Autumn in Washington

On Instagram just a few minutes ago, I posted these two options for a shadow box project I can't decide on. I'm leaning more to the white one personally, but I still love the wooded one as well..

boots were made for playing

My mom and I took the kids to the park today after our early dinner and it just was not a day that Mont wanted to stay clean through. He worked right through the gravel like he was a cowboy mucking out stables. Those poor boots! I nearly cried for them, he on the other hand, was absolutely oblivious to the fact. Oh to be a child again. (or a cowboy).  I have a plan in place to brush up and polish them back to their former glory.. good thing they're boots that can take it. I'm sure it won't be the last time!

donuts on the pier

The kids and I flew into Sea-Tac this past Saturday and have been enjoying the cooler temps of the pacific northwest at my parent's home. Mark is finishing up his SOS training so we thought we'd distract my parents instead! It has been absolutely perfect weather, while still being able to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves. This morning we awoke to thick drizzly fog surrounding everything, but instead of drowning our sunshine-y spirits it just added to the excitement of the changing seasons as we set out for Pao's Donuts and Titlow Beach. Mont just kept singing a new spooky song my Mom taught him on the piano this morning, so it felt like September has already stepped into October! Mont devoured his own, then Emmy's sprinkle donut and I hit my limit after a maple bar and halfway through an apple fritter. Later I'll enjoy the rest, piled on with a buttermilk; that is, if Mont doesn't get to it first!

Nauvoooooo

[On our way from North Dakota to Alabama, we stopped here in Nauvoo for some fun]
[August 8-10]

the oxen - Mont and I wanted to keep them.

                      

 

still running like no tomorrow

                       

 

Mont was lulled by the clopping of the horses' hooves on the pavement.
It may have been the calmest 45 minutes of this entire trip so far.
Maybe we do need to move to Nauvoo after all.. :)

No one knows quite where her curls came from. I hope they never leave!

This was Elder Heaton (a cousin of the one we know Mom and Dad - small world)

not bad for a self timed shot! I ran and scooped up Mont, cowboy boots and all for this picture.

We stayed inside the old old Temple House, converted into the Woodruff Hotel.

It was really fun to stay somewhere that had been visited by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. 

I thought it was beautiful inside, but the squeaky hardwood floors had been covered up.

Family photo flops: 

We handed our camera off a few times for family pictures, and every time I apparently forgot to switch settings or something.. cause every one of them is a flop!

And these people never told us when they were taking pictures! Just kept talking to us and saying,
"oh! good one. Oh! Good one." Well... better luck next time. My favorite is Emmy's belly shot - baby bellies are just SO squishy.

playground gang

When the car doors open, and the kids are unbuckled, 

there is a silent gunshot that goes off signaling to the kids that play time has begun. 

Just like wild colts through a broken gate, they galloped off to separate areas to romp and raise havoc (throwing bark or acorns, barking at nearby dogs, shouting and hollering, laughing and sliding (though, I must admit, that was all mostly my children..)). 

There were a couple moments of congregating on the yellow bus and at the swings; though, even that was too short lived. 

Last week was spent with some of our very best friends, the Chals, whom we had as neighbors in pilot training 6 years ago. It had even been that long since we'd seen one another. Yet, somehow it only felt like mere days had passed and we all had a ball. Mont and Cohen were the only ones to have it out most times, until of course, the last few hours of our stay when they calmly sat down and played cars together talking and giggling all nicely... finally.

Thankfully, we're driving Southbound again tomorrow. More time to party!

Pensacola Beach

Sunday, the day after we drove down, we took a drive down to the famous Pensacola Beach where the sand sparkles just like sugar and the water splashes like liquified gems. We tried to get these friends to one of our church services, but we failed miserably, not only did the military branch not meet at that particular building (just the offices were there), but the 9:00 ward let out early to prepare for Hurricane Isaac. With no clouds in sight, we decided to venture out and tickle our toes in the cool salty water. It was truly heaven with heat.

The lovely Chal family (Nate, Caila, Chandler Kate, and Cohen). Don't their names sound so nice together??

[from Nate's iPhone] Mark not feelin' the love :)

[Nate's iPhone] this little splash surprise got sand everywhere.. looks all nice and innocent here though!

"you going to draw those pistols or whistle Dixie?"

Crazy is as crazy does. When he puts these boots on, there's no holding still for this kid. 

Here's the rough rider in action. Every day he wears these boots, he gets several questions or comments about them. Lots from older weathered men saying, "Those are some fine boots there, son" or "Howdy, cowboy." Mont just lifts up a foot and says, "Those are my cowboy boots. I love 'em." with a big ole grin on his face. Grandpa Judd knew just what to get this little cowpolk for his birthday last month. I love 'em too, Mont Man.

flower exhibit

On a warm Saturday this summer Mark and I took Mont and Emmy to the Museum of Art downtown in Grand Forks. It was a small yet interesting museum housing just a small variety of art pieces. Some were really interesting, others were just weird or revolting, leaving us feeling a bit disappointed. The kids didn't even notice where we were or what we had been trying to do, good thing.

Walking out the french doors into the small gravelly garden, there were several peony bushes that I hadn't noticed on our way in; I'm not sure how they escaped my attention, but I'll give myself two guesses. Stopping to touch them, I thought better yet, I'll take a picture.. it'll last longer.

fireworks

July 4th came and went as one of Mont's most favorite days ever. He was beyond excited to see the fireworks, and when they came, they didn't disappoint. We celebrated with some friends from our ward, the Wooleys and the Baughs. We had such a fun time that we decided to do a second celebration the following week, BBQ, fireworks and all.

To explain it to Mont I told him, "It's America's Birthday!" So all night that's what he shouted, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!"

summer home

Sprinklers, shade trees, puppies and paint, gardens and flowers, cut grass and thunderstorms.

 That was how our summer was spent.. We've been in Alabama for a month now and are enjoying it here too (summer lasts longer here, as the leaves begin to change in the north) but are anxious to get back to this place we've adopted as our new home.

eclipsed

On May 20th we were driving through Yellowstone on our way from Utah to North Dakota. Knowing  we would be lucky to see any of it as far north as we were, we pulled over anyway to see what we could. If looking just to the side of the sun, we could see with our peripheral vision, the moon partially covering the sun. But even through different camera settings, this was all we could get.. just a fun picture. I tried to slow down the light intake to the sensor of the camera, otherwise this would have just looked like any other middle-of-the-day-picture.

Couple minutes after this, it got funner still when we saw a brown bear moseying through the woods. I'd show you a picture of it, but I can barely even see it with how far away it was. ha!

just call me Yenta

I remember hearing my mom say that line once upon a lifetime ago, it's stuck with me b/c I thought she was so clever drawing up my own memories of Fiddler on the Roof. Anyway... I am using it again, because 5 years ago... when Mark and I had just moved to Alaska, we went to a Stake Conference in our new area and saw a girl. This girl was pretty. This girl was spiritual. This girl was brave. We had to set up a date with Michael! I introduced myself to the cute girl who bore her testimony at the stake conference and decided to just be bold and ask after a conversation with her if she would ever go on a blind date, "cause I have this cute brother in law.." She was game! So here they are a couple weeks later:

And us.. yikes.

It went great. We all had a blast, with lots of laughs all around. Aimee was hysterical and played right along when Mark wanted to be the banker of his improv game of "Deal or No Deal?"

updated: picture mark found later last night after I posted this

Much to Michael's dismay, nothing much happened after that date. Mark said that he blew it for Michael. I laughed and said, "Probably." ha!

I remember Michael telling me that he had come up ready to leave knowing he had met The Girl. He had that much faith in our set up! What a sweet guy.. but it wasn't meant to be. Yet.

Fast Forward 4 years, and along comes Thanksgiving and Michael is asking me yet again :) if I have any single friends in Utah, and who he should ask on a date. I rattled off a couple that might be single, but then kept thinking about Aimee. I think I said something like, "I saw Aimee's on facebook again, have you thought about getting back in touch with her?" We eggshelled the idea for a few minutes and decided that I would be straight and ask her sister for Aimee's number so Michael could call her. That was the plan. Everything went smoothly; I got the number, sent it Michael in a matter of hours and walah! The strings were being pulled and the magic dust was beginning to swirl. After their Thanksgiving weekend date, Aimee was the one to call him the next day! I still remember how impressed and in awe Michael was with her. The magic dust was really twirling around them at this point, and everything just cruised right into May for the day they had decided would be their wedding date. Michael's Aimee had been won at long last!

facebook swipe

Even though she's sadly out of focus, Emmy is the reason for this picture.
She was SO in love with Michael and Aimee when they came out of the temple. 

Mark was just thrilled he hadn't ruined it for them after all. :)

swiped from Michael's friend Ashley's blog

Mont bestowed his wedding gift of a pretzel to each of them. 

The still wouldn't let them through, so Michael had to up the ante:

Off to honeymoon!