(Notice the details on this next photo of Russ...Tang mustache, crusty nose, nose peeling from sunburn and chalk all over his hands!)
And...here is Grace and her new obsession...
And...these are for Connie...
Grace is getting to the age where she actually enjoys having her photos taken (HALLELUJAH!!!). Lily and Russell weren't feeling well last night, so they went to bed at 6:30. Grace and I snuck off to the yard and farm to take some photos...
(FYI...she isn't wearing makeup, I used a Lightroom Preset on these first two that just adds a schnazy effect...but it does make it look like she has on makeup!!!)
Okay...I'm back again! Before I go any further, I need to wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a very special someone....
Here are the photos from the second trip. This trip took place at the Blackfoot River which is also in the mountains behind our house, but this spot is a little further away, and we are able to take to the truck. We drop into a hole (with a VERY steep and washed out trail) where there is a beautiful grassy bank surrounding the river. There is also a perfect spot for the kids to swim and play in the river, and we spent hours swimming and floating down in the water.
Lily & Kate are used to taking a nightly bath, so we boil a pot of water over the fire and fill a little plastic tub for them in the evening. They love it!
These next photos look about as "Red Neck" as can be, but basically, we are rednecks! David and Paul were fishing and saw some really big Carp. David snagged this fish with his fishing pole and paul grabbed the pitch fork and went out into the water to help bring him in. They came stomping through the bushes, proud as could be! The kids thought it was awesome...they had never seen a fish so big!
The weather has finally warmed up, and thus my lack of posts lately. Between family, kids, yard work, laundry, farm work and well, summer fun, it has been really hard for me to keep this blog updated. Fear not though, because I have come to you today with lots of photos to share!
Grace entered the Fiddlin' On The Falls Contest in Idaho Falls last weekend. She even won third place in her division (First Round Songs: Red Haired Boy, Southwind Waltz, Redwing; Second Round: Girl I Left Behind Me, Wise Old Friend, Stinky's Blues! She played so well...and we were super proud of her. Her two cousins and aunt also entered the contest, and Shelby placed fourth and Lindsey second in their divisions!
We have been camping several times over the past couple of weeks (and when I say camping, I really mean camping. We have a motor home, and that or a trailer is not camping, sleeping in a tent is camping). We have several spots in the mountains right behind our house where we really like to go. The first trip was to our "special spot". It is only about 15-20 minutes from our house, and you have to take four wheelers, because there is no road. We load up the back of the Ranger and then we have a small trailer we pull behind the Ranger. It's a great place to camp, and it's very quiet because a)there are not roads, so no one else is around b) the ground is private and owned by David's uncle who is a cattle rancher. I love it because my idea of camping is getting away from it all...not pulling into a groomed campground with people everywhere.
This one makes me laugh...
The kids love to roast their own hot dogs...
David is an amazing camp chef. He built this griddle and he can cook about anything on it. We always make bacon cheeseburgers with lots of fried onions. He also makes a complete breakfast on the griddle (blueberry pancakes, bacon, eggs & hashbrowns). I never knew it was possible to make food this good on a fire!
We always make smores on the camp fire...
Russell has been dying to have his own pocket knife, and grandma and grandpa brought him a special surprise...his very own pocket knife! He was carving in trees and cutting flowers and plants. He was so excited!!! He even cut himself...
This post is taking a little longer than expected, so I will have to finish uploading photos later...
to head over to the Melissa Frances blog today...it is the last (and BIGGEST) giveaway!!!
Melissa Frances is celebrating the end of her breast cancer treatments this week. She is an amazing friend and woman who has gone through so much over the past year. Please visit the Melissa Frances blog each day and leave her a comment...she is giving away some amazing prizes every day! Today, she is giving away a complete set of the Rub-ons, and for those who don't know, these rub-ons are my handwriting!!! Head on over and leave a comment, and don't forget to stop by each day this week. She will also be giving a really big prize on Friday.
for my cute neice Cherilyn and her fiance, Levi! They will be tying the knot! I am super excited for them both, and I hope it is a wonderful day! I thought I would share their announcements I made, and the photos I took of her in her dress...
(And once again...Typepad has to make my photos look all weird!)
AND...I haven't forgot...I know that quite a few people have been emailing me about a tutorial for Grace's curly hair (from her Fiddle Jubilee & Mother's Day pics). I promise that I will try to put together a tutorial, and also, I have had tons of emails and questions about how I edit my photos. I will try to put together a post answering lots of your questions next week...so be on the lookout!
my June Sketch over at Fiskars... I used some of the new Heidi Grace product on this one...she never fails to amaze me with each new set of products she releases!
And for any of my readers who are local...Shelly put this together, and it sounds fun! I am not 100% sure if I will be able to attend, but I am going to try!
Am I alone? I LOVE asparagus...and I am so glad that David's aunt shared her recipe for pickled asparagus, because it is to DIE 4! I have been busy canning lots of the green stuff lately. My kids even love it, so it will be great to have some put away to enjoy out of season! David and I spent a lot of time scouring all of his canal banks in his fields, and we found lots! We also ordered some from some kids near Idaho Falls who raise it, so we had plenty to pickle. If there are any other aspargus lovers out there who would like the recipe, please email me at sherellech@msn.com and I will send it your way! We also transplanted a bunch of asparagus into our garden a couple of years ago, and it is finally starting to grow! I am hoping we will eventually be able to grow all of our own in the garden!
And just for fun...here are a couple of digi pages to share...
And just out of curiosity...is anyone else fed up with the new Typepad? I am so mad about my photos being so choppy and pixelated! Has anyone contacted Typepad or found a resolution???
(NOTE: Typepad is doing something really FUNKY to my photos...I promise they don't look this weird in real life! I am not sure what happened, but I don't have the time to go back and redo this whole post!)
Choirs of angels are singing (at least in my head), because the new computer is ready and runnin! I am so happy...even though i feel so behind, that I am wondering how I will ever catch up! I'll admit that it was nice to have an excuse to stay away from the computer, but I am glad to be back. I have really missed blogging, because it is a great way for me to document my life, and also, it serves as sort of a journal for me. I truly appreciate all of the kind comments and emails I have received...I have missed blogging, and it's so nice to know I was missed...I missed you too! In my typical style, I am jumping right back into the blogging world with, of course, lots of photos to share...
My 29th birthday was yesterday (SCARY!!!), and because my parents were going to be out of town on my b-day, they had an early party for me. On my actual birthday, Tawsha & Sheldon came down and we went four-wheeling in the hills behind our house. I love living right next to the mountains...as it is so easy to just hop in the Ranger or on the four wheelers and take off. We have a special spot up in the hills where we always love to go...and we have been there several times over the past week. We are hoping for better weather so we can throw the tent in the back of the Ranger and camp out sometime soon. Being outdoors is one of my favorite things to do, and it was the perfect way to spend my birthday. Here are some pics of our trip yesterday, and also, some photos of our hot dog roast in the hills last weekend...the first photo is one of my favorite spots. You can see the valley so well...and ironically enough, this is where David and I came on our first date.
And this photo...this just makes me laugh...Grace wanted to ride in the back of the Ranger on the way home, and she got a little dusty...
And on the way back down the mountain, I finally got some shots of our beautiful valley. I can't tell you the amount of pride and emotion I feel when it comes to my little corner of the world. I love my home and my area so much. I feel such a sense of love for each bit of soil, the trees, the land...I would never leave for anything in the world. I also went with David later in the evening to check all of his fields, and I got a shot of the home farm from the other side. As you can see, our little farming valley is full of beauty.
My kids are out of school, and it has been great not having so many commitments. One thing that you might not know about me, is that I enjoy being at home. I think that way to many people overschedule their lives and waste time watching TV (I think I must be a real nerd...because I can't stand things like American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Lost, Grey's Etc...) I like to stay home all day and work in the garden (thats a whole post in it's own...coming soon), work in the yard, hang laundry on the line, clean house, play with the kids outside, take long walks on the canal banks, scrapbook, clean house, bake and cook...and just spend time around my family. So basically, I am a big nerd! We have really enjoyed having the kids home with us all day. We have been spending time with David at work on the farm...checking pivots, pumps and fields. The kids spend tons of time on their four wheelers and bikes...and on the Gator. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be together and work hard at home.
