Memories-Friends

Mckelsie and Jayden

Carter, Miles, Noah, Adam, Jayden and Kali

Riley and Alison

Aunt Christine and Alison

Riley, Noah and Carter

So I was looking through some old pictures and found these from a swimming trip last summer. I had to post them.

Mckelsie's Song

Mckelsie loves to watch a show on Noggin called, "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast". She watches it all the time. She has watched this one episode so many times that she has one of the songs memorized. So cute....!!!

All Worth It Comments

Mckelsie and I were talking the other day about going to see the Neurologist. She's been really anxious about going to the "doctor's". She also was mad at me for something...can't remember now what it was for. She asked what kind of doctor the Neurologist was. I told her that he was a doctor that studies the brain. She replied, "Good... he should look at your brain" (implying that he needed to fix my brain for whatever she was mad at me for. All I could do is laugh!

Jayden's Photo Shoot

Sweet Moment

Jayden and Hurley

Yes...it is still CURLY!

Mckelsie decided that I could FINALLY try to do her hair CURLY! It was so cute and she is just beautiful (I'm not prejudice...just her mom).

First Day of School

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Mckelsie is now in 8th Grade and Jayden is in 3rd. I cannot believe how big both of them are. It makes me feel so old to think that I have an 8th grader. Sad in the same moment because I'm past the "young" stage. For some reason they just aren't as cute now...if you know what I mean. It is really nice though that I can leave them while I run to the store fo milk though....pro's and con's for everything I suppose. We were soooo ready for school!

More of Bridger Campout

Lily Pads....if only I had a better camera to capture them. I love em!
The little lake is laced with lily pads.

Patti, Mitch's mom, Jason, Baby Isabella, Alex

Grandpa Wes, Grandma Vickie, Jason and Baby Isabella

Alex, Lucas and Jake

Aunt Kellie and Aunt Patti

Lilly, Mckelsie and Melina

Lilly, Mckelsie, Rebecca and Melina

Grandpa Wes and Jayden fishing. Made the trip just perfect for Jayden.

I took a walk around the lake. The views are just beautiful. I took time to reflect on life and just how fortunate I am to be able to enjoy times like this.

I've got to get a better camera....and take a photography class!

Grandma Vickie

A group of us took a walk around the lake.

Jayden's proud catch. He loved gutting the fish (or watching Grandpa Wes do it).

Ummm...not afraid to touch it either. Mom was grossed out!

Picture Perfect

I know...I'm a little weird, but I loved the fence!

We had just one catastrophe...Mckelsie fell off of a rock. Lucky for her Grandma Vickie and Uncle Bill were there to take care of her. Mckelsie sure did milk it though and used a walking stick to help her get around.

Ouch!!

Aunt Pattie's masterpiece.

Grandpa Wes and Grandma Vickie

Gazing wistfully up into the tall pines

I admire the beautiful whisperings

embedded within the limbs as they sway.

I can imagine what they must be breathing for

and I long for that kind of freedom.

My life, full of whisperings of my own

many stories of others breaths intertwined with mine.

What have these tall beings seen?

How do they still manage to keep their secrets?

If only they could share the truths, lies and stories written beneath them.

I can imagine many wonderful and glorious things,

shared moments between friends and family.

I'm positive they've seen pure simple love communicated

in a look between two people or a smile to a little one.

Smiles, playful laughs and tearful goodbyes

sit idly along their branches.

To some, the wind simply blows through the forest,

but I believe the pines truly hold my whisperings

tightly within their realm for future viewing and reminiscing

when I come back every year to visit them.

Fantastic Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

1 bag of baby spinach
1 bag of cole slaw mix
1 bag of mixed greens with the red lettuce or whatever that is
1 small bag of craisins
1 can of honey roasted peanuts
1 jar of brianna's poppy seed dressing (this is the best kind)
2 chicken breasts boiled and diced up

Directions:

Mix everything together except dressing and when you are ready to serve toss with entire jar.

I got this recipe from my good friend Kayanne....and oh my heck is it good! A little bit expensive but really worth it!

Thought:

Dear Lord,
I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; andPatience for his moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'll beat him to death.
AMEN

***This is what I prayed for when I was married and still pray for now because of my kids! =0)

Bridger Campout 2009

The lake
What a great picture of Hurley!

The perfect spot....

Another perfect spot!!

Max cooked his fish and Jayden had a bite. I don't think that Jayden liked it all that much, but choked it down.....

Aunt Kellie and Mckelsie.

Mckelsie, Uncle Bill and Rebecca

Jayden played with Max and this rope for what seemed for hours!

Uncle Bill was being smart and told Jayden and Max to stand against the tree, hold up their arms and then he proceeded to tie them to the tree. It was heeelarious!

Rebecca and Mckelsie

Praise the Lord...we made it!

Jayden fishing with Grandpa Wes.

Aunt Kellie, Mckelsie and Hurley

Mckelsie was trying not to be in the picture with Hurley...

Mckelsie was teaching Lily how to play the card game, SkipBo. Mckelsie loves to be the big kid and Lily was cute enough to let her be!

Jayden and Max roasting marshmellow's. They were good friends the whole campout and played so good together.

Great Grandma Ruth

Lily and Melina were enjoying the Smores...

Joanna's FIRST Smore....she wasn't too thrilled about them. =0)

Anything with chocolate is perfect for Jayden

Joanna and Baby Isabella

Rebecca and Mckelsie

We went for the annual Chapman Family campout this past weekend. Up high in the Uintah's that you can only get to through Mountain View Wyoming there is the most beautiful campground. I've yet to find a more beautiful place than this. It obviously is my favorite place to go camping. The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins and even though it snowed...yes SNOWED on us, we stuck it out for a very nice overall trip. I used alot of the time for personal reflection and of course memories always flood back of past trips. I truly enjoy the time my children and I get to spend with the Chapman Family. Being divorced from their son has been really hard, in part because I have throughly enjoyed being apart of the Chapman Family and their fun. They have always been the camping "type" and I grew to love it over the years being married to their son. It has been so good for my children to be able to spend that time with their family as well. Jayden fished to his little hearts content, or rather to his Grandpa Wes' strength. Mckelsie roamed the sites bringing her humor to all and just enjoying being able to be the center stage. It was truly a nice trip and one we won't forget any time soon.