Dan & Em's Visit

I'm still so behind on posting....

Our good friends Dan & Emily stopped in for a visit in July for a couple of days. We didn't do much. The big boys played disc golf. Then we went to visit Grams. Last time they saw her, she & Gramps had stopped in for a visit in Cartagena. Grams was thrilled to have them up, and so were we! Hopefully we can return the favor next time....San Juan Islands anyone??

Lander & Noah throwing discs

Josh Dannit! Quite the duo.

Em & Dix
Blake loved his bugs (even though we could hardly find any--go figure!). This was the only decent, non-eyes-closed picture with Grams in it.
Dan goes for the putt at Freeman Park. Nice form, Dan! You must work out.

4 Wheeling in Cedar City, UT

Tiff & Chad treated me & the little boys to an off road adventure at Three Peaks near Cedar City, Utah. Mike & Amanda came along too. Josher got the raw end of the deal. He had to stay at home & work. (Thanks, Babe!)

There were a couple of times that I wondered if my kids would make it through the day unscathed. It didn't help that a government employee told us that people had been stringing fishing line between trees that had knocked two different people off of their quads. (One was hurt pretty bad.) I was worried that one of us would get clotheslined, but somehow we were fine. Well, most of us. Chad did decide to get a little rowdy on a sand dune, but he rode his bucking quad like a pro & saved himself from major disaster.

Lander Devin
Jake & Uncle Chad
Dixie, Amanda & Tiff

Bannack, MT

Bannack, Montana used to be the territorial capital of Montana. Now is it a deserted ghost town. We had planned a visit & were surprised to find out that it was "Bannack Days", an event that draws huge crowds. The crowds brought some fun adventures. Panning for gold and garnets, watching the soldiers shoot old time guns and cannons, horseback rides, you name it.

more from Montana

I know my blog posts are kind of jumping around, but try to stay with me here. Let's go back a few weeks into July so I can post a few more pictures from our camping trip to Montana.

Josh brings discs everywhere we go. He has thrown discs in Antigua, California, the Dominican Republic, Colorado, even Florida...pretty much everywhere he travels. The other J-sister in laws will understand this, I am sure. Camping in Montana is no different. And in case you are wondering what in the world is Josh doing? He's throwing one of his discs off of the mountain, aiming for our hammock.

Just for consistency, here is where the disc landed. Those of you interested will have to contact Josh about the stats. All I know is that it was a loooong way. Not too shabby, Babe.
Jake's hot dog was totally black from smoke and completely cold in the middle. Yummy.

The boys spent hours playing on a rocky mountain-side near our campsite (Grasshopper Campground). They named this pile of rocks the "gorilla rock".

Josh was quite the cook as my increasing size will attest.

Crib's Episode

Here is a sneak peek from MTV Crib's next episode:

...well of the fridge at least.

I love you, Tiff!!

Lake Powell

I spent years living in the desert, but had never made it to Lake Powell. Luckily, Chad & Tiff rectified that oversight. Josh was even able to escape from work for the quick trip. Here are a few shots from Lake Powell last week:

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Josh & Jake

Brianna

(Jake & Devin in background)

Proof that Dixie did it...if only for a second Josh & Lander ... and last known sighting of Josh's sunglasses
Jake & Lander in tube
(Chad in background)
Uncle Mike

TICK WARNING!

I hate it when people forward bogus warnings, and I have even done it myself a couple times unintentionally but this one is real, and it's important, so important that I thought I would place it on my blog to ensure it makes it to a larger audience.

Please send this warning to everyone on your e-mail list.

If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! THIS IS A SCAM!! They only want to see you naked.

I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid.

Crystal Park

We took the boys on a camping trip to Montana (near Dillon). While there, we dug for crystals at a place called Crystal Park. Josh found the grand-daddy of crystals & was the envy of all.

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Lander is pouting because Jake was holding the rock. So typical.

Oh, look. Now he's happy. ;)

The crystals come out shaped like the one in the picture. Some are long, almost 6 inches, but we didn't find any that large. Some are purple & other colors too.

flying high

I just jove these pictures!

Jake & Lander flying kites (in Driggs)

Victor Parade

We were able to meet up with Nate, Hillary, Walker & Daisy F. at the Victor, ID parade, of all places. There were hundreds of people lining the streets for this small town parade.

What would a parade in Idaho be without a ginormous potato?

...and bagpipes.
the boys' favorite

Daisy Alan & Mr. T

Jake & Walker F.

Lander's portrait of Josherboy

Gram's old bishop, Kerry Buxton, teaching Jake & Lander one more form of wrestling...Lander won....thanks to Bishop Buxton's help!

4th of July

We spent the 4th in Driggs with Grams, Alan, Heather & Baby Tillamook. Somehow I missed getting a picture of those three. It was cold & rainy all day which meant no hiking, no canoeing, and no water balloon fight, but we did fit in 4 (or was it 5) games of Seafarers of Catan and the rain paused long enough for our itty-bitty fireworks show. Dixie & Grams--gotta love self portraits...and the jackets. Only in Idaho are jackets a must when lighting fireworks.

See. Even the boys have to wear jackets. Not just us wimpy girls.

...and check out the view...

Woo woo! Hey, Babe! Can you light another firework for us??

Jake

Lander

more from Utah

After a crazy week at the hospital, I finally found the time to finish posting pictures from our trip to Utah. Here are a few more shots from the craziness:

Lander at Jumpin JacksDrew, Lander, Jayden & Jake making silly poses at Hogle Zoo.

Nice spagetti arm, Jake!

Lander's hole in one
Dixie making a momento for Josh

One of Jake's THREE hole in ones. He won two free mini-golf passes for those hole in ones. Yippee! Jake & Lander at arcade

Jake, killing time at the park

Jake beat the adults on game night. He liked it. A lot.

Can you tell?

Jayden & Lander at Jumpin Jacks