Glacier National Park

We're back....

Aren't you excited to hear about our wild and crazy Montana adventures? Well it all began in the wonderful National Park, Glacier.

We got to spend two days at one of the prettiest places on earth.

Check out the beards! Aren't they such good looking mountain men?

We got to see many wild creatures; mosquitoes, horse flies, deer, squirrels, oh yeah and like 8 mountain goats! I've decided they are pretty neat, and if I was a hiker I would have one as a pet.

It was snowy enough still that Zach and Brock got some nice sledding time.

That night we camped at Apgar and enjoyed skipping rocks at nearby Lake McDonald. Okay, so I enjoyed watching those who could actually make a rock skip more than twice.

After a delicious campfire breakfast made by Erica, we headed out to do more hiking.

These are the roots of a very tall, collapsed cedar.

On one of our hikes we enjoyed the pristine water and view of St. Mary Lake. It was so clear. It reminded me of Hawaii in looks but felt like ice. Zach and Brock were even so brave as to jump in.

Can we just admire this manly-ness for a minute?

Truly, two days well spent.

More to come.

Lake Powell

On our way to Lake Powell we stopped in Salt Lake to meet up with Brock and enjoy a free Bright Eyes concert in the park. 

We got there early enough to actually see the stage. These are all the not so lucky people. It was a really fun, slightly crazy, night. 

The next day we headed to Lake Powell bright and early.  We met up with the Maughan, Brown and Bushman families.

 

We had such a great time at Lake Powell. All we had to do was show up, sit back and relax. Okay, okay Zach helped out with boats and anchoring but I stayed nice and relaxed. haha. We had delicious food the whole week, fun entertainment and beautiful scenery. 

 Everyday I got a full body wok out between swimming, kiaking, wake boarding, knee boarding and sand hill climbing. On Sunday we had so much fun dancing, watching every one dance, making bracelets and playing Hearts.

 

While we were there we were introduced to one of the best games ever. Corn Hole. It was especially fun because we could play couples verses couples. Basically the team that gets 21 points first wins. If it lands on the board its 1 point if it goes in the hole its 3 points. We took turns winning and played until it got too windy or too dark. We might just have to make our own Corn Hole set up.  

We had so much fun out on the lake with every one. It was really warm which made the water feel perfect. 

I must say that I am so proud to have enjoyed the weather with out getting really burnt ever! okay a little on my knees and shoulders but no peeling and lots of freckles. A true red head feat.

We had so much fun talking and visiting with Scott and Nikki and everyone else. It was such a friendly group and we truly loved every moment. We hope to run into you all again. Thanks for the awesome trip Scott and Nikki! 

Be Back Soon

 

Enjoy your summer, cause we are. 

Guest Blogger: Katherine from Thrifted Things

Remember this lovely lady? Well she is  the blogger of Thrifted Things and I was lucky enough to get her to guest blog today about thrift shopping. I asked her some questions I have had about thrifting and she so willingly shared her secrets.  So with out further adieu, I present you, Katherine. 

1. Do you thrift with a purpose or an open mind?

I usually thrift with an open mind but I usually have things on my mind that I would like to find. Right now those things are salt water sandals and white skinny jeans. Most of the time though, I just go in and dig through everything. I love finding quirky clothes.

2. What do you look for when you shop?
I hit up EVERY department! Women’s, men’s, little boy’s, furniture, mugs, purses, knickknacks, bedding. Seriously, I look everywhere. Clothes are usually my main focus though. I’m always on the hunt for high wasted pants and skirts, dresses, sweaters, blouses, shoes and boots! I’m obsessed with clothes. I seriously should cut back. I’m a thriftaholic..

3. What are good thrift store prices?
I always try to keep it under $6. I always go for “the cheaper, the better” route. I love when Goodwill has its 99 cents days! And Salvation Army always has good sales too. The other day they were having a 50% off sale. Score!

4. What is your favorite thing to find?
Hm, that’s a tough one. I’d probably have to say shoes. I think cute shoes in good condition and ones that fit can be hard to find sometimes. I have like 5 cowboy boots that I thrifted when I was a sophomore in high school before those were super in. Now, when you do find a pair, they’ve jacked the prices up. When I find cute shoes that fit I throw um’ into my cart and buy them. Just the other day I found super cute boat shoes and sandals for cheap! Love when that happens.

5. Why do you go thrift shopping?
I’ve been thrift store shopping since I was 12. It’s just become a part of me (that sounded super deep and lame, but its true). I’m ridiculously frugal. Nothing in my closet is over $20. I cringe at spending over $10 on a single item. I love thee hunt of it all, finding treasures that you couldn’t find in a department store. I love finding clothing that is unique and special.

6. What advice do you have for those new to or intimidated by thrift shopping?
Don’t be scared to try something new or different on. I think thrift store shopping is a good way to discover your style. You can seriously find something from every era in a thrift store. You could try on mom pants and find out they’re the best thing since sliced bread (it happened to me). Plus, shopping at a thrift store will seriously save you some cash! If you go to the right places and go on days when they’re having deals, you will have a pretty cheap wardrobe my friend.

Hope you enjoyed her insight as much as I did. And don't forget to check out her blog at http://thriftedthings.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Katherine!

'Lovely Bones' Review

I saw the movie last year. It was one of those you walk out of hating, but knowing that it was really well done. Ya know? It was different, so when I heard it was a book, I felt kind of drawn to it in some weird way. So a year later I made time and read. Well, I read when I had time. Before you read i,t I do have a few recommendations.

#1 Don't stop after the first chapter.

#2 Give your self enough time to read at least the first 3 chapters all in one sitting.

#3 Look for the beauty.

I started reading between calls at work and wow, that was a bad idea. In one shift I was only able to read the first chapter and was thrown into the worst mood. The story is about a girl in the 70's, telling the story of how she was raped and murdered, from her perspective in heaven (or "the in between"). The first chapter sets the stage and describes the whole tragedy. That is why you need to keep reading to avoid the dark feeling you get if you stop there. The book goes on about healing and finding peace which made the whole first part worth reading. It almost feels like you are able to heal and grow as the characters do. SPOILER ALERT: Don't worry, there is justice, if you are like me and need it to feel resolved.

I appreciated the new perspective on life and the after life. It made me so grateful for the knowledge I have of what the after life will in fact be like. (For more on that explore HERE)

So, was it good? Yes.

Was it a thriller? Yes.

I cried.

I laughed.

I read fast as I got nervous.

I grew.

Zach and I have also been reading 'The Hunger Games' series, 'Beauty', and 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'. What are you reading?

Loving Summer

Now that EFY is over and the K-12 schools are getting ready to start again, Rexburg feels nice and quiet. We have only a few neighbors home over the 7 week break, and can I just tell you how much I have enjoyed NOT having neighbors. It has been a delightful break from people, but I am ready to vacation somewhere else.

We have enjoyed going on bike rides, walks, reading, listening to the passing storms, and watching our favorite T.V. shows. This past week we have had rain accompanied by some thunder and lightening every night. I have been enjoying it thoroughly.

Sunday I tried making some double chocolate chip cookies. I failed. I have had the worst time making cookies as of late. They were excellent, however, after a few minutes soaking in milk. It reminded me of some good family desserts growing up, dunking Oreos. Sometimes we would warm up the milk to speed up the cookie softening process.

Family Fun Continued

 After Megan, Holly and Ricky were sent off to EFY, Zach, my mom and I got to hang out.

We got to work on mending and sewing projects. We are trying to work on some home made christmas gifts this year and had a lot of fun experimenting. So after Christmas I will show you the details of what we did. 

One night we enjoyed this treasure of a movie. It was an inspiring, funny, and moving movie. I definitely recommend it.

While Zach was at work my mom and I spent time together shopping, sewing, going on walks and hiking the R Butte.

 It was a beautiful clear day and the hike was beautiful. I am excited to go again and loved walking and talking with my mom.

Of course we had to enjoy some Fro-Yo with two shops right here in Rexburg. We tried both Kiwi Loco and Twizzile Berry this week. And I have to say that Kiwi Loco is by far my favorite. They have more flavors and a much better smooth texture. 

When the girls got home from EFY they crashed out from emotional exhaustion for a few hours while Ricky and my mom enjoyed the Army Navy Surplus Store. After we all got back together we did some more shopping and walking around Rexburg.

We got to enjoy the flee market and Megan, Holly and Ricky all walked away with personality perfect treasures while my mom and I walked away with exciting new ideas. 

My mom and sisters were featured on www.simplysadiejane.com she was one of the sellers. I definitely recommend checking out her site. Cute stuff!

 It was so much fun having my family visit this summer. They are a pretty awesome bunch and we are excited to hang out with them all over Christmas. Hopefully we will get more time with the teens this time. Thanks for the great time you guys.