Captain

Lars spent the summer in New York selling alarm systems. While he was there he made the big commitment of getting a puppy--the problem? The breeders wanted the puppy picked up before Lars would get back. So. . . Lauren (Lars's friend) went to get the puppy, then I met her in Salt Lake and brought the puppy home so we could "puppy-sit" for a week.

Lauren and Captain. Cute girl--cute puppy!

Why is it everyone wants something from my wallet?

Lars and his new companion.

A couple of weeks ago Mike was on Facebook and noticed Josh was online at the same time. They began chatting and Josh (spur of the moment, I think) invited us to go to the mountains with them for a picnic. Mike and I rode the motorcycles to LaPoint and met up with Josh, Heidi, and kids. We joined them and made the trek in their new truck (it is sweet) to a spot that Josh had picked out and spent a few hours relaxing in the mountain air.

Mike and Deegan gathered wood for the fire.

They had enough wood for a fire to last the night, even though we had no intention of staying that long. Deegan kept wanting to get more, and more, and more--so, they did. Then Poppa and Deegan broke branches into the right size, arranged them in the fire ring, and started a nice little cooking fire. If you have seen little boys and fire--you know Deegan was eager to help and look after the fire.

Heidi and Josh did all of the cooking--grilled chicken, marinated and grilled fresh asparagus, diced potatoes and onions (over the fire), garlic toast, and salad. (Is your mouth watering? It should be because it was DELICIOUS!)

Syeira and I exploring the beauties of nature.

No chicken for Sy! She gets rice cereal fed to her by Nonna.

After dinner, we had to go exploring. Mike and I took Deegan out for a walk. He was the leader first, then it was Nonna's turn. We tried to stay on the fallen logs and walk without touching the ground. Mike (Poppa) found some rotted trees ready to fall over so he and Deegan helped the process out a little.

You can tell how much fun a little boy has had by the amount of dirt he collects! I think Deegan had a good time. So did we!

Thanks, Josh and Heidi, for inviting us to come along!!

More Rodeo

This picture of Mikie ran in the Vernal Express newspaper. It is kind of a cool picture. I think it was at a rodeo in Daggett County, but I am not absolutely sure. A few weeks later we watched Mikie ride in the Duchesne County Fair. He scored, but didn't win--and I didn't get any pictures of it.

The Real Birthdays

August 15th is the official birthdate, but when Mikie was born on August 15th twenty-one years ago I gave him the day and quit having birthdays (at least in theory). Mike and I rode the motorcycles to American Fork on Thursday and had a back tire put on the bike I am riding. He also bought a windshield for the bike. We met Coree, Gavin, and kids and had a late lunch at Zupa's. That was the first part of the birthday--aside from the surprise party given last week.

Friday we took Mikie and Charissa out to dinner for his birthday. Mike and I work in the Vernal Temple on Saturdays, so we went out on Friday instead.

Saturday morning we had birthday breakfast prepared by Mike. (We both have hit "important" ages!) Mikie and I both got new leather jackets from Mike. I guess we are now going to be a redneck biker trio! Mikie left to spend the weekend with friends at rodeos and in Ogden. Mike and I spent the afternoon and evening working in the temple.

Happy Birthday Roux!

Saturday, August 8th, came and Vi and Roux are ready to return to Arizona. Roux's birthday is the 9th, and instead of sending gifts with them we decided to let Roux open them before leaving. That way he would have some new toys and things to keep him occupied during the long drive to Gilbert.

Mikie helps Roux open his birthday presents. Happy Second Birthday!

We love having these two come, but hate to see them leave!

Surprise!!!

The end of riding horses and eating dinner came. Heidi and Deegan said their good-byes, Coree, Gavin, and kids said theirs and we waved as they drove away. The house seemed empty and I was missing family--especially since Coree's family would be heading back to China and I didn't know when we would be together again. Mike, Roux, and I began the clean-up process and spent time playing. Just as it was getting dark, Mike suggested we ride up and feed the other horses. The three of us, yes three of us, piled on Mike's motorcycle and headed up the hill to feed. As we approached John and Louise Jorgensen's, Mike said Louise needed him to look at her computer for a minute. This is not an unusual request so I didn't think anything of it. Well, the computer did not need looking at--Heidi and fam, Coree and family, Mikie and Charissa, John and Louise, and Charlie and Gary were all waiting with balloons, cake and a surprise party for me! My birthday was still ten days away, but they planned the celebration when they knew family would be around. I was very surprised--and touched.

Yes, the black signifies I am old--as my mother says, half-a-century.

Cake (with black and blue flowers) and ice cream, and even a gift or two. (I didn't get pictures--maybe I can get some from my camera happy sister!)

A gift of prismacolor pencils may not seem like much to most people, but it meant a lot to me. Mike and Charissa gave me sheet music for "Phantom of the Opera" and cleaner and polish for my violin. The girls gave me the prismacolors. It was kind of like my kids were telling me that it is time to pick up the talents and interests that I had set aside for so long--which is something I really have wanted to do, but have lacked to courage to see if I could still do those things. Their support and encouragement is motivating me to dust off the violin and pick up the pencils. (Coree's chocolates took care of my sweet tooth. She knows my weakness!)

Thank you for reminding me that in my old age you still love me!

Horses at Uncle Mike's

Coree, Gavin, and their children came out to spend the afternoon while Vi was here. Heidi, Deegan, and Sy came as well and we spent the afternoon together. You can't come to Uncle Mike's/Poppa's without playing with the horses in one way or another. Mike brought four of the gentler horses over (not necessarily the pretty horses) so kids could ride around in the small pasture.

Roux is not a big fan of real horses. He has play/toy horses that he takes with him everywhere, even to bed, but Poppa's real horses are too scary.

Jonny on Hook

Gavin walking with Tess as Deegan and Vika ride.

After watching the kids ride, Roux decided he was ready to try. First he rode with Mike, then threw a fit when they got off. Next he rode with Rachel. Then he rode with Deegan.

Finally he rode with Gavin and was so relaxed he fell asleep. (Horrible pic of the horse.)

A Week of Family!

Vi and Roux came to stay for a week. During this week I agreed to teach two sessions of the Parent Child swimming class for the local swimming pool. (Yes, I am a Red Cross certified Water Safety Instructor.) Heidi brought Deegan over for lessons with the Level 1 class and I talked Mike into bringing Roux to one of the sessions I was teaching. Mike is a devoted Grandpa--he is not a fan of swimming pools, but he brought Roux anyway.

It is fun teaching the class, but in the back of my mind I am thinking, "This is ridiculous to have a class for parents to play in the pool with their child." Some of them come because they have older children in lessons, some because it forces them to set aside time to play at the pool, but others really don't know how to play in the water with their kids.

Roux is a little water-boy. He and Vi swim nearly everyday, of course, you have to to survive the Arizona summers, so Roux is fearless around water and thinks he can swim all by himself.

Roux and Poppa

I took Roux from Poppa to show the parents some different things to do to play with their kids. Roux was really ticked off that he had to leave the fun he and Poppa were having doing their own thing.

It was funny watching Roux with this rope. He would arrange it, evaluate what he had done, re-arrange it, evaluate, over and over and over. Later Mike let him play with a roping rope and they practiced catching things in the rope. I didn't get pictures, but it was fun to watch.

Champion Hide Racers

Mikie and his friends, Adam and Jamie, entered a hide race "just for fun." Adam was meeting them at the rodeo and bringing a horse. The day was not going well for Adam and he didn't have time to get the horse he was planning on bringing, so he caught the first horse he could of the ranch horses he has access to. Mikie asked Adam what horse he brought and Adam replied that he didn't know which one--just a horse he could catch easily.

At the rodeo grounds Mikie helped unload the horse and the two of them decided they had Tomato (or something like that), a horse that had been used a couple of times as a pick-up horse when they practiced riding rough stock. Neither of them knew how Tomato would react to pulling a hide around an arena. It ended up that they took first place and each received a belt buckle and a split of the prize money.

Not bad for an unpracticed run with an untested horse!

A couple of weeks ago Deegan came to play at Nonna and Poppa's house. Mike always takes Deegan out to do "men" stuff--riding the four-wheeler to check the horses, calves, and steers, changing sprinklers, checking the ponds, etc. They had been gone for about 40 minutes and I get this phone call, "Meet us in the orchard and bring the camera, now!" Of course, being the good wife and nonna that I am, I drop everything and go. I find Mike in the orchard, but Deegan is nowhere to be seen. I search and search and search and finally hear this little voice call out, "Up here, Nonna! I hid from you!" Deegan was in one of the apricot trees eating "apricot sandwiches" and enjoying his little hide-and-seek game.

"Here I am, Nonna!"

Eating an apricot sandwich--he takes the pit out then has a "sandwich"