Family Pictures Camping

Our family pictures while camping in Montana:

I'm still working on getting the pictures from camping edited and organized (I'm "down" to about 800 pictures)

I don't know if I'll post much in the next 2 weeks.  I am getting ready to leave for Wood Badge--I'm on staff & working hard to get everything ready & packed.

Ethan's Mission

My blogging friend (Sondra whose blog is here) asked where Ethan will be serving--she couldn't find the blog stating where he is going.

Since I don't label my blogs very well, I couldn't find the blog either.

I finally started clicking on the June posts because I knew it was one of them.

I finally found it, and it can be found by clicking here.

I don't know how old this map is, but this is the only one I have found on the Internet of his mission (California-Ventura).  It looks like there are 4 zones or areas.

And I finally received a couple of e-mails from Ethan today.  At the MTC, his prep day is Wednesday, so that is the day he can check his e-mail.

I was in town with the girls (& Benjamin) school shopping, so I wasn't able to respond immediately to his e-mails (if I had been home, we could have "chatted" back & forth for about 1/2 hour).

He is doing good, but would love mail!  He even hinted to some goodies--good thing we had already planned on making cookies & sending them out tomorrow!

Good-byes

 (since everyone was taking pictures, Ben had to find his camera and take some too.)

After Ethan said good-bye to the family, we took him to Wendy's for a quick lunch & then off to the MTC.  If you  missed those pictures, you can click here and here.

Family Pictures in Utah

We tried to get in as  many family pictures (and other pictures) as we could.

This is one of my favorites.

My 6 kiddos!

I think Ben was getting tired of all the pictures!

Ethan's cousin, Morgan & his wife, Dusty.

They just moved to Provo & instead of 9 of us invading their apartment, they came to visit Ethan at the temple.  (Ethan, Morgan, Dusty)

Ben is telling us:  Just 2 more pictures!

Provo, UT--Aug. 3, 2011

At the Provo Temple waiting for  the time to drop Ethan off.

 The family walking to the temple.

 Me & Rusty taking a break.

 Aunt Pamela & Ben in front of the temple by a water fountain.

 Benjamin

Emmalee eating a piece of her candy necklace (it must have been sour).

 Ethan & Brienna

 Ethan & Zane--doesn't Zane look thrilled!

 Got a smile out of Zane with the handshake!

Callum with Ethan

Ethan holding Emmalee 

 Ben's "smile" face (more of a scrunched up face)

Aunt Pamela with Ethan

Rusty, Ethan & Me

We Cleaned Today

Zane mowed the lawn, the kids cleaned their rooms, I put away the shopping from yesterday, and worked on the laundry.

 I cleaned out the 2 freezers above the fridges.  And then Ben & Emmalee took everything out of the fridge & put it on the table.

 And then they scrubbed the fridge while I went through the food.  I threw a lot away, and combined what I could.  I had Ethan's food (condiments) from college, plus the camping food in addition to what we had in the fridge.

 That is a lot of food!  I didn't get the outside fridge cleaned (yet).

 Emmalee & Ben liked washing it out.  Brienna cleaned the door & shelves while I scrubbed the bins & cleaned my washer & dryer.

Ben thought this was a fun "game".  (Earlier he had eaten a fudgcicle--can you tell?)

Our fridge is nice & clean.  The outside fridge won't be nearly as time-consuming to clean.

Now I'm off to vacuum, sweep, & mop (although Zane & Callum both want to mop).  That might be a "fight" in itself--who gets to mop?

Trip to Utah--August 3, 2011

The morning started out quite early--we left shortly after 6:30 am so we could meet with the Stake President (Pres. Simmons) in Terreton--45 miles away.

He had some good advice to give to Ethan, and then set Ethan apart as a full-time missionary.

We (Rusty, myself, Ethan & Zane) then drove (in Pamela's Jeep) to Rexburg.  Grandma Marge was in the hospital (she is fighting cancer).  Ethan wanted to tell her good bye.  We arrived just as the doctor was talking to the family about what needs to be done.  

So we were at the hospital about 45 minutes longer than anticipated.  Pamela tried to call while we were there, but I had forgotten to turn off my phone & so when it rang (while the Dr. was talking), I was quite embarrassed & quickly turned it off.

After saying good bye to Grandma Marge, then we drove to Idaho Falls to meet up with Pamela & the rest of the kids (in the van).  We met them at Wal-Mart.  We got the few things that Pamela hadn't picked up yet & then Ethan met up with a friend (Dillon Richey) to say a quick good bye.

Then we stopped in to visit Great-grandma Bowhay.  

 When we lived in Idaho Falls (for about 7 years) we would go and visit her every Sunday. 

 She just turned 96!  I think that is amazing. She is in great shape for her age!  Our family picture turned out really good!

Then it was off to Utah. But we had to stop at Melina's Mexican Restaurant in Blackfoot. (yum, yum!)

 Ethan can usually tolerate getting a picture taken if someone else is in it (example:  with Ben so Ben will be able to look at the pictures later).  But he does not like pictures of himself.

 And Benjamin is taking after him.  But only when he wants something else.  Thankfully Ben still lets us take his pictures, but at this time, Ben was ready to get changed into his swim suit.  So he is telling us:  Hey--It's not picture time; it's SWIM time!

 Callum got comfy on the floor to watch some cartoons.

 Zane lucked out and got the bed to himself.  Rusty, me & Benjamin shared the big bed in the suite room.  Ethan took the pull-out sofa bed, and Emmalee made a bed out the chair & ottoman (her choice).

Pamela & Brienna shared a bed in the other room, Zane had one, and Callum made a bed out of the the chairs (again--his choice). I think Callum ended up on the floor (but he does that at home too).  So at least we had no fighting on where everyone was sleeping.

 Zane brought up the cart to get the luggage down to the vehicles.

 Emmalee and Ben watching a few cartoons.

 I didn't get many pictures of us swimming.  But this is Brienna & Ben in the pool, and Callum getting ready to jump in.

 Ben telling me to get in.

 Zane, Rusty & me swimming.  It was a nice pool--just the right temperature too.

 Emmalee had a blast swimming.

 Ethan came down for a few minutes--and was the inflator of the floatie devices.  Then he did some sewing up in the room with Pamela.

Emmalee was very brave & swam all over (even where she couldn't touch).  We swam for about 1/2 hour before the pizza was delivered.  Then we went to the rooms and ate the pizza.  Then we swam again for about an hour.  And of course, we swam again the next morning after breakfast.  After breakfast we were looking for Ben's swim suit.  He walked right to his suitcase & pulled out his wet swim suit.  Silly boy!

The pool was a lot more crowded in the morning.  But the kids had fun.