The Duke's: September 2012

Summer '12

What a fun, fast, family, warm summer!!
Summer is a time to have BBQ's, family reunions, go swimming, and lay out! And that is just what I did! I have been growing out my hair all year and finally decided to get a trim. My goal is grow it out for another 6 or so months and then donate it; I have always wanted to donate my hair, so my 4 year old niece and I had a contest from Jan. to her birthday (July) to see who could grow out their hair the longest...I think I won :) haha.
Mike and I also went swimming in the river at least once or twice a week. I tried to lay out as much as I could. On Sept. 3 (Labor Day) I took my other niece and my nephew to Rexburg rapids and they played and played and played, while I laid and laid and laid out. What a nice relaxing Labor Day.
So this summer
I attended two family reunions.
Attended a work party at Bar J Wranglers in Jackson, WY
worked hard.
went to girls camp.
ventured up to Seattle.
washed my car in my swimming suit :)
went running with my niece.
went swimming as much as possible.
laughed and laughed and laughed.

hiked the Menan Butte (boy was that an experience. personal story not to be told by me. ask mike)

and soaked in the sun :)

Meet Mr. Scruff for the seven week break from school

McKay

The girls :) (we are only missing Bryant)

I love summers like that! :)

Girls Camp '12

This year I was called to be the Assistant Camp Director :)

I was SOO excited!! My last year in YW's I was called to be the Youth Camp Director, and I planned everything! (with the help of all the YCL's of course). So I felt I had a good experience and could rock this thing! But I never went to Stake Camp and they do stake camp three years in a row then ward camp. So Stake Camp experience was going to be VERY new to me. And they always go to the same camp ground Camp Darby. It was so fun! I tried to make the experience for the girls spiritual and fun. My YCL's were so helpful and fun and treated the girls so well. They had everything very organized. We made camp stool chairs that they used all week. and we also made button bracelets. Since I was in charge of the crafts I did not have time to take pictures of them working on them :( Which i regret now. But it's the memories that matter.
On the third day we all went on our hikes. I had volunteered to go with the YCL's and adventure the Table Rock hike. And boy was it a challenge! The first half mile or mile we got rained on a little bit, but when the rained stopped we were well on our way in the gorgeous hot summer weather to hike. We took it slow and we made it to the top!! I was so proud of my girls and so proud of myself. Kierra (one of my YCL's) became my best friend on the hike and now FOREVER. We trudged through it together and gave each other encouragement and faith that we could do it...and my other YCL's stepped in when needed and we become so much more spiritually connected through that experience. It was probably one of my best most spiritual experiences I have ever had! I am so thankful for my girls and the wonderful time we had at girls camp.
Oh one more thing! There is a giant slide at camp and it is fast and so fun!

I'm not going to lie. Camp was a challenge and hard work to put together but boy was it so worth it! The first day of camp I thought I was going to lose it and just cry and demand to go home. but there were several leaders and girls to help me better myself and know that some things just need to be let go and let the girls have fun and just remind yourself it is what it is, and it will be ok. You can't fix things and you can't control every little thing. I had to take a BIG breath and say a pray to my Heavenly Father. Ask for forgiveness and put a smile on my face and just have fun! The rest of the week went so much better!!

The gorgeous mountain scenery

Pulling weeds as a service project at Darby Camp

gorgeous mountain sunset

The last bit to hike...
that flat mountain on the left side is table rock, the end of the hike :)

We all made it!!

Look at those gorgeous Teton Mountains Right behind me!! I was literally half a mile from the Tetons! I just wanted to reach out and touch them! I felt like I could.

What a gorgeous view!!!!
I could of stayed up there all day admiring this beautiful earth Heavenly Father created for me! :)

Camp was July 30-Aug. 3. but my family reunion in Soda Springs started Aug. 2 to Aug. 4. So I left camp after Testimony Meeting on thurs night and drove home put my clothes in the wash and took a nice hot shower. (I did not shower all week!! I can rough it when I need to ;) Mike wanted to see me and hear all about camp so he picked me up and we went out of breakfast to Denny's. I talked his ear off and barely ate, haha, but I came home and went to sleep. Dad drove from Soda Springs to pick me up we stopped to get a bite to eat at Walmart then drove down to Soda Springs and boy was I out of it tired!! But I was determined to not take a nap because I would be out for like a whole day lol so I kept myself awake all day...maybe I should of taken a nap, lol :) But Girls Camp was a blast and so worth it!! So fun! Such a joyful, spiritual, uplifting, bonding experience!! I love girls camp and I love all the girls in my ward!! I am also the CTR 5 primary teacher and have been for two years :) I LOVE my primary kids too!!!

Ward reunion Soda Springs '12

I love my family!
This year we had the privilege and honor to rent a cabin and enjoy the regular amenities and just enjoy each others company and site see a little more.

All the great grandchildren (and three grandchildren)

My family :)

My family again, minus my oldest brother and his wife and little boy and my youngest brother and his family.
(I was joking with my sister and telling her to look at the camera and they took the picture) opps makes for a good story; because it looks like I'm slapping her LOL

My dad's siblings and their spouses (with a few that couldn't make it this year)

and my cute grandparents

I love my Aunt Marie's giant happy smile! :) It makes me so happy!

Mini Old Faithful; goes off every hour at the top of the hour
I don't remember the real name of it.

This is the EXACT picture I was trying to avoid LOL; the spring water coming out of my head

all the kids playing in a natural soda spring at a park

This mountain is where they pour their extra scrapes of metal off the side of the mountain. They do it every 20 minutes or so. It is so cool to watch!
On the outskirts of Soda Springs

We then traveled to Grace, ID...

Rope swing into the river (the end of Last Chance Canal)
Grace, ID

Last Chance Canal...

you jump in and float down...

This is where the water comes out of the mountain on the other side to get the water for their irrigation...

The beginning/end (however you want to look at it) of Last Chance Canal...
They (the farmers and city) were having problems getting irrigation water and needed a solution. This river flows to Salt Lake so their only chance to get water from this river was to dig through the mountain. and they only had a limited time to do it before the city wouldn't let them try and make them have a drought. So two men drilled and dug through the mountain starting at each end and these two men worked and worked and ended up within ONE FOOT of each other in the middle of the mountain!!
This is the dam they built to direct the water through the mountain...

and this is the original river...

and this is where is comes out! The rope swing bridge (from a few pictures ago)

a random house on the drive back to Soda Springs.... Isn't it cute and fun! :)

Seattle '12

I LOVE TRAVELING

This year I decided to head up to Seattle to visit my cousin. She had been begging me to visit her and it was a perfect time to go. I took one day off work and we had a blast visiting. Site seeing. Chatting. Playing with the kids. Going out to eat. and loving our time together as favorite cousins :)

I love the ocean :)