Saturday, July 11, 2009

Disclaimer

The entrance to the campground and marina just outside Lovell, WY.
Meredith at the swimming area. Grandpa put the boat in the water and it would not start, so we swam instead. They even had a lifeguard!

Next to the swimming area was a huge playground and picnic area with at least 20 picnic tables - enough for a crowd.


Meredith and Jarrett

Jeffrey

Meredith mastered the monkey bars.

Jarrett escaping a game of tag by climbing on top of the playground. Why must they all be monkeys?

The wind picked up about 5pm and was probably 40mph. Too windy to have a campfire or even be outside with the dirt blowing for that matter. Morgan decided to color.


Jarrett and Mikalah played cards.


The next morning while Grandpa went into town to check on the boat, Mike, Grandma, the kids and I explored the rest of the National Park Area. There is a Wild Mustang Preserve. One hundred and twenty mustangs run free.

We saw big horn sheep. A baby nursing. Big horn sheep grow a ring per year on their horns and do not shed them like antlers. These sheep are not very old.


A view of the canyon that connects to the lake that we were camping at. From this viewpoint, the water is 900 feet below. The water at that point is over 150 feet deep.

A floating outhouse - necessary when the canyon is fifty miles long.


Jarrett, Meredith, Grandma, Mikalah, Morgan, Mike & Jeffrey. Judson was at summer camp.


The family - minus Judson, but including Morgan's babies that go everywhere with her!

My little girl that's not so little anymore. She regularly reminds us that she will be 13 in just two short months!


More big horn sheep. I take pictures of people...Mike takes pictures of animals and scenery...we make a good team.

Boat is ready and we head out to the lake! The hotdog is the younger kids favorite!


Grandma and Mike relaxing as we head into the canyon. Meredith tired out after swimming for a bit.

Morgan...finally resting. She is a ball of energy!


About fifteen miles into the canyon the boat stopped. Mike and his Dad worked for 30 minutes trying to get it started again. Because it was the middle of the week the area is almost deserted. We hadn't seen another boat for almost an hour. I was thankful for lots of towels and the cooler of food we had brought when I started wondering if we would be stuck out there over night. Somehow, I ws pretty calm even though I was frustrated and a little nervous.

But God answered prayers and another boat came along. They towed us back to the marina. However because we couldn't go very fast it took us almost two hours. At least it was a pretty trip!


Another view from above. You can see how the canyon winds through.


What happens when Morgan takes a picture. She was so proud of her picture of the fence.

My wonderful family!


***Pictures from our recent trip to Horseshoe Bend near Lovell, WY. They show people having fun. This in no way proves that the blog author now enjoys camping. This disclaimer is in place to state that vacation - true relaxation - includes a five-star hotel and a spa treatment.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Polish Boy

Tuesday we did major shopping at...of course...Costco. The nectarines and cherries are BEAUTIFUL and so delicious right now!!! I was going to start telling you what special finds I get at Costco, but this was truly a "stock-the-shelves" trip. However, there was Dove shampoo on sale for $4.97 with a free conditioner included. Gotta watch those prices that end in $0.97. Those are the lowest price that Costco will offer. There's my tip of the day.

However, my favorite part of the trip was lunch...and not just the hundreds of samples. Otherwise lunch would have been bread, pina colada sherbet, chips and salsa, ham, black licorice, hummus on a chip, and salad. I guess you could probably call that a well rounded meal.

But, no. our lunch was eight polish sausages for $1.50 a piece and each comes with a drink. Can't beat lunch for the family for $12! Mike got sauerkraut on his polish dog. Jeffrey in a loud voice in the middle of a huge lunch crowd whines, "I want sauercrap too!" Priceless!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Thank you

This Gotcha Day is dedicated to my birth mom.

For your sacrifice.

For the hard choice you made.

For giving me...everything!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Control

I was just reading Kate Gosselin's book, Multiple Bles8ings. Setting aside any opinions of their family or situation, it is an interesting book to read. Like Kate, I sometimes struggle with wanting to control things (something she confesses in the book). I want to set things up in such a way that my kids are taken care of...that they don't hurt.

Change of thought, but I promise it all ties in nicely...

Judson is struggling with a staph infection again. He had one at the beginning of May, and he was put on antibiotics. In addition to that, we had to drain the sores that appeared on his body. I know, TMI...but I tell you that because it was painful for him, but necessary. It was also painful for the mommy to see him in pain. He healed up, and I was thankful it was over. Apparently it was not. The strain he had is resistant to some antibiotics...including the one he was taking. So this past weekend he showed up with more sores, and was feeling pretty crummy. So now he is on a different antibiotic. However, he has six sores on this sweet body that need to be drained. They are all in very tender spots, making it more difficult.

As a mother watching her son struggle, I too struggle with the "how do I keep this from happening" thoughts. Because the truth is, I can't. We didn't do anything wrong...and we probably couldn't have prevented it from happening. But I don't want to see my child suffer.

So as I am reading Kate's book, she starts talking about wanting to make everything right for her children, and then having God tell her, "No, Kate, they are mine first. I love them even more that you ever possibly could. Let me be in control!" WOW! That's God putting me in my place! Because I did not read Kate's name when I was reading it...I read mine.

Why is it so hard to let the God who controls the universe control my life? Why don't I just give in? Why do I even begin to think that I know better? I wouldn't dare admit that out loud, but my actions reveal my attitude.

My kids, my house, my finances, my health, my future, my relationships - He is in control of it all!!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Summer???


It is the first day of Summer (and Father's Day - Happy Father's Day - and my sister's birthday - Happy Birthday, Jessica!) and I just made hot chocolate for my kiddos. What is wrong with this picture???

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Wiggle Those Hips

video video

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Rules

Any mother with more than one child over the age of 5 will totally understand this. Who knew there were official rules???