Montana pix...part1

It is oh so hard to come home after a long and action-packed trip to Montana. Somehow when I posted these pictures they got put out of order...hopefully I'll have that kink fixed by the time I post the next set of Montana pictures, but for now, these are of Saturday July 12, Monday July 14Th and Tuesday July 15Th.

On Monday Night we slept at campground called Spotted Bear. Here we are poking our heads out of the tent before bedtime. It was pretty late, but still light outside. I know in the summer time we are all use to the sun setting late, but in Montana, it can be 11pm and there is still light in the sky. It makes for great summer nights. The flip side is that it gets dark really early in the Winter months.

On Tuesday we went rafting/fishing for about three hours. Shane was in Heaven because He loves to fish...personally, I'd rather watch the grass grow, but rafting makes it much more interesting for someone like me. Avery has a really great time especially when we go over the "rapids" which on this river were really more like ripples, just perfect for a 4 year old.

I would personally like to thank my son Sage for falling asleep in the raft and making this trip far more stress free. The great out doors just aren't quite his thing yet; next summer though....

Avery tried her hand at fishing a couple times but what they really liked was....

throwing rock after endless rock into the river.

She did reel in her own fish a few times. It took a lot of convincing to get her to hold this fish.

My two boys...I can't help but love this picture.

This was actually on Saturday night after we arrived. Austin, Shane's brother, is sort of a barbecue extraordinaire and every trip to Montana he cooks up something really amazing and delicious for us.

Sage really needs a dog. He did not let Kyla our of his sight anytime she was around.

I really like this action shot. Kesler, our nephew, would run away anytime I'd pull the camera out so this is one of the few shots I got without his back to the camera. He warmed up a few days later and let me take his picture.

This picture is dramatically out of order...again camping at spotted bear with Austin, Amy, and their sons Kesler and Bridger.

Did I mention Sage needs a dog?

More of our Montana adventure to come later. Thanks for hanging in there.

Girl's Camp, AKA Death Camp.

Death camp might be an exaggeration, because when I wasn't throwing up and/or running for the latrine, It was a lot of fun. Three of us came down with food poisoning and were pretty much useless for two days (which is the reason I didn't take any pictures.) We have a very small group so about one third of us were sick.
Our stake theme was "More precious than rubies." and our ward theme was "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be." We decided to be pirates which really fits our ward well, you know, living on the West side and all. We made treasure boxes and lockets and stressed filling them with treasures that have immeasurable value.
I took such a long hyades from the blog but I found three long lost friends which has inspired me to be a better blogger...Don't let me get away with being a slacker everyone:)

My one and only

Thanks to Jade's husband tag, I have a good excuse to write about one of my favorite subjects in the- world my Shane!

How did you meet? We met at Ricks. He was in my ward and we eventually be came friends, and after that I couldn't resist his charm.

How long did you date? Dating and engagement time was 1 1/2 years. Mostly long distance.

How old is he? 29

Ever seen anything cuter? I never thought I had until I had two babies. I really can't pick between the three of them. At any given moment, one could be cuter than the others, but then it will change in an instant.

Who eats more? It's not even a contest...Shane could put a sumo wrestler to Shame.

Who said "I love you" first? It was me, only because I was confident in the "I love you return"-name that show.

Who is taller? Shane is taller, but when I wear heals I get pretty close to catching up.

Who sings better? It's funny to me that the the one question they ask happens to be the only thing in the world that I'm better at than Shane. Even he'd admit that.

Whose temper is worse? Neither of us really has a bad temper. If I had to choose, I'd say Shane.

Who does the laundry? Me...when in the world would Shane have time to do laundry?
Who does the dishes? That would also be me.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Anyone else bored by this question?

Who pays the bills? I do. It sort of gives me a rush. Is that weird?

Who mows the lawn? I think his name is Eduardo. We live in a condo so it's done for us. But if Shane could, he would do it. He loves to do yard work...Is that weird too?

Who cooks dinner? Shane most of the time. He happens to love it and for that I am blessed. He is probably the best cook I know.

Who drives when you are together? Shane

Who is the most stubborn? Shane

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Always Shane, I'm horrible at admitting it. Maybe that makes me more stubborn.

Whose parents do you see the most? Mine because we live so close, and because his parents now live in Russia.

Who proposed? Shane planned one of the most romantic proposals ever. I think we all know the story. We were celebrities for the next three days in the little town of Nauvoo.

Who has more friends? Definitely Shane. I don't know a more friendly person. There's no one he couldn't make friends with.

Who is smarter? Definitely Shane on any given subject, except maybe singing-his Achilles heal.

What does he love to do? Anything outdoors. Running, mountain climbing, skiing, Gardening, cooking and listening to NPR.

Who has more siblings? There are 5 kids in his family and 6 in mine..I'll let you do the math:)

I know what everyone's thinking... I don't deserve him and maybe I don't, but let's not let him in on that.

I tag anyone who reads this. Just copy and past the questions and erase my answers.

Weekend Wedding

My good friend Lisa Gibbons, now Lisa Trythall, got married on Saturday. She could not have picked a better day to get married. These girls are also really good friends. Next to me is Natalie Cottle, then Elise Dixon, then Lisa Arnell. It was so fun to catch up with these friends. We spent almost the whole day together and laughed and reminisced about our silly high school days.

Here we are with the bride and groom. I had not yet met the groom but after the wedding I could tell he's just perfect for Lisa and needless to say he is one lucky guy. Lisa and I met when we were sophomores and later were roommates at Ricks and BYU Nauvoo.

After the luncheon, Natalie and I went shopping for a honeymoon package for the bride and groom...we totally hooked them up. Jim, You're welcome. We asked Jim for the keys to his truck to make sure they took the gift with them. I have to say, it was really good of him to give his car keys to two complete strangers on his wedding night...what a guy.

I love going to weddings...I always feel more romantic and lovey-dovey afterwards. Thanks Lisa Arnell for the pictures.

Sometimes when you want something done, you're got to do it yourself

Avery has always been a take-things-into-your-own-hands kind of girl. Case in Point:
I heard from the 1st counsler in the primary (a reliable source) that last Sunday during singing time the music leader needed volunteers. She told all the children that those who were sitting reverently and with their arms folded would be picked. After she had picked several children and time was winding down. Avery piloty stood up, walked to the front of the room and informed the music teacher that she had been sitting quitely and with her arms folded the whole time and it was now her turn. So of course the music leader let her have her turn...how can one argue with such logic?

My favorite cookie.

I realize pumpkin season is long over, but if you're like me and can't wait until fall to enjoy pumpkin recipes, you will forever feel a debt of gratitude towards me for introducing this simple and delicious recipe. I realize these cookies may not be for everyone because some people mistakenly think they don't like pumpkin:) but if you do like pumpkin (or even if you don't) these cookies are so mouth watering, moist and addicting that I guarantee these ingredients will be on your shopping list as often as milk, cheese, and bread- at least that's been my experience. I can rationalize eating a ton of these because they have no butter or oil and because pumpkins are high in nutrition. Here is the recipe:



2 boxes Spice cake mix, 1 large can of pumpkin (approx 29-30 oz can)2 cups Chocolate Chips
Mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoon full on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 10-15 minutes. Makes a ton!



See, couldn't be easier.

This recipe easily freezes as well. Just drop some cookie dough into an ice cube tray, wait about 20 minutes until they are frozen, then transer them all into a big ziplock freezer bag. I wish I had a picture of me enjoying them to really sell this recipe, but alas my camera is still broken.
Enjoy on my behalf!

I love before and after pictures

When Shane and I bought our condo almost two years ago, We knew it would require some major updating. We have spent countless hours remodeling the place....well, when I say we, I mostly mean Shane. I have done a good job at keeping the kids out of the way however. Here is a before and after of Shane's latest project.

This is a picture of how our fireplace use to look. Other than Shane's wonderful family, (sorry Hughes' it was the only fireplace picture I could find) it's totally boring, insignificant, and lack lustre.

Here is the after picture.



Shane tiled travertine stone and made the mantle out of molding. Once again, I kept the kids out of his way.
Avery does a pretty good job at decorating the fire place, (don't ask me where she learned to pose like this) but we need something to decorate the mantle. Any suggestions?

unfortunatly our camera is broken, so I won't be able to post any new pictures for awhile. You'll just have to suffer through our old pictures:)