Where's Waldo?

Well - of course I'm not Waldo
(however, in the madhouse that is my life, sometimes I feel surrounded to the point of almost disappearing), but -

If any of the half-dozen or so people who read my blog have noticed a sharp decrease in my posting, well, there is a good reason. 

Actually, it is a bad reason. 

It is because I have misplaced, or maybe even accidentally threw my camera away.  So, anything with a photo that I have posted since late August has been from my cell phone.  And, there are more terrible cell phone shots on Facebook that my FB friends have all witnessed. 

So, in the meantime, all my blogging time, such as it is, (in between taking care of kids, home, yard, church callings, chauffeuring, gardening, canning and freezing, etc)  has been to just read other people's posts.    And today I read a post that pretty much sums up just how I feel about what has been going on in this country.

If you are bored by political stuff, you may skip the rest of this post.

If you are frustrated by what is happening in this country that could erode our freedoms and compromise our way of life, please continue on.

Here is the link:

http://fuzislippers.blogspot.com/2010/09/american-dream.html

This article articulates what has been formulating and echoing around in my head for the past year and a half or so   . . .

How do you feel about it?

Who Says Girls Don't Like to Camp?

(I am trying to do a little catch-up posting here - just bear with me)

I mean, who can resist the beauty of this breathtaking lake?

There ALways should be a pie-eating contest.  I mean, what's a little sticky when you are out in the middle of nowhere?  (Well, this camp does have nice warm showers.  Lucky girls.  But really, is that real camping??)

Is this what they made at craft-time?

No, wait.  This is the real craft . . .

Can girls shoot a bow and arrow?  Of course!

A few Mardi-Gras beads to liven things up a bit. . .

. . . and a little sugar to keep them going . . .

As I said before, Lucky Girls!

Isaac's Great Adventure . . .

This year, cub scout day camp was incredibly well organized, fun, and the boys all earned gobs of badges, belt loops, and pins.  Which  is the whole point of cub scout day camp, isn't it?

 

On the day that I took my turn to spend the day with the boys, I witnessed them -

Panning for "gold"

Doing the Barrel Roll . . .

Whooaa. . . .

Building a "Bug Box"

Testing out the "Cocoa Puff blow guns they just made, for sure the day's weapon of choice!

The day that I spent with the boys was one of the most fun I'd had in a very long time, and this was Isaac's last year . . . I wonder who's more excited to go to day camp in a couple of years, Tanner or me?                                              

Lucky 13

Today is my sweet daughter Noelle's birthday.    She is a beautiful young lady with so many talents and so much potential.   We love you, sweet Noelle!

1997 - 3 weeks old

1998

1999

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010 (last month!)

               

                                                     

Cute cabin, Where are the Huckleberries? and My Grown-up Baby Boy . . .

Last week while Rachel and Noelle were at Girl's Camp, we took the boys up near the Canadian border for a couple of nights camping. 

This is the cabin we stayed in the first night - so comfy and cozy!  Thank you Sam and Marla, for letting us stay there!

The next morning, we went out in search of the famous north Idaho Huckleberry.  It is our tradition to go into the mountains every summer in search of this tiny tart blue-berry. 

Not much luck this year.  We looked high and low, and even drove down little used paths - I don't think they've been roads in a long while . . .I cringed for miles as branches scraped both sides of the truck, and prayed that there would be a spot wide enough to turn around. 

Somewhere.

Eventually we found one.

And we found some berries, too. 

But they were very tiny,

and we only managed to pick less than one gallon.  

The next night we went to our favorite north Idaho campground, one that has a paved loop to ride bikes on.  Isaac brought his brand-new bike (one that he bought with his own money - very proud of him!) and Tanner had his, too, complete with training wheels.  And I was bound and determined that those 'lil wheels would be gone before we returned home to our long gravel driveway. 
So Mark took them off.
After about 3 frustrating laps running alongside him, holding on to the back of his jacket, and tipping over time and again anyway, and constantly encouraging him to get back on and not give up, he finally figured  out the balance thing! 
(I wonder if telling him it would be embarrassing to have training wheels on during the Cub Scout bike rodeo did the trick?  I think so...even if that's more than a year away!)

Too cool for . . .

baby training wheels!  Ha!

The Best Kind of Cake . . .

Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation . . .  

A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.


Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says,


'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.'


'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers.


'Yuck' says her daughter.


'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'


'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'


'Mom, those are all yucky!'

To which the mother replies: 'Yes , all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! '


God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!

          

Boy, He Loves that Chicken . . . (But I Love that Boy More!)

This is Tom-Tom, our little grandson.

I love these photos because they totally define this little dude:  he is intense, especially when it comes to his food! 

And, don't disturb him while he's eating.

Adorable? 

Totally.

        

A Pioneer Day Service Project . . . and a really fun SURPRISE! Birthday Party

Saturday was Pioneer Day, and boy, was it a busy one!  Our stake and the Coeur 'd Alene Stake did a joint service project at the park located in our ward boundaries, Farragut State Park.    

A reporter from the Coeur d'Alene press was on hand to record the work that was done.   They published this story on the front page of the Sunday edition . . .  felt good to be a part of making the park we play in so much a better place to play for everyone!       

There were about 10 different projects within the park that day, and me and my family and some friends were at the Brig, painting and excavating the cracks in the pavement.

Here I am sweeping up some dirt....and Conner was digging a big boulder out a hole in the pavement.  (Sorry about the photo, Conner - it seems that all the photos of you were of your backside.  Means you were working hard, right?)
If those big rocks are not removed before resurfacing, the cold weather heaves will push it through the new pavement.  (At least, that's what happens in my garden.  Every spring there are new rocks to remove. . . )

                                               Noelle and Madi doing a little excavating....                                            

A group of people digging, and more people painting the walls of the old Brig, which now houses the Museum of the park's history

Tanner going to town with the paintbrush.  Who knew he had such skills?

So since July 24 is my husband's birthday,

And it always gets overlooked because we are always busy with

Pioneer Day events of some sort or another. 

And because he Always makes my birthday special,

like this and like this...

(I wasn't kidding!)

I thought it was about time to throw him a Surprise Party.

Thank goodness for texting,

and great friends who like a good surprise party. 

I started letting people know about it about a week before. 

No one let it slip.  They all snuck over after our Sunday dinner.

We totally had him fooled.

SURPRISE!

Our granddaughters Hannah and Evalie enjoying some cake

Rachel and baby Brooke

Conner giving Shawn a man-hug

(Shawn hates man-hugs

- that's why it's so fun! hee hee)

Silly Evan Thomas

Mark opening his gag-gifts....he got some pretty good ones

What's this?

So what's in the Redneck Survival Kit?

The tag says:

"This is a Redneck Yardstick. 

I know this because I found it in my yard. 

You can do so many things with this Yardstick...

You can check to see how deep a mud puddle is...

You can see how much gas in in the lawn mower...

You and your dog can play catch with it...

You can even use it to start a fire...

You can use it for whatever you wish...

Just DON'T put it back in my yard!

Redneck Switchblade

...Before you pinch the clothespin...

and After...

The tag says...

The Weather Rock

This rock is the 100% perfect weather indicator.

It never fails and is even more accurate than your local weather person.

This is how it works:

A dry rock means fair weather

A wet rock means it's raining

A dusty rock means a dust storm

A swaying rock means it's windy

A shadow under the rock means it's sunny

A white rock means it's snowing

If the rock is jumping up and down, an earthquake is upon us

If the bottom of the rock is under water, there's a flood.

Too funny...

The only problem with this gag gift - Mark wants to hang it in the family room and leave it there for good! (Thanks a lot Missy! ha!)

Love you Honey! 

Hope you had a great birthday!