Summer fun . . .

Aren't siblings great . . .

Kids enjoying the day and taking a break from boating.

Lou and Ryan.

Hannah and Gus.

The happiest Dad.

A Family Trip . . .

Our kids walking off into their future . . .

Well, our babies are growing up, heck they're hardly kids anymore, more like young adults every day. It is so much fun to watch them in this final stage of their childhood.

We feel really lucky to be here in this time of their lives, babyhood was special and they were such fun as children; but this final stage where they're figuring out who they are, asking important questions, and gearing up to make choices that will affect their lives . . . this is really cool.

We took them on their first trip to look at colleges this week, and watched them grow up another whole step right before our eyes. They were a little confused and overwhelmed at the first college, getting it figured out by the second one, and pushed their way to the front of a large group during the third tour . . . lol, they're gonna' make it just fine.

Our tentative plan is to look at Idaho colleges this month, Oregon Colleges next month and then maybe California colleges in August.

Here are some pictures from this first trip . . .

Checkin' out the dorms . . .

On tour with an English Professor.

Meeting with the Art Professor . . .

Filling out paperwork . . .


A very proud Dad!!!

Gus's First Job . . .

Mark and Gus (in work uniform)


Well, I spent quite a bit of time driving Gus to pick up and drop off job applications this winter. I thought it was rather futile as he isn't even 16 until July, but he was persistent. He got over the initial fears, learned his social security number, found his birth certificate and practiced writing legibly. I was getting a little worried that he would get discouraged as jobs are few this year - even McDonald's was staffed almost entirely by adults. But then we hit on Roaring Springs! He made it through the cattle call, the interview, the call back, orientation, training, and on to the first day of work at his first job. Mark and I are very proud of him, he has to get up at 6 am to be there on time and we haven't had to wake him up once. He's a very conscientious hard worker just like his dad.

These are some shots of him heading off for his first day on the job . . .

Prom 2009 . . .

The kids had a ball, I guess the pictures speak louder than words.

Gus and his sisters and their friends.

Mark and the girls; he never expected to have daughters taller than him!

My pretty Hannah Sue . . .

and my beautiful Emmy Lou!

Terri's truck . . .

Mark is such a good dad, he's not a rich man (not a poor one either), but when he gives gifts he gives them from his heart . . . and since cars are in his heart, it really has meant a lot to him and the kids as over the years he has given each of them a classic car project.

He's given them each a car, the engine and the tires and then left it to them to work on it with him . . . and being kids they've worked on them sporadically. I'll put pictures and updates of each of them later but this thread is about Terri.

Oh about 15 or so years ago Mark gave Terri a 1964 Chevy Pickup. Terri worked on it a lot over the years but never really got it going; some of the old timers around here still laugh and tell stories about pulling in the driveway and seeing Terri's little girl legs sticking out from under that truck while she was working on it. Then Terri got busy growing up, and getting married, and starting a family . . . and the old truck got put on the back burner.

Well, times got a little rough around here when Mark's first wife left. Mark was spread pretty thin; running the house, doing the laundry and the cooking, raising the kids, running a business and being the main worker for that business. But, Terri stepped in, and taking time out of her busy new life and was there for her dad. She helped in so many ways, taking Gus to lessons & helping with tutoring him, and she took over the paper work end of the business. She never asked for a thing in return and was always there when Mark needed her, she really proved what a good girl she is.

Sooo . . . after I came along and realized all she had been doing, Mark and I talked and we decided that as a big thank you, Mark would finish her truck for her. All the kids worked on it all summer and winter, and we almost pulled it off as a surprise. And now she has a really cool classic Truck to haul her three little boys camping and fishing in. There were tears in every one's eyes the day we gave it to her.

Mark and Terri the day the truck was done, look at that grin on her face!

I finally have a use for all of my college photography classes!

From Terri's first fishing trip with her boys in the truck . . .

Family get-together . . .

Betty Bull, who is Mark's mother's first cousin was so gracious and invited us to her annual reunion. There is so much family resemblance in Mark and Betty, so it was really fun meeting her sisters, their kids and their grandchildren. I quickly lost track of who everyone was, but we had a very nice time and the kids felt at home amidst this lovely family. I really wish I had got a picture of Betty's daughter Carla, she's so nice and really went out of her way to make me and my kids feel welcome. These are some pics from that day:


New sisters; Lou, Terri & Hannah


Mark and Betty

Betty and her grandson Levi

Emma (Lou's best friend), and Ryan

Levi and Ben

Almost the whole gang; Terri & Weston, Emma, Gus and Brenden, Hannah, Ben, Lou & Ryan

The Three Musketeers; Hannah, Gus and Lou

The Party . . .

Sooo . . . Mark turned 50!

LOL he did not know me well enough to know that I could never let that one slip by. . .

It was a PARTY! Invitations went out, we put a pig in the ground, lit the bonfire, had a live band playing all Marks favorites; at least a hundred people showed up. People were dancing, the kids were running wild and roasting marshmallows . . .

Mark is good man and well loved by everyone, and they definitely came to let him know it. Gosh we had fun that night!

LOL, shy Mark being forced to give a speech . . . it was good.

Friends around the bonfire.

Mark and Betty dancing (she always looks so pretty).

Some foolish person way back when told Mark he didn't dance well, so he never danced when he went out all those years, well, it took a lot of encouraging to get him out on the floor . . . but once we did he never came off! He danced with every single person there . . . at least twice! I think he was trying to get all the dancing he had saved up for the last 20 years out of his system in one night . . . he even did "step dancing" . . . You just gotta love this man!

Little Katana, doing the honors and singing Happy Birthday . . . at least 7 times through . . . lol

My husband and the smile that I love so much.