Wind sometimes = FUN!

FINALLY!!  A windy day to take out the great kite that Grandma Nichols brought for us!  We've been waiting FOR-EV-ER (per Maggie).

First, we better walk the dog or....get walked by the dog.

And check out the playground.

Ahh...there it is!

This is what happened to me every time I tried to fly the kite.  I started feeling a lot like Charlie Brown.

How glorious it is to share!

She's Got Skills

We taught Emma to ride her bike with 2 wheels last night (she's still 3).  Here's are some fun clips, which I'm too lazy to make into a movie right now, of her learning.  Seriously, the girl is hilarious, so if you have time, you should watch them all.

This was success right before....

Little Miss Food Creator

This is actually back in May, but I found it and thought it was funny.  Maggie had decided she would make "dinner" and here's what she gathered to make it:  chicken, corn, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, beans, goldfish, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, and raisins.  She did in fact make this creation and ATE IT!! lol!  I did taste it, kinda, to be polite of course.

I Don't...

No, I don't have anything on my face.

A Relaxing Retreat

We took Israel's Mom and niece, Cheyenne, and our friends the Hendricks up to the cabin last weekend.  It was great!  So much more relaxing than camping in the dirt, which I still enjoy mind you, it's just not nearly as fun as it used to be.  Anyway, I'm so glad everyone could come with us!!

I think one of the funniest parts of the trip was the first day we decided to do a hike.  It was warming up when we got to the cabin, so I lathered everyone with sunblock.  We approach the trail head and it is pouring down rain.  No one had a coat, but we sure weren't getting sunburned. LOL!  So we barely made it to the registration box, ate some trail mix and shivered all the way back to the hot tub at the cabin, which was of course, in the beautiful sunshine. :)

Emma headed to the little waterfall.

Nichols & Hendricks - Valerie was behind the camera and Carol was up on the trail.

Valerie and me.

View from the porch swing.  One of my favorite spots.

A few games of pool and some seriously fun times on the Wii (while the kids were in bed, hehehe).

A hike right on the cabin's mountainside the next morning.

Oh, Maggie, Maggie, Maggie.....

What a treat!  We found a salamander.  Well, the kiddos did anyway.

Group pictures are so hard to orchestrate.

She's ready for anything!!

Emma was banging these two sticks together as we walked through the trail.  It reminded me of a great movie.  Can anyone guess which one?

An Osprey nest

A beautiful flutterby, I mean, butterfly.

The was the best!  All three sharing a bag of Doritos AND a swing, with NO crying, whining or complaining.  It was beautiful, truly beautiful...

I don't know if I'll be able to top this summer.

This here couple is my friend, Juleen, and her husband, Daryl.  She NEVER gets to surprise him..about anything...ever...until today.....

He had no idea what he was in for today.

Daryl has wanted to learn to fly for years, but has never had the opportunity.  Enter my husband, flight instructor extraordinaire, and we've got a surprise of a lifetime. :)

Add a couple of hot chicks and we've got ourselves a sweet little date night. hehe

We started our flight to West Yellowstone in great weather.  We did endure some amateur flight student turbulence, but honestly he did a good job.

We'd planned on getting a taxi, but the courtesy bikes from the airport was a MUCH better plan!!  It was only about 2 miles into town.

Checking out the shops, looking like Daniel Boone, Davy Crocket or Billy Ray Cyrus...I can't tell.  :)

A bunch of rocks we could have bought for our kids and didn't.  ($5 a teeny, tiny bag?  nah!)

 Next we went to a WAY overpriced BBQ restaurant (much like all the restaurants in these little tourist traps) and had tickets for The Playmill!  We saw "The Foreigner" , which was amazing, of course.  I haven't laughed that hard in a really long time. 

Here we are trying to get out there fast, since the weather had changed for the not quite the best.  Gratefully, all the yucky stuff was headed in the opposite direction from home.

Juleen and I were roommates in college!  I love how I've been blessed to continue to have these wonderful women in my life!

What a bumpy ride home!  I was so happy that Iz took the yoke this time around.  We were bouncing everywhere from these thunder-bumpers, but I know he's a great pilot so I wasn't even nervous, just needed a hand hold every now and again so I wouldn't squish Juleen.  I tried to get a shot of the lightening, but it was too bumpy to time it right.

Ahhh...my favorite, straight and level flight with a beautiful sunset.

And home again.  I think I need a nicer camera to get any real decent shots at night.  It was such a great day/night though.  I truly feel like I've been so blessed/spoiled this summer.  We've done so much that we've never had the opportunity to enjoy before and it's been absolutely wonderful!  Israel's mom helped make this happen too by staying with the girls.  They had a wonderful time rock hunting, painting their new pet rocks, making beautiful egg crate flowers, eating pizza and watching movies and let's not forget story time.  It's true....I have a good life.