First Day of School 2011

Justin-First Grader

Emily-6th Grader-Middle School

This was the only shot Mitch was doing!

Mitch 9th Grade-Freshman at High School

Zack and Justin are just the best little friends. They have so much fun together. I am so grateful that they moved across the street with all their little kids. Justin so needs them!!

Best Buddies!!!

Off to another year of school! Where did the summer go? Now to go and catch up in my house!!!

Mitch and his bright pink cast!!

August 25 2011

I picked up Mitch from football practice after school on Tuesday. He said "Mommy, I am broken, kiss it, make it better!" I said "put some ice on it and you will be fine." Later that night he sends me a text while at a dinner. "Mom I think you better take me to the Dr."

The next couple hours turned out heartbreaking. Mitch broke the Scaphoid bone in his hand. It is a tiny little bone that can cause major problems if it doesn't heal. The blood supply is broken with a break. The bone can die. Then there can be loss of movement, arthritis and other problems. It got more and more bleak as the reality of what the Dr. was saying set in.

Mitch is out for the entire football season. He hadn't even played the first game.

I am so proud of Mitch. He has always loved football but this summer he worked harder than I have ever seen him work at anything in his life. He was winning sprints against the fast kids that are much smaller than him. Mitch needed a cattle prod to get him to move quickly! He was focused and determined.

His coaches noticed how hard he was working. They were thrilled he was on the team. Ten minutes before he got hurt the team voted him Team Captain.

That night was a very difficult one as the reality sunk in that he wouldn't be playing. As a mother I wish I could have taken it away from him.

The next morning when we saw the specialist it was confirmed-no football. Mitch decided to get a bright neon pink cast! Might as well have some fun in such a stinky situation!

6 weeks in this full arm cast and a possible 6 weeks in a half cast.

Pineview Reservoir Aug 20

Justin climbing the sand cliff at Pineview Reservoir.


Emily on the rope swing-she loves the water.

It is still so fun to watch this little man be so brave! It was not that long ago that he was terrified of even getting in the water! Now he is an old pro!

Mitch is getting so strong! He almost had the flip down!

After we played and played on the rope swing Em and Mitch both got on the board. Emily finally really got up and went quite far! Mitch met some of his friends-all girls - and had to show them how wake boarding really looks! After that he went with them on their boat and had a ball--one boy with four cute girls!!

Last Summer Fling! Classic Water Slides

Such silly boys!



This was the best I got!!!

Justin found this little puddle of sun-warmed water. It was sweet to watch him just sit there and get warm. He is still such a sweet little guy-with big kid attitude!

Zack wasn't far behind Justin --they are always so silly together!

Emily and Kaitlyn

They came down the slide and went right up again-over and over and over!

Definitely a super way to end summer vacation!!

Dixie State College August 16

Leaving Ashley at  College.  How did this happen?  It doesn't seem like it could possibly have been long enough since we brought here home from the hospital!  Then again, it totally feels like it is time for her to spread her wings.
There were a couple tiny tears as we pulled away and left her.  Strange to think that our baby is eighteen and far away at college!

Justin and Ashley have always had a very special relationship.  He wanted to come with us to say goodbye.  It was hard for him.

We brought Ashley's car in the trailer.  She didn't want anyone to see it being taken out of the trailer, that was "so embarassing."  So we pulled it out in a church parking lot a few blocks away!

Willard Bay with Spencer's Aug 13

Justin (6)

Carson(9)

We had a small family reunion this year. It was loads of fun! Sydni and family all met at Willard Bay and we spent the entire day on the water!

This is the very first time Justin has ever gotten in a tube by himself!


I didn't get many pictures-just one of those days!

Roses 25th Class Reunion August 6

I attended my 25th High School reunion! It was a strange experience this time. It was a much smaller group than reunions past. Quite a few of my closest friends did not attend.
While I was visiting with classmates I had a very strange realization. It felt a bit like the twilight zone. I knew that I knew these people but in reality I don't have any idea who they really are or who they have really become. I don't know the struggles they've had or the success they have experienced. In truth we are strangers.
I felt a strange hollowness when I left the reunion. I am not sure if is because I don't know who they are or because I want to know them. My class was fairly small to start with. Just over a hundred total. Strange how those first years of life stay with us- almost haunting us for the rest of our lives.

Pineview Reservoir August 4

Cousin Dan came into town for a couple of days-we rarely get to see him. We decided to head out to the lake for some summer fun. Cousin Jess came along-which seemed like old times. She used to always be with us, everywhere we went!



Mitch is a crazy daredevil! He went from one tube all the way across to the other tubes!

Ashley and Jessica used to be inseparable. Time moved so quickly!

Dan, Ashley and Justin-just chillin'!!

Mitch, Jess and Ashley

Summer Fun at the river in St. Anthony

Summer in St. Anthony!

Summer never quite seems complete if we don't get to spend some time at the river. My childhood home is about two blocks from the river. There is a community area called the "sandbar". It has been there for probably about fifty years. I have been going there every summer of my life. Now my children have been going their entire lives!

They city brings in the finest, softest sand from out to the Sand Dunes. It is the best sand in the world. I have been to many beaches around the world and this sand is some of the best!! The kids roll around in the sand to get warm(that Snake River is always cold) and then run and splash to wash it off again!

My cousin Rick bought his dad's house on the river some years back. It has also become somewhere that represents summer. It is just two houses down from the Sand bar. The kids talk about Ricks place all winter long! Emily and Mitch love to use the swing. Justin isn't quite that brave yet. We seem to have more family reunion experiences here on the river in July than any other time of the year!! My Uncle Merrill now lives right next to the sandbar,so Kassie, my cousin and her kids love the river as much as I do-perhaps even more, where they have lived right at the river! We always have so much fun when we are all there together.

Summer=Sand, Water, Family and Fun!!!

Flaming Gorge July 30th

We went to Flaming Gorge for a fast trip. We met the Peterson's there and had a ball with their kids. We took Parker Lucas with us and it was fun to see these teenage boys be so wild and crazy!

Mitch is always game to jump off the cliff!

There is a rope swing and then the cliff ABOVE the rope swing. Emily has been too nervous to try these-until this trip! The cliff jump is a scary trip-once you start climbing there you are committed, there is no going back! I was so proud of Mitch for helping Emily climb through the shoot. He stayed right there with her the entire way. As much as they bicker it did this Momma good to know that on occasion they can be concerned and helpful to each other!

Emily did the jump! Way to go!!!

Em going off the rope swing.

We really enjoyed having Parker go with us. We decided that we are going to need to invite other teenage boys from now on so that Mitch has someone to really have fun with.

This was a quick trip but it was super fun!!