AUGUST 26th & 27th JACKSON HOLE

WE FINALLY MADE IT TO JACKSON HOLE WITH JOHN'S PARENTS

NO INJURIES!

We took Grandpa Bill, Grandma Ellen and Nippy to Jackson Wyoming. Grandpa was so excited to show us all of his favorite hang outs. His most favorite place was the Bar J Ranch, it was a dinner and a show. We arrived on Thursday night, grandma and I were dropped off early at the ranch to save seats. Who knew that you had to come four hours in advance to get the good seats. John and grandpa went to find us a camping spot while we waited. The food was cafeteria style, we had to stand in line to get our food and then we had to stand in line to clean off our plates and hand them to the dishwasher. Maybe it was just that night, but our food wasn't as good as we had anticipated. Our steaks were tough and our baked potatoes were hard as a rock. But the entertainment made up for the disappointment in the food. I had a hard time enjoying the music because the lady next to me was so shocked that John and I were actually sleeping in a tent. She had me so afraid, I never have liked sleeping in a tent knowing I was in bear country, so I was already unhappy about being in a tent, but now I was very unhappy! But I survived! The next day we drove around Jackson hole and enjoyed the scenery. That night we talked Grandpa and Grandma into seeing a play. We enjoyed the play, we were very fortunate to get front row seats because of a last minute cancellation. Couldn't have asked for more!

BAR J

ENTRANCE INTO THE DINNING HALL

LOVED THE BEARS
(NOT REAL)!

WAITING IN LINE

AND INSIDE THE DINNING HALL

GRANDMA SETTING UP

THE COWBOY SINGERS

OUR CAMPSITE

MORMON ROW (TETONS IN THE BACKGROUND)

GRANDPA & GRANDMA AT THE MUSEUM

&
JOHN INSIDE THE MUSEUM

WE HAD A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE CLOSE UPS OF THIS MOOSE

THERE WAS SO MUCH BEAUTY AND WILD ANIMALS TO SEE

MY FAVORITE PART OF JACKSON HOLE WAS THE MELODRAMA

AUGUST..VEGGIE GARDEN & PLANS FOR A SECRET GARDEN

WE ARE ENJOYING OUR VEGETABLE GARDEN, BUT..........Can you see how much unused property we have in our back yard? Where are all those home and garden improvement people who want to do your yard for free and you get to be on television?!!!! Not going to happen, I know, but I can dream can't I. We do have ideas brewing in our heads about turning our sandy dirt into a secret garden. It may take us a few years, John's big garage should come first and it might take up a lot of the space. A small veggie & flower garden sounds good to me.

We checked out Thanksgiving Point where they have beautiful gardens, we loved their secret garden, here are a few pictures of it.

We want our garden to have lots of colorful perennials and or course some kind of water feature with a bridge.......are we over doing it?

It would be nice to also have some sort of entrance
into our garden. These are pictures of the entrance into the Secret Garden at Thanksgiving point.

The 13th East project is still going on in our neighborhood, they are suppose to build a wall in our back yard as part of their beautification project. We are excited to have a wall for aesthetic reasons as well as privacy. I would like to have ivy growing on our walls.



We took Dresden and Logan with us to Thanksgiving Point and when we were at the water conservation garden we met up with Natalie, Collin and Sydney.

















While at Sandy's water conservation garden, we and got a lot of ideas, we took tons of pictures at both places, to help our memory. It's a big dream, but we hope we can complete it someday.

SAVANNAH'S BIRTHDAY AUGUST 23rd

WOW! SIX YEARS OLD

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR LITTLE CALI GIRL

We didn't get to be at the party, but wanted to post our little Savy's birthday, so we took some pictures from her mom and dads blog.
SHE HAD A VERY PINK AND FUN BIRTHDAY PARTY
It looks like Savannah got a lot of fun presents from her friends
So cute, the girls got their toenails and fingernails done
They look beautiful! What a cute group of girls
Savannah, we hope you had a wonderful birthday, we love you!

I had been looking for a hummingbird in my back yard all summer long with no luck, but on Savannah's birthday there drinking from the hummingbird feeder was a beautiful hummingbird. I will always think of my little Savy as my good luck charm for spotting the hummingbird.

GOLFING & CAMPING WITH THE RUDELS......MID AUGUST

THE RUDELS' INVITED US ALONG ON THEIR GOLFING/CAMPING TRIP

We started in Nephi at their golf course. The kids had fun riding in the golf carts, they were so good while we were playing. It was my first time out hitting the ball and for a first timer not knowing what I was doing I think I did okay. All in all it was a fun day. We then went on to Grandpa Bill and Grandma Ellen's and spent the night in Ephraim. The kids loved being there and especially sleeping in their tent out in the front yard. The next morning we went to Palisades to golf. The course was beautiful and far more difficult than the previous mornings game. Natalie and Jay had to head back home in the afternoon, but John and I wanted to stay a couple of hours longer with the kids and ride the ATVs and let them shoot the Bebe gun.

Grandpa and Grandma's front yard

Nippie was happy to see the family

Out on the porch at Grandpa and Grandmas
Grandma bought a cake for the three birthday kids, her little boy John, her grand daughter Natalie and her great grandson Collin
Collin was a natural, he did a great job hitting the targetIt was fun watching him shoot the gun, he was really in to it

It was a little harder for Sydney, but I think it was because the gun was so big

She was more comfortable holding the gun her way, and did so much better
GRANDPA JOHN AND I WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW WELL THEY BOTH DID

WE HAD FUN SPENDING SOME TIME WITH THEM

CELEBRATING AUGUST BIRTHDAYS...........AUGUST 8th

BIRTHDAY DINNER AT OUR HOUSE

Happy Birthday, Natalie, Collin, Papa John & Savannah

(we wanted to include Savy someway)I made the cup cakes and Shannon frosted them for me

Paul & Rachel joined our celebration, Paul was here to get settled into school at the U. We loved including them in the festivities. They feel like a part of our family anyway. We barbecued hamburgers
It wouldn't be a party if we didn't have the birthday boy go through the spanking machine. Natalie and Grandpa opted out, wonder why?Collin got presents from his cousinsHe really wanted this book "Fire and Ice" so that's what he got from usI can't remember what this is or who gave it to Collin, but it sure was a hitGrandpa & Natalie got cards, no presents..........Sorry!