Vacation to Idaho

During the last week of August, we traveled to Idaho for our vacation. We go every year to spend a week with my sweet grandma in Ashton. I always look forward to spending time with her! My aunt also lives there now that my grandpa is gone, she takes care of grandma so we don't have to worry about her being all alone. I decided it was time to get some nice photos of grandma.....



This year we brought Tabitha along, she is Larry's 15 year old cousin who didn't really get a vacation this summer. We also had the opportunity to meet a new member of the family, Helaman. He was born in July to Tara and Gnanam and he is cute! He was blessed on the weekend we were visiting.



Part of the tradition of being in Ashton is that we visit Yellowstone (which is like Disneyland for a photographer). Here are some highlights.... click here to see the best of the best on my flickr page.





Every year, we hike in Yellowstone. Normally we hike to the top of Mt. Washburn, but this year we decided to visit Meriman Falls. The only problem is that we didn't know the trail very well and missed the turn off at some point. So we hiked 4 miles and didn't have much to show for it. We called it the 'hike of disappointment' as a joke.





Because we didn't get the chance to see any bears in Yellowstone, we decided to visit Bear World. The kids love the petting zoo at the end. Jared and David figured out a way to hijack the little machine that had food inside (sort of like a gumball machine, except there was pet food inside). Well, the turkeys know that these machines produce a treat and they eagerly waited for the boys to get food out of it. Jared and David both tried to run, but the turkeys were faster. At one point, David just threw his hands into the air like he was under arrest.



David makes new friends wherever he goes...


And so does Larry....


Jared told me he had been waiting his whole life for a ride on the tractors, I think they both agree that this is the reason they love the farm so much. They also got to help rebuild the old chicken coop. There's nothing like good ole fashioned hard work!









I took a couple of pictures of the old homestead. My grandpa was raised next to this grain house, it sits less than a mile away from the current house. 'Bird Rock' is also nearby, it's easy to tell why the local people call it that.





On the way home, we stopped in Mountain Home to visit the Air Force Base. We met up with our dear friends to have lunch and spend time with them. We found our old house, it was empty. I'm pretty sure they plan to tear down this house within the next couple of years, many houses in that neighborhood are empty. It was David's first home and we have a lot of fond memories.

25

My brother, Jared, would be 25 years old today. I miss him! I can't help wondering what he'd be like today. Would he be married? Have a job? Have kids? Where would he be working right now? What would his hobbies be? Of all of my wishes, having him back trumps them all.

Hit the ground running

Larry has found that he has a real passion for all things running. He said that he wants only things related to running if I ever need a gift idea for Christmas or birthdays. I'm so glad he found something he loves, this will keep him healthy and in shape.

This last weekend, he ran with a team of 12 people in the Cascade Lakes Relay. It took 36 hours to run 216.6 miles. They ran on dirt, through the dust of traffic, on pavement and over hills. It was a tough course, but they finished well. Can you imagine this view?





The fresh air and cool breeze was the perfect setting for a run! One of our team members even had a stream waiting for her to jump into when she was finished.



Larry was really proud of his shirt and medal, I think he wore it all the way home and brought it to work the next day. Running 20 miles in one weekend is something to be excited about, I sure am proud of him!

Simple Pleasures

As I was drying my hair with the blow dryer, Jared stood nearby with a little smile on his face. I figured out that he really liked the warmth from the blow dryer so I pointed it at him and he turned in slow circles while giggling with pleasure. David heard the glee in Jared's voice and ran to share whatever it was Jared liked. Soon I had two boys turning in circles to enjoy the warmth all over. It's as if I've pulled a warm fluffy blanket out of the dryer to wrap around them. Is there anything more wonderful?

When life gives you lemons.....

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from a dad who needed me to take pictures of his daughter who was not expected to survive for very long. She was 8 months old and she was okay to travel so they brought her to me. The session went well, this sweet angel was so patient with me as we got the images that we wanted. It's always extra hard to work with these babies who are still hanging on because I hope by some miracle that she'll be cured. It's so heartbreaking to hear the news later. The only comfort we have is that she passed peacefully in her sleep.





It seems like my angels come in pairs, I had two last September and they were only a couple of weeks apart. The second one needed his photos taken on Sunday morning (July 4th) and it was my hardest session ever. I won't go into detail, but it will probably haunt me for a long time. Although the session itself went well and I got the images I wanted, it was more about the condition of the baby when he's been gone for awhile. I will only post a picture of his little feet, this is the eighth angel I've met and this one has broken me. I will need a long break to bounce back, thankfully there are a couple of other volunteer photographers in this area who will step in for the next angel.



As always, a sweet healthy baby is the best therapy for me. My dear friend (we go waaaaay back) brought her little newborn over to me today so I could play with her. It always makes me feel all warm inside! I caught the sweetest little expressions, I think it really really helped me. She is super cute!





Here are some random pictures I took on the 4th of July and sunsets. This area has the most amazing sunsets, I really missed them when I lived in Tacoma.









It's been a busy two weeks for us. Jared is in summer school to help him improve his reading skills, David and I get to spend more time together and we all find ways to fill in the free time so we don't go crazy.

Yes David

Today, Jared is at cub scout day camp and David has to miss all of the fun so we declared it to be "Yes David" day....... within reason. Obviously, we can't fly to Disneyland (his first request). We have been busy all day with visiting the library, his grandparents, and playing board games. We got really lucky and happened to show up at McDonalds when Ronald McDonald was there.



I think clowns are freaky, but I'm also an excellent actress :) Ronald McDonald felt bad that David didn't get a book (I guess they were handing them out for free) so he went and got us cookies. He was also kind enough to pose while I pulled out my cell phone and took a picture. By the way David talks about this experience, it is possible that Santa Clause is nobody compared to Ronald McDonald. He wanted a poster for his bedroom..... this is where I draw the line. Thank heavens McDonalds doesn't sell freaky pictures of clowns.

David's next request is a hula hooping contest. I always beat him, but it's his day so maybe he'll get lucky.

Growing too fast!

More than seven years ago, I jokingly told Larry that I would have a baby on his birthday. Seven years ago today, I actually did. I say it every year, but it's amazing how fast time flies! This year, he got to celebrate his birthday at school - that's is a rarity for a kid whose birthday is 11 days into June.... at least around here. The only bummer is that because it was the last day of school and things were busy for everyone, his class didn't sing to him and even David forgot to mention that it was his birthday. Oh well, he didn't seem too upset by it.

It was a special treat to have some cousins over that we don't see too often, he had more kids to celebrate with. His grandma turned one of his gifts into a treasure hunt, he loved that. I'm sure he'll be busy with his new gifts for awhile, especially his outdoor toys. I think Larry and David enjoyed their birthdays.



Once in awhile, I catch David in the right mood and he lights up my camera. It's becoming more rare with both of my boys, maybe I'm burning them out with being their own personal paparazzi. :)




7 Things I love about David......

His compassion for others
His smile
His spirit
His sense of humor
His laugh and the fact that he does it often
His music, he sings and likes to play the guitar
His calm nature

Memorial Day

"Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I'm not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be." -- John Wayne

It has been a family tradition for the past 3 years that we visit a local cemetery on Memorial Day to honor those who have served and are serving in the military. This cemetery puts up about 300 flags, each with the name of a veteran who has died. We feel it's important for the kids to learn about the sacrifices made for our freedom. I'm a real sucker for anything patriotic so I'll share just a few of my favorites (out of the 100+ taken).










I waited around for these guys to show up on their Harley Davidson bikes, they are Vietnam Veterans and bear their souls on their leather jackets. I can't repeat some of the patches that I saw, but one of them included Jane Fonda.... you can imagine the rest.

Ladies Man

It was 'kids night' at Studio 30 last Friday and I was inspired by vintage images of children that I used to look at when I was little. I'd walk by the greeting card section at the store and see an image of a boy kissing a girl, both wearing oversize clothing and hats.

My birthday boy

Jared had his 9th birthday yesterday and it's hard to believe he's so big. Time flies! It's amazing that he is alive, he is my miracle baby. I nearly had him when I was just 27 weeks pregnant and then again at 34 weeks - that time I was hospitalized for 4 days. He was just too excited to make his appearance, I guess. I knew he would have a zest for life even before he was born.

9 Thinks I love about Jared....

His energy
His curiosity
His humor
His imagination
His sympathetic heart
His creativity
His hugs and kisses
His smile when he's slightly embarrassed
His eyes