Fun in Lander, WY--Part 1

 Emmalee at swimming lessons

 Emmalee really blossomed this year!

 Ben was a little reserved this time for the first week.  Each day he improves.

 Waiting for his teacher

 The boys come over to the pool for swimming lessons, because it has better Wi-Fi :D

 Look at Benjamin floating on his back.

 Every summer we make homemade donuts using my Great-Grandma Pearl's donut cutter.  Brienna's turn.

 Ben's turn. 

This year Grandma didn't want to mix up the dough (it's too hard on her arms) so I mixed up a double batch of donuts.

 Emmalee loved making the donuts.  She sat and watched all the other people take their turn.

 Callum

 Yay!  I did get a picture of Zane--watching Callum take his turn.

 Zane's turn.

 Brienna with Grandma

 3 generation--Brienna, my mom, me, & Emmalee.

 my turn with my momma :)

My mom and dad. 

Brienna having fun on the 4th of July with Cache Pitt's oldest son--Logan. 

Ben, the jack-in-the-box. 

 I can't believe the swing is still holding up after all these years.  This swing is at least 45 years old.  (they got it some time in the 1960's).

The kids playing school.

Father's Day June 2013

 This is what we gave Rusty for Father's Day--along with the other fun gifts the kids made and bought.  He got a cd (dramatized history of Joseph F. Smith), a huckleberry pop, Reisen's candy, a homemade survival bracelet, a card from Ethan, and homemade bead necklace, bracelet, and ring.

 This is what I made for my dad.

I also made one similar for Rusty's dad, but didn't take a picture.  I used "FATHER" & "GRANDPA" for the other one.

And I made one for Rusty--using different describing words but "Happy Father's Day".  It was fun to think of words I would use to describe these 3 men.

Museum & Idaho Falls Temple

 Emmalee received a free family pass to the Art Museum of Idaho.

 The display was "okay" but the kids really enjoyed the children's room.  They sat on the hand chairs

 they also traced some shapes and played with some of the blocks, and other fun things they had in the room.

Emmalee by the hand chair. 

 Ben standing by the statue of Christ at the visitor center.  This is one of the statues that you can actually touch.

 Emmalee by Christ statue.

 Emmalee & Ben standing with Mom in front of the Idaho Falls Temple

Emmalee, Brienna & Ben at the Idaho Falls temple.

June 2013 recap part 1

The last part of May the kids planted their sunflowers.  After the kids were in bed on a Saturday evening, I quickly went out and planted a few of the mums I bought.  

 Sunday morning Ben yelled for me to come outside.  He was all excited and said, "They grew, they grew!!  Look at the flowers!"  what a cute kid. (I have planted a few more in this spot now)

 Emmalee and Ben...

 watching TV with their animals from Lagoon (I bought the pink monkey for Emmalee & the zebra for Ben.  the other monkey with a crown--a princess monkey--Emmalee got for her birthday).

 Emmalee's hair beard.

 Ben's handsome hair-do.

Last Tuesday (June 11th), I baked all day.  We had a ton of very ripe bananas so I tried a cookie recipe for the family--Banana oatmeal cookies.  I split the double batch into 3 bowls--one with raisins, one with chocolate chips, and the other with raisins and walnuts.  Then I made banana bread with my coconut sugar (double batch--mostly into mini-muffins & mini loaves).  And lastly I made a batch of brownies for YW--I had girls camp prep. on Tuesday and we had a lot of 1st aid to go over.  So Amy asked if I would bake brownies.

Dubois Parade June 15, 2013

 I was helping with Bountiful Baskets, but we were able to take a break and watch the parade.  Jenny Kerr and I were on the corner with no kids, but we still both ended up with a shirt-full of candy (because we started with putting a few in our pockets but they quickly filled up).  

It was a "normal" parade--fun, horse-riders, a few cars, a motorcycle, 4-wheelers...

But how many people can say they have a camel in their parade?  A baby camel...

 And then someone riding a camel!

Lynn Hogan riding a camel in the parade.  How cool is that!!!

Pig Weigh-In

 Friday was pig weigh in.  Rusty decided to transport the pigs in the dog crate--and they both fit.

 They are a bit big, and the bottom was bit bent out shape, but we made it there.

 Zane's pig is on the left and Brienna's is the one on the right.

 At the Grovers' for weigh-in--Zane, Joni, Brienna, & Rusty.

 It looks like Zane is riding the pig here, but he is trying to keep the pig still for it's shots.  Right after I took this picture, he got "bucked" off--the pig tried to climb out.  

 Emmalee watching all the excitement

 Ben had fun playing the the 2 dogs--they just sat there and let him pet them.  Our dog and Grandpa's dog just jump all over the place and go wild so Ben really enjoyed these laid back dog.

 Brett Murdock & Rusty moving the pigs back to the truck.

 Ben looking into the Grovers' pig pen.

 Emmalee had fun climbing the fences.

 Brienna

 Callum

 Ben looking into the weigh-in pen.

 One of the Murdock's pigs almost escaped.  Zane grabbed it by the hind leg and I told him not to let go until the rest of them were able to run over and get it.  It was the excitement of the night.

 Zane, Brienna & Chandler

 Something funny was told!

 Zane wanted me to take a picture of Brienna's eyes--they were a lot prettier in person--like they were lit up & a prism light green/blue.  But they are still pretty in this picture.

 Putting the pigs back into our pen.  Brienna's pig weighed 100 and Zane's 125--they still need to grow a lot!  We bought a different kind of pig this year, so they might not be that great for a fair pig.  We hope they make weight!

 Brienna filling up the pig feed.

Zane cleaning the pen we used to haul the pigs in.

Father's Day--Helaman & His Warriors

I found this blog post about the fathers of the 2000 stripling warriors that I wanted to share.  I found it touching and like the author says, most of us think about their mothers when we read their story.  But their fathers were taking care of them in battle.  Here is a little bit of the post but you can read it all here.   

And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it. (Alma 56:47-48)

I have heard these verses a thousand times, and I am happy that moms in our day get to see the impact that mothers can have on their sons.  But I always asked myself...

Where were the fathers of the stripling warriors? Surely they must have been involved, right?  But we only hear about the mother, and how they taught their sons to have faith, and to be obedient. Besides, someone had to have taught these boys to fight like they did...?

Where are the dads?

I found them. Yes, I found the fathers of the stripling warriors in Alma 56:27. In the middle of the war, buried in the middle of the chapter, it says this:

And now it came to pass in the second month of this year, there was brought unto us many provisions from the fathers of those my two thousand sons.

What were the dads doing? Keeping their boys alive.  The supply lines were always a problem during this war. The dads were providing for their sons. Probably in the same manner they had been providing for them their entire lives.

The author continues to talk about the Proclamation to the Family.  This post touched my heart and I appreciate this story even more.

Wanna read something interesting?

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children."

Where is that written in ancient scripture?  It's not.  It is from 1995. "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."

From one covenant people to another - the more things change, the more they stay the same.

 I am thankful for my father and all that he does for me.   I am also grateful for Rusty's dad & that we are able to live by him.  And of course I can't post this without saying how grateful I am to the father of my children--he is awesome!   

Happy Father's Day!