Frollicking in the Forest!

Over the past 2 weekends we have decided to become one with nature! We had another sluffin' church moment the weekend before last and we went to Cave Falls (sort of in the Idaho/Wyoming side of Yellowstone Park). This time we didn't try to fool our bishop neighbor by driving around the block in our church clothes, we just stayed gone really late so he thought we went out of town or something-we are so tricky. We went with my parents and we went exploring high mountain lakes, tons of water falls and we had a fun pic-nic. I of course forgot my camera, so I have to go steal pictures from my mom's camera and post them soon.



These are the Mountains behind our house (Taylor Mountain). We took the kids for a fun drive in the hills the day before we went to Cave Falls, it was really pretty.


CABIN:
Then this last weekend we went to our cabin in Island Park for a weekend "family reunion". We went with my parents and my siblings. We had fun fishing, 4 wheeling, going to Yellowstone (the town) and exploring. We love trips to the cabin, I want to move there! It was sad to come back home, it is so peaceful in the mountains. James and I are going to try to go back in a couple of weeks with the kids during his 16 day vacation-yahoo! Oh except, we did find some "bear poop" behind our boat house which totally freaked me out (I know this because my dad is a poop expert and pointed it out to me)! I have a huge problem with bears because they see me as a food source. This was a bad moment for me, and it had hair in it (the poop) I don't know who it ate, but it was definitely a mammal eater and I just happen to be a mammal.



Our trip to to Yellowstone Imax-We saw Bears (the movie). Averi rode in Grandpa's truck.




This is Sawtell Mountain with some sort of power/something shaped like a giant soccer ball. I'm sure you have seen it if you have drove through Island Park. We decided to drive to the top of it to look out over Island Park. It is a VERY STEEP NARROW road to get there! We were all very nervous! I don't close my eyes because I think that by me watching the road I can have some kind of magical power to keep us from falling down the steep ravines or something.



This is the view of Sawtell from the river by our cabin-our fishin' hole.
Thanks to "Big Red" for getting us there safe!

We saw snow on top of the mountain, and this is how warm it was there.
It was 81 at the bottom.



The road to Sawtell Mountain was so freaky! This was my Dad's truck right by a cliff! And that wasn't the worst part either!



These are all pictures from the cliffs at the top of Sawtell, they are straight drop offs. It was sooo windy up there and it made me dizzy at the edges, so I was freaked out! James wouldn't even go by the edges, he gets too dizzy (more like too chicken). I was freaked out having my kids so close, I kept yelling for them to get back, and I never once let go of my kung foo death grip on Averi' s arm! But it was so pretty. You can see Henry's lake, Island Park Reservoir and Mt. Roosevelt from the top. Click on the pictures and you can see how steep it was a lot better.


The worst part is my dad kept having me look through binoculars at the edge to the bottom of the cliffs and it made me sooooo disoriented. I am truly surprised I did not fall off.

Peeing at the top of the world! Boys are so lucky!















FISHING:
We love to go fishing! It is so fun! I love to fish! We caught 6 fish, Taylor caught 4, Christian caught 1, and I caught 1-literally with my hands. I got mine to shore and it got off the hook and tried to swim away. Before it could, I ran down and grabbed it and threw it onto the shore before it could get away! Yahoo. Here are some pictures.

Here is our fishing hole! I have been fishing in this same spot pretty much since I was born, so it is so fun to bring my kids and remember what it was like to be a kid again! Here are my little fishermen/women! It would have 10 times more fun if all of the water skiers wouldn't have kept driving over our lines! So if you are a water skier, please respect the people fishing on the shore! That was so annoying!






What a weirdo!

And a good dad!




Here Taylor caught her 2nd fish and it was flipping around and it scared her and she was jumping away from it! It was too funny.




This is my dad the "master fisherman" helping Christian with the first fish he caught.

Here is the first fish-Christian's and the second-Taylor's.

James was being so patient and helpful.

I personally hate ripping the hooks out of the fish, so I made everyone else do it! It makes the worst ripping guts sound-GROSS!

But I actually like to clean them to see their guts, it is fun to cut open their stomach to see what they have been eating and it is fun to pop their air sac lung thingies-it's like bubble wrap! I let James do it this though. Yes-I know I am demented, that's just how I roll!

Anyway, it was so fun! I am getting the worst cabin fever at home with the kids right about now. Either school must start, or I must go away from here. This is good therapy for my insanity!

Potty training update!

So...I officially hate potty training (no, I have never liked it) !!!!! So far this week Averi has learned how to get out of her bed, how to outsmart our "child proof" doorknob thingys, and how to flush the toilets! We have mastered zero potty training skills! This has made me very cranky! This is how my day goes:

-Averi wakes up at 6:00 a.m. gets out of bed and laughs (very loudly) while running on her tip-toes all the way to the bathroom. She then opens the door, and then (still laughing) runs in and flushes the toilet (and then laughs hysterically)!

-I have to lock the bathroom doors and pick them every time anyone has to go potty, so my day is full of "mom, I have to go to the bathroom really bad and I can't get the door unlocked!". Honestly, I should have lost 10 lbs. this week from running back and forth.

-Bedtime...I put Averi in bed and crawl into my comfy new bed and all I hear is Averi's music getting turned up to full blast every 5 min. (because she got out of bed to turn it up, and this is the only volume level she likes), and then more laughing and running to the bathroom flushing! Nothing threatens this child, so I just have to keep getting up and keep throwing her back into her bed(as she is laughing)!

-Midnight...I am in a "zombie like state" wondering how illegal tying up a child to a bed is! Sleep time goes by so fast, I don't even feel like I laid down for more than 10 min.! The next thing I hear is laughing and toilet flushing, it is some time between 6 and 7 a.m., and it starts again!

Averi somehow has an unlocked door radar because if there is a bathroom door left unlocked, she is laughing and running to flush every chance she gets. I am going to video this for you all to share in my joy! And, the worst part is her laugh! It would probably sound cute to the everyday onlooker, but to me it is an evil villain laugh that lets me know I have been "foiled again"!

How soon until school starts again?

P.S.-I have learned where the turn off valve to our toilet is, and I try to take advantage of that a lot. I challenge everyone to learn this important skill! (whaaa haa haa ha-this is my evil laugh)! Now I can "foil" Averi's plans!

Toodles!


So here it is, she is caught wet handed! I woke up Friday morning to this! Don't forget to pause my music player first! Yes, she always spins around (it's a blind thing) , and yes I did sterilize everything she touched, including her mouth! She is nasty!

Did I sign up for this?

Day 2 Potty Training:

-wet in underwear 2 times
-peed on the floor 1 time
-peed in the toilet about 4 times (I don't know if she even notices she peed though, so does that count?)
-now thinks the toilet is a toy because big bro. taught her how to flush (I was trying to use her blindness to my advantage for once!)
-She actually just snuck out of her bed and ran into the bathroom to flush the toilet and is laughing hysterically -what the heck?! Is it bad that my child thinks the toilet is that funny?
-I am slowly losing my mind! I am a prisoner in my own crazy toilet house..........

To Be Continued...

HELP ME...PLEASE!

I would love to post, but I am trying... I repeat, trying to potty train Averi (finally)! I knew it would be hard, but not this tough! She still thinks the toilet is a sitting stage for her singing and talking! She has peed in her undies 7 times and in the toilet 1 time (on accident)!

It really is hard to teach an old dog new tricks!

P.S.-don't wait until your child is almost 6 to potty train, it isn't good!

Child Slave labor rocks!

Christian teaching Taylor his skills that I had just taught him 10 min. prior to this moment!
Awesome, go Christian go!
Awesome Taylor! Look how she is pratcially laying flat to push this, it was so cute! I guess I just take my super human strength for granted sometimes!


We need a new subject other than the gay parade. Now I am choosing Child Slave Labor! This is one thing I am really enjoying about summer! I pay out $5.oo/wk per kid, and I get a lot of great housework and yard work in return. This gives me more time to sit on my butt and eat bon bons and watch my soap operas (YEAH RIGHT)! But seriously, I love my kiddos and I love the help they give me. This will especially come in handy when I get back from the Williams family reunion and have no brain left (no offense Williams family, but there are soooo many kids and you know you are thinking the same thing, so don't judge me) and I will begin potty training Averi (yes, finally)!

Wish me luck and hope I don't go "postal" this week! I am looking forward to doing something fun with our family, it should be an action packed adventure! I will bring pictures to prove it later! Hasta La Vista Babies!

Peace Out!


Oh yeah! I cannot forget my $20.00 bargain pool I bought the kids(I needed to upgrade from our redneck pond!). We have all just been swimmin' and sittin' back enjoying our drinks by our pool! Ahh...these are the salad days!

P.S.-If you are the person who has been setting fireworks off until midnight for the last week, watch your back! I am turning violent!