Goin Shootin

Riley loves guns and loves to go shoot them. We went with our friends, the Hendershots, and had a rootin tootin good time!The kids each had a few turns loading and firing the rifle. Good to know some good safety rules and how to hold it, right?
Even little Miss Elli had a go.
This picture looks so red neck to me. "I got to shoot the gun today, Ma!"

Into the Night

We kept on shootin till the sun went down. Here's Adam and his friends, Jacob and Josh.
I thought this was a great photo. Maria is due in September. Pow! Pow!

Trying to get Back Home!

The kids and I just spent two weeks in Idaho (Riley joined us for the second week) and have lots of pictures to post! It was such a good vacation. I got to relax while my laundry was cleaned and handed to me all folded (thanks Nell and Mom!). The kids were reintroduced to family they didn't remember and we got to see most everyone we love. Even Riley said it was nice with all the "visiting".
Our trip out west was longer than we expected. We sat on the runway in a plane for an hour and a half waiting for a storm to pass over us. That messed everything else up so a day later and missing our luggage, we landed in Idaho Falls. Next time I'm packing a toothbrush in my carry on!
I'm glad the airports put in some play areas. Even my big kids had fun for a while.

The Clark Family Reunion

The main reason we flew out when we did was to attend the annual reunion. Only a few cousins couldn't make it, so we got to see lots of familiar faces and meet some for the first time. It was held at Hiese, a cool place we grew up going to with a hot pool, water slide, golf course, camping, and hikes. The men golfed, we ate so much good food, and most stayed the day.Whenever there is water, there is trouble. Aunt Tess brought water balloons and there was an ongoing battle through out the day. Uncle Lane was a fun target, but beware! He'll get his revenge. Several big kids ended up soaked in the kiddie pool.
Don't do it!!

Visiting and Kiddie Pool

The weather really was perfect. I guess IF has had a pretty cold summer, but it was a nice change from the humid PA heat wave. Here is the circle of chairs to relax and watch the kids play.Someone smart brought a little pool for the youngens, while some of us went to the big pool and slide. There was a cute little scream to go along with that big smile!
Hey! What's that big kid doing in the kiddie sprinkler? I think he's trying to fill up a water balloon.
These girlies are my cousins kids, Addi, Marley, and Bailey.

Slap Jack and Catch

Elli, Amy, and their only cousin (so far), Khanya played a little card game.
We haven't seen Khanya for more than 5 years! It was neat seeing her all grown up.
Brandy and Gregory played catch and enjoyed the shade of the trees.

Idaho Falls Parade!

It was a chilly morning on the day of the parade! We came a little late and didn't get curb side seats, so Adam was not happy that the candy rarely came back far enough for him to get much.Amy was fine with a piece here and there. She's not much of a candy girl.
Elli found a spot up close though and soon the other 2 joined her. They found out that if you wave and make lots of noise, people throw candy right at you.
Then they just had to collect it. And fast! That big kid on the left was quick, too!

Riley's List

When Riley joined us, he came with a list. A list of all the things he wanted to do. He likes to stay busy and not just sit around watching cable TV. Now that the kids are older and don't need naps, I'm okay with going all day. One thing on the list was driving to the Buttes. They are 2 old volcano mounds with a trail around the rim. I remember going to them on a field trip in 5th grade.

I wasn't excited about this hike, but it turned out to be a fun morning. Here's Adam about as excited as I was.
Once we got walking, we all had fun. Riley's Dad came with us, too. There's the great Idaho landscape behind us. Lots of flat farmland.
Elli got pooped about half way. She really was having fun.
And Amy. She was mostly happy.

Last Night in Idaho

Also on Riley's list was a bunch of restaurants that we love. We had to go to Papa Murphy's (take and bake pizza), Scotty's Drive-In, Reed's Dairy, and of course, Papa Kelsey's. They have our favorite sandwiches. It was a full week, but I think we did got thru most of the list.
And since he missed out on Heise for the family reunion, we had to go one more time.

Last Stop... Salt Lake City!

We had one full day at the end of vacation to walk around the city and show the kids where we used to live. Adam remembered a lot, Elli a little, and Amy hardly anything.This is our old house on 2nd Avenue. Old and dirty, but so many memories!
Walked around Temple Square...
and through some parks we used to play at. This is the "wheel park" at the bottom of the hill. We would walk through here at least 2-3 times a week.

The tired feet got a rest while the bellies got a snack.

City Creek Walk

This is another place we would walk to all the time. It's just down the hill from our old house.
Adam would play in this fountain every time we came. It was kind of weird to be back. Seemed like forever ago but at the same time like it was just yesterday.

Long Time Friends

These are some of the best friends we have. We were all in the same neighborhood when we were all first married. When Cheryl heard we were coming to town, she and Annalese got us all together at Liberty Park, another park we would go to often. It's always fun to see how each other's kids are growing and to catch up every few years. Helene, the one on the end with the newborn, had her baby a WEEK ago and still came! Love you guys!

Is That the Watermelon!?

The garden keeps on getting bigger! Some stuff is doing well and other stuff hasn't started. Riley didn't think we needed to label anything, so I'm guessing the huge vine in the middle is the watermelon. I know the photo below is spinach and I have already plucked some leaves off for my salads. Yum Yum!

Nathan and Emma

I started watching these two kiddos on Mondays back in February. I knew it would only be until summer, but I can't believe it went so fast. Just in the short time I watched them, I saw them grow so much! It took a couple weeks, but once they warmed up, they were right at home.We'd always eat lunch right before going to drop off Amy at the bus.
Thank goodness for Amy. They would play with her all morning and then couldn't wait for her to get home.
Look at those faces! We are going to miss having them in our home!

Playing with the Flash

Riley got me a nice, nice camera for Mother's Day. My friend, Christina, tried to show me how it works, but I think the best thing is to try it out. I have no idea what I'm doing and can't remember what I had changed to make it do different things. The kids were all sitting down watching a show, so I thought I'd practice.Sure wish I knew more. I hoped the camera would magically make every picture perfect.

Playing with the Focus

Hello, Adam.Hello, Elli.
Hello, Amy.

Decorating Cupcakes

I made some cupcakes for Sunday and Elli got to use the rest of the melted chocolate. We wrote our names and made flowers and hearts. Our names broke, but that great big heart was as solid as could be!