hist whist

Link's posture in the last half says it all about how exhausted we all were by the end of the weekend!

napoleon grooves

family pics

I love having a budding photographer in the family! My niece Brittany took these snazzy shots of us at my Grandma's farm!

i {heart} heavenly hailey

We met up with my sistas at a condo in Hailey, Idaho, and we had a blast hanging out with Jed's Uncle Lawrence and Laura who live there!

Ikey {hearts} his cousin Keira

What a beautiful place! All the kids lined up at the Sun Valley resort U. Lawrence mesmerized the kids with some tunes Isaac was especially enthralled and wanted to learn everything he could from his musical uncle! (Did I mention that Lawrence makes mandolins for a living? Pretty sweet!)

Girls against Boys family football game!!! Girls made the rules! ha ha ha

My cutie girls Lawrence and Laura were SO sweet with the kids! The kiddies followed Lawrence around like he was the Pied Piper! :) Lawrence and Laura took us to this Cottonwood "heart" tree where fans wedge heart-shaped rocks in the bark or drop off at the base. We {heart} Hailey!

craters of the moon

On our trip through Sun Valley, Idaho, we stopped off at Craters of the Moon National Park, site of an extinct volcanic eruption. I've always wanted to go there, so it was fun to finally check it out. It was so fascinating for the boys!

We scrambled through an underground cave and here the boys are climbing out We learned all about A-a and Pa-hoy-hoy lava!

my grandma: 90 years and still going strong!

We were giddy to attend my Grandma's 90th birthday bash! This amazing woman is still active, smart, classy, and sassy! Seriously, does she look 90??? I only hope I inherit her vitality and longevity!

snuggle bunny

Link loves to be swaddled like a little baby in his towel when he gets out of the bath, all toasty and snug.

kimmie's visit

My amazing sister Kimmie and her two cute boys, Brandon and Blake, visited us recently! It's awesome that Kim's boys are about the same age as mine and they play so well together!

On our hike at MacClay Flats: On your marks, get set. . . Go!!! Link, Blake, Ike, and Brandon Aunt Kimmie reads to the boys We love Aunt Kimmie! (and Isaac had a hard time saying goodbye) Buds Link is a little lover of animals We spent a blissful afternoon watching the boys play in the Bitterroot river at MacClay Flats We love you, Kimmie, Brandon, and Blake!

bozeman lovin'

How's this for a half-birthday present? Our "Auntie" Caitlin promised Isaac a trip to any Montana dino museum of his choosing! After much see-sawing, he finally settled on the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, a 3-hour drive from Missoula. We had incredible 70-degree weather to cap off an amazing time!

Caitlin with Link and Cheky Lou The boys were just a little bit intimidated of the life-sized dino models! Can you detect a bit of fear in their faces?

This cool bone had T-Rex bite marks in it! In the late 80s this nearly complete T-Rex skeleton was discovered in Montana. The museum also houses the most extensive triceratops collection in the world! What would a fun trip with Auntie "Taitlin" (as Link calls her) be without ice cream? We camped near a gorgeous river and capped off the night with some fine soaking at Norris Hot Springs complete with a live musician. We took the long route home through Ennis and Virginia City and enjoyed the sites there. Thanks for a fantastic time, Caitlin!!!

farewell, summer

Ah, summer. Tis always sad to see you fade into Fall. Some highlights from our summer:

Link riding his new bike Playing with Andi and Henry at the Bob Dylan concert! Link and his pal, Mr. Fuzzy Bunz Simple pleasures Scary wolf and lion! . . . don't ask! . . . Hiking in Blodgett Canyon Welcome, Autumn!