Jumping for Joy and Sleepover in Salmon

When my dad came up to hike Mt. Borah, him and my mom brought two of their grandkids with them to Salmon: Quinn and Aspen. We've NEVER had any cousins from the Perkins side ever stay over night with us in Salmon, so the boys were SOOOO excited to have their cousins come and stay with us!

They stayed two nights at our house, and on the second night, the kids insisted on putting up a tent to sleep in. It kept raining off and on during the day, and I thought they would be too cold, so I kept resisting their pleas. Finally, after they begged and pleaded, I told them if they wanted to sleep in a freezing tent that badly, they could put it up themselves. And they did!!!

As soon as it was up, they immediately brought out sleeping bags and pillows and blankets and filled the tent up! I had concerns about how 6 kids were gonna sleep in that small of a tent, but they were determined, so I didn't mention it!

Whenever it was good enough weather outside for those 2 days, the kids played outdoors. They spent a lot of time jumping on the tramp. Quinn doesn't have a trampoline, so he especially enjoyed jumping on it!

On Monday night, their last night here, we had Family Home Evening. We read a story and played some games and had a skittles guessing contest for dessert. I love the game "Pictureka" because a lot of people can play it at one time, and it keeps everyone's attention, too.

They ended up not sleeping in the tent that they put up because a big storm came in and it rained and thundered that evening and night. So, the kids all brought their pillows and sleeping bags and blankets inside, and they had a sleepover in the living room instead. They watched "Despicable Me" as they fell asleep.

Early the next morning, my mom and dad got the kids up and they took Quinn and Aspen and left. I had such a great time with members of my family here! It was such a delight for me to have my boys playing with their cousins at our house! I can't explain just how much I enjoyed it! And I know the boys did, too! They were bored after their cousins left--life just didn't seem as fun the rest of the day with them gone!

Borah, Borah

Mt. Borah is the highest peak in Idaho. In August of 2008, Josh climbed it for the first time with a group of young men and their leaders. The only photos we have of that excursion were taken with his cell phone at the top of the mountain:

On that trip that he went on, he hiked alongside our friend Jason, who'd also never hiked Mt. Borah before. As they climbed up, when they got to one fork in the trail, they took the wrong one, which ended up taking them over a perilous part of Chicken-Out Ridge. It was very scary for both of them, but thankfully they both made it to the top and back down safely! Josh has wanted to go back ever since that first trip, because he wanted to take the right trail over Chicken-Out Ridge now that he knew which trail it was! Well, he finally got his opportunity!

My dad has been talking to us about climbing Mt. Borah the past few years--he said he's wanted to do it for 50 years! We finally set a date when my dad and Josh could both do it, on a Monday in early August. Josh got a few more people involved: his brother Malachi, the Forsgren cousins, and he convinced two of our boys to go, too.

My dad and mom came to Salmon the night before, and at 4:30 the next morning, the boys got up and left. Josh drove dad, Malachi, Ammon, and Micah, and they met up with the Forsgren's in Challis, which is halfway there. It's a 2-hour drive from Salmon to Mt. Borah, and they arrived just as the first rays of sun were lighting up the sky.

Ammon climbed up with Mikey, Weaton, Malachi, and the Forsgren's female friend.

Josh climbed up with Micah and my dad for a while. After my dad began going at a much slower pace, Josh and Micah climbed up together and my dad climbed alone.

The larger group was way ahead of the rest, and they climbed all the way to the top!

There was still some snow towards the top!

 Weaton took a photo of them scaling Chicken-Out Ridge:

At the top!!! It was such a beautiful day!

Josh could see Ammon and Malachi and the Forsgren boys after they got to the top from where he was on the hike. This is a photo of his view--you can see a few little specks at the top of them!

Josh and Micah and my dad didn't make it to the top, although Josh and Micah were close. This photo is the farthest point that Josh and Micah got to. The snow was pretty deep, and they had to go around a steep ridge, and Micah became terrified and didn't want to go any further:

 As Micah and Josh headed back down the mountain, they met up with my dad, who'd made it to the Ridge.

 Everyone met up at the bottom of the trail that afternoon:

They had a great time! And even though everyone's feet and muscles hurt when they got home, they were all glad that they went!

sleeping separately

Ever since we brought Jonah and Micah home from the hospital, they've slept in the same bed together.

They shared one crib as babies...

(This is the first day they came home from the hospital, when they were 2 months old)

 (They were 9 months old in this photo)

After they kept escaping from their crib, they shared one toddler bed--which was actually the crib mattress on the floor in the crib surrounded by boards and walls so they couldn't get out...

(These photos were taken during naptime when they were almost 2 years old)

After they kept escaping from their toddler bed set-up, we moved them to a twin bed that was the bottom bunk and Ammon slept on the top bunk...

(This photo was when the twins still slept on the floor in the crib, and Ammon slept on the bottom bunk in another room, but they liked to climb to the top bunk to play)

(This photo was in 2008 when all 4 boys shared one bedroom: Kanyon in the toddler bed, Ammon in the top bunk, and the twins in the bottom bunk. It was a tight fit in their room at that time!)

When they got too big to sleep on the same twin bed together, we got a new bunk bed that had a double mattress on the bottom and a twin on the top, and they continued to sleep together on the bottom and Ammon slept on the top...

(This photo was taken in 2009 when they were 5 1/2 and they shared a room with just Ammon)

When we moved into our new home, and changed sleeping arrangements again, they slept together in just a double bed in their room alone. We put the older twin-size bunk beds in Kanyon's room and he slept in the bottom bunk, and Ammon got a new bunk bed in his room and he sleeps on the bottom bunk, too...

(Some of the boys' cousins and friends were playing in Jonah and Micah's room the day I took this photo)

But this past spring, Kanyon began having problems sleeping in his bed. He was always rolling off onto the floor, and he would sleep the rest of the night on the couch. And then this summer, he wasn't even sleeping in his bed anymore, he was just sleeping on the couch. I knew we needed to change things.

Jonah and Micah are turning 8 this month, and we figured that now that we have the space, they really are old enough to be sleeping apart. So, we took the twin bunkbeds out of Kanyon's room and converted them into two side-by-side beds and put them in Jonah and Micah's room. Then we took the double bed out of the twins' room and put into Kanyon's room.

(Kanyon's room before)

 (Kanyon's room now)

Now Kanyon is sleeping MUCH better in his new double bed, and Jonah and Micah are sleeping separately for the first time since they were in the hospital! It's been a month since we made the switch, and there's only been two or three nights when the twins have still ended up sleeping in the same bed together; for the most part they like their new separate beds, too!

(Jonah and Micah asleep in their new separate beds at age 7)

Camp Unlucky

The first camping trip as a family we had this summer was on the first day of August. We went to Williams Lake, which is a mere 10 miles from our house. We left on Monday afternoon, and we planned on returning Tuesday late afternoon. We thought since it was a weekday nobody would be there and we'd have the campground to ourselves. When we arrived, it appeared that we did have it to ourselves, and we were glad! But, after we set up camp in our favorite spot, we realized we weren't alone: there was a Young Women's camp on the other end of the campground. Since our camp spot was the closest one to the bathroom, we constantly saw all the young women and their leaders walking past to go to use the facilities!

I was so happy to finally be camping! I'd craved it all summer long! I'd brought along a book to start, and so did Josh. We both like sitting and reading and doing a whole lot of nothing when we go camping! I began reading "The Kite Runner" and he started "Lonesome Dove". The boys brought their bikes, and they rode around the campground on them, and they hiked all over the surrounding rocks, too.

I was banking on it being a very relaxing camping trip, but it ended up not turning out the way I had planned. Last August when we went camping there at the exact same place, Ammon had just cut his fingers in the lawnmower the day before, and while we were there, the boys smashed Kanyon's finger and his entire fingernail fell off. There were lots of tears last year...

Well, within minutes of setting up camp this year, and Josh and I sitting down to read a book, Kanyon crashed on his bike. He'd scabbed his face the previous day in a scooter accident, and when he crashed his bike, his face hit the ground, and his wounds bled all over again.

We cleaned up the bloody wounds, and he sat by Josh for a while (in a safe place) as the other boys continued riding their bikes.

I made Tin Foil dinners with carrots, potatoes, and onions from our garden and added some hamburger. Josh cooked them over the coals, and they were SOOO delicious!

Then the boys experimented with combining hiking in the rocks with riding their bikes: they took their bikes up on the rocks, and tried driving them down the hillside!

It didn't work out as well as they expected, and they stopped doing it--because dragging those heavy bikes up the hillside just wasn't worth the result! So, the boys all decided to act silly instead! I just love these funny photos:

It started cooling down, so Josh made us a fire while the boys rode around some more on their bikes. And that's when accident number 2 happened: Micah fell while riding his bike and hurt his knee.

We sat around the warm campfire, and gave the bikes a rest for a while. Then Josh's parents and brother Malachi drove up to visit. They brought us cupcakes, and the boys played night games with Malachi until it was time for bed.

The next morning, we got up and had breakfast, and we were planning on going to the lake mid-morning. But, unfortunately, we never made it. Accident #3 happened not too long after breakfast. Ammon crashed on his bike, and part of his skin ripped open, and it was wide enough that we knew he needed to see a doctor. So, we packed up camp in a jiffy, drove down off the mountain, and as soon as we made it to cell service, I called and made an appointment for him. His wound was glued shut a couple hours later.

We didn't even make it a full 24 hours on our first camping trip! I was disappointed about that. But I was still glad that we'd made the time to go camping together, regardless of what the outcome was! Next time we go camping there, we will be prepared with a team of doctors!!! ;)

Adios, Summer of 2011!

Now that Labor Day has happened, summer of 2011 is officially over. I'm rather sad about summer ending this year. Now that I work for the school, I wanted to treasure every summer moment, and I wanted it to last forever! But, alas, the kids are back to school now and so am I, and my favorite season is upon us: fall!!! So before I can fully welcome the fall, I want to bid farewell to this past summer with my Top Ten list:

1. Vacation for a week with the Perkins' in Utah.
It turned out to be a 10-day vacation instead, and it was our big trip of the summer! We saw lots of family, and visited lots of attractions, and we were happy to go, and worn out by the time we got home!

2. Celebrate July 4th with the Tolman's in Salmon.
We did all the things we like to do over the 4th with family: go to the parade, watch fireworks, eat BBQ dinners outside, play in the yard with cousins, and go to the demolition derby.

3. Attend the Tolman Reunion in Raft River.
We had such a grand time at this 1-day reunion on the waterslides, and with the candy cannon, and eating dinner, and spending time with extended family!

4. Watch Jonah, Micah, and Kanyon participate in swimming lessons.
The boys each did so well during their swimming lessons this year. Even though none of them passed off all the goals in the levels they were learning, I was so proud of them for trying their best!

5. Take Ammon to compete in Jr. Golf tournaments.
In June and July, Ammon competed in 4 tournaments at different golf courses in Idaho. At the first tournament, he tied for 4th with a score of 54. At the last tournament, he tied for 2nd with a score of 49!! He really improved his game! Great job, Ammon!

6. Float the Salmon River.
This was on my bucket list, and I gifted it to myself for my birthday in August. I reserved spots for Josh and I, and friends Amanda and John to go on a day-rafting trip down the Salmon. It was one of the highlights of my summer! I absolutely loved it and now I want to go again and again!

7. Go camping at least 3 times.
We managed to complete this task by going camping twice in August and once over Labor Day. I'm glad we squeezed it all in! We love going camping! Especially since we live in such beautiful country that we don't have to go far to do it!

8. Host a barbecue with friends.
After the deck was built in July, we had two barbecues: one for my Sunday School class and their families and over 30 people were there and one for Kathy's birthday on September 2 and we had just over a dozen people present. Both barbecues were nice, and I enjoyed having people over at my house spending time in the outdoors!

9. Play in the ditch.
Throughout the summer, the boys played in the ditch in our backyard with their friends and cousins. This is one of their favorite activities in the summer! Sadly, though, I only took ONE photo of it this year!

10. Relax outside and enjoy the sunshine!
This is usually one of my favorite parts about summer, and I spend a lot of time just laying on the grass in the sun. But for some reason, I didn't do a lot of it this year. I only really remember doing it 3 or 4 times. The first time was my favorite--when we were visiting Redfish Lake in Stanley in June and I layed in the sun for over an hour while the kids played in the water and sand!

Live & Love Life 365 (August)

Day 213: We went camping today for the first time this summer! We went to Williams Lake, and I loved relaxing and reading while the boys climbed rocks and rode bikes.

Day 214: I finished reading the book "The Kite Runner". It was a difficult story to read, and I didn't like it the first half, but I couldn't put it down during the second half. This afternoon, I rearranged the twins' room and Kanyon's room. Jonah and Micah were great and helped me a lot. For the first time since we brought them home from the hospital, Jonah and Micah are now sleeping in separate beds! And Kanyon is sleeping in the double bed now since he hasn't slept in the bunkbeds for months because he didn't like it. I just love the look of rearranged rooms! It's like being in new spaces and it feels so clean!

Day 215: Josh and I went for a walk tonight down to the river and back, and on the way we found an apricot tree growing in the wild. We came home and got a bucket and filled it up with apricots! I was so excited! I tried to make cherry pie filling today, but the cherries growing on our trees are filled with teeny tiny white worms, so I couldn't do anything with the cherries and I felt so disappointed. But discovering the apricots and picking them felt so redeeming and I'm excited to make something new with them!

Day 216: Made a batch of apricot preserves! I've never attempted preserving apricots before, and it was a long process. The apricots were so small, and I had to pit and peel them all. It took me over 2 and a half hours and my fingers turned orange, but the end process smells and looks delicious and I can't wait to eat it! Tonight I went to Amanda's and we watched "Soul Surfer" and ate spinach pizza. I had such a good time! I really enjoyed the movie, the food was delicious, and the conversation was just what I needed!

Day 217: Went golfing with Josh to couples league tonight. It was the worst we've golfed together all year, but I still had a good time! Afterwards, we rented "the Adjustment Bureau". It was a great movie, and so thought-provoking!

Day 218: Got so much work done in the yard today, and it felt great to be outdoors working! We weeded the pumpkin patch, took a load of schtuff to the dump, picked rock in the area next to the deck, unloaded the rocks in front of John's house, and put new stepping stones by the driveway leading to the back door. We went swimming this afternoon as a family, too, which was super fun, but unfortunately after a half hour, we had to get out due to lightning. But we are looking forward to going again once more before summer ends!

Day 219: Worked on cleaning the house all afternoon, and it feels great to be clean! My parents came for a visit this evening, and they brought my neice Aspen and my nephew Quinn with them. The kids played together so well all evening, and I enjoyed watching them interact with each other!

Day 220: It was so wonderful to have the boys' cousins here to play today! They jumped on the trampoline, played with remote control trucks, rode bikes, played nintendos, and set up a tent together on their own! They wanted to sleep in it, too, but the weather didn't work out and they slept on the floor together in the living room watching a movie instead. I loved having Quinn and Aspen here for the boys to play together with!

Day 221: I took the younger 3 boys swimming this afternoon while Ammon golfed 9 holes. I love swimming, and we had such a fun time with each other! The water was warm, the weather was perfect, and I absolutely loved it!

Day 222: All the boys had dental appointments in Idaho Falls today, and I took them by myself. I was so proud of myself for my time management skills in getting all 4 appointments done, at 3 different places within 2 hours, as well as shopping at 4 stores for school and home supplies, getting gas and food, and still making it back home by 5:30 in order to make it to the golf course meeting at 6:00!!!

Day 223: Amanda colored and cut my hair tonight, and then she gave me a pedicure. It felt wonderful to have my feet massaged! And I haven't had it colored in a long time--it looks great! I enjoyed the 3-hour time alone with her while she worked her wonders! And she did it all as a birthday gift to me! It was such a wonderful treat, and I appreciated it immensely! I'm so lucky that she's my friend!

Day 224: We went camping tonight to Bayhorse Lake. We've never been here before...but I really like the remoteness and the quiet and peacefulness!

Day 225: We took a little excursion to the old town of Bayhorse, and I really liked reading about all the old buildings and imagining what life would've been like there over 100 years ago.

Day 226: We took a hike this morning from our campground to the little Bayhorse Lake and did some fishing. It was nice to exercise, and it was lovely to be practically the only ones on the lake. It was beautiful and calming! Today was my birthday, and after we got home from camping, Amanda surprised me with my favorite meal! It was a true delight, and I'm so grateful for her! She made ham, potatoes au gratin, corn on the cob, rolls, and strawberry rhubarb pie! We had John over for dinner too, and everyone gave me a gift after dinner. It was such a lovely birthday dinner party tonight!

Day 227: I booked a float for today for a birthday gift to myself. Josh, John, and Amanda came, too. It was the first time I'd rafted and I absolutely loved it! I had such an enjoyable time on the water, and we laughed so hard! I loved today, just loved it!

Day 228: Kissing Josh this afternoon was the highlight of my day! And tonight, he planted his birthday gift for me: a flowering plum tree. We cut down the Box Elder tree that was beginning to bend towards the house, and we planted the new tree in its place. It was a lovely gift, and it makes me happy to see the new colorful tree in the yard that doesn't block the view from the deck like the old tree did.

Day 229: I took the boys swimming this afternoon while Ammon and Josh golfed. I was having a bad day--everything was annoying me, and I felt better after relaxing in the water for a couple of hours!

Day 230: I finished working on an outdoor beautification project on the north side of the house, and I love the way it looks! We've picked rocks, Josh planted bushes, I put a rock border around it, the twins helped me fill it with bark, and then tonight I got gravel and filled the space between the flower bed and the driveway. It was satisfying to work on it and it felt good to create the beautiful outdoor space!

Day 231: Went golfing with Josh tonight--the last night of couple's league this year. We played horribly, but I had a nice time with him. My dad came while we were golfing, and when we got home, he ordered pizza and we ate it together before the boys went to bed. It was a nice night!

Day 232: Went to Idaho Falls today with Josh to the temple with his siblings. It was so peaceful to be in the temple with him and his siblings, and we got some shopping done, too. It was awesome to spend the day alone with my husband and I was so grateful that my friend Ashley watched my boys so that we could go!

Day 233: Taught about the "final judgment" in Sunday School today and I was able to make it through all of the lesson, so I was quite pleased about it. We went on a picnic to Cougar Point after church, and I relaxed while the boys all hiked with dad, grandpa, and Uncle Tim. I canned applesauce all by myself for the first time ever this evening. It started out rough, but I got the hang of it by the 3rd batch, and I was so proud of myself! I love looking at the newly canned bottles; I think they're so gratifyingly beautiful! Tonight, John and I went to Amanda's house to greet her after her weekend trip to Boise, and we ate ice cream and laughed together for a couple of hours; it was so therapeutic!

Day 234: I hosted a BBQ tonight for everyone in my Sunday School Class and their families this evening. I anticipated about 40 people attending, and we had 33 come! It was the biggest BBQ I've ever hosted. I prepared all day for it, and by the time all my preparations were done, I still had 15 minutes to spare before it began, so I was very relaxed and happy during the BBQ. It turned out very nice, and I had a good time chatting and eating good food on our new deck!

Day 235: Amanda came over tonight. We sat on the bridge for a while with our feet in the water, watching the boys play in the ditch. Then we moved to the deck, and ate some Pumpkin Bars I'd made from last year's pumpkin patch. It was a relaxing evening and I enjoyed it so much!

Day 236: I went over to Amanda's tonight to get a coupon, and ended up staying for hours. We laughed and talked and laughed some more. I love laughing with Amanda!

Day 237: We drove to Idaho Falls today for Kanyon's and Micah's dental appointments. They both did well, and then we went to the Museum of Idaho's "Bodies" exhibit this afternoon. It was so fascinating, and I loved learning more about the human body! I was so glad that Josh could come with me today, and he was so sweet to me! On the drive home, I had to make a pit stop and he was more than accommodating. I just love that man!

Day 238: I canned applesauce all afternoon, and felt productive. Tonight, Josh and I went with Amanda to the hot springs. We were the only ones there, and it was so peaceful and relaxing soaking for an hour.

Day 239: I canned applesauce all afternoon and night, and it feels like I'm finally getting somewhere!

Day 240: I taught about the Post-Mortal Spirit World in Sunday School today, and I enjoyed the discussions we had as a class about the spirit world. Amanda came over after church, and we ate dinner together. She made yummy roast beef and homemade gravy, and I made home-grown mashed potatoes and biscuits. It was a yummy meal! Then I canned applesauce again all afternoon, and finally finished! I did a total of 60 jars of it this week, and I am so proud of myself!

Day 241: Between school orientations and working at the school all day in between, it was a very long day! But the best part was tonight, when Josh gave me a blessing and loved on me because I am SO nervous and anxious about starting to teach school again tomorrow!

Day 242: I enjoyed all my classes today, and we had fun in each one! It was a relief to have the first day of school go so well! And I came home exhausted! Josh made dinner and took Ammon to football, so I took a mini nap, and felt so rejuvenated! I sure love my husband!

Day 243: Josh and I both went to Ammon's football practice tonight and we took all the boys with us. Josh and I sat/layed on the grass, and the boys played with friends, and it was very relaxing!

swim & splash, sand & sun

Day 10 was the final day of our vacation to Utah, and most of the day was actually spent in Idaho. In the morning, we packed everything of ours out of Grandma's house and into our car. Then we drove to Logan to meet up with Mick's family before heading over the hill to Bear Lake. We starting going to Bear Lake with Mick's family several years ago, and it's like a summer tradition now! We drove to North Beach on the Idaho side, and arrived there about lunch time. We ate a picnic on the beach provided by Mick and Jen. There wasn't a lot of beach area because the lake was so high this year, but the water sure was beautiful! And as soon as lunch was over, everyone headed for a swim in it.

It was a gorgeous and hot day. The water was the perfect temperature! After a while swimming in it, the kids started taking breaks to sun-dry on the beach...

...and play in the hot sand.

I love watching the boys play with their cousins! It doesn't happen often enough, but it makes me happy to see them play so well together! 

After an hour, Aunt Tawna had to leave. And after about two hours, Mick and Jen and the girl cousins had to leave, too.

And after the Perkins' all left, there were no sand/beach toys or cousins left to play with. My boys just layed there saying how "bored" they were!

So I made up an imagination game for all of us to play in the water, and we swam for almost two more hours before leaving about dinner time. I asked the boys how they rated Bear Lake, and this is what they did:

Then we dried off, changed our clothes, and headed for home. We stopped in Montpelier for food and gas, and it was the longest pit stop ever. I took the boys through the drive-thru at Taco Time and ordered burritos and drinks for everyone. Then I drove down the block to get gas. Ammon said he was sick and had to go to the bathroom, and as he was getting out of the car, his large pop got stepped on and spilled all over the car. So, I cleaned it all up, got gas, took the boys individually to the bathroom, and Ammon was STILL in the bathroom. We had already been at the gas station for over 20 minutes! I thought he was puking or pooping, but he said nothing was happening and that his tummy still really hurt. I had no choice but to force him back to the car; I wanted to get home already!!! After he came to the car, he ate his burrito as I was driving and then he said he started to feel better. Apparently they were just HUNGER PAINS!!! Aaarrggghhh.

The drive home lasted forever, the boys fought in the backseat, I was irritated, and I was so tired of travelling. Unfortunately, the kids didn't even fall asleep until about 10:00, and didn't get home until after 11:00. I was exhausted! I carried the kids to bed, got all our wet things out of the car and started a load of laundry, put all the food away, and went to bed around midnight. I was so happy that vacation was over and that I got to sleep in my own bed again!