Road Trip to Idaho and Utah July 2009 ( Part 2 Utah)

The fun followed us to Utah. On Thursday morning while Steve, Tyler and Blake all hiked Timp. (more to follow on their adventure) Camille, Grant and I prepared food and bedding to head to Steve's sisters cabin. It is one of our favorite places to go. We have many fond memories over the years at Veenker's cabin! It is located in the mountains just above Fairview, Utah. The best thing about it is that no cell phones or computers work up there. We really were cut off from the world. After the anxiety of not being "connected" passes in the first day or two. You get to the point where you don't want to step back into being "connected" at all!!!

One of the three family dinners we had while we were in Utah with Family and cousins...We did something every night we were there. Grant was in heaven having so many kids to play with. Baseball was a favorite for sure.

The Family four wheeler ride. It was a blast. We missed Carly on this ride because she was sick.

Overlooking the lake from the four wheelers. It is just beautiful.

Poor Blake and Camille were at the back of our caravan of four wheelers. It was so dusty. We looked back and saw that Blake had wrapped Camille's jacket around his face. He was a sight! I guess that is one way to keep the bugs and dirt out of your eyes...

They have this awesome and scary swing that everyone loves!! Grant mastered going all the way up 12 steps before we left. Steve did it as well and he screamed the whole way. It is truly a highlight.

It is much scarier than it looks believe me!

Tyler and Kaylee.

Carly brought her friend Joel Goodman.

You can't go the cabin without a camp fire and roasting marshmallows.

Camille, Joel and Carly on the lake.

We had fun activities to do at the cabin. Kaylee is our family "Baker" She is a talented asset to have in the family! Here she is teaching us how to decorate cupcakes. It was a lot of fun and we didn't do half bad.

The final product.

We also had a fun time making frames. They really turned out darling. Even the boys got into it!

The wild flowers were out everywhere...Camille and I took a ride just to see all of the flowers. This is my favorite time of the year at the cabin!

Blake staying in shape. However the air is much harder to breath in Utah than it is in Texas!! :)

The gang going for a ride with Aunt Carleen (Steve's sister) in the lead.

Tyler bought a motorcycle for transportation because Kaylee has to take their car to Salt Lake for work. I Hate everything about Motorcycles...they scare me. Tyler knows better than this, but.....here they are riding it! They all thought it was great fun. Notice I was never on it!
Even Steve took a ride.

Camille loved the cool looking helmet.

Grant thought he was big man on campus! He loved, loved it.

We ran from sun up to sun down and had a ton of fun. It has been fun for me to watch the kids grow older and interact as friends. They are good to each other and all of them are wonderful to Grant. I feel very blessed to have such wonderful kids. What a great memory!

Road Trip to Idaho and Utah July 2009 ( Idaho Part 1)

It is always a bit overwhelming to update this blog when you are as far behind as I am. However, I feel it is also important to put the littlest of events in as to document it in the printed form for my family. To the outside reader this may be nothing but a boring travelogue.:)

Steve has taken a online class this past year from the University of New York. He had a huge test coming up that would take a lot of study time and a two days to take. I decided this would be a great chance to take a long road trip and give him some quite time to study. I loaded Camille and Grant up in the car a headed out on the road. It was an adventure to all of us. It gave me the feeling of "I AM WOMAN" as I drove the entire way. We went from here to Gallup, New Mexico the first day (12 hours) then from Gallup to Provo, Utah (8 hours) We stayed over night and then headed to Boise, Idaho (6 hours) the place of my birth and all of my childhood memories. It may not sound fun but I truly enjoyed the kids and they were so good.
We met up with family the day we arrived in Boise for dinner at Nam King. This is the BEST Chinese food on earth. I compare all Chinese food to Nam King. ;) I also waited tables here while I was in HS.

I decided to take the kids to some of my old stomping grounds while I was a kid. The first stop was Fanci Freeze. This is a great ice cream/fast food stop that is the best in the Valley. They are know for the dip cones of all flavors. Really they have up to 30 flavors a day. This day I had chocolate ice cream with coconut dip. It tasted like a Almond Joy. Yummmmmm We always stopped by Fanci Freeze on the way home from skiing at the lake. What a great memory.

Camille (with her crazy dreadlocks wig that Mom gave her) and Grant by the menu board at Fanci freeze. My kids always ask to come here when we are in Boise. Now that is passing knowledge from one generation to the next! ;)

We stopped and got flowers to take to my dad's grave. Dad has been gone 4 years. He was such a wonderful man and great father. I still miss him so much! (Camille at his grave)

Dad is buried at the Veterans Cemetery in Boise. ( Me and Grant)

The kids love to visit my siblings because they everything that we do not! This is Grant with my brother- in-law Uncle Terry (my sister Dana's husband). The kids got to feed cows and take care of the chickens here. It was so funny as Grant would check on the chickens every 30 minutes or so to see if they had laid an egg. I am sure the chickens were thrilled to have him gone so they could relax! The pressure they must have felt. You could have eaten the eggs when he brought them in as they were almost hot! ;) That is what I call FRESH EGGS!

Before we left Texas Grant kept asking me about MY school so I decided to take him to see a couple of the schools I attended as a child. This is my high School. I attended Capital High School in Boise. Camille was surprised that it was STILL there! ;)

The fun thing about going home this summer is that it also happened to be my 30 (yes count them 30 ) year reunion. I was not able to go because we had to be in Utah for a family reunion but I was able to re-connect with a few of the old friends and catch up. It was fun seeing/talking to them. I was filled with gratitude for my childhood, great memories and MY life and how it has turned out so far. The older I get the more tender I am for sure.

This is a picture of the grade school went to. Pierce Park Elementary. They don't make schools like this anymore. Even I thought it looked dated!! ;)

My sisters Dana , RaeAnn and I took my kids and my niece Cassidy on a fun trip to McCall, Idaho. We stayed in a condo, shopped at the fun local shops, swam, ate at some great places and watched movies until late. It is one of my favorite places to spend time!
Here is Camille on the streets in McCall.

Grant and Camille playing on the beach at McCall Lake.

When I was young I thought that McCall Idaho was the most beautiful place on earth!! It still ranks up there pretty high! Look at that beautiful lake and backdrop of trees.

My darling kids....My kids loved playing in the sand but the water was a bit colder than Texas lakes! ;)

My mom still runs her beauty shop "Lorrain's Unique Boutique" (gotta love that name! ;) my Mom is 84 and still goes to her shop 5 days a week. You have to give her credit for that. She also sells wigs in her shop.... it is always a fun time for the kids try on all of the wigs. So what do you think? ;) (Notice my darling Mom in the background of the picture)

The girls and Grant went to a fun outdoor theater in Garden Valley,Idaho. The show that was playing was Footloose. They did a pretty good job and we all had a great time!

It was nice to have Steve and Blake fly out and meet us for the last few days in Idaho.

My brother Scott took us target shooting. We found out that Blake is a great shot! He hit everything he aimed for. If you are ever lost in the wilderness Blake would be a great asset.

Steve loved all of this. He grew up in this same area so it was old home week for him.

Camille and I were not as fond of this activity. The guns were loud and a bit scary. Notice Cam's eye's are closed.

OK..go ahead and laugh. I hated everything about this. It scared me!!

This was a huge rifle with a big kick! NO I was not even tempted to take a turn!

Notice the cut above both Scott and Blake's right eye. Scott was so careful to warn Blake to keep a safe distance from the scope because of the HUGE kick the gun has....Blake is quick to point out that even though the scope did hit him and cut his eye he hit his target! Scott was next and did the exact same thing...They were both bleeding. Scott said I have never done that before...They both felt like it was a badge of honor! ha Boys!!

Everyone loves Scott's house because he trains horses. He has lots of horses to ride. Here he is taking Grant on a ride. Grant loves dressing up as a cowboy!

Blake was taken with this little colt. She was really a beautiful color.

Cowboy Blake and Cowgirl Camille. Sorry but my kids really are townies! ;)

BEFORE: On a sad note: Steve was leading the kids around on this house bareback. I don't know if you have ever ridden a horse bareback but it is not easy as there is not a lot of places to hold on. Steve decided to trot the horse and the kids fell off. In the process the horse stepped on Camille's leg. Needless to say Steve was not popular for a couple of days! ;)

AFTER:

The next day Scott took us all fishing on this beautiful little lake. We did catch a few fish and had a wonderful time. Grant says he wants to be a fisherman when he grows up because he is so good at it. I seem to remember that Scott would have Grant "HOLD" his pole when he got tired. It was weird because Grant always seemed to catch a fish just after that. ;)

Camille and Blake in the raft. They spent a couple of hours playing in that. Grant getting the net ready for the big catch.

Scott, Grant and Steve bringing one in!

Bright and early the next morning we headed to Utah for our next adventure. We had a great time with family and friends in Idaho. We spent a couple of days working on my Mom's ranch were she still lives. We mowed, chopped down weeds cleaned, hung pictures and got her new bathroon put together. I am not sure why I did not get any pictures working....I guess we were too busy!

Part 2 comming soon but right now I need to get some things done in my house!......

Happy Fourth of July 2009

We had a great time on the fourth of July at the Connel's beautiful home. We had a BBQ, swam and visited until it was time to watch fireworks. We had a perfect seat from their backyard over looking a beautiful golf course and view.

Here Steve is swimming with Grant and Tanner. Grant swam and jumped off the diving board non-stop for four hours! Needless to say he was asleep before we got home!

Camille visiting with our friends the Rousseau's.

Camille taking our picture. Can you tell how HOT it was. We love Texas Summers. ;)

Blake went to the party for a little bit and then he had a hot date! Blake and 3 of his"ladies"
watched the fireworks from the back of his truck on the "love Sac"! The things that boy comes up with! All in all it was a fun and relaxing day. A day we all needed.

It is important to remember why we get to celebrate this day to being with. I am so thankful to be blessed enough to live in this great country. Thank you to all of the men and women who have made the USA ...the land of the FREE. I love this quote:

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who do us harm. -George Orwell