it to the school spelling bee but got out on the word "guarentee".  Wakes has been playing softball and gets to put up with me again.  Waklee also really challenged herself with her recital pieces this Spring.  So proud of her.  Wakes did her first report on Italy and now we are ready to go on holiday.  We made a trip to the Dunes and I am more chicken than I was two years ago.  Helped brand cows at the Kunz's and I took the kids to the Breckenridges for the day.  They got to fall off a horse and see a cow have a baby; great day. Canon didn't swallow any screws this year but he did put a screw in the phone jack shorting out our phones for a month.  Sorry if I didn't answer.  Instead of swallowing a screw he slipped and fell in the shower and popped open his chin. We skipped stitches because Grandpa Neil said that a scar is going to be the least of our worries with this one and well three weeks later Reese shut Canon's head in the van door and left a little bald spot....ouch!  We have already taken a four-wheeler ride into Packsaddle Lake and both girls rode the swing.  Good thing they didn't fall off because I don't know who would have pulled them out of that icy lake.  Before our ride up to Packsaddle I told Eric I wanted to try and ride the 450 and he try it right now.  I mentioned that I wanted to try it at home in the field but somehow I ended up trying it then and well lets just say that is the dumbest thing I have ever done!  I ended up on the ground with the bike fling across the asphalt and a lot of bruises on my legs. We are excited for the school year to come to an end so we can be "Makin' Memories"!

Still Livin'

My Portland friend called the other day to see if we were still alive.  We are! I haven't been on Blogger for so long I don't even know how to use it now.  What a great half of the year we have had.  I have done things these past six months that I haven't done in years.....but I left my camera at home.  I went skiing with my girls this winter up to Targhee.....so fun.  Rode snow machines into Cave Falls...beautiful.  Helped run our valley's youth basketball program and coached Wakes team.....busy. And lastly attempted to ride a 450....ouch!  And Reese survived Kindergarten......on the days she went. Can't wait for the rest of the year!  

The Best Is Yet To Be

Definitely something to live by in 2012

The Best Is Yet To Be

In Luke 17:32, the Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife?“ A living
apostle, Elder Jeffery Holland, counseled us that “as a new year begin
and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I
plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for
yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is
to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers
from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned
what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have
experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always
pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and
truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives.

There is something in many of us that particularly fails to forgive
and forget earlier mistakes in life—either our mistakes or the
mistakes of others. It is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in
terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of
Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes is the worst kind of wallowing
in the past from which we are called to cease and desist.

Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and
improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is that charity? Yes!
Above all, it is charity, the pure love of Christ. If something is
buried in the past, leave it buried.

Perhaps at this beginning of a new year there is no greater
requirement for us than to do as the Lord Himself said He does: “He
who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord,
remember them no more” (D&C 58:42).

Now, like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies of the Book of Mormon, bury your
weapons of war and leave them buried Forgive and do that which is
sometimes harder than to forgive: forget. And when it comes to mind
again, forget it again.

This is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year—and
every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is
the wonder of faith, repentance, and the miracle of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.

The poet Robert Browning wrote:
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in his hand
Who saith, “A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!”

Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away. Live to
see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine
love that will transform your life today, tomorrow, and forever.
______________________________

______
“The Best Is Yet To Be, Elder Holland, BYU Devotional, Jan. 13, 2009

Precious

I came across this picture today. Reese took her newborn sister in to snuggle and they fell
asleep together. If you look closely you can see that Reese has snuggle bunny and is
sucking on her thumb with sweet little Scout asleep on her.
Too Precious.

Labor Day- I love it!

I love Labor Day.

It seems like it is the last days of Summer and were trying to
soak every last bit of it up!
For our second year in a row we went to the beautiful
String and Leigh Lakes in the shadows of the Tetons.
So beautiful and so so fun.

Can it get any cuter than this?





Cute Canon.

Canon and his Boys.

It was a treat to spend the day with our Kunz Family.
Eric's parents, Ty Ty, Neville Family and Aunt Sally and Uncle Kelley.

First Day of School 2011-2012

Big year at the Kunz home with the 2011-2012 school year.

Waklee moved to a school in Driggs which is only fourth and fifth graders.
She rides the bus to school and has a locker. She loves school!



My Sweet Reese is a big Kindergartener. So sad.
Reese doesn't have a first day of school picture because we don't like to take pictures of people and their ugly cry faces. Many tears were shed by Reese and by her Mom. And it wasn't just the first day of school either. Happy to report that Mom and cute Reese are now doing fine.

Bedtimes on Vacation.... Summer 2011

Whoa Summer 2011 is over.....so sad.
This is the Summer that our Bedtimes Went on Vacation.

Top Highlights of Summer 2011:

-Our Garden-

For Mothers Day Eric and the kids
built me some box gardens.
Next they hauled "dirt" from Uncle Ryan's (he has the best kind of "dirt").

Our first garden was actually quite successful and if anything I could walk out and see all the lush green and it made me Happy!
-Coaching Waklee's Fastpitch Team-




And just a few others:
Fourth Of July in the Valley -------Williams Reunion Island Park
--------Twenty Fourth of July Kunz Family------
Lava Hot Springs Swim Lessons --------
Circus -------Huckleberry Picking
---Saturday at Grandpa Neil's Farm---
Grandpa Jerry and His Airboat-------Swimming In the Ponds

The best part of Summer
- Just Chillin'-


I wouldn't do my Summer justice if I didn't mention the opportunity of
attending the sealing of these special people.
This day falls into top 5 life experiences. Love You Lasson Family

My babies around 5 months.

These little cuties are definitely related.
Fun to see how they look alike and look different from each other.

Sweet Scout

Oh sweet Scout girl, I have neglected taking pictures of you. Please forgive me.

I must say I never tire of looking at those beautiful blue eyes.


You are adored by your little family. Reese loves you most and Canon can't wait to play with you.
You have such a sweet little spirit. Just starting to show a little bit of an aggressive side, your Mama loves aggressive!
We like to call you Scout, Scoutie, Cubby, Cookie.....