bff's

I love my friends, and I'm grateful for what my friends bring to my life. I am a person who needs to have friends in my life, and because of that, I have several 'best' friends. My husband isn't like me in that respect. He loves his friends, but he doesn't "need" friends like I do, so he doesn't have very many friends. Usually, my friends become his friends! He has one best friend, and it's the same best friend he had in high school.  Josh and his bff Ryan haven't lived by each other since their teenage years, but when Ryan married Josh's cousin Heidi, he became a relative in addition to being a best friend to him! It's great for Josh to go to family functions and get to hang out with his best friend at the same time!!! I think that Ryan had the right idea, and I've decided that the best way to keep a best friend in your life, is to marry a relative of theirs!!!

Last month, Ryan and Heidi came to Salmon for Grandma's funeral, and I thought about some of the times we've gotten together over the years. It's fun to look back and see how different these 2 men looked then, verses how they look today!

In 1999, at Jodi and Skott's wedding:

In 2000, at Ammon's baby blessing:

At Christmas 2001, before Pa-ah's funeral:

In May 2008, for Weaton's mission farewell:

And in June 2011, after Grandma's funeral:

Over the years, I think Ryan has lost a few pounds, and Josh has found a few...but somehow they've both gotten better looking with age (in my opinion, anyways)! When I first met Josh, he referred to Ryan as his "best man". I really appreciate Ryan's positive influence and good example in Josh's life, especially during their teenage years. Because of Ryan, I know that Josh is a better man today! If Josh only has one best friend in his lifetime, I'm glad that it's Ryan that fills that role because he's the best kind of friend to have.

Bucket List: Item #8

Today I had a picnic with my family in Logan. My parents, my siblings, my nieces and nephews, and my sons were all there. It was wonderful! We ate and played at the Willow Park, a park on the southwest side of Logan. I only remember being in that park vicinity once, and it was back in 1997.

In June of 1997, I had just graduated from high school and I was working for Mowin' Ranger. I got the job because my friend Angela's parents owned it, and I started as a janitor for the company. I was so happy to have a job, and I really liked it. One day, Angela took her mom and I for a drive in her Ford Mustang to see a classic car show at the fairgrounds in Logan (which is right by Willow Park).

Angela's second cousin, Josh, was also working for Mowin' Ranger at the time, and he wanted to go to the car show, too. Angela's dad let Josh borrow his street motorcycle to drive over, and we followed behind him in the Mustang. During that whole 30-minute car ride from Tremonton to Logan, I remember thinking how attractive Josh looked on a street bike, and I loved watching him ride.

Two months later, Josh and I started dating. Josh has never owned a street bike, but throughout our courtship and marriage, he's always owned at least one dirt bike. He loves to ride motorcycles, and I love watching him ride. But, still to this day, that first time I watched him ride on a street bike has never been duplicated. I really secretly desire for Josh to purchase a street motorcycle, and for us to take a trip together on it. I want to feel the motorcycle under me, have my arms wrapped around my husband, and watch the world go by as a biker babe. At least once!

My Bucket List item #8: Go on {at least} a day trip with Josh, riding together on a street bike.

Memorial and Burial

On Memorial Day this year, Josh and I took an evening drive to town. On the way, we stopped at the cemetary to put a few artificial flowers on his Uncle Mike's and Grandpa Tolman's (aka Pa-ah's) graves. We placed the flowers on the graves, spent several minutes pondering, and then we wandered around the cemetary for a bit. And while we were there, I had the distinct impression that this would be the last Memorial Day that Pa-ah's grave would be alone. I felt that we would be placing flowers on both Pa-ah's AND Grandma Tolman's graves next year. Nine days later, Grandma Tolman passed away.

Grandma has been lonely for Pa-ah since he passed away in December of 2000. A few years after he died, she became ill and could no longer live at home alone. She has been residing in Assisted Living Centers in Blackfoot and Pocatello for the past 7 years. She's had several health issues, including strokes, heart problems, and complications from Diabetes. But ultimately, in the end, she lost the desire to live. She just missed Pa-ah so much, and wanted to be free from the pains of this life. 

She was buried in a beautiful baby blue casket in the Salmon cemetary, right between the love of her life Rex and her son Michael.

Grandma T. was always so good to remember to send us cards and gifts of money on our birthdays. Sometimes when she accidentally forgot, she was reminded when Aunt Janet would read our blog to her if it was about a birthday, and she'd send off a card right then! She used to tell me that she loved hearing all about my "facebook" from Aunt Janet. Really, she meant my blog, but she never could separate the two from each other! We will miss Grandma!

Just Bounce, it'll be okay...

I'm in a bad mood today.

So, here's some photos that make me smile; they naturally cheer me up every time I look at them.

My boys just love their Uncle Malachi! They've had so much fun with him since he's returned from his mission. They are so happy whenever he's visiting home, because he plays video games with them, plays outside games with them, and jumps on the trampoline with them! And they love it!!!

Malachi can jump higher than the boys' heads! I love Jonah's face in this shot:

This one is my favorite photo in the series! I love the way Malachi jumps!

This photo makes me laugh because of Kanyon's weird position of jumping and landing on his head! That boy has such a tough head! 

Looking at these photos reminds me of simple summer joys...

And now I'm already feeling better!

riding with the daisy picker

For one week in June, we all had the desire to go bike-riding every day down the country lane that we live on. Our home is on a gravel road that connects to two asphalt roads, and you can make a complete loop around and back to our home again in just 4 miles. Ammon and Josh do it several times a summer, but the twins just did it for the first time this year! And as for me...well I always bring up the rear of the pack with whoever the slowest child is at the time, and this year it's Kanyon.

He likes to ride for a little while, and then stop to get off and pick any wildflower or weed flower he sees. And then we ride a little bit longer, and we stop for him to pick up a cool rock or a stick. And then we ride a little longer, and he stops to look at the clouds. etc etc etc. He rides in true "daisy picker" fashion! The boys made it all the way around the 4 mile loop the first time by the time Kanyon and I had only gone a mile and a half! But this is the first year that Kanyon has ridden his tricycle so far down the lane, and it's been a lot more enjoyable and relaxing (and less strenuous and exercise) to ride alongside him!

These are some photos from my cell phone of a few of our rides together:

The country lane is surrounded by hay fields and mountains. It's so beautiful!

This was the first time Kanyon made it to the end of the country lane where it intersects with another road. At that end of the lane, the speed limit is 25 MPH, but at the entrance to the lane that's closest to our house, the sign says 20 MPH. So apparently if you're headed south, you have to go 20 MPH, but if you're headed north, you can go 25 MPH!!!

Every time he picks a flower along the ride, he says "it's for you mom". So sweet!

Stanley and Sun Valley

In the middle of June, Ammon had a 2-day golf tournament in Ketchum, Idaho. Ketchum is almost 3 hours away from Salmon. Josh had to stay home to work, so I took the boys and we left really early in the morning on Wednesday June 15. The road follows the river for 2 hours, and we only had to make two puke stops along the way! When we got to Stanley, I dropped off the younger 3 boys at Josh's Aunt Janet's house and I drove Ammon to the golf course in Ketchum. He liked the 9-hole course; it's really long, and surrounded by homes and condos, and there's a lot of bunkers. But the coolest part was that their driving range is over a pond! The driving range balls are floater balls, and you hit the balls into the water! Neither of us had ever seen that before!

When he was done golfing at the end of day 1, and I was done scorekeeping for another group of boys, then I took Ammon to downtown Ketchum for lunch. Ketchum is part of Sun Valley, a resort spot in Idaho. It's very pretty and full of unique shops. It's fun to drive around and look at all the different things they have. We found this cool house made of sticks, and had to stop for a few photos! 

When we got back to Stanley, the younger boys had just gotten back from a hike with their cousins. Jonah, Micah, and Kanyon had so much fun playing with their cousins Orson, Sammy, and Bubba when Ammon and I were gone! They sure love going to Stanley!

I took the boys and Bubba to Redfish Lake that afternoon. When we first got there, the boys said they were freezing, because the wind was blowing, and they wanted to go back to their cousins' house.  

I told them we'd drive around the lake before we would head back, and along the drive we decided to stop on a different end of the lake. It was warmer on that side because the wind wasn't blowing as bad, and the boys all gave it a second chance, and they got out and played in the sand and water for a couple of hours.

They tried to dig trenches and holes in the sand near the water, and that kept them busy for a while.

Bubba and Ammon dug the deepest holes.

Since we didn't come prepared with beach toys, Kanyon used his croc to play with the sand!

Jonah and Micah made sand angels.

And Bubba was the only one brave enough to jump in from the dock and swim back to shore in the freezing water!!!



That night, we stayed in the hotel that Aunt Janet's family owns and runs, and the next day, I took Ammon back to the golf course for his 2nd day of the tournament. He played pretty good, but he didn't place. Then we drove back to Stanley, picked up the boys, and drove back to Salmon in time for the boys' last soccer game. And we made it without any puke stops that time! It was a short and nice vacation, and the boys all had a great time!

Sisters

A month ago, my 3 younger sisters came to visit us in Salmon. While they were here, we watched movies, went to the hot springs, played games, and ate together. (Thank you Trina for the photo!)

And those girls stayed up super late both nights and slept in very late both mornings. Ahhh, the life of the single ladies!

Having all my younger sisters in Salmon at the same time has only happened twice before now in the 10 years that we've lived here. I'm glad they came to visit us, and I'm glad they stayed more than just 2 hours (which is typical for my family), but it happened on a weekend that we weren't able to do many other fun activities together. Because of scheduling conflicts, Josh and Ammon were gone most of the weekend, so we didn't do anything we normally like to do when guests come, like: riding 4-wheelers, riding horses, going for a drive in the mountains, going golfing, or floating down the river. So, I'm hoping that someday they'll come again and we get to do some or all of those fun things together!

Thank you, sisters of mine, for taking the time to come visit us in Salmon! The boys liked being spoiled by you when you were here!

one year

On June 8 last year, we moved into our new home.

We've now lived here 12 months...

4 seasons...

1 year.

My five favorite things about this house:

1. A master bathroom. For the first time in our married life, we have two bathrooms and aren't sharing one with the kids. I always complained before because it got so dirty sharing the toilet and sink with the boys, but now the boys' bathroom gets cleaned more often than mine!!! I still love it, however, knowing that the only mess in the bathroom is mine and Josh's and not the kids'!

2. Having a Living Room AND a Family Room. Before, we only had just a living room, and the boys would always bring out their toys, and the main room of the house was always messy. But now, the boys play in the family room, and the living room is more of an adult space and thus, easier to clean!

3. A closet for everyone. Each of the 4 bedrooms has nice, large closets. And in our master bathroom, there are two walk-in closets: one for me and one for Josh. We've always had to share a closet, and put our extra clothing in one of the kids' closets before. Josh has the biggest closet, because he has more clothes than me, and for the first time in our marriage, now all of his clothes are contained in just one closet!

4. Having 2 seating areas in the kitchen. With the large bar counter in addition to the dining table, entertaining and feeding a lot of people is made so much easier! I just love the high counter!

5. A separate laundry room. Before this house, our laundry facilities have always either been in the bathroom or the kitchen. I love having all the lint and dust from the laundry machines contained in one space! Even though the laundry room is small, and I wish it were larger, I'm so grateful just to have a designated spot for it!

On the sidelines and In the game

This year's Soccer Season was 6 weeks long in May and June. This is the 3rd year we've participated. When the boys first started playing soccer 3 seasons ago, they didn't know anything about playing and I didn't know anything about soccer. That first year, Ammon and the twins played, Josh coached, and I was the chairperson in charge of organizing the entire thing. And we learned a lot that year: Josh doesn't like coaching toddlers and I don't like being in charge of something that I know nothing about. So, the second year, Josh and I didn't do a single thing to volunteer and instead we just enjoyed the view from the sidelines watching Ammon and the twins play. This year, everything was different: Ammon didn't play because he was already signed up for Golf, Jonah and Micah were in the U8 league for the first time, Kanyon was old enough to play for the first time, and I sort of signed up to coach. I knew that Kanyon would require extra attention, so I told the organizer that I could "help" coach; as in: "I could 'help' the coach". Of course, you know what that means...I was "THE" coach for his team. I didn't think it would be a big deal, I thought it would be just about telling 4 & 5 year olds to "RUN!" and "KICK!", which it was, but it turned out to be so much more than that... Let's just say I came home crying at least twice, and I had no idea what I was in for when I gold the organizer that I could "help". I'm sure you don't want all the details, but at the end of the season when the organizer asked me if I wanted to coach again next year, I wised up and said "I don't think so".

I missed half of Jonah and Micah's games because they were at the same time that I was coaching my team on a different field, but whenever I did watch them, I felt like their coach on the sidelines (sort of like a backseat driver). I was constantly yelling at them to "RUN!" and "KICK!" and I got all into it, which is so not like me when watching sports, mostly because I don't care about sports. But despite my yelling, the boys did great. The first several games, they both scored and were fantastic players. By the end of the season, the teams were more competitive and the playing became harder and more intense. And the ONE time that I took my video camera toward the end of the season to record them playing, they didn't score a single goal (not that they didn't try their hardest to). Jonah and Micah are both good players because they can both run and kick, and they like to win! It was fun to watch them!

 

Kanyon did well for his first year of playing. His team consisted of 2 older and fast 6-year-olds, and 4 young and inexperienced players. During his first game, he tripped and fell and was so upset that he didn't go back in the rest of that game and during the next week at home, he kept saying "I don't want to go back to soccer".  But, after a week, I made him go back, and he got over it, and he became a great player! He really liked playing and he wasn't afraid to go against the older kids to get the ball. He was happy to be a part of the team! And I loved watching his little legs go!

At the last game of the season, each of the players received a little soccer trophy, and they all loved it! My 3 boys all had a positive experience with soccer this year, despite playing in a lot of cold and rainy and windy weather! And most nights, I dreaded going so I prayed for lightning so that our games would be cancelled (which of course never happened). And most nights, I came home feeling happier because it was very rewarding to me, as their mother, to watch them play a sport that they enjoyed and were good at and had so much fun in!

Live & Love Live 365 (June)

Day 152: I read the book "Austenland" by Shannon Hale today and loved it! I haven't read a book in 6 months, and it felt so good to lay out on the grass and read while the boys were running and playing around me!

Day 153: I went to Kimi's house tonight, and her and Kerry and I watched "127 Hours" while laying on her bed. It was just like good ole times. And as always, I loved chatting and eating at the counter with them afterwards!!!

Day 154: Golfed with Josh tonight at Couples League. It's been almost a year since I golfed last, and I've definitely played better than my game tonight, but it was fun going on a date with Josh and relaxing in the beautiful weather we had this evening.

Day 155: The sunshine today was gorgeous and non-stop! The boys and I went walking and riding scooters around the park this morning, and I had a good time with them! This evening, I went to a baby shower and they had such delicious food and cute decorations, and I enjoyed chatting with other ladies there.

Day 156: It was the perfect summer Sunday! Josh bbq'd dinner on the grill, and we ate outside together, and then I read a book all afternoon sitting on the lawn while watching the boys play in the ditch and the trampoline and the dirt pile. It was such a peaceful afternoon!

Day 157: I finished reading the book "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" today, and as a result I was lazy all morning. It felt good to relax!

Day 158: I enjoyed watching Jonah and Micah and Kanyon all play the sport of soccer this evening. And at bedtime, I really liked listenining to Jonah and Micah as they each read a book.

Day 159: Tonight I watched a late movie with Kimi! I just love doing that!

Day 160: I watched "Go With It" tonight with Amanda, and we laughed and laughed. I just love Adam Sandler!

Day 161: My 3 younger sisters came to visit tonight, and it was fun hanging out with them.

Day 162: Josh and I went to the hot springs tonight with my sisters and my friends Amanda and Kimi. We had a relaxing soak! My body felt so good after!

Day 163: Kimi came over tonight and we ate rice. And I cried. But being with Kimi and eating the cheesy, creamy rice made me feel better.

Day 164: John called today, and it was so good to hear his voice! It made my day improve dramatically, knowing that he cared.

Day 165: The weather today was absolutely gorgeous! I loved the sun shining, especially while the boys played soccer this evening because they've had so many soccer days of playing in rain and wind!!!

Day 166: Josh texted me this morning and said he loved me, and it was a very meaningful way to start my long day.

Day 167: Amanda cut my hair today, and it felt so good! And then we talked, and I cried, and we ate, and I had the farts, and we laughed and ate some more! It was truly cleansing to my soul!

Day 168: Josh's Grandmother's funeral was today in Salmon. During the funeral, Josh played the piano while I sang a solo for the song "Where Love Is". It was really beautiful, and the spirit was felt so strongly during the song. It was wonderful to spend the afternoon and evening with extended family, and I enjoyed talking to family members at the burial, at the dinner, and at our home afterwards.

Day 169: Josh and I went to a reception tonight for a newly married couple from Salmon. They served cheesecake with choices of flavored toppings. I chose the rhubarb topping, and it was heavenly! I've never had cheesecake with rhubarb topping, and I absolutely loved it!!! I just love rhubarb anything!

Day 170: We went on a family bike ride this evening, and took advantage of the few hours of sunshine. It was wonderful! The twins went all the way around the 4-mile loop for their first time ever with Josh and Ammon and Grandpa, and I rode behind with Kanyon. He went 1.5 miles, and he'd never gone that far before either! It was so peaceful and nice!

Day 171: I loved spending the day with my boys today. This morning, I took the 3 younger boys to their first day of swimming lessons, and Kanyon was SO happy! This afternoon, I took them on a 3 mile bike ride, and Jonah and Micah were such good bike-riders! This evening, for FHE, we ate sherbet floats, and I cuddled up in my chair at bedtime and had a giant bowl of ice cream, it was so good!

Day 172: Took an evening walk with Josh tonight, and enjoyed the time alone with him exercising and enjoying God's country.

Day 173: I helped the boys complete art projects at "Art in the Park" today, and tonight we went on a bike ride together, stopping to throw rocks in the ditch along the way. It was another beautiful day, and I truly enjoyed spending time with my family!

Day 174: Soaked in the hot springs tonight with my friend Celyn, and as long as I was in the hot tub, the steam from the hot water really helped my terrible hay fever!

Day 175: The boys and I rearranged the dressers and TV's in their rooms today. I LOVE rearranging furniture, it really makes a room feel new!

Day 176: I rode our horses this afternoon with Josh. He has been teaching Mia how to be ridden, and he needed me to ride QT in front of her so that she could follow another horse. I haven't ridden a horse in several years, because I don't like it. But it was actually relaxing to go for a ride on our horses today with my handsome hubby.

Day 177: The afternoon was gorgeous, and after watching the boys play in the ditch and have water fights, we took a family 4-wheeler ride to visit the neighbors. Being on the 4-wheeler with my husband and watching the boys ride alongside us on their 4-wheelers was a very happy moment for me.

Day 178: I watched the movie "MegaMind" with the boys again tonight, and as soon as it was over, Josh came home from a meeting, and he started dancing to the Michael Jackson song that was playing at the end of it! It was so funny to watch him, and I laughed and laughed! It was definitely the highlight of my day!

Day 179: Watching a movie with Kimi in the afternoon and riding our horses again with Josh in the evening.

Day 180: Tonight we went out for dinner as a family, and we had giant, fresh pizza from the bakery! And then we came home and watched the movie "Secretariat" together in the living room. It was an enjoyable, peaceful, relaxing evening!

Day 181: Today was the 3 younger boys' last day of swimming lessons. I loved watching them all jump off the diving board at the end of lessons and seeing how happy that made them. Tonight, we went to an outdoor dinner with some Tolman cousins and their Hodges/Cockrell relations, and it was yummy and fun!