BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

SORRY IN ADVANCE THAT I HAVE NOT BLOGGED FOR AWHILE. IT HAS BEEN SUPER BUSY AROUND OUR HOUSE AND I HAVEN'T HAD TIME. (BESIDES, JARED HAD TO DOWNLOAD THE PICTURES-SO I GUESS IT WASN'T ALL MY FAULT!) ALSO, THIS WILL PROBABLY BE A LONG CATCH UP POST, JUST BE WARNED. WE HAVE BEEN DOING NON-STOP WORK IN OUR BACK YARD TO GET IT FINISHED AND IT HAS TAKEN ALOT OF TIME. JARED GOT THE RETAINING WALL WITH THE RAILROAD TIES IN AND ALSO THE GARDEN AND I GOT TO HELP HIM LOAD BEHIND IT WITH ROCK FOR REINFORCEMENT. (OK-MAYBE NOT "GOT TO", HAD TO BECAUSE I FELT BAD FOR HIM.) IT WAS HARD AND TOOK ALOT OF TIME BESIDES THE FACT, IT WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES THAT DAY AND SMOLTERING. BUT, WE DID IT AND IT LOOKS NICE. THEN JARED GOT THE OTHER RETAINING WALL OF BRICK DONE, I RE-DID THE WALKING PATH ON THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND OVER THE 24 OF JULY-OUR FAMILIES CAME AND HELPED LAY THE SOD-ALMOST HAD ENOUGH BUT NOT QUITE! THANKS EVERYONE-YOU DID A GREAT JOB! NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT HAS BEEN A HUGE PROJECT TO UNDERTAKE BUT IT IS ALMOST DONE. WE ARE SO HAPPY WITH HOW IT IS LOOKING THUS FAR!

HERE IS THE GRAVEL TO PUT BEHIND THE RETAINING WALL YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT! DOESN'T LOOK BAD BUT IT IS LONG AND DEEP!

ON ANOTHER NOTE, I HAVE BEEN SLOWLY STARTING TO POTTY TRAIN HALLE. I KNOW SHE IS STILL YOUNG BUT I WANT HER TO GET IT! SO, NO DIAPERS! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO RUN HER TO THE "DORA POTTY" DURING THE DAY WHEN I HEAR HER GRUNTING OR JUST RANDOMLY TO SEE IF SHE'LL USE IT. IT HAS WORKED PRETTY GOOD BUT NOTHING TO CONSISTANT ON HER OR MY PART. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TUB, I HEARD GRUNTING, AND GRABBED HER TO PUT HER ON THE SEAT, AND..........TOO LATE! (THE FOLLOWING IS GRAPHIC!)

YES, GROSS! ABSOLUTELY FLOATING TURD BALLS IN THE TUBBY!

THEN, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED THE NEXT TIME, WE ARE GETTING IT!

YOU CAN'T SEE IT ALL-BUT YOU GET THE GIST! YEAH

WE THEN TOOK THE KIDS TO ROSS PARK TO SPLASH AROUND ONE DAY, OF COURSE JARED HAD TO WORK SO THAT STUNK BUT UNCLE TROY, AUNT "ICKY" AND "KAY-KAY" AKA TREVOR GOT TO COME WITH US! WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND THE KIDS LOVED THE KID POOL AND TOYS! SO FUN, THANKS FOR COMING~

TREVOR AND HALLE ON THE TIRE SWING IN THE KIDS POOL-THEY LOVED IT. WHAT A NICE DAY! WE WENT ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY SO WE GOT IN CHEAPER. THE KIDS BOTH WON A FREE HOT DOG AND WE GOT SOME FUN TOYS-WHAT A GOOD DAY TO GO!

HALLE KAY PLAYING WITH UNCLE TROY! SHE HAS A CRUSH ON HIM AND LIGHTS UP WHEN YOU SAY OR MENTION HIS NAME, LET ALONE WHEN SHE SAYS IT!

THIS IS A RANDOM PICTURE BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS SO CUTE. HALLE WAS ALL READY FOR BED AND GETTING SLEEPY AND I NOTICED THIS....SHE HAD MY OVEN MITTS ON HER FEET WALKING AROUND. IT WAS SO CUTE! WHAT A GIRL AND A FETISH WITH "SHOES!

GRANDMA AND GRUMPY GOT OUT THE BIG WATER TOY THIS PAST WEEKEND SINCE EVERYONE CAME TO PLAY. HALLE HATED IT LAST YEAR AND WOULDN'T KEEP OUT THIS YEAR, SHE LOVED IT AND IT WAS SO FUN!

HERE IS HALLE LOVING THE WATER!

THEN CAME THE SOD AND A GREAT BIG THANK-YOU TO EVERYONE FOR HELPING. THEY GOT IT DONE IN NO TIME AND IT LOOKS GREAT-COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT EVERYONE! THANKS, KEN, CHRIS, TREG, JOHN, AND TROY (WELL, HE CAME LATE DUE TO HIS AC BREAKING BUT HAD FULL INTENTIONS OF COMING TO HELP!)

NANNA AND HALLE PLAYING AND EATING RAMEN WHILE I TOOK PIX AND THE MEN WORKED! THANKS NANNA FOR PLAYING!

HERE IS JARED, JOHN, CHRIS, AND TREG AT WORK! GO BOYS!

HERE IS GRUMPY, PAPA, AND JARED WORKING HARD IN THE HEAT!

THEN CAME THE 24TH OF JULY PARADE! THIS IS ACTUALLY BEEN THE FIRST PARADE THAT HALLE GOT INTO. GRUMPY WAS IN THE PARADE AND SHE THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY NEAT! SHE LOVED IT, BUT WAS WAY HOT WHEN IT WAS ALL DONE SO BACK TO GRUMPY AND GRANDMA'S TO THE BIG WATER TOY!

HALLE AND I ENJOYING THE PARADE!

SINCE THE PARADE'S ARE RIGHT OUTSIDE L AND K, JARED GETS TO COME OUT FOR THEM, THAT IS FUN! WHAT IS GRANDMA DOING?

AUNT NIKI, TREVY, AND NANNA AT THE PARADE!

GRUMPY'S FLOAT IN THE PARADE!

AND I MUST ADD, THE FLOAT IS THE MULE! THIS LITTLE THING IS A MUST. WE HAVE HAD IT AT OUR HOUSE WHILE REMODELING THE BACK YARD AND HALLE WENT ON A RIDE NIGHTLY WITH JARED ON IT. THEN IT WENT TO GRUMPY'S AND HE WOULD COME GET HER NIGHTLY TO GO ON IT. NOW IT IS BACK AT THE CABIN AND HALLE IS DEVASTATED! SHE LOVES THAT MULE MORE THAN ANYTHING!(OR IS IT THE PEOPLE SHE GOES WITH? EITHER WAY, SHE LOVES IT!)

ALL IN ALL SUPER BUSY AND HAVING A TON OF FUN!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY AND OTHER STUFF!

LATELY, IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE HAD QUITE A BIT GOING ON. OUR FRIENDS, THE HIGBEE'S HAVE BEEN UP FROM BOISE FOR AWHILE FOR MIKE TO DO AN INTERNSHIP AT FORT HALL, THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH JEN'S PARENTS AND WE HAVE ENJOYED HANGING OUT WITH THEM. THE CADYS, JARED'S BEST FRIEND MIKE, AND HIS WIFE ANGELA WERE UP FROM FLORIDA FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THEM TOO. THE DUDLEY'S AND MARSHALLS WERE AROUND TO PLAY ALSO, AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING. I HAVEN'T TAKEN A LOT OF PICTURES SO THIS WILL JUST BE A BLOG...BORING SOME MAY SAY! WE HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED WITH THE SAME OLD SUMMER STUFF-WORKING ON THE YARD, HELPING FARM IN SODA, SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY, AND JUST OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON. WE HAVE ENJOYED THE PAST COUPLE WEEKENDS HANGING OUT WITH AUNT NIKI AND TREVY AS WELL AS NANA. WE WENT TO THE FAMILY LIVING FUN DAY LAST WEEKEND AND THAT WAS ALOT OF FUN FOR THE KIDS. IT HAS BEEN RAINING A TON SO ANYTHING TO GET THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE WHEN IT'S NICE FOR A BIT, HAS BEEN IDEAL. THEY ENJOYED JUST WALKING AROUND ROSS PARK SEEING BOOTHS, KIDS, FOOD, ETC...NIKI AND I ENJOYED GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR FREE ALSO. THIS PAST WEEKEND STARTED WITH JARED, TROY, MY STEP-DAD, AND MICHAEL TORGESEN HELPING WITH OUR GARDEN. YES, WE FINALLY GOT THE RAILROAD TIES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. WE ABOUT GAVE UP AND THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED-YIPPEE! THEY PUT THAT TOGETHER AND I WENT TO LUNCH WITH HAILEY DYE, BRITNEY OFISA, AND HEATHER JENKS SINCE HEATHER MOVED YESTERDAY. WE WILL MISS HER AND WISH HER FAMILY TONS OF LUCK. THEN FRIDAY NIGHT, NIKI AND I ALONG WITH OUR FAMILIES, HAD MY DAD AND KAREN, AND MY GRPA BOB TO NIKI'S FOR FATHER'S DAY DINNER. GOOD FOOD AND FUN WITH GOOD CONVERSATION-WE HAD A GREAT TIME. SATURDAY, WE WENT TO THE FARMER'S MARKET WITH NIKI, TREVY, AND NANA AND JUST HUNG OUT-THE WEATHER WAS CLOUDY BUT NO RAIN. WE THEN WALKED AROUND SHOPS IN OLD TOWN POCATELLO AND JUST PLAYED, SO FUN! THEN NANA CAME AND HELPED ME MAKE HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP AND THAT WAS FUN AND TURNED OUT SO YUMMY. WE THEN WENT TO THE RIVERFEST HERE ON THE GREENWAY AND LISTENED TO BANDS AND JUST WALKED AROUND, MOST THE BOOTHS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS WEREN'T UP DUE TO THE WEATHER BUT IT WAS STILL FUN. WE THEN CAME HOME AND JARED AND I WATCHED THE MOVIE, "TAKEN" AFTER HALLE WENT TO BED. WE HAD A FUN DATE NIGHT AND IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE.

TODAY, WE GOT TO CELEBRATE FATHER'S DAY. THIS IS A TRIBUTE TO ALL THE FATHER'S OUT THERE, WE LOVE YOU! I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL THE MEN IN MY LIFE AND ALL THE IMPORTANT LESSONS THEY HAVE TAUGHT ME. I WOULD NOT BE THE PERSON I AM WITHOUT THEM AND THEIR INFLUENCE. ESPECIALLY, MY HUSBAND. HE IS A GREAT PERSON, A WONDERFUL FATHER, AND AN OUTSTANDING HUSBAND. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR HIM AND THE LOVE HE HAS FOR HALLE AND I. HE IS A GREAT PROVIDER, CARE TAKER, AND LISTENER, AND I AM SO GREATFUL FOR HIM. I LOVE YOU JARED! WE SPENT THE EVENING WITH HIS PARENTS AND SISTER KIM, AND HUSBAND JOHN AT THE BERNT'S HAVING A BBQ. IT WAS GREAT AND WE HAD A GOOD FATHER'S DAY!

OTHER THAN THAT AND BEING BUSY, NOT A WHOLE LOT HAS BEEN GOING ON. WE DID FIND OUT JARED HAS AN EYE INFECTION WHICH ISN'T FUN AND DUE TO LASIK SURGERY LAST YEAR, HAS LOST SOME SIGHT IN HIS RIGHT EYE AND WILL HAVE TO UNDERGO SURGERY AGAIN SOON. THEY ONLY PAY FOR IT WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF SURGERY-WE ARE GOING ON A YEAR SO IT WILL BE SOON. HOWEVER, WE ARE THANKFUL HE IS OK AND NOTHING MAJOR IS WRONG, AND HE WILL GET BETTER.

WELL, THATS A LONG POST, SO HOPE ALL IS GOING WELL FOR EVERYONE.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY AGAIN TO ALL THOSE MEN OUT THER!

WE LOVE YOU!

WORKING ON THE YARD!

SO, THE YARD IS SLOWLY A WORK IN PROGRESS BUT IT IS LOOKING BETTER. THE TREES AND STUMPS ARE NOW GONE THANKS TO JAREDS FRIENDS DAD...THANKS CAPTAIN! WE HAD SOME SOD LAID DOWN, AND ARE WAITING TO PLANT THE GARDEN. THIS IS WHAT THE YARD IS LOOKING LIKE NOW, AND YES, HALLE WON'T GET OF THE "MULE!" SHE LOVES RIDING IT WITH DADDY-HE TAKES HER ALL AROUND THE BLOCK, AND SHE CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT!

JARED AND HIS DIRT PILE. HERE IS WHERE THE GARDEN WILL BE SOON!

HALLE PLAYING WHERE THERE IS NOW SOD!

JARED AND HALLE CHILLING ON THE MULE!