Girl's Weekend at the Cabin...

I've been part of the same Bunko group for about seven years. I love these gals very much! Bunko is a game you play with dice. There is a certain number you are trying to roll with each round. You keep score and then there are prizes at the end. Whoever is the hostess provides dinner and shop for the prizes with the money that everyone donates. The game is fun, but it's the chance to be together and have a Girl's Night Out that it's really all about. After we finish dinner and the game, we're usually talking until midnight or later. It's like having monthly therapy, a chance to talk and vent and laugh. The night after Mindy hosted, her husband (who had been hanging out upstairs) asked her, "Do you guys always laugh that much?" Yep, lots of laughs and lots of fun with this group.

Mindy's grandparents have a cabin up Provo canyon that she invited us to stay at for the weekend. At that point in the summer, I was in need of girl's weekend for sure. The cabin was perfect, right next to a stream, two hammocks, ahhhhh!

I stayed in the "porch room." I could hear the stream all night
and it was so breezy and cool- Loved It!

Scott asked what we did for three days and I said we hiked around the trails, played games, but mostly just talked. He seriously didn't believe me. He didn't think it was possible to just sit around and talk for that long. Oh, but we did. Talked out on the big patio until it got too cold and dark, then talked inside till all hours.

Back -Therse, Cindy, Terah, Larissa, Melissa
Front - Mindy, Tracey (holding baby Ivy), Tammy

One of the highlights of the weekend was figuring out that Mindy's grandpa, Marion D. Hanks, was friends with Grandpa Moore while he was in England! Elder Hanks was in the Quorum of the Seventy for a long time. Mindy mentioned he was a mission president in London and I asked him what years he was there. We figured out that our grandparents were there the same years. Our mom's are the same age and both were baptized while they were in England. Later I asked Grandma Moore if she knew the Hanks and she said they were good friends. If Elder Hanks couldn't make a speaking assignment, he'd call Grandpa to fill in for him.

Our View...

The blessing of seeing this sunset from our front porch. An greater appreciation for God's creation emerges.

Scofield Days...

Grandma and I took the boys to stay at the cabin for a few days. It was this trip that another indicator that the boys are getting older. I loved to stay at the cabin because I could sit on the beach with a book and the boys would play ALL DAY in the sand, on the docks, and swimming. This summer they got bored with the usual activities pretty quickly. I was exhausted trying to keep them entertained. It wasn't the trip I had in mind...but here are a few moments of happiness.

Catching crawdads with chicken in a nylon.

We didn't have much luck with the crawdads this time, but Eli shows one of the few that became our captive.

Asher showing his dog-like digging in the sand.

A stop at the cemetery after hitting the service station for a treat.

Hopefully this is the only jail we'll see the boys in...

...the restored jail in town.

American Fork Steel Days Celebration...

We enjoy the Steel Days Celebration every year, but this year we participated in a few new activities. The boys decorated and rode their scooters in the Children's Parade. Oakley even instigated making their own matching shirts. All on their own, they found white T-shirts and markers and wrote "I (heart) USA" on the front. On the back they drew fireworks and other designs. I loved that they did it all on their own. When we arrived at the high school where the parade started, we were excited to find out a police car would lead the parade, lights and sirens on and also blasting out some good music from huge speakers in the trunk. The parade route was all of a half mile tops, but the boys were raving about how awesome it was.

After the parade, we headed to Picnic in the Park. We met up with all the rest of the family and had a pizza picnic and played the carnival games. It was an exhausting day, but all worth when Eli, on the drive home that night, said, "This was the best day of my life!"

Eli and Asher take each other on in the boxing ring.

It's a race to see who can pump up their balloon the fastest.

 The next morning the boys and I all ran in the Steel Days race. I ran the 5k earlier then ran back home to get the boys for the Kids Fun Run. It was a half mile race and they all did fabulous! They were nervous and excited about running in their first race. It helped that they all got a medal and a cool shirt.

After the race and watching the parade, we headed up to Grandma's where she made everyone the traditional after-parade lunch of grilled tuna sandwiches. The boys and I then headed to the activity I most dread, the carnival. The boys beg and beg every year and I usually find a way out of it, but I actually bought tickets for them this year and we were going to use them.

Eli getting ready to ride the "Eli Wheel"
(otherwise known as the Ferris Wheel)

I'm thinking this may be our last year for
any boys who want to ride this ride.
It was always their favorite to go and pick
a car or motorcycle to drive.

The Things We Do For Love...

 The only thing worse than attending your own 20 year high school reunion is attending your spouse's reunion. Scott was really looking forward to the Marsh Valley Class of 1993 Reunion and I was willing to go because I love Scott.

The reunion was at the high school. Dinner was right in the high school cafeteria. Scott said it looked pretty much the same as when he was there. They had a dutch oven caterer, which seemed appropriate for Idaho. Then we went to the computer lab where we watched a video that showed pictures of most of the alumni, their senior picture and a current one.  Then we were given a tour of the high school. They have recently added a separate building that has an auditorium and a gym. Lucky for those students because Scott told me when he went to school there, because there was no gym, they loaded all the students up in a bus and took them to a place called The Pig Palace. It was a big, old open gym. Scott said it was always cold and smelled terrible. I was hoping we'd get a chance to see The Pig Palace, but it didn't happen.

Scott's fellow classmate with all kinds of personality.

The almni (in the library which still had a CARD CATALOG! Does anyone even know the Dewey Decimal system anymore?) There were 110 in his graduating class, so this was a good percentage that were able to come.

 The best part of attending the reunion was meeting a couple of the guys that were really good influences on Scott as far as getting active in Church. At one point he was trying to get released time to use for flying and studying for flying. Those who attend seminary in Utah and other places with a high LDS population have seminary during the school day instead of early morning seminary. While he was in talking with his high school counselor, who was not going to allow Scott to use release time for flying, a friend overheard the conversation. He convinced Scott to enroll in seminary. This friend's dad was the seminary principal. He promised Scott they wouldn't make him say a prayer or do anything he didn't want to. Scott agreed and it was one step towards him being active in Church and choosing to serve a mission.

I was impressed with Scott for sharing this with both of these men. They both were shocked and only had a vague memory of what Scott was talking about. But it was a testament to what an influence the smallest of actions can have on another persons life. The Lord was obviously mindful of Scott and put the right people in his path at the right time with the most minute of opportunities that had a significant impact on his life.

Harley and the boys love visiting Grandma Lee Ann.

Rednecks..

How do Rednecks from Idaho light fireworks? With a blowtorch, of course!

Pyromaniac!

Look at what this boy convinced his Mom he needed to celebrate the Fourth of July. The little pyromaniac had plenty of fireworks to light in celebrating life in our wonderful country.