Montana in September

 

We were visiting in Montana last month to see our son and his family.  Shon and Kee moved from Billings to Hamilton, Montana this summer.  Shon had lived in Billings his whole life except for a while at college and a couple of years in Alaska where he served a mission.  I was not sure how the family would do with the big move but they all like their new home and area even better than they liked Billings.  It is supposedly a beautiful area, but when we were there the fires in Idaho and Montana were so bad that we couldn't tell.  Glacier Park was beautiful but the closer we got to Hamilton, the smokier it got.  We couldn't even see across the street,  The smoke was overwhelming and after 3 days of it I was ready to get back to Utah.  When we got home the car, our clothes, suitcases and bodies smelled like smoke.  After detailing the car, the smell still lingers.  Now I worry about the lungs of Shon and family for having to live in it so long.  We had a great time. Shon and Wayne fished, Kee and I went to antique, craft and scrapbook stores and just hung out.  The kids were in school each day so we didn't get to see enough of them.  Joey is in cross country so had a meet out of town and when I took parting photos, he was not in them.  Sorry Joey. ( Next time)

 

I hadn't gotten a photo of Shon and Kee for quite a long time.  Here is the newest.

 

 

 Lissie (the girl) with Grandma

 

 

                                                         Wayne and Shon

 

                                                      Wayne and "the girl"

                                                Two of my most favorite men

 

                                              Toby the twelve year old

                               
Lissie had just gotten up and wasn't ready for pictures, but I had to show her new red hair color.  She looks good with red hair and she did smile.  Alex is living in Billings still so I didn't get to photograph him.  Next time I 'll get photos of him and Joey.  It seems weird to have Alex up and out of the nest.  Where, oh where does the time go?

Five Years

 

 

Could it really be that five years ago, our little Emerson was born?  He has been such a sweet and kind child and soooo good. 

 

I took him to the store last week to see what he might want for his birthday.  He went through all the aisles and then he said,  "I don't want or need anything".  I said what if I get you a shirt? (knowing little boys don't like clothes for their birthday)  He said OK, and just throw in a Match box car.

It's That Time of Year

Well here it is once again.  Time to gather all the tomatoes, apples, onions, corn etc. and put them away for the winter.  I have been canning tomato juice again and put up 13 pints of chili sauce.  Wayne made plum/ apple jelly and I will do bread and butter pickles soon.  It takes time to follow the admonition of the prophet to plant a garden and store the food but it is worth it.....except for one thing......

This is my wrist.  See the fish shaped blister I got while canning boiling hot chili sauce.  I was running it through the blender and the heat was so intense that the lid popped off even when I was trying to hold it down and my arm got burned.  At least I could find the humor in it and draw around it so I could get a picture.  This is quite large, about 2 inches across. Yep, it hurt!!

 

A day later the fish shape was gone as it got bigger and bigger.

Now a week later it is down to a large red scar about an inch across.

I am liking giant band aids and Neosoporin and a little hydrogen peroxide.

 

 

And as usual, I leave it on the counter to look at it for a couple of days before storing it in the basement.

 

Blessed Baby

Guess who is smiling about her big day?

 

 

Yes, little button eyes was blessed today, Sunday, August 19th, 2012.

 

Guess who is getting wrapped around whose finger?

 

Mama Amy was is so in love with this little bundle.

 

Uncle Matt gave her the sweetest blessing.

 

The whole family photo

 

 

She was styling on her big day and was as precious as they come.  We love you little miss  Era Colett. 

 

 

 

Pest or friend?

We found this beetle in our camp in Wyoming.  Does anyone know what it is?  It looks like something from a Star Wars movie with the neck bottle brushes, the orange antennae and colorful armour.

Still on Vacation

Colett, Matt and kids joined us in Wyoming for a couple of days.  We stopped in Cowley (not nearly long enough for me) to see my parents and other family and then we headed to the most wonderful mountains in the world....the Big Horn Mountains.  There are wonderful camp spots, fishing spots and scenic spots.  Here are some photos for proof.

Wes, Emerson (4), Amy and Era (6 weeks) standing in from of a place called Boyd Ridge.  You can go right to the edge and look down.  I was a little nervous with all the kids but they had a rock throwing contest to see who could land a rock inside a broken out tree down below.  Colett was the winner.  She did it.

                                 Matt, Colett, Nick (15) Isabelle (11) Millie (8)

This was Nick's first time here.  Uncle Wes was a bad influence and kept going very close to  the edge.  Nick tried, but his mother threatened to ground him for life so he backed off.

                                                         Matt and Colett



Isabelle

Just look at that view behind all of us.  It's incredible.  Wayne wants his ashes thrown off here when he dies, but if I'm alive that probably won't happen.

Wayner

I'm not afraid of heights, but I am afraid of danger so I wouldn't let Wayne get near the edge either.  I have had bad dreams about falling off places like this.  This is not a tourist pull off.  This is just a place that Wayne knew of on top of the mountain that has a spectacular view. 

Cute little Millie Moo

Kings of the Hill

Nick trying out his climbing skills

This is a crevice that is only about 18across but very, very deep.  We threw rocks down it and you could hear the rocks hit many times before it hit bottom.  Scary!  What if it was dusk and we didn't see it before we stepped?

Wes and Emerson at Echo Rock

Baby Era was as good as a 6 week old could be, but all in all, it was not a great vactation for a tiny baby.  It was too cold, too dirty, and there was too little sleep for

her parents.

The Yarro clan after 2 days without combs or showers.

As we stood on echo rock and yelled, there was a large herd of cows down below.  The echoes bounced back and forth around them and they freaked out and started a stampede and ran and ran.....all except for one.  You can see it on the left next to a patch of trees.  He started to moo and look around for someone to charge at.  you could tell he was getting more and more annoyed.  He must have been the cow boss and the cow protector, kind of the super hero of cows.  He stayed until we were done.

The ride back to Utah

We all felt like this.

Can't wait to do it again.

Summer Vacation 2012

We just returned from a whirlwind trip (aren't they all?) from Utah to Idaho to Wyoming to Montana and back.  Amy and family and Colett and family all timed their trips to coincide with ours.  We started out going around Bear Lake and on to the Tetons to spend the night.  We stopped off to see the Bar J Wranglers in concert and to eat the chuck wagon dinner.  Even if you don't like Western music, you would love these guys.  They are so funny, extremely talented and in perfect harmony.  Think of the Sons of the Pioneers and you  know how they sound, only even better.

My traveling companions

In front of Bear Lake

Isabelle and  Emerson traveled with us in our car.  They were so fun to listen to and Isabelle was the best big cousin in the world as she entertained E for many hours. Amy did the cutest thing.  She had made goodie bags with their names on them and the name of a town that we would be going through.  As we entered each town they got their bags.  It made it fun for them to anticipate the next stop.  They were full of fruit roll ups, pudding, granola bars, gum, and a toy or two.

We then continued on through Yellowstone Park.  We did see lots and lots and lots of buffalo.  There was a time when I was amazed to even see one but now there are herds of at least several hundred at one time.  We saw the biggest bald eagle I have ever seen sitting on an island in Yellowstone Lake, but we never saw a bear or wolf this trip

except for this one that attacked the kids in the Teton Museum.

Help!!!

 

The boys take a break.....Wes, Emerson and Wayne

Baby Era doesn't even know what's going on but Amy's trip is a littler harder than usual with a new baby

Isabelle getting kicked by a moose sculpture

Clowning with the grand kids

We stopped at a lodge for a rest. The ground hogs were so tame you could sit right next to them. Isabelle had fun snapping lots of photos of them.

The Dragon's Mouth geyser blew out steam and actually had the creepy sounds of a dragon.....aptly named.  Emerson did not like the smell either.  The dragon had bad breath.

                                          Era just went along for the ride

I have been thinking

I have been trying to stop and smell the roses more.  We had a lesson in R.S. about taking time for yourself.  Well, since I don't work outside the home that has not been a problem, but it's still good advise.  These are the things I have contemplated this month.

1.  Chicago has nothing on Lehi, UT this year.  We have had more wind this year than I can ever remember.

2.  Norwick cloths really do work as promised.  I used one for 2 weeks on my face before I had to wash it.  They contain silver and within 24 hours, all the bacteria has been killed.

3.  Ritz crackers with peanut butter and jelly is one of my favorite snacks.

4.  Looking at my computer photo files just make me happy.

5.  Don't wash your garden Crocs in the dishwasher.  Mine shrank 2 sizes.

6.  I have a new app on my computer where you drag one of your photos to the screen and it makes a jigsaw puzzle out of it.  It's fun to put it back together.

7.  I have decided that I love, love, love my  RevereWare pans, my Pyrex dishes,
Ziplock bags and paper cups.


8.  I learned also that your back can go out just loading the dishwasher.  Grrrrr

9.  Flies buzzing around my head when I am in bed almost drives me nuts.

10.  Babies smell so good and when you put them to your ear you can hear their little breaths and grunts.  Oh how I love that.

11.  I have decided I don't like perpetual calendars.  I never remember to change the blocks and the date is always wrong.  It's cute but I am unreliable.  Sorry Kee.