Best Visiting Teacher Ever

My visiting teachers name is Judy, and she is definitly the best visiting teacher I have ever had. Her methods are not conventional, but that just makes it all the more fun. I never know when she is going to show up at my door, but I am always glad to see her when she comes - and she comes faithfully every month. This past Tuesday I was vacuuming my living room when I looked up and saw her at my door. I of course stoped and let her in so we could chat. Judy always brings me something when she comes and this month it was a bag of apples. We got to talking though and she mentioned that she had two bags full of sliced apples in her car ready to be made into applesauce. She said I could have them if I wanted. I responded that I didn't know how to make applesauce. Judy then jumped into action and said, "well let me teach you right now!" I didn't think she was serious, but she was. The next hour was an adventure not to be forgotten. We boiled, mashed, and ground apples (Judy went home and got this cool gadget that did most of the work for us) plus we got to hunt in my scary basement for jars and lids. When we were all done I had 10 jars of applesauce all thanks to Judy. Now that's what I call visiting teaching!!!

Tag - I'm It

This is for you Kelltie

5 years ago. . .
I was living at the Ridge up in Rexburg going to BYU-Idaho with my two best buddies. When I wasn't at the library (my second home), or in class (I think I had 20 credits) I was doing fun things like taking everything out of my friends room and hiding it in various places all over the house.

5 things on my to do list:
Get Christmas card pictures printed at Sams
Have my mom help me sew a super hero cape
Get June to take a nap
Cook dinner
Go to mutual

5 snacks I enjoy:
Fruit snacks
my mom's cookies
Twix
licorice rope
ice cream

5 places I'v lived:
Provo, UT
Evanston, WY
Phoenix, AZ
Idaho Falls, ID
Rexburg, ID

5 jobs I'v had:
Souvener girl for the I.F. Padres (minor league baseball)
City Park lawn mower (my most favorite job ever)
Little leage baseball Ump
Melaleuca R&D
Babysitter

5 things I'd do if I won the lottery:
Build a new house
Buy a new car
Go on vacation with my family
Buy land
Save and invest


If anybody wants to do this tag - feel free!

So Much

So much has happened since I last posted. Time just goes by so fast and before I know it the end of September is here. Back on September 14, Sean had his 25th birthday. It was more like a birthday weekend for him. We had a party with family on Friday night, but his actual birthday wasn't until Sunday so we just celebrated all three days. This is the cake that I made. This is Sean and Brett blowing out their candles. If you look closely Brett is eyeing Sean's candles!!!!
We went to the Riot Zone with my family and did some miniature golfing and rode the go carts. It was my mom's work party so everything was free - which makes it all the sweeter.
And of course I have to update you all on my little angel. She is really becoming my little girl and not my baby anymore. She loves to read books and she has this little chair that she sits in to read them. June can say so many things now - I love that she is talking. Her favorite word is mom and I am constantly hearing her sweet voice calling my name. She is a pro at all of her animal sounds too. I seriously have the best job ever!!!! I can't image spending my days anywhere else - June and I have fun all day long.
Oh, and I just wanted to show off June's killer tan line. She wore her Croc's all Summer long, and you can definitly tell where they covered her feet.
We also went to the BYU football game against Wyoming last weekend. My Uncle Shayne gave us his tickets!!!! It was a blow-out (44-0), but it was so much fun. Go Cougars!!! I also got to go to the musical CATS. I had never seen it before. It was different from any musical I had ever been to, but the dancing was spectacular. I know that I am forgetting some of the stuff we did, but this will have to do.

Change

Things are changing quickly in my family. For most of the Summer my mom and dad had 3 kids at home, and I only live 15 minutes away. Now they are down to one kid at home, and they are begining to feel what it is going to be like to be empty nesters. My brother Stuart is up at BYU-Idaho living with his old friends from high school. This isn't the best picture of him, but I thought he looked cute with the bow on his head. My brother Preston is down in Provo at BYU. He is loving it, and I am a little jealous that he gets to go to all of the BYU football games.
Rose is in Junior High this year - I can't believe it!!! She is an Eagle Rocker now, watch out world. She is running for class office this week. Isn't she the cutest almost 13 year old you have ever seen.
I love my brothers and sisters so much, and it is fun to watch them grow up and move on to bigger and better things.

Fleeting Summer

Summer is most definitly on its way out, and it is making me a little sad. I love everything about Summer, so it is always hard to watch it leave. Although, I do love Fall so I guess I don't have to be too sad. Fall for me means FOOTBALL - from grid-kid all the way up to the pros - I love it all.

Well, since it has been a while since I posted I better update you all to what we have been doing. A few weeks ago June and I went on our final camping trip for the year with Sean's side of the family. We had a good time as usual. I had done June's hair in a mowhawk before we left, and it stayed that way for the whole trip.
June pushed this bunny around everywhere. It was her little baby. The bunny got very dirty.
And so did June. She has some lovely black lips in this shot. Where is her mother?????
Rose, June, and I went to Rexburg one day and played at the Spray Park. I think Rose and I had more fun, but June had a good time too.
We also watched a lot of Olympic coverage for two weeks in August- all I can say is "Way to go Michael Phelps." I must admit, I once wished I could be in the Olympics, but I am ok with just watching them now. They are better athletes than I could ever be.

Some of my cousins came to town, and it was fun to see them. Nick, Kambria, baby Augustus, Brooke, and her new fiance Matt were all on their way back up to Law School and they spent the night at my parents. I love when they come. Some of my best childhood memories are with these cousins. Ryan, Savannah, and their sweet girl came about a week later. June and Ryannah are the same age, so it was fun to watch them interact - lets just say that June is not a very good sharer.

I also read Breaking Dawn, the last of the Twilight books. I love those vampire stories, and I am very much looking forward to the movie coming out later this year.

Oh, and I can't forget about softball - Sean and I have been playing all Summer, and we just started a Fall league that plays twice a week. It is a lot of fun, and I think I am getting my old form back - I hit a triple last game!!! Ok, I have probably bored you all with my life stories, but I felt like I had some catching up to do.

On Top of the World

Since last summer, my family has been planning on hiking Table Rock on 8-8-08, and on Friday we all accomplished our goal. Our company of hikers was as follows: my mom and dad, Rose, Preston, two of Preston's friends, Uncle James, Auntie Em, J.T., Max, Sean, and myself. Our little June bug spent the day with my Grandma JoAnn. We ranged in age from 9 years old to 52, and every last one of us made it to the top. Table Rock isn't an extremely hard hike, but it is long and there are parts that are a bit challenging. Teton Creek comes cascading down the mountain and you have to cross it about four times on the trail. I thought it was great fun walking across the logs and rocks in order to get across to safety.
Below is the group that I hiked with most of the day - we all wanted to go a little faster than our parents.
We reached the top at around noon, and we were all excited to be at the summit. The last bit of the hike, the actual "table", is the hardest part because you are up so high that there is very little oxygen and that makes going even 10 yards seem difficult. You just have to take it slow, and you will be alright.
Some of us ventured even further after we go to the top and went over to a spot called Inspiration Point. When you look over the edge it is a sheer drop off into the valley right at the foot of the Grand Tetons. It is a little scary, but a totally killer view - well worth the extra effort.
I'd like to tell you that I wasn't sore the next day because I am in such amazing shape, but that would be an outright lie. My legs definitely let me know that there are muscles that I should consider using more often. I'm happy and proud of all of us for making - we even got official Table Rock medals to prove to everyone that we did indeed come off conqueror

Green Thumb?

I am pleased to say, that our garden has been pretty successful this year. Last year it was a disaster - something about having a brand new baby distracted me from taking care of the garden. June loves the garden now, mostly eating the peas, but she helps me pull weeds too. It isn't very big, but we planted peas, two kinds of onions, carrots, radishes, pumpkins, watermelon, and some peppers. Our favorite are the peas and these first two pictures are of June picking her own peas.
I was picking some carrots the other day and to my surprise I pulled up a white carrot. Sean and I both tasted it, and it tasted just like a normal carrot, but we thought it was kinda bazaar so we took a picture.

These last two pictures are kind of random, but I liked them. The one above is of Sean and June licking the beaters after I was done making peanut butter bars. And the bottom one is of June sleeping in the car seat after a long day (I love that her arm is up like it is). She had been with grandma and grandpa while we went to Batman, and I guess she had played too hard with Rose. What a sweetheart!!