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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

A snake story

Randy and Trampis actually had a week with no baseball or football practices, so they came to LG for some fun and adventure. We decided to take a trip to Marley Creek for a picnic, skeet shooting and 4-wheeling. The kids hit the creek 1st thing, the boys were looking for crawdads and the girls were catching water skippers.
So, some of us just sat around the picnic table visiting and enjoying the shade. It was hot when we left LG and much cooler and more pleasant in the shady mountains.


Cynjyn loves Randy's dogs. Touchdown and her got along swimmingly and enjoyed playing in the creek.


When we started skeet shooting, Touchdown stayed by Cynjyn, Catcher on the other hand, hated the guns and camped out under dad's truck.


After a yummy picnic of pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, watermelon, chips and rice krispie treats for dessert, the kids were off again on the 4 wheelers, and in the creek. We were visiting and mom asked me if there was anyway Taz would ever consider bringing a snake back. I said no way, he was afraid of snakes. She didn't think Trampis would either. You see, Trampis is not very adventerous. He won't go on amusement park rides such as roller coasters and such because he is a BIG chicken. Well, about 5 min. later, we heard the boys squealing and giggling and talking excitedly. I go and look around the bend and see Trampis leading the way with a SNAKE on a big stick. I warn mom that he's really coming with a snake. She is so afraid of them and so is Cynjyn. I tell C to stay close to Grandma because she won't let Trampis tease her and get too close. Trampis had thrown a rock at the snake and KILLED it. He came running back into camp saying, "I killed a snake, I killed a snake!" Well, the snake had a big gash in it, but it was still moving a little and everytime it did Trampis would squeal in fear!! It was opening and closing it's mouth and freaking us all out.






Here he is with his prized catch. He was so proud of himself, but boy he would not touch it!!





Finally, Granpa went and picked it up and it wrapped it's tail around his finger (It was MOSTLY dead, as they say in Princess Bride!). Here he is trying to give it to Trampis to "dispose" of properly, but Trampis wouldn't fall for it. He only stuck his stick out to get it!! It provided us with about a half an hour of entertainment.





Meanwhile, Trampis the snake killer, wouldn't catch crawdads either. He'd find them and make Taz put them in the pail. Grandpa said they could only bring big ones home and they had to eat them. So, they dumped out their catch and Trampis told Taz which ones to keep.







When we got home Trampis promptly cooked them,









and ate them. He thought they were delicious!!








Taz was sad because his legs were killing him with growing pains and he had this huge bruise on his shoulder from shooting the 410 at the clay pigeons. Oh, yeah, and on the way home, we say the huge herd of 200+ elk. They were in the meadow! What a night, what fun!









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Monday, August 3, 2009

Boise, haircuts, temple sealings and garage sales

We went to Boise again Wednesday-Saturday. Mom had some family names she needed sealings done for and she really wanted some of her family to be able to experience them with her. So we drove to Boise. Thursday, Mom, Krissy, Ky and I did an endowment session. Us three girls each took a family name through. After the session, Brian and Dad met us there for the sealings. We did 7 marriages and then sealed 31 daughters and 33 sons to their parents. Mom's sister Jackie died last year and when Krissy got married in March, I took Jackie's name through the session to get her endowments done. Well, during the sealings, I was proxy for the daughters and I did half of them, and Ky did the other half, Jackie was one of the daughters I had! That was special and neat. Friday Ky watched Taz and Cynjyn (THANKS!!) while mom, Krissy and I went to Ontario. Krissy sold her house on Monday, and was moving out. She wanted to do a garage sale and wanted our help. We spent all day Friday organizing and pricing things. We went back to Boise and got up early the next morning and left by 6 am to go back to Ontario. We started the garage sale at 8 and ended at 1. She did pretty good, making around $250.00!! Brian brought Cynjyn over later in the afternoon, and Taz came with Grandpa. We were supposed to leave Ontario around one in order to make it back to La Grande in time to go to the fair. Taz and Cynj really wanted to do the carnival rides. But they decided to go back to Brian and Krissy's house and spend the night with Ella and then come back to LG the next day with Randy and Trampis. So, mom, dad and I headed to LG and the kids headed to Boise with Krissy. The driveway full of stuff to sell.
Krissy was so excited it was going well.

Us ladies charming the crowds and coaxing them to buy, buy, buy!


Ella got her hair cut a few weeks ago. Ever since them, Cynjyn has been begging to get hers cut. I finally relented and Ky made us an appointment while we were in Boise. I was sad for her because she'd worked so hard this past year growing it out. But it did look very stringy and she hated taking care of it, so I figured she must really want it cut since she'd been asking for two weeks. So, here's the befores








And here's the afters. We all really like it, including her and she comes it all the time and loves blowing it dry after showers and such.





I guess it was a good thing!!





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A "quiet" day

One of our quiet days last week was spent helping Grandpa check on his cows at the 480 pasture. Taz, Cynj and I went with him. C and I rode one 4 wheeler and Taz and G rode the other. All the fences looked good and we found the cows as soon as we got into the trees. There was water in the pond and all looked good.






Grandpa always loves to stop by the "straightest" tree on the land!! Cynjyn thought it was quite interesting.
You can't see it as good in this picture with me and Taz.Grandpa did just a few minor fence repairs such as pulling it up and securing a post or two. This picture shows what a good helper Taz was:)



When we got back up to the lane, 8 of Billy's horses had made their way over to the truck and 4 wheeler trailer. They were so friendly, they just stayed by us, curious at everything around us. Taz and Cynjyn were really wishing they had some sort of treat to share with them, but alas, we had nothing.

They took quite an interst in our 4 wheeler, licking it and sniffing it. We hated to leave them, they were so beautiful!


Mom and I try to walk in the cemetary everyday. The kids like to go with us sometimes because there are two lonley horses that pasture right up by there. Grandma usually buys a bag of carrots and lets the kids feed them. This summer though, we've had a lot of watermelon, so she's been saving the rinds and they love eating them as a special treat. The kids have even named them. Here's Taz feeding Chocolate (or sometimes they call him Brownie).


And here's Cynjyn feeding Snowflake.







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Where did everyone go?

After Wallowa, everyone had to go back to their own homes for awhile. So for a week, it was just me, Grandma, Grandpa, Taz and Cynjyn. We were able to have a few little adventures on our own. D & B (the local cowboy store) was having a sale, so Grandma took T and C to get Taz a cowboy outfit for his birthday (Aug. 15 is the actual day, but they were having a sale). Cynjyn ended up with a cute cowgirl shirt, and Taz got a shirt and cowboy boots. Here she is posing with her hat from the Snake River Stampede.



Taz loved his shirt and boots, but he wanted a black cowboy hat. We made him pose with Ella's hat from the stampede, then the next day, Grandma bought him a black cowboy hat and he was much happier!!







They got their new outfits just in time to be cowboys!! One of Uncle Reed's cows that grandpa was housing here had a calf. The kids needed to help grandpa catch it and tag it's ear before it got too big to catch and hold, so they headed out to the pasture...



Grandpa grabbed the calf and layed it down. He told Taz to sit on it while he tagged it. Well, calves are quite strong and as soon as grandpa let go and started getting the tagging stuff out, that little calf kicked Taz in the leg and jumped right up and Taz was off. Luckily, Grandpa quickly grabbed his leg and held him down while I got the tagging equipment loaded. Taz wanted nothing to do with helping anymore and I couldn't take pictures anymore because my hands were full, but the mother cow was not happy with what was happening with her calf and she had her nose right in Grandpa's face and was snorting and mooing. This is the main reason Taz wasn't wanting to help anymore.
Needless to say, we got the calf tagged and he went happily back to his mother and all was well.
Grandpa then recorded the birth and hooked up the calf to his mother on the official Cow recording system. I had to take a picture of this for posterity's sake because it is just so funny that this official recording is a sheet of paper that he keeps in his wallet.



You'd think that in the day and age of computers that the record keeping would be a little more modern, BUT, this is that way it's always been done!! My grandpa had a similar system on him at all times plus a hunting record of who killed what and when and where. I suppose this is only funny to family who knows the story!!







One evening, we took a KFC picnic to Catherine Creek. The yellow jackets were awful and we had to fight for our food with them. After dinner, we let the kids play in the creek until the temp. dropped and it started getting dark and then the mosquitoes were out in full force and Taz got 7 bites on the back of his neck in a matter of seconds.






But until then, the kids loved playing in the creek.


















Cynjyn has always loved rocks! I'm surprised there were any left in the creek after she was done, this is what she took home to study more carefully with Grandma's magnifying glass. After we packed up, we drove up the road aways to the meadows to spot deer. We say several groups, a badger and some type of critter out in the field we think was either a coyote or a big bird of some sort. Since everyone spotted a deer, Grandpa took up to DQ for an ice cream treat when we got back into town! It was a fun evening.









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Saturday, August 1, 2009

Family Bonding

Most of all, we enjoy the downtime, the lull moments in the cabin. The time we get to spend together. You can only do so many activities. Getting to know one another is what it's all about. We really like spending time together. Trey and Beckham
Grandma, Taz and Ky


Krissy, Cynjyn and Lola


Taz, Kres, and Ella.



Taz.



Cynjyn, Beckham, Krissy and Lola.






Taz, Kres and Ella






Lola, Grandpa and Beckham








Taz and Kres.






Me and Trey.












Trey, Kres and Taz









What would time in a cabin in the mountains be without S'Mores?? We couldn't make a fire because of the fire hazards, but they had a gas grill that we fired up and roasted away! Taz and Cynj.




Taz and Trey




Cynj and Ella

Me and Dad.





Kres




Me





Taz








Taz and Kres
Taz got a sliver from the boat dock, so Dr. Ky came to the rescue. Gotta love family!




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