The Party Shots!!

So here are the pictures for the 711 man!! Here we are doing presents on HIS day!!












Here he is working on the birthday dinner he requested! BBQ ribs........First you
grill them till they are brown, then you bake them till the meat is ready to fall off the bone, then you add a little glaze of honey and BBQ just for a quicky........then you
have ultimate HEAVEN!!! that you must devour immediately!!!














Then there was the delicious after dinner treat. An ice cream blizzard cake from Dairy Queen.... Yummy!!































Then a couple of days later we partied some more. WE had a lot of fun with everyone. WE played games. Here are some pictures from a relay the dads did with all the kids. IT was great. The kids had to fill a little cup with water, then a dad would carry them down to another bucket where they were trying to cover up some magnets that were sitting on the bottom. Whichever team covered their magnets first won! It was a tie!!!
Then we had some more presents and another delicious dessert! Caramel brownies and ice cream......yum,yum! It was great. WE are always glad to celebrate!

Finally a BOY!!

Ok. I know this blog is mostly about my family. But I had to brag a little on my sisters part. Her and her hubby just had their new little guy on July 13. He is adorable!! Finally we now have a baby boy in the fam. So far there is three little girls. So it will be nice to have a boy around. So here are all the goods about this new little one!

Blast from the Past!!

So who can tell what these cute kids are playing with? I bet if you look close enough you will remember something from a long time ago.

Arlene was going through some things and came across Sam's old set of........??? did you guess......
.........

His old set of Heman figures. Can you believe that?? IT was so fun for our family to sit around and look at all the different guys and look at there funny faces and bodies. Ashtyn's favorite was the bug guy with wings. And Hailey's favorite was the
tiger that they can ride on. Sam and I just had fun
trying to remember all the different names. Heman,
Sheera, Skeletor. Can you remember some of them
and their names??

IT was just a little BLAST from the Past. Thought you would enjoy!!

Rose Explosion!

So we bought our house and along with our house came a front yard full of roses. Probably not what Sam and I would pick the most of but we just left it all for now. Well, we have since changed our minds about how we fill about our front yard full of roses. Just take one glimpse and I think you will enjoy. It has been so fun to see all the different colors and smells and ways a rose can grow. They have been so enjoyable. WE have loved each and every one. Can you believe all the colors? Pink and reds and white with the red edge. We've also had purple and a salmon,orange red. Just amazing.

And this one is just one rose bush. Can you believe how many roses are on just that one bush!! We couldn't.

A new couch!

So we have been on the lookout for a new couch. Since moving into our new home we have not had one. We have been using the floor and Sam's great log benches. Both have been good but not as good as sitting on a soft, comfy couch and snuggling in. I know you all know what I mean. So our dilema was that we can't really afford what we want right now but we don't really want to spend money on something other than what we want. Confusing!! Well, our dilema was solved while Sam was at work telling about our sad condition. And it just so happened that one of the ladies at work had bought a new couch and had to get rid of her old one because she couldn't get it downstairs and just didn't have room for it. She said we could just have it. Great we thought. She also said it was a great couch in great condition but that she was sick of the pattern. Well, we thought we would give it a try. So Sam and Ashtyn jumped in Grandpa's truck and drove over to get this new couch. The suspense was killing me the entire time they were gone. What was this new couch going to look like. What was her description of good condition, and what was the pattern? How bad was it going to be? Was he going to drive in and then drive straight to Goodwill and we would still be on the hunt for a new couch?

Finally after what seemed like hours they backed into the driveway. Not bad.....it looked like it was in great condition. But it was a floral pattern. Really not at all what I would ever buy but really not too bad. So we brought it in and sat on it and scoped it out. It is a really nice couch in great condition. And as Sam's family says, "It is a couch that you sit on, not in." So check it out. We now have a couch that won our dilema. We didn't have to pay any money to a couch that we didn't want. It will be great for now, and we all love it. Especially the girls. We now have a soft, comfy place to cuddle!! Yipee!

Garage Sales!

(Just a quick little note: I started writing this blog over a month ago but was helped out by my youngest who came up to type with me and happened to click one button that deleted my entire article. IT has only taken me a month to catch back up and get it done. Enjoy!)

Well, a couple of months ago we decided to have a garage sale. We got all ready and we had it on June 3rd. It was great. The day was perfect. We had got our garage cleaned out and found some junk lying around the house that was just taking up space. Then we joined in with my mom and my brother and it was great. It was a ton of work but it was so well worth it for a couple of reasons. 1. We cleaned up around our house and got rid of stuff we weren't using. 2. We earned some extra cash which is always a bonus. 3. We got to interact with people and sell them something that they can use that we just don't need any more. What a great concept. It was so entertaining as we watched the people come up we would assume what items we thought they would be interested in and then they would come up and pick out something totally unexpected and then they would buy it. I started enjoying going up to each one and trying to get them excited about an item. I will most likely never see any of those people again so just go for it. Sale that junk to them!
Now on the flip side. June 10 Liberty Lake 13th Annual Garage Sale. There is a little community just east of Spokane called Liberty Lake. It is a community of mostly newer homes all in a little area. It reminds me of Utah. Every year they get together and those who want to in this community all join in for one humongous garage sale. They pick the day and then anyone can just join in. They advertise a little and make a map of the area with the address of each person participating in the garage sale and then three or four things they are selling. There are some people that don’t have a garage sale but have food stands or other items they have made and are selling. It is just a huge community event. Well, this year we had a few things on our list we wanted to possibly find for a good deal so we decided it might be easiest to just hit the Liberty Lake garage sale. With so many people we were bound to find the items we wanted.

It turned out that Sam had to work that day so I was going to brave it alone but decided to get my mom to come along to help with the kids. Well, I woke up early Saturday morning and it was raining and I was so tired I almost said forget it but I decided that since it was raining there might not be as many people at the garage sale. Boy was I wrong. I think the rain brought more people than I have ever seen. As soon as we got near any sale there were lines on both sides of the street of parked cars. There were people in rain gear, there were people without, there were people with just hats there were people with umbrellas. There were people with kids in strollers, there were some with kids in carriers and there were just tons and tons of people. There were people in their cars in their trucks and then there were some who had their truck with a huge trailer behind it. I couldn’t believe it. We drove around for a half hour just looking for a parking spot. Finally I just got out and started going and my mom drove around for a while. I guess everyone else decided it would be a great place to go to get what they wanted and needed too.

So there were three main things on my list: 1. Bikes for Sam and I and either two bike seats or a bike trailer. Only Ashtyn had a bike and we all wanted to be able to go. 2. A bigger TV. We only had a 13” that we have had since we were married and we decided it would be nice to have a bigger upgrade. 3. A couch. We currently have no couch. On my journey through the mass hoards of people I was actually able to find two bikes that would be perfect for Sam and me, along with two bike seats. I also found a 27” TV in great condition. I did see a lot of couches but none of them fit the bill. But it was amazing to find the other things on my list. I saved huge amounts of money and was able to find some new enjoyable things for our family. Now one of our favorite things to do is go on bike rides as a family. It is great!!!

I guess overall I just realized that garage sales can be a hard thing but they can also be great!!

The 4th

Happy 4th of July.

I am working today, serving veterans of this country that are sick. Many of them are WWII vets, and some are Viet Nam era vets. What a wonderful opportunity I have to serve these people that have served all of us. There is no way I would go into the service, short of a draft, buy many of these people went voluntarily. They served for years of their lives, many of them for the best years of their physical health. The war that we are in now seems so distant to me. Yes I know some people that are there, or have been there, but I feel disconnected from it. I feel it is just another topic in the political hullabaloo that you hear on the news. These men, (and some women), have been there. Some of them were POW's, some were at Normandy, some were helicopter door gunners in Nam, and many were nothing glamorous, such as mechanics, cooks, truck drivers, radio men, etc. But they have been there. They have been through boot camp. They know what it feels like to say good bye to loved ones, knowing that there is a possibility they will not return. There are some that come to this hospital, and say goodbye to loved ones here on earth. What is that like for them? What is that like for the families left behind? I don't know. But, I do know I am grateful for the chance to serve them when they are venerable physically and emotionally, and be able to pay them back a small amount for what they have done.

I love this time of year. Summer seems to zoom by so fast. I am glad Jill is around to help me play hard while we can. I love the warm summer nights, dark outside, but still warm. I love the smell of the pine trees when it is hot, the smell of water on hot plants and pavement. The sound of the sprinklers outside the window in the evening. I love to see the garden coming to life. I have many good memories of fun things done in the summer. Camping, fishing on Long Lake for perch, working hard and really working up a good sweat, mowing the lawn (a great self talk therapy session), going to Idaho and visiting the farm and family. Now it is upon me to make those good memories for my family. Again, good that Jill is around.

Hope everyone has a great 4th. Enjoy your country, the freedoms we have here, and thanks those that have made it possible.

Finally a Vacation!!!

Well, we were finally able to take our first vacation of the year and man was it nice. Of course, it wasn't long enough, they NEVER are though. But it was the perfect little break we all needed. We decided to split up our travels. Our first night was camping. We took off to Farragut State Park and camped for a night. It was perfect. At first I was a little nervous because it had been raining all morning. Just dumping buckets of rain and I was unsure about camping with all that going on. But we took off and by the time we got there the weather was beautiful. The sun had come out and it was warm. The perfect weather! And lucky for us the rain had scared a lot of others off from camping so the campground was almost empty. We got there and set up our little tent together and then hung out around the fire. We talked and sang songs and went on walks together and then cozied up together in our sleeping bags and had the perfect camping trip. No rain, quiet, the girls loved it and were so good. It was great. Then we got up and took down our camp and just drove around Farragut for a while. We went on a walk down by the river, played at the little playground they had, watched the little ground squirrels running around in their little holes, and then we had a picnic on a blanket; all while in the beautiful surroundings of Northern Idaho. Then we headed to a little resort in a little town that you would never go to unless by accident. But the resort was nestled right by the foot of some beautiful mountains and surrounded by a super green golf course and we had a little room with a balcony and a kitchenette and it was perfect. We stayed here for two nights and had the best time. We spent some time in their recreation center where you could play games, play sports, swim, or soak in the hot tub. We spent time at the little park they had for kids and also took the girls to a little craft time that they had just perfect little projects fit for kids to participate in. Ashtyn loved it and came home with little treasures she loves. Hailey mostly wanted to paint everything but her little project but she had fun too. It was just our perfect little getaway. We promised ourselves that we are going to take every little chance we have to just get away. Even if it is just camping for a night away. We all loved it and needed it. I love that we live in such a beautiful world that we can enjoy and appreciate. And I am especially glad that we have families and that we can live together and make wonderful life changing memories together.

The other day at church, Ashtyn said,

"That lady over there is really fat," as she pointed.

Jill and I turned our heads and looked, and then turned red when Ashtyn was spot on. We then tried to explain to Ashtyn in whispering tones (with many other people around, including "that lady") why we don't say that sort of thing about people.

Ashtyn is just a ton of fun. We love our little princesses!!

Quotes

Two quotes from Ashtyn at dinner tonight:

"Mom, did you know I'm a child of God?"

and,

"I think I need a bra." (She just turned 3, not 13!)

We love that she is really starting to express herself verbally, in ways other than screaming or crying. She sings all day. Mostly songs that she makes up herself about things that are going on around her, or whatever she is doing at the moment. She is fun and we love her.

Story Corps

Here is a link to an amazing idea and website.

http://www.storycorps.net/

Click on "Listen," and just enjoy. This is such a great idea. I heard about it on NPR. I think we need to get (the older people especially) in our lives to start telling us stories whenever we can get them to. It would be fun for them, and a wonderful experience for us. I listened to a couple of them today, and then told myself, "I'm gonna listen to everyone of these!"

Hope you enjoy. Tell me which one is your favorite.

I really like Taylor and Bessie Rogers.

The church is still true!!

Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
"Let us not live a life . . . that would bring regret. . . . It is not going to matter very much how much money you made, what kind of a house you lived in, what kind of a car you drove, the size of your bank account—any of those things. What is going to matter is that dear woman who has walked with you side by side as your companion through all of the years of life and those children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and their faithfulness and their looking to you . . . with respect and love and deference and kindness. . . .
"The only things you will take with you, when all is said and done, are your family relationships. . . . God bless us to be good fathers, . . . good parents, and good husbands to our good wives" (meeting, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Jan. 18, 2003).

It is hard for me to keep this focus. I guess it is easy to get cought up with the house, the car, the bank account. The blah, the blah, the blah blah blah... Those things can easily totally consume your time and thought. It needs to be the other way around. I look at people I admire, and they have the right focus. The things of this world are just that, of THIS world. The things that really matter, that are eternal, are their focus. That is what I want to be like. I want to keep this a focus all the time. Often I catch myself thinking, "well, once we get the (blank) done, or once we get thru this week, then I can focus on what I really want to do." The thing is, there always seems to be something else to deter me away. There's always something else that comes up.

So how do I (we) do it, when we will keep getting the bill for the house, the car takes gas, work takes me away from my family, and the list goes on?

How do I keep this as my focus? Write it on my forehead? Put sticky notes all over my car, my house, and my work area?

Thanks for the Princess Party!!

Hey Amy just a BIG shout out for the princess party.....Thank you so much for having one. Ashtyn love love loved it. That is all she talked about for days. She loves being a princess and having anything to do with princesses. She had a ball and we just want to say thanks!!! Hailey bop had a good time too. Just look at her all jeweled up! WE will have to do this again. Here are some of the pictures I took. They sure turned out cute!!!

Just some cute girls I know!!!

Our first dinner!

This is some pictures from our first dinner at our new house. We just bought Papa Murphy's and grabbed a blanket and our fam and just hung out at our new house long enough to have some din-din. It was great. We sure are excited for our first house!

more new house....

Jill and the girls and I went over to the new house again tonight. i had to get some info on the furnace, and do some measuring to check into some stuff we may want to do. since we were there, we dediced to have a little picnick for dinner. we took a blanket, some pizza, and had a great time eating our food on our dinning room floor. it was fun. Ashtyn said, "this is a fun little picnick." we are very excited. we still can't believe it is OURS. once this weekend is over, and i have some time off, i'm sure we will be over there more. we will take some pics then and get them up here.

yipee!

YIPEE!!!

Samuel A. and Jill F. = Home owners!!

we got the keys today. got to go in and actually really take a look at our new home. we are so excited. a place of our own!!

we'll keep you posted on the work we do, and try to post some pic's too. we want to do some before, during, and after shots. we have big plans, but we are sure the $$ will end before our dreams do.

fun fun.

The Sick House!

So our house has been the sick house now for about three weeks. Let me out!! It started with both of the girls waking up on the same morning with sniffles. They both had minor colds. Well, within 48 hours Ashtyn was miserable so I took her to the Doctor and she had an ear infection. So we put her on an antibiotic and she started getting better and then Hailey got worse. So I took Hailey to the Doctor and she had bronchialitis, which is something a lot of babies get because that cold junk can get trapped down in their little tiny parts of their lungs. So the best thing for that was to put her on a nebulizer and do some breathing treatments to help her breathing open up and not be wheezy. Plus Hailey was teething during all of this. After five days with the nebulizer they wanted me to take Hailey back so that they could check her lungs. So we did and she was doing great but I thought she still needed everything checked out because she just wasn't herself. She wasn't eating well, she was extra fussy, just not my little Hailey bop. So they checked her all out and she was getting an ear infection. So then Hailey went on an antibiotic just as Ashtyn was finally getting off of hers. Then this last weekend they were both finally doing good. I was beginning to catch up on sleep again and clean house. Then, guess what?!? Ashtyn got the flu. Poor little bug. The flu is awful. That is one thing that just stinks when you just can't hold anything down and you get so thirsty and your whole body is achey. Well, our poor little bug got that!! The hardest part was telling her that she couldn't just drink as much water as she wanted too. She was just sooooo thirsty and just wanted a drink of water. Well, we made it through all of that and we have now been healthy and happy for the last twenty four hours. I am so glad that I am here so that I can be taking care of my little ones. I am so glad that I am here to hold them all day as much as they need. I need the loves too. I am so glad that I can comfort them when they are hurting. I am just glad to be the mother of such wonderful little girls.

The Mountains

A quote from Bill Bryson in his book A Walk in the Woods:

(He had recently hiked much of the Appalachian Trail)

"I still quite often go for a walk on the trail near my home, especially if I'm stuck on something I am working on. Most of the time I am sunk in thought, but at some point on each walk there comes a moment when I look up and notice, with a kind of first-time asonishment, the amazing complex delicacy of the woods, the casual ease with which elemental things come together to form a composition that is---whatever the season, wherever I put my besotted gaze---perfect. Not just very fine, but perfect, unimporvible. You don't have to walk miles up the mountains to achieve this, don't have to plod through blizzards, slip sputtering mud, wade chest-deep through water, hike day after day to the edge of your limits---but believe me, it helps."

This reminded me of my father. He challenges us to stop and look. Look at the mountains, and look at the sky. Take it all in with a deep breath. I often do, think of him, and then think of the hymn "How Great Thou Art!"

"Thy power throughout the universe displayed!"

We live in a wonderful, perfect, world. I love all the seasons, and I love to get out and enjoy it all.

SAM

Hailey Bop

So just a fun little note. Hailey has figured out how to dance. She is always watching Ashtyn dancing around and has now decided to join in on the fun. The best was last weekend my sister Wendy and her family were here and we all went to a hockey game. Well you know how they play music at each little break during the game and they are all loud, dancing music that is fun to boogy to. So Hailey just started shaking her head up and down and jammin' out. Just the cutest thing in the world.