Love Those Grandsons!

We had some fun times with Elly's two boys, Nathan and Matthew, when they came to visit in August. The only frustration was having to stop playing to get some work done!

Grandpa greeted the boys when they arrived with a list of chores. The first one: Check out the swimming pool to make sure the water is okay. Nathan took to the water like a fish. Matthew was a little more timid...until he put on the life jacket.

The second chore was to collect the eggs which they did with gusto. The third chore was to gather food from the garden for dinner. Those boys love exploring and making discoveries in Grandpa's garden!

A stray cat that adopted us in the spring was given the name of Whiskers by Matthew, who took to him immediately.

The fourth chore involved packing up the camper for our overnight camping adventure!

It was dark when we arrived at Swan Falls Dam near the Snake River but we managed to find a fire ring and that's where we parked. In spite of the fact that we were inundated with bugs every time we opened the camper door, Grandpa and the boys got a nice fire built. We roasted marshmallows and enjoyed some delicious smores before settling down in our too warm, bug infested camper for whatever sleep we could get. Luckily, no one was interested in getting up early to go fishing the next morning.:) We awoke to a beautiful day.

Grandpa and the boys explored the sage brush and lava rock covered world while I fixed breakfast.

They had a great time climbing the rocks.

The discovery of the day was a "sword" in the stone.

But try as they might, no one could pull it out.

They found their way down to the river.

The call to breakfast brought them quickly back to the camper.

We explored the dam which was built 108 years ago before making our way back home.

A couple of days later, we visited the Western Idaho State Fair.

We saw a real live turkey.

Friend Madeline's chickens were amazing! She even "hypnotized" one of them for us.

Matthew was impressed. After learning that I couldn't raise a chicken for him to show at the fair, the first question Matthew asked his mom when he talked to her later in the day; "Can I raise a chicken?"

We checked out the rest of the farm animals. Matthew bravely fed a few.

He didn't like feeding the buffalo, though.

We didn't leave the fairgrounds until the boys had eaten corn dogs and icees, gone "fishing" to win a prize, and ridden a couple of the rides. We did the whole fair in three hours and left just as the crowds were gathering.

Another highlight of their visit was the float trip down the Boise River. Sariah and Cami joined them in that adventure.

Matthew was a little nervous. He sat behind Grandpa and held on tight. Nathan traded places with Sariah a couple of times and guided one of the single IKs all by himself. He loved going through the "rapids" and sideways down the waterfall.:)

On the way home, we stopped for dinner and ice cream at the Big Bun.

We loved having the chance to add to the "great memories" list with those grandsons!

Sariah's Home and Moving On to New Adventures!

We greeted Sariah at the airport last Friday. She was returning home from her mission in far away Uruguay. She looked great!

It was SO good to see her. We hugged for a very long time...

...and shed tears of joy.

She appreciated our home grown flower bouquet.

We are very happy to have our smiling, hard working missionary back home again. We really missed her. We're glad, though, that she was able to share the gospel with so many and have experiences that will bless her entire life.

The first thing Sariah wanted to do was to stop at Walmart to shop for all the stuff she had to leave behind because her luggage was too heavy.

Sariah was released from her mission that evening. She had a very hard time taking off that missionary badge. I think she was ready to hop on the plane and return to those wonderful people in Uruguay.

Sariah and Cami drove to Utah on Tuesday to look for jobs and help their big sister, Elly. They both had jobs within the first couple of hours of the hunt Wed. morning. Sariah will return to work at the care center she worked at before her mission. Cami will be working in the bookstore on campus. What a blessing! Both girls are excited. A million thanks, Jacob, for the referral!

Great Times at Camp Glenwood

As camp director for our ward for the second year, I really enjoyed Girl's Camp this year. I felt like I was on vacation! I didn't have to cook any meals or worry about keeping the house clean or doing the laundry. I could stay up way past my bedtime. I could even sleep in until 7:30! There were showers, chances for naps and lots of entertainment. There were hugs, smiles and pats on the back, spiritual moments and the beauty of nature all around. What more could a girl ask for?

After arriving at Camp Glenwood, we moved into our cabins, met the staff and learned the rules. Following lunch, the girls attended camp certification classes. Cami, pictured here by our cabin, was my trusty assistant. We conducted a fire safety and sanitation scavenger hunt.

That first night, we had a celebration with dancing, ice cream sundaes and volley ball.

It was easy to get up for flag ceremony and aerobics the next morning.

All the girls went on hikes the first day. I hiked with the 3rd level girls through a beautiful ravine for about 45 minutes to a waterfall. The trail was not an easy one.

At the end of the trail, we took turns rappelling down to the waterfall.

The waterfall was a bit disappointing but what little water there was cooled the air.:)

Sister Darrington talked about how much easier it is to stay on the strait and narrow path throughout life--even if the path is a difficult one. Once we wander off the path, the going can get really rough. The further we stray, the harder it is to repent and find our way back. That message really made an impression that day.

Rotations that afternoon included crafts....

...and a humanitarian project.

We gathered to watch skits after dinner. Then, met with our bishop during our ward devotional. We learned that we are more precious than rubies! We also discovered lots of interesting facts about our bishop.

It was a bit harder to get out of bed the second morning. Nevertheless, many participated in the morning yoga routine.

Rotations after breakfast included bracelet braiding. Our girls were pros!

After lunch, we met for some instructions and then went swimming. The water felt great!

Lots of hair got braided during free time that afternoon.

The last supper of spaghetti and meatballs was delicious!

I encountered some bandaid collectors after dinner.

Here's Cami preparing for our ward devotional which was held after the testimony meeting. Secret Sisters were unveiled! Since when did TPing a sleeping bag and filling it with pine cones count as service?

Lots of testimonies were born at the testimony meeting that evening. I couldn't help reflecting on how important it is to work every single day to keep our testimonies strong so that we can be prepared to survive the challenges of life that will undoubtedly come our way.