Happy, Happy!

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

and

to me!

Two years of blogging and I have learned so much about myself, it has been a great sourse of encouragement and accountability to me. I have learned to use words and photos to recreate experiences and to record pieces of my life. But most of all, it has connected our family to us. Through all of the fun and drama, sarcasm and joy... thanks for sticking with me to cherish another year!

He's back...

He made it home safe and sound!

I didn't think anyone would be happier to see him than me...

But I was wrong....Morgan could not wipe the grin off of her face!

It was hilarious!!!

We were all pretty happy to have him home... he was a little sunburned on the top of his feet... and the top of his legs from "riding the bull" (I am learning all the new river rafting terms) but from all the stories, he pretty much had the time of his life!!

Wednesday woes...

Yesterday started out as a pretty good day, I was able to get my cherries transformed into jam and canned in jars before I had to work.

I lost some cherries, which made me really sad, but I still ended up with 15 jars!

I love canning!

Then the day kind of went down hill from there... poor Rudy pulled a toe nail off getting out of his kennel. No close up's, but trust me, it is really gross!

I did get the bleeding stopped, but the entire nail is gone... well I found it laying by the kennel. OUCH!

.

Next, right on schedule... 3 days into Jacob being gone, Morgan began puking!

Ugggg! She was heaving and gagging all afternoon, and up all night last night.

She would pace and pace and cry to go outside, and when I let her out, she would frantically go chomping on grass. I guess that is what they eat to make themselves throw up or something?? But then she wouldn't come back inside... I commend her for not wanting to puke on the carpet... but at 3am I was willing to take my chances.

.

I finally coaxed her inside and would get the door closed behind her and lay down on the rug by the door with her. Then she would stand up choking again.... and I would have to let her out and start the whole process over again.

.

At first I thought she really had something going on in her throat; but then when I got up about the 7th or 8th time... I was trying everything to calm her down... she was panting and breathing heavy and very very anxious. So I grabbed one of Jacob's shirts (I knew there was a good reason I hadn't gotten laundry all done yet). And she finally stayed laying down the rest of the morning in my bed with me... burring her head into our pillow and rolling over on the shirt.

.

It is crazy how sick this dog get's when he leaves. How are we ever going to cope when he leaves to go on a mission for 2 years? I wonder if they would let her go as a seeing eye dog... we better start training now, just in case.

Happy Birthday Jacob...

It is hard to have Jacob away from home for his birthday this year.

Today is his 17th Birthday, I guess it is ironic that on this birthday as he approaches the age of an adult who no longer needs me constantly by his side, he is not by my side; but off on an adventure of a lifetime!

.

I have thought of every detail of the day he was born, looked through all of the memorabilia. I kept everything. The phone bill to show everyone Jim called to tell them he had arrived. The cards, and well wishes. The little ankle id bracelet that identified him as ours.

.

He was born in Woodland California, and I remember the month he was born there was a string of baby snatchings from hospitals. And one from the area we lived. I couldn't tell Jim often or strictly enough to NEVER EVER take his eyes off of him (in case I was unconscious) once he arrived, not even for the nurse to go weigh him!!! I worried about that, and it became my focus... so every time Jim would leave the room to go call the family and give them an update, I was so unsettled that the baby would come and they would take him out of my sight and he would get stolen! It was a terrible fear, but somehow a real fear of motherly protection I would carry with me even until today. I was the mother that would not let her child let go hands in the store. The mother who would take her big boy into the ladies side of the public bathroom. And now the mother who waits engulfed in prayers until he comes home safely from this rafting trip.

.

In spite of my constant worries, I have been able to have allot of fun with him.

Somehow the kid has a sense of humor that expands so far beyond his Dad and I both. He finds humor and light in most every situation. It is contagious. Even when I am trying to be my most reverent serious, he can make me laugh through his lightheartedness. Which is not so good, when you are trying to punish him and can't keep a straight face.

.

He can also be just as quiet and gentle and full of thought. He has brought more joy to our lives than I ever knew was possible.

.

I hope the next 17 years brings new adventures, less worry, and allot of laughter and lightheartedness and continued joy.

.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACOB!

Coupon deals...

Just to remind myself why I take the time to clip coupons I am posting this weeks coupon shopping trip in my journal. I got some really good deals with doubles this week, and I am pretty excited.

.

8 cans Pringles .50 (I don't normally buy these, but Jim will enjoy having them for his lunches)

4 loaves of bread - free (pd sales tax only)

10 pasta cups .50

1 watermelon - no coupons I just LOVE watermelon

2 bxs Capri Sun - free (pd sales tax only)

1 gal milk - .17

2 Purex laundry soap

1/2 gal chocolate milk - free (pd sales tax only)

3 bxs whole fruit frozen bars .50

3 bottles Taco Bell hot sauce

3 cans Taco Bell re fried beans

(original price before coupons would have been $93.41)

My total $7.30 !!!

AND I still have a $10 coupon to use on my next shopping visit.

AND I got .60 off per gallon with my gas rewards!

.

So exciting, I love coupons!!

Just a little something to take my mind off of missing my teenager this week.

White water adventures...

Jacob left this morning to go with the scouts his age on a white river rafting camp out adventure on the Salmon river above Riggins, Idaho.

So we were up at 3:30am getting in one more scripture (he was up at 3am ready to go, and honestly I don't even think the kid slept all night) and family prayer.

Then he and Conor loaded up to go meet the rest of the boys at 4am.
Thanks Conor's Mom for driving them, so I could try and go back to sleep... we decided the night before, there was no sense in all of us Mom's getting up and dressed that early. Conor and Jacob's birthday's are days apart and so she thought ahead and sent up birthday stuff for them to have treats with a candle to blow out and some birthday surprises. I was pretty much done with "birthday" after the golf clubs... I hope Jacob understands and is all good with sharing a Little Debbie cake and blowing out a candle with Conor. If not I will make it up to him, with a birthday cake when he gets home.

This is seriously taking more faith than I have had to muster up in a very long time, maybe EVER! I want the kid to go have a really fun time, but I can't say that I am not very worried and uneasy (more than usual) about this one.

.

Jim called me today at lunch, to have me read Jacob's patriarchal blessing for comfort... it does indicate he will have many very specific joys and blessings throughout his life and mentions nothing about drowning in a river on his 17th birthday (sorry, I am using sarcasm to keep from crying again). So I guess that helps. It is a really good resource for comfort, I was totally impressed he thought of having me do that.

.

At this point, it is really out of my control. So I am trying to turn it over to God to watch out for him. And have Faith... lots and lots of Faith that my prayers will be answered this week!

Annual Company Picnic...

Saturday evening we attended Jim's

Annual Company Volleyball Picnic.

Last year was our first year to go, and we had allot of fun.

So we were excited...

His boss lives right on the Snake River, and we have gotten so much rain in June it was higher than they had ever seen it. Their lower patio off the dock that has steps to go down into the river was still completely under underwater.

Since we had been celebrating Jacob's birthday all day long... he came over in-between is volleyball matches and said "thanks for the great party, and inviting all these new friends Mom"! Too funny!

There were more kids his age this year, so he totally had fun, and the extra height to spike over the net was an added bonus too. And I knew a few more people, so I decided to join in on the volleyball playing as well. Last year I sat out. It's way more fun to embarrass yourself and have fun, than to sit on the side lines and wish you did.

Last year for the match of the pump shop vs the motor shop; the motor shop won... this year the pump shop won. So next year should be interesting!

I took the famous banana bread recipe with the streusel topping and it was a big hit!

And a cherry salad from all the cherries we picked on Friday.... and it went pretty fast too, so it must have been pretty good, I never did get to even try it.

A good time was had by all!

Cherry Salad

2 cups Cherries pitted

2 cups cantaloupe balls

2 nectarines cut in wedges

2 lettuce leaves to line the bowl.

drizzle with lime dressing

Lime Dressing

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 tsp lime zest

2 Tblsp lime juice

1 Tblsp honey

Happy 17th Birthday Jacob....

Tuesday Jacob turns 17... but he will be gone on a high adventure rafting trip for the week; so we played birthday out with him on Saturday!

His birthday present... no surprise, would be bought here.

He has grown another mile, so the new clubs we bought him last year, as it turns out, are now old clubs... they can lengthen them, but the just can't bend them to the angle he needs. So we had him re-fit for some new clubs. Looks like Jim will get the old/new set... so it was kind of a win win for both of my boys.

We were taking him out to a birthday lunch afterward and he chose McDonalds, what the heck? We were in the city with an array of restaurants to chose from and he picked Mickey D's! It was all good. I am glad he is more like his Dad, humble and little things make him happy, and not so high maintenance like me anyway!
When we got back home, he had some birthday cards in the mail... so it was really good timing!

Friday afternoon adventures...

Friday after work was pretty busy...

Jacob and I went to go pick cherries, thinking we had plenty of time before Jim got off work, since he had been working so late most every night.

Then we got a call and he was on his way home... but we still got a few in only about 20 min. as the tree was loaded.

Jim came by the house and I jumped in the truck with him to take a motor into Boise for a customer who was meeting us there from Nevada.

Since Taylor rides the best in the car without getting car sick... she got to go with us.

We ended up meeting him over by the stadium...

I really love going into the city!

Then we rushed back just in time to make it to an Elders Quorum picnic/pinewood derby race.
Our Elders made a new fancy track they built which includes an entire custom computer program that automates the whole thing. (we have a bunch of engineers AND computer engineers in our ward... that apparently really love pinewood derby racing)

Each driver takes a photo with his/her car it is saved into the system; and this program posts up each driver, what lane they are in... and when you place your car on the track, a staged light comes on to let you know it recognized it.

When all the cars are in place you can hear the sounds of engines revving up (this was so cool, and pretty funny). Then each driver comes down to the side of the track where he grabs his start button, and once that is activated the lights count down...

YELLOW, YELLOW, and when the GREEN lights up, they hit their button... which releases the car, complete with squealing tire sounds (ha ha!!)

Then the cars race down the lighted track (each lane with their own color) and under a sensor which records their time and position on the screen.

It calculates the time based on the actual speed AND subtracts the reaction time... so if your car is not quite as fast, but you have a really fast reaction time, you could still win. I think you can also set the program to just go on actual speeds. It also posts and DQ's you if you have a false start and push your button before the green light.

Then it shows the photos in the lanes for who is racing next... and keeps track of the brackets and eliminations on a spreadsheet!

SO COOL! And I think it made what can be a very LONG race night, go much quicker with NO confusion!! SO VERY COOL!!!

The children had a really fun time; and I think the big kids had a pretty fun time too!

So a good time was had by all!