Happy 4th!

I am so thankful for our country, and brave men & women both past and present for their sacrifices to have the freedoms we enjoy! We started with the Parade.

Mckendrie marching sporting their brand new uniforms.

Briley rode on the float our Stake entered and threw (what else) infamous salt water taffy!

We enjoyed a great day with family & friends! Good food, good fun and one wicked card game! An awesome day ended with the fireworks! Thanks everyone for lots of fun!

May Happenings & Movin On!

Once again I have seriously neglected my blog!! Not even a good excuse, just lazy!! but if this is for posterity, I guess it better have a few entries!

May has been a flurry of events!! with some special one's I would like to record, so I will lump them all into one post!

May started with McKendries Water Polo teams State Tournament in Salt Lake. The girls were on fire! They played their hearts out only losing one game as it turned out to the State Champions, but because it was a second round loss it put them in fifth place. We had a great time! They are very geared up for next year with 5 Seniors on the team! The same weekend on Sunday McKendrie was set apart to serve on the Seminary Counsel next school year. I am so proud of her and the choices she has made. She has a strong testimony and is such a good example to all of us!

May 6th was a little more bittersweet occasion. My sweet Grandma passed from this life, back to my Grandpa whom she has been without for nearly thirty years. She was my siblings & I last remaining Grandparent. While sad for us it was truly a wonderful family reunion both in heaven and here on earth. She was a wonderful lady! She taught me many things and set such a great example for her family. I am thankful for the Sealing power of the Temple and my knowledge that families can be together forever.

My Mom & her siblings (minus 1 brother) May 11 2011
T

The Grandchildren at Grandma's funeral May 11 2011

Our last big event was Briley's graduation from Middle School. She struggles a lot with school so I am so proud of her for hanging in there and graduating! It's on to High School next year!! Both

girls in High School!! Unbelievable, where did the time go?

Junior Prom

McKendrie's Junior Prom was last night.

She had a great time and she looked so beautiful!! Mom got thePrincess dress & the fru fru hair,

but the shoes are one hundred percent McKendrie!!

Briley

I took these pictures for my photography class. I don't think I posted a picture of her after she got her braces off a couple of months ago so I thought I would share. She is growing up way to fast!! She is a sweetheart!

McKendrie's first Deer

Russ has been on outage since October 15 which means working 7 days a week, 10 hour days. for the first week then 6 10s the next weeks. McKendrie had a deer tag but not a lot of time to hunt either with a lot of school activities going on, so she and Russ went out today for one last ditch effort to get a deer. Efforts paid off (even though it was Sunday) She shot her very first deer!! with it on the run even!! ( I think her dad had a bigger smile than she did!!!) Way to go old dead eye!!

Our Little Band Goes Big Time!

It has been 25 years since Delta High School has had a marching band. They have a really great new band instructor who has taken the band program to a whole new level and is so great with the kids! He started last year with teaching them field formations and marching at the football games, and this year applied and was accepted for the band to march for the first time ever in the Days of 47 Parade in Salt Lake City.
The band went to Lagoon on Friday as a reward for working so hard. Russ, Briley and I took a little mini vacation ourselves and got a room a Little America just 2 blocks off the parade route. We went out to dinner and Russ and Briley took a dip in the pools and had a nice relaxing evening. The next day it was so nice to just walk up two blocks to enjoy parade.

The Band looked so sharp and sounded so awesome!! McKendrie was a trooper! It was a long march on a very hot day, with a very heavy set of drums, and she is a pretty small girl! I was a very proud mom! I think it was fun for McKendrie to be a part of a first for the band.

Flaming Gorge Camping Trip

Once again My Blog has been seriously neglected! I really need be better!

McKendrie's friend Cody is working in Flaming Gorge this summer along with his Grandparents who are camp hosts there. Their family was getting together for a river rafting trip and he invited McKendrie to come. Now 16 year old girl and 17 year old boy for 5 days, well you get the picture! so like it or not Mom, Dad and sister tagged along and made this a 5 day family camping trip. We had a wonderful time and Cody's family were very gracious hosts!

We left Wed. morning and arrived that evening in time to get trailer set up in camp and fix some dinner.

Our camp mascot that showed up every day!

Thursday Russ, the kids and I went on a tour of Flaming Gorge Dam.

After the dam tour and taking some dam pictures (ha ha) Cody had arranged for some 1 and 2 man Kayaks, so Russ and the kids hit the River. I gladly volunteered to take pictures and be the shuttle driver, (Ok, really I was chicken to go in the Kayaks.)

Friday we spent most of the day swimming & cliff jumping at the reservoir. I was pleasantly surprised Briley who is afraid of heights got in on the action, she had a blast! I proved even fat old ladies can still jump off cliffs! I will spare you the picture of me to prove it. (SCARY!)

Saturday was the big river run in the rafts. It was one big water fight with five 8 man rafts and several other rafts that ambushed us going down!! I don't think I have ever been so wet in my life! Unfortunately no pictures , I couldn't figure a way to keep my camera dry.

Little Hole where we ended the river run.

We had a great time! We appreciate Cody's family's hospitality and letting us tag along.