One Man's Junk Is Another Man's Treasure (or however the saying goes)

Sorry for the brief inactivity...I went on hiatus for a couple of different reasons.

1. It was just too da** hot to do anything...even blog. Many of you read Mark's blog and know of the misery we've been through this past week, but for those of you who don't, let me just say it was absolutely like nothing I have ever experienced. And that's saying a lot. I'm not a complete wuss. I grew up in Michigan...land of lakes and much humidity. I grew up in a house without air conditioning. Yes, we had a pool, but as my blessed Mother always said, "you can't do laundry or wash dishes in the pool". I also served a mission in a very humid Easter European country where air conditioning hadn't yet made it's debut. Seriously, even restaurants didn't have central A/C. And I tracted in that stuff every day. I've lived in muggy cabins in the summer, all variety of tiny apartments with no A/C, and even endured my first pregnancy in an upstairs apt. with one tiny wall unit that was only in the living room (Maryn), and then with Avery it was our little Boise house with only a swamp cooler (also a Sept. baby). Anyway, my point is I know hot and I know humidity, or so I thought. Then I moved to Illinois. Holy freaking cow!! It is seriously a thing of it's own here. Stifling, suffocating, can't breathe or move, sticky, sweaty kind of stuff. Not. pretty. Especially when you're pregnant, but I'm not even going to go there right now. My point is it was really hot and I was really not a happy camper.

2. I have to admit I kind of got a little burned out after posting all those Idaho/Yellowstone photos. Those travelogues were a lot of work, y'all. Not that I'm not happy I did them. I'm glad that I'm getting some kind of family journaling done, and I know I'll be grateful down the road, but dang, it was a lot of work.

Anyway, I'm back and I wanted to share a little about this weekend. Thank the merciful heavens above the heat finally broke on Friday night and Saturday was actually kind of pleasant. It got a little sunny/toasty during the day, but it was actually kind of the perfect weather for one of my favorite summer-time sports--GARAGE SALING!!

Our neighboring town, Oglesby was having a town-wide garage sale and you literally couldn't go one street east/west/north/or south without hitting several garage sales. It was awesome!! And was such a success for us.

I had been stressing a little last week about not having baby stuff yet. We have some cute clothes, and a few things that we got from our trip to Idaho, but still needed other items--like the crib, changing table or dresser, carseat/stroller combo, a swing, bouncy seat, baby bath stuff, toys, onesies and bottles, diaper stuff, the list literally goes on and on and on. And I was getting a bit overwhelmed (okay if you talk to Mark it was a lot overwhelmed and may or may not have involved some hormonal outbursts, but I'm not admitting anything). ANYWAY, when I heard there was a town-wide garage sale, I was on a mission. Get. baby. stuff. now. and. not. go. completely. broke. in. the. process. mission.

We ended up getting a lot of stuff and I feel much better. We still have our big ticket items and these are things I didn't necessarily want to get second-hand anyway. We still need the crib, the carseat/stroller combo, and all of the little miscellaneous stuff--onesies, stuff to stock the changing table, bath, etc. It's not as overwhelming at this point though and I know it'll get done. (insert Suzy breathing a tentative sigh...)

Anyway, with the cooler temps today we took the girls to Mathieson State Park (the place with the waterfalls and hiking trails) this afternoon and did some hiking. We also found a cute ice cream shop in a town called Utica afterwards that was delightful. We got some weeding done in our embarrassing garden, and then Avery had her last t-ball game tonight and got to play at night with the field lights on, and an announcer, and a concession stand, and everything. She had a great time. And I think she's sad it's over.

Tomorrow I want to get out and enjoy our mild temps again. I know it won't last and I want to take advantage of it while we can. We got things to do and places to go!!

At Least We Didn't Get Gored By a Buffalo: Travelogue Part III: The Finale

Our trip up to Yellowstone was a lot of fun. It had been almost ten years since we'd actually driven throught the Park. As some of you may recall, Mark and I spent our honeymoon (circa 1998) in Yellowstone and it was (almost) a complete disaster. I thought I had blogged about it already, but apparently I have not. You will need to look forward to the epic tale when it gets closer to our anniversary time...December-ish. It's a doozy. To make a long story short and to get to my point, I will just say that after we got frozen out of lucky cabin #13, we received a free night voucher to be used at a later date. We returned to the Hibernation Station in late summer (to ensure there would be no flash freezes) of 1999. That was the last time we'd driven through the Park. Which means that this was a totally new experience for the girls and they were plenty excited to see some volcanic action and wildlife. Lucky for us, Yellowstone did not disappoint.

We went up on Thursday June 11. We got there in the afternoon and had a breakfast-y lunch at a local diner. The pancakes were delicious. After that we headed to the Bear and Wolf Discovery center. It was worth the admission! We got as close as we'll ever get to real live Grizzlies and they were plenty playful and entertaining.

This was as close as we got to the wolves. That was fine by me.

After discovering at the Discovery Center, we did some shopping in the abundant gift shoppes of West Yellowstone. We found our traditional Christmas ornament, Maryn picked out a cowboy hat with her money, Avery picked out a book, and both of them got sweatshirts. After that, and some ice cream and caramel-corn (that's what I picked out), we headed back to our hotel to swim and chill out for awhile.

We grabbed some dinner (hello overpriced!) and then headed over to the Playmill to see a live production of "Footloose"!! It was awesome and we all loved every minute of it (especially Heidi's fudge at intermission). Anyone who's been to Playmill knows it's a rockin' good time!

(The girls got all fancy for the show, isn't this a cute pic?)

The next day we attempted to eat our continental breakfast at the hotel, but discovered that some of the wolves from the Discovery center had descended upon the buffet and were left with scraps of bagel and packets of oatmeal. We grabbed McDonald's breakfast instead. Hee hee. We then headed into the park and immediately saw our first wildlife sighting...some mule deer and what we thought were female moose right by the side of the road. It wasn't long after that we saw our first buffalo sightings. That was pretty darn cool. (For a funny buffalo video, see Mark's blog...hee hee.)

(anyone know what kind of animal this is?)

We also saw plenty of geysers. Bubbly paint pots, stinky cauldrons of sulphur, and sure enough...Old Faithful!!

(bubbly paint pots)

(stinky sulphur...is Avery shielding her eyes or plugging her nose?)

(Old Faithful...every 90 minutes)

We had our picnic lunch at the Continental Divide, which was not what we expected. It was freezing! The elevation is still so high that there was still snow on the ground. We tried to tough it out for a few minutes, but quickly ran back to the van to finish our food.

On the way back down, we saw the Yellowstone Grand Canyon...both the upper and lower falls. Hopefully when the girls are older (and I'm not pregnant), we can actually hike the trail.

(The upper falls)

(The lower falls...breathtaking, right?)

By the end of the day, we had seen a lot. The last exhibit, I don't even remember the name was really probably one of my favorites. It's quite a long hike to get to, but the view from the top made all that hiking worth it!!

It was a great trip and we're so glad glad we did it. Hopefully it created some happy memories for the girls and gave them something they can write about summer vacation when they go back to school in the Fall. (It's not that far away you know.)

So that does it for the travel-ogue diaries for me. At this point I don't think we'll be taking too many more trips. I'm ready to nest!!

More Rigby Goodness: Travelogue Part II

The weekend of the 6th and 7th was a real highlight of our trip. Having all of the family in one place at the same time hasn't happened in probably 5 years and it was nice to be together and especially helped lift Laurie and Dennis' spirits I think.

After church on Sunday, we were able to all sit around the living room and talk and visit. We captured many of the conversations on video that I'm sure we will all treasure for many years to come. Especially the grandkids. Laurie was able to sit and talk with each one and tell them what she loved about them. It was very sweet (and very emotional as you can imagine.) I think we were all simultaneously uplifted and exhausted from the love we felt that day.

The grandkids put together a play later that evening that was pretty darn cute. I love that they all cooperated so well together and had such a good time doing it.

On Monday, we took a field trip to Rexburg. We had lunch at Fong's with Dan and then took the girls over to the BYU-I campus. Mark and I tried recapturing our youth and wanted to show the girls the classroom where we met and other important landmarks, but the campus was so torn up and different we had a hard time. It has been too long I'm afraid...over 12 years now. Still we had fun.

That night in lieu of FHE, Grandpa took the kids over to the Church parking lot to ride his go-cart. The girls were a little tentative at first, but got the hang of it after awhile and loved it.

Tuesday we took the girls to Idaho Falls to see UP! It was a really cute movie, but I'm warning you now, the beginning is a tear-jerker. Especially in light of what our family is going through right now. It was very poignant, and Mark and I both were wiping our eyes and hoping for something a little lighter.

Wednesday we stuck around Rigby and got some things done around the house. I think we ventured out for lunch and a trip to D.I. (I love that store!), and otherwise got our things together for our trip to Yellowstone the next day.

Pics of Yellowstone are still in the hopper...I know you can't wait (right, right?!?)

I-dee-hoe Travelogue: Part I

We left for Idaho on Wednesday, June 3rd and got through Iowa in the blink of an eye. We stopped for lunch at a Sonic in Des Moines. It was really, really good. (What is it about me and travelogues and needing to mention where we eat? Can you tell where my priorities are?) I seriously wish that there were one closer to me for this long, hot summer I have ahead of me...the thought of diet cherry limeades at my beck and call would be music to my ears (or stomach or whatever).

We made it into North Platte that night and stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. It was nice and we all attempted to swim. I was mighty disappointed I couldn't sit in the hot tub. Bringing my big old maternity swimsuit was a waste after I remembered that little tidbit. Bah-humbug!!

(No, I didn't take any pictures of me in my big old maternity swimsuit...I should just burn it.)

The next day we made a stop at the Lincoln monument in Nebraska, which was fun until I saw a little baby strapped into the front seat of a UHAUL truck in the parking lot. It was all I could do not to wait there by the door and go off on her pierced and tattooed Daddy. Grrr..

We finally made it into Rigby around 10 that night. It was a long day in the car...those back roads past Little America seemed endless and took forever. We were so glad to get there and see Grandma and Grandpa!!

RIGBY

The first day we were in Rigby we took a field trip to Big Jud's. Once again, we were not disappointed. Did you know that fry sauce doesn't exist east of the Mississippi? Well, it doesn't and we'd missed it!! The girls had so much fun playing with their cousins this year...that was pretty much the schedule the entire time we were there. Lots of good play time with their cousins...couldn't ask for more.

(Brianna, Aunt Melanie, Kyle, and Kameron Brown)

On Saturday, June 6 many family members (Aunts and cousins mostly) came to Rigby for a baby shower for Baby Girl Brown. It was a great excuse to see family we haven't seen in a long time. We tied a baby quilt, had a yummy lunch, and visited all afternoon. It was really wonderful, and I appreciate everyone who came and all the nice presents that were given. Baby Girl will definitely have some cute things!!

(Aunt Fay and Aunt Nan put on this delicious spread...all class all the way!)

(Great Grandma, Aunt Nan in the rocker, Aunt Janiel, and Aunt Shirlene standing over the quilt.)

We also took a family picture, a grandkids picture, and a picture of the boys and their parents. They turned out pretty well considering how many people there were, and how much they all like to stay still and smile.

I'd say that pretty much wraps up Part I of my travelogue for today. Stay tuned for more Rigby goodness and our trip to Yellowstone.

We're Home

And it actually feels like home this time. I guess that means we've lived here long enough for it to start sinking in. All during our vacation people would ask me how I liked our house and living in a tiny town and over and over again I would repeat essentially the same thing...I love our house, I just wish it were in a bigger town. I don't even need a city really, just more...stuff, ya know? Anyway...I digress. My point is that when we drove into Tonica in the wee hours of the night on Sunday, it actually kinda felt like home and I was so relieved to find our house hadn't been carried off in some mid-western tornado or been ravaged by corn field rats or broken into by our shady neighbors who burn furniture in their backyard. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Everything was as we left it, and comfy and cozy and just right. The paint job Mark did before we left looks even better now, and my bed felt so delicious to me that first night, I had a hard time getting out of it the next day...and still today again.

Now we are onto unpacking and catching up on laundry. We also had some major outdoor chores to "tend to"...watering the flowers and garden (both of which survived...hallelujah!!), mowing our never-ending yard (just watching him do it makes me tired), spraying weeds (die, die!!), and cleaning up a minor catastrophe in our laundry room from a leaky pipe (outside water spigot...curse!).

Mark also took me (and the girls) to the grocery store to restock our barren fridge and cupboards. I love it when he goes with me. Aldi isn't my favorite for that reason. First, you have to put all that food in the cart, then onto the checkout belt, then bag it yourself, then put it in the car, then take it out of the car, then put it away...BLAH!!

Today, I'm trying to piece together some sort of summer schedule to give order to the endless hours that lay before me and the girls before school is back in session. I know that all of you have different ways of doing things... and I'm all ears. I'd love to hear how you divide and conquer the day with kids all around. How do I keep them from watching (or begging to watch) TV all day? I have one reader and one sort of anti-reader. How do I keep their little brains from turning to mush? And what if I don't have the energy to make elaborate crafts or do homemade science experiments every day? How do I keep from visiting the DQ drive-through every day? You know...stuff like that. Melanie, I know you have a cute schedule and ideas a plenty...I'm looking at you!

I will post pictures and travel-ogue as soon as I can get myself seeing straight. It was really a great trip! You don't want to miss it!

More later...promise.

Vay-Cay 2009--Summer Edition

Just to let you know I will be taking a brief hiatus from the blog while we are vacationing over the next couple weeks.

We are driving cross-country to Idaho to visit our family there. We are also taking a quick trip to Yellowstone Park for a few days to see some geysers, buffalo, and Playmill goodness. No, we are not staying in lucky Cabin #13 at the Hibernation Station (see the great Honeymoon Disaster Story of '98 for details).


Until then...

My BFF's

I went to Michigan this past weekend for a quick little getaway. It was to meet up with my BFF's for one last GNO (Girl's Night Out) before another one of us moves out of the state of Michigan. Many of you know Becky. She and her family are moving clear across the country to the state of Washington for a new job. Although the job is great, we are verrrry sad that they are leaving.

We've known each other since we were 12. We all met at Girl's Camp. And we've pretty much stayed in contact over the years. We have been getting together regurlarly since the Spring of 2006. We try to go out at least once a month with just the girls, but we've also gotten together with our hubbies and kids as well.

These GNO's have been a life preserver for all of us, I think. We have laughed, cried, and eaten ourselves silly. We have literally shared our deepest, darkest secrets and have been there for each other every step of the way. I am so grateful for these ladies and the friendships that we have.

Thanks for the memories girls!!

(Yes, they all read my blog now, but never comment, ahem...yeah, I'm looking at you Sheila, Becky, and Casey!! Hee hee.)

Free At Last

The girls had their last day of school on Friday. But it paled in comparison to the week of festivities that led up to it. To me it was a blow-off week. I wish they would have planned these field trips for the last weeks of school rather than the last week of school. It was a lot for these kids to handle, and although they had fun, they were exhausted by the weekend. Monday was off because of Memorial Day, Tuesday Maryn and I went on a 2nd grade class field trip to Matthieson State Park. Luckily we had decent weather and it was a fun day. You would never know that this beautiful canyon full of funky rock formations and waterfalls existed in what is otherwise just Illinois farm country. There were hiking trails, places to climb, and stone bridges crossing waterfalls below. Breathtaking.

(Maryn is in the center, surrounded by classmates.)


(Maryn and some of her buddies on the stone bridge.)

Wednesday was a 1st and 2nd grade class field trip to Jellystone/Yogi Bear Park. Mark chaperoned this one and I think all of them had a good time. I was too worn out from the field trip the day before to go on this one, but it sounded like fun. They got to putt-putt golf, go on a nature hike, tie-dye t-shirts, and have a picnic lunch.

(Maryn and 2 of her friends on the bus...the girl behind her making the face is her BFF, Janel.)

(Avery and her BFF, Camille.)


(Maryn's 2nd grade class--she is second from the top left.)

(Avery's 1st grade class--Avery is 5th from the left on the top row.)

Thursday was field day and an all-school picnic (fun for kids, not so much for parents...it's a long story, and I don't have the time to elaborate.)

Friday was cleaning day...cleaning out desks, lockers, etc. They came home with bags and bags of stuff. Why don't they do periodic clutter control throughout the year? And why do they send it home rather than throw it away? Whatever.

Today, they actually had to show up for 20 minutes in the morning to get their report cards. I think they needed another day technically to make the state of Illinois happy. It was kind of lame and pointless in my opinion.

So as of 8:20 this morning, they are free women.

Aye, yay, yay...I am in for a loooooong summer.