Salmon River Rafting

We had a nice weekend rafting with the Idaho Alpine Club on the Salmon River.

Taylor Creek Hike

Well, I had my fist hike since my knee surgery last July. And my knee didn't hurt at all!!! Yipee! I hiked with my Friends for Learning group. The rest of me was totally exhausted. We hiked 6.4 miles. It was not an interesting hike, and I won't be doing it again. But it was nice to be with 22 other people my age.

Runaway Dog

And do I mean RUN, when Samson gets free, he runs like the wind. On Tuesday night he was barking a lot at 2am. I put him in the garage, which he dislikes very much. Mark went to work at 5:30am and let him escape from the garage. So I spent the morning driving, driving, and praying looking for him. At noon I returned home, very sad. I checked my answering machine, turned around and there he was laying in his dog house!

He was the dirtest, and smelliest dog I have ever seen! Samson was covered with green stuff(smeeling like cow manure), wet from a canal, large burrs in his fur, and black oil like substance. As soon as Mark got home with his truck, we went to the Doggie Wash. It was definitely and two man job this time.

April 2012

Well, I've have seen many things on this trip that I've never seen before. I've never been to any of the states in this area of the United States. So: #1 I flew to Indianappolis, Indiana on April 10th. Nancy drove to pick me up and we drove back to Layfayette. #2 They threw a surprise birthday party for me at Nancy's home! Victor's sister Kayleen, and her two daughters are visiting this week too. Nancy made my favorite dinner - lasagna! And a really yummy chocolate cake. #3 On Wednesday we drove across the state of Illinois on small 2 lane roads to Nauvoo. I have been so excited to go. I have been looking forward to going to Nauvoo for years and years. The 8 of us stayed in a 2 bedroom condo for 2 nights. I LOVED getting to tour the buildings that have been restored in Nauvoo. We also had the opportunity to attend a temple session in Nauvoo, and I loved that too. Kayleen's family left to drive back to Virginia on Saturday. During the next week, Nancy and I prepared for Whitney's Birthday Party on Saturday. I loved getting to watch Tommy and Whitney play together. #4 On Saturday, the 21st, Nancy threw an awesome 1st Birthday Party for Whitney. Ben and Becky's family drove up on Friday night when Ben got off work. I had a wonderful weekend being with two of children and their beautiful families. #5 I drove to Chicago with Victor and Nancy's family. My 1st visit to the windy city of Chicago. And indeed it was windy! I was really impressed with Lake Michigan, and Chicago seems to be a beautiful city built on the shores of Lake Michigan. Our first stop was the Lincoln Zoo. Then we explored the entire Millinium Park. Then we walked down the Navy Pier. And just before we left, I went on a Lake speedboat tour. Tommy and I went, and he fell asleep halfway through the boat ride.

February visit to see Mom & Pam's family

I drove to Smithfield on Monday the 27th and back home on the 28th.

Trevor loves to draw. This is one of his drawings.

Pam and Danny now have a salt water fish tank. This is one of their two fish.

This is the other salt water fish, a yellow Tang.

I was awake in the middle of the night and took a partial picture of mom's newly remodeled kitchen.

New Dog House

Samson came to live with us in December 2010. While Mark was at the cabin, I built a shelter from the winter weather for Samson on December 31st. Now don't laugh, it is a shelter.

Samson got a new dog house yesterday. It was miserable, cold weather with the wind blowing. But Samuel Miller had offered to help build a new dog house for Samson, and so he did.

Sam Miller loves dogs, and Samson and I'm so grateful he came to live with us.

President's Day Weekend & a wrecked truck

Mark and I headed to the Island Park cabin on Friday. My sister Pam's family arrived about an hour later. The cabin was only 32 degrees inside and it took overnight to warm up. On Saturday I got up at 5:30am and left to drive to Idaho Falls to attend an Island Park Scout Camp Staff meeting. It was our first staff meeting and it was a good one. The roads in the valley were dry. It started raining at Ashton and as I drove up the hill in Mark's beloved truck it started to snow like crazy. The truck began to slide, did a 360 and hit the snowbank on the opposite side of the road. The truck wasn't drivable. So I stood on the side of the road in the snowstorm with 4 police officers waiting for the tow truck. They loaded our truck on a flat bed truck and drove me and the truck to Majestic Auto Body in Idaho Falls. It was snowing there too by the time we arrived. My son-in-law, Shaun picked me up. I was cold and miserable, my body ached. It was after 6pm when I arrived back at my home. Meanwhile Mark and Pam's family spent the day at the cabin.

I didn't take very many pictures, it was a tramatic weekend for me. On Sunday I left town at 6am to drive back to Island Park to join my family. It was snowing, and I had to drive slow in my car. It took me over 2 hours to drive up to the cabin. The next few days we had fun playing games, riding the snowmobiles, and swimming at the pool at the Island Park Condiminums. We had so much fun, we decided to stay an extra day. We all left Tuesday afternoon to head back to our homes. Here it is the next Thursday, and we still don't have a bid on the repair work for the truck. It's a good thing our insurance company rented a 2012 4 wheel drive Ram pick up for Mark to drive. My body has still been aching, and I have a lot of bruises on my right leg.

River walk with Uncle Charlie

I was 35 degrees and sunny, so we took a walk down by the river with Uncle Charlie on January 9th

2 weeks at the cabin

I've never stayed that long at the cabin. We did have a 2 day break when we came home for Evan's birthday party. Amber and I decided to buy a year family membership at the Island Park Village Clubhouse. We went swimming after our sledding on Wednesday the 4th. Samuel loved the Nemo swimming suit we borrowed for him. Just before we left, he stared at all the creatures on it and then took them off. Very funny.

This is the kiddie pool. Just perfect for the boys, they can touch the bottom.

Christmas 2011

Evan, Amber, Shaun, and the twins all arrived at 10:30am. We unwrapped gifts, the boy were happy to help everyone. Then Mark and I left at 4:30pm to spend two weeks at the cabin.

Christmas Eve 2011

Katie and Brennon came over today. Katie and I made some fudge and Christmas candies. We had a nice ham dinner. I had a wonderful and happy day! I bought a beautiful pointsettia from Town and Country Gardens (it was a choir fundraiser). They had so many beautiful pointsettias. However, I forgot to take a pictured of the one I bought.

On ordinary Day

On ordinary Saturday Winter Day.
Mark spent most of the day at his USPSA pistol shoot. There were six stages and it lasted until 2pm.
At 1pm Evan, Amber, Shaun, and the twins and I went to the Olive Garden for lunch. We all enjoyed the soup and salad lunch and talked for an hour and a half. Just as we were getting ready to leave, Mark called and he came and joined us. We waited while he finished his soup and salad too.
Then Mark and I took Samson to the new dog park with Evan and his dog Wally. The winter weather was great-it was an ordinary sunny winter day. We stayed for a little over an hour.

My last week in Twin Falls

I drove back to Twin Falls early, early Tuesday morning on November 29th to babysit Nancy's little children for the last time. Nancy worked on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Victor flew in on Wednesday evening and began to load the U-haul Truck.

8am on Saturday, Nancy and Victor departed for Lafayette, Indiana.

Thanksgiving 2011

There were 8 adults for dinner: Newlyweds Katie and Brennon, Nancy, Evan, Amber and Shaun, Mark and I. I had the kids picnic table in the kitchen for the twins, Sam and Will, and Tommy. Whitney of course did not need a place to sit. I bought her Turkey baby food, but she hated it and acted like she was gagging. Nancy and Katie put up our christmas tree for us while I cooked dinner. Our christmas tree is beautiful and it was so nice to get it up and dinner was really good.

Visit to Smithfield

I went to Smithfield, Utah to visit my mom and sister.

Back in Twin Falls again

Nancy finally came to stay at my house. We arrived at my house at 11:30pm on November 11, 2011


We traveled back to Twin Falls late Monday night so Nancy could work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and I could take care of Tommy and Whitney.

Whenever Whitney got attention, Tommy wanted to be included too.




Tommy at his "wild" time of day - using up all his energy




Grandma and Tommy watching his favorite movie "Cars"

November 17, 2011

Visiting Betty and Dawn in Victoria

Mark and I arrived at Dawn's house (Uncle Charlie's sold his home to Dawn) at noon on November 5th. We flew home on November 11th.

We spent most of our time helping Betty with her finances. When Dawn and David moved in all her papers got thrown away by accident.

We drove to Goliad to Betty's sister's old home. She died 2 years ago and it sits just like it was when she died.

A Day with Robyn

On November 4th my son Ben drove me to the Seattle airport. I picked up my rental car and d rove to Robyn's home. I didn't arrive there until 3pm. We talked and visited, and she showed me her awesome garden. She works hard on her garden and it shows. Then David, Robyn, her friend and I went to dinner at a mexican restaurant. Then we went to the Houston Symphony. I really enjoyed it. Then we walked around downtown because David wanted to show us where his new office would be. Then we drove to Danny's eagle Project, strain. When we got back to the house Robyn and I stayed up until 310am am talking. The next morning I was late getting up and therefore late getting to the airport to pick up Mark.

Trip to Ben & Becky's House

I left Idaho Falls at 3:30am on October 27th. I left my car at Nancy's house and drove with VICTOR AND Nancy's to the Ben and Becky's home in Auburn, Washington.

The Twins Birthday Party

Pictures to come