Camping at Mackay

We spent this last weekend camping at the Mackay Reservoir with our great friends the Gardners! It was fun to make new memories at a beautiful place that I already have so many great ones!

We opted to try out the tent trailer that Stephen ended up with in a trade and it was actually really fun! It made the nights much nicer and Coop thought it was the coolest thing ever! We also cruised down to Arco Saturday morning for the Atomic Days parade- the kids all loved it. Was good to get see my family for that little bit too.

Ry was so cute in his sun hat!

Our family on the beach (or the rocks, however you want to look at it!) The beach that is close to the dam that I remember most as a kid was underwater so we found a good rocky spot with some shade instead. It was such a relief to get in the water and the swimming was a blast with all the kids, even Ryder!

Yes, indeed that is a skunk! We were playing in the water when this little guy showed up not too far from us! Yikes!

Stephen got another chance to use his pontoon boat and sat Cooper in the rack with him- they had a blast on the water! The fishing was really good and we cooked up the "rainbow fish" with dinner! Don't you love Coop's version of a thumbs up in this pic? :)

Thanks Steve, Monica, Nathaniel and Andrew for a great time and being so comfortable to do things with! No foiled intentions, distance or wind storm can bring us down, eh? ;)

It was great to get out camping and we're excited for more to come this summer!

Water Gun Targets!

After getting sprayed time and again whenever Cooper is playing with his water gun in the backyard, I had the thought to try making some targets he could aim for instead! He's a bird nut, of course, so I found some free clip art of hunting birds and photoshopped some more typical target shapes too. To finish them off, I borrowed my friend's laminating machine- thanks Monch!

I wanted to attach them to something moveable but also sturdy for playing with in the backyard. I wanted to be able to set them up in different ways each time we played with them. I decided to dip into the huge stack of old buckets that Stephen uses on cleaning jobs. Other things that might work would be cardboard boxes, milk jugs full of water, a dowel stuck into the ground- anything you have lying around!

So far we've played with them most on the tramp- I put them all around on top of things about the same level (like the tire swing below!). Then Ryder and I sat in the middle while Cooper played "Mr. Fox"- he bounces around the edge asking "Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox what time is it?" and then I would respond with "Time to... shoot the duck" (or whatever target I chose at the time). I had a gun too and we would both shoot as fast as we could- it really was fun!

Gosh I love having boys- they are so fun and full of energy! I'm excited to try new ways to use these- they really are holding up great even with all the water we've shot at them! Stephen recommended we trying hanging them from the tree branches- we'll have to try that for sure! The pictures could be of whatever kids might like shooting at- tigers, monsters, big game animals, etc.

Sharing this post as part of What are Little Boys Made Of? at 733... a creative blog this week :) I enjoy visiting these ideas each week and hopefully someone else out there will find this one fun too!

Six Years!

"Six years ago on this very day
you and I both chose some pretty important words to say.

I Do and I Do and a quick, happy kiss
and we started creating our own brand of bliss!

Since then desires, demands and more
can make it tough to just stop and adore.

With all of the stuff that gets in the way,
I'd say it's time we took a mini vacay..."

And so began the little treasure hunt I sent Stephen on this morning to find his Anniversary gift! The treasure was tickets to a Toby Kieth and Trace Adkins concert in Boise later this month- the two singers he loves! I've had them for a long time now and have been frothing at the bit for our anniversary to come so I could give them to him!

And check out these amazing roses he gave me! They are making our whole house smell yummy!
Thanks, Stephen for being such a great husband and friend- six years and counting for a long, long time to come and through eternity! I love you Babe!

Not Now

I've been thinking lately about this time in my life. Most anything creative I'm able to do is by the midnight oil, and even that brand of fuel seems to be in pretty short supply lately. And sleep? Ha! Let's just say time wins the battle there. It makes me feel pent up, like an itch I just can't scratch. But you know what...



...THEY are my greatest accomplishment. The time will come all too soon that I'll be able to do all the projects I have in mind as soon as I want to do them, spend my time on whatever mood I'm in, that I'll look around me and bask in organization and cross chores off lists long before the day is through. But it's not now. Now is my season for basking in happy faces and childhood laughter, for crossing off naptimes and playtimes and being content with it all when the day is done, rather than bummed for what I didn't achieve as I collapse into bed. For now, I'll do what I can as I can- I have a need to be creative, but I'll pause in the process to change diapers, build nests for toy birds, refill sippy cups and kiss chubby cheeks...


... just look at them?! What else was it I was wanting to accomplish again? ;)

Red, White and Blue Boys

Coop and Ry ready for church on the Fourth... and I had to find the pic of Cooper when he was close to Ryder's age and wore the same shirt for 4thof July- we got a smile out of seeing them side by side!

Happy Independence Day!

Wishing everyone a Happy Independence Day today! We're grateful for our American forefathers and KNOW that our Heavenly Father worked through them in building our country. I'm grateful for patriots of that time that believed strongly enough in the goal of America to fight for and build it. And I pray for our country today that it not be too diminished from that great beginning...

No Place Like Home

Last weekend we traveled home to Moore and had a great weekend with Grandpa and Grandma and Sis. We had some good R&R in the backyard and even went to a classic car and tractor show on Saturday. This is probably Cooper's favorite place on earth :)

I got some great classic pictures this trip- love this one of Mom and Ryder, and Coop with his head buried in the tree, where he had hidden his toy birds.

My Mom has saved these tossing sticks ever since I made them at diabetes camp as a kid! They were fun to pick back up. Stephen did a pretty fair job trying them for the first time!

And these three are about as classic as it gets when it comes to a visit to Mom and Dads:

Cars on the track with Grandpa, and motorbike rides up the road :)

My Mom taught Cooper to pedal this old fashioned tricycle and now he can finally do it on his own trike! He's been "flinstoning" it for awhile now, so this was a great perk- thanks Mom!

Thank You Mom and Dad and Cyndel for a great time! I know my parents work hard to make home a place that we always want to come home to and it sure pays off when we do- it is so beautiful right now! There's just no place like home, no matter old we are :)