Ice Cream It Is.....

Ainsley has shown a real interest in cooking lately.  She always wants to help bake, cook, and make her own food.  I haven't been very good at encouraging this.  Partly because it's not very advantageous to me.  I usually end up with a large mess...and we all know how I hate messes!  Today Ains was begging to make cookies and I remembered how recently a friend of mine had written on her blog that her 7 year old daughter made cookies all by her self.  So I decided to push aside my hatred of messes and let her have at it.  I told her that if she would clean up after herself she could make her beloved cookies all by herself.  And so she did.  She worked for a VERY long time to get her cookies ready to go in the oven. She had a few questions along the way but was figuring out everything quite well, even considering she was doubling the recipe!  When time came to put the cookies on the cookie sheets I swiped a bite of the dough.  Something was wrong.  Very wrong.  We read over the recipe and tried to find the mistake.  We eventually realized that instead of adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda she had added 1 1/2 C. of baking soda.  1 1/2 CUPS!!!!  The dough was so, so very bad.  We dumped it in the garbage immediately.  We would have started over but we were out of Crisco.  So now we sit cookie-less and messy.  Props to Ains for trying, and for doing an appropriate amount of cleaning for a 9 year old!  But it looks like ice cream will be the treat tonight!

McCall 2013

We made a summer bucket list and have been busy crossing things off of our list.  This week we worked diligently and were able to check off camping in the back yard, floating the Boise River, making homemade ice cream, and a day trip to McCall.  I didn't dare take our camera on the river when we floated it for fear it would get ruined.  And it's a good thing I didn't because we got soaked, but we all had fun.  The kids camped in the back yard with their cousins and we made dutch oven cobbler and ice cream with all the kids.  We were busy!  And on Saturday we headed up to McCall with my parents and Kort and Dan's family.

We started the morning with some canoeing.  We drove to the far side of Payette lake and rented canoes that you can paddle up river for up to 7 miles of calm water.  It ended up being me and John's favorite part of the day.  We were out on our boats for 2 hours.  We were able to stop and play in the water...everyone was brave enough to take a dip in the COLD river water. The water and the scenery were great. 

Then we headed to the beach for some fun. The kids played in the sand and water for hours.  When we all realized we were starving we cleaned up and headed to The Pancake House for dinner.  Most people are tricked into thinking it's just a good breakfast place.  But in my opinion a pancake is a pancake. So while the kids enjoyed their HUGE plate sized pancakes and huckleberry syrup I enjoyed my battered fries and burger on a homemade bun!  We drove home full and happy.  I love our little get-aways to McCall.  It was a perfect day.  I only wish I would have taken more pictures!

Happy 4th!

Our Fourth of July has been spent the same way for years now.  A big breakfast at my parents, followed by lots of swimming, followed by a trek down to the park for fireworks.  This year we mixed it up a bit because Ainsley's friend Heidi invited her to walk in the parade downtown.  I've never been in a parade, sad I know.  And I didn't want to deprive Ains of this opportunity.  So to the parade we went to watch Ains, get all patriotic, and get candy .  We found a great spot in the shade and on the grass...score!  And then we enjoyed the show. 

 

Our favorite part of the parade (other than Ainsley of course) was the shirtless biker that rode by.  He seriously seemed to be part of the parade and was following the path and speed of other parade participants.  Not sure what his point was but we appreciated his participation. 

 Owen was especially impressed.

But the bagpipes were pretty good too.

We went home for lunch and then filled the rest of the day with lots of swimming, home made ice cream and slushies, ribs, and of course our trek downtown to Ann Morrison park for the fireworks. But we only took pictures of the parade.  Because we forgot our camera.  Lucky you!

Our Trip to Roaring Springs

Every year Roaring springs has a reading program where kids can read to earn a free pass to the water park.  The tickets have to be used in June, and yesterday was the first truly hot day of the summer.  So we joined the masses and headed to the park to use our free tickets. ( I buddied up with others as well and was able to get the kids and I in for $15...can't complain about that!) 

The park was ridiculously busy so the majority of our day was spent in line.  I'm thinking we'll have to go back again with one of their summer deals and pick a day when the entire valley isn't there!

Ains and Owen were both determined to try the new ride "Cliff Hanger"  this year.  A ride where you stand in a capsule on a platform (with a window in it so you can see straight down) they ask you if you are ready, count down from 3 and the platform flips out from under your feet and you slide practically straight down for 6 stores.  Fun right!!!  We waited in line for well over and hour and finally had our turn.  Owen took 2 potty breaks while we were in line! I kept asking the kids if they were sure they wanted to do this.  And they kept insisting!  When we reached the last flight of stairs and I could see what we were getting ourselves into I was legitimately nervous.  But the kids persisted.  And I wasn't going to be the chicken of the 3 of us and make the walk of shame back down the stairs!  They insisted that I go first.  And while standing in that tube my heart was racing and I was breathing hard.  The floor shot out from under me and I immediately flew out.  And with a rush of water in my face and a huge wedgie I safely made it to the bottom.  Then I was nervous as I waited for Ains and Owen to join me at the bottom.  I had told them that even if they got in the tube and decided they didn't want to do it they could back out and I would meet them at the bottom.  Within seconds Ainsley shot out of the slide and then moments later Owen was there.  He was barely tall enough to ride the ride and he hopped up yelling, "That was AWESOME!" 

While we were waiting in line we got to see Emmie ride down her first thrill ride.  They have racing slides there that have no height requirement, the only trick is that everyone has to ride down by themselves.  I wasn't so sure Emmie would do it if I was there, but Kortney decided she was going to get her to do it.  So she took her girls and Emmie to race while they waited for us and to my surprise Emmie flew down on her own!  Screaming a bit...but good screams :)

I love that I have adventurous kids!!!  It makes me happy.

Summer Schedule

While our first 2 weeks of summer were action packed and busy, we are slowly settling into our summer schedule.  Which, if I'm being completely honest, is almost nonexistent.  We typically sleep in.  I can't seem to get out of bed before 8.  Then I go to the gym while the kids sleep in ridiculously late or if by chance they do get up work on their reading and math review and chores (how's that for being involved in their learning...here kids, read your library book and do your math on the computer while I'm at the gym :).  Then we are lazy until around 1:00 and then we find something to do.  We've managed to fill our afternoons with friends, $ movies, library, and other random adventures.  This week we're going to attempt using the kids free passes to the water park and maybe get in a little camping trip.  Who knows!  I guess that's the one good thing about me being so lazy about a schedule, we're always up for any sort of fun!

And just to mention Emmie, she learned to go cross-eyed last week.  It's funny because she gets her eyes that way by rolling her head in a circle.  And then we all laugh at her.  But this picture is most definitely the king of all Emmie pictures.  Her lipstick on (which she applies almost every day) her hair in true crazy Emmie Fashion, and her eyes crossed.  That's my girl!

A Favorite Conversation

While in Island park I heard this conversation between Emmie and Deacon (the Flake's 3 year old).  Deacon had picked Emmie a handful of flowers and handed her one and told her he loved her.  She was excited and grateful.  Then he handed her another.  This one had roots and dirt at the bottom.  And this is what was said...

E: Ew!  Deacon I don't want this one!  This one has poop on it!

D:  It's your poop!

Ahhh, kids.

Yellowstone 2013

Last year we went to Yellowstone with my family.  This year we went with the Flakes.  These ^ are the Flakes.  Brooke's family owns a cabin in Island Park, which just happens to be the cabin my family stayed at last year.  So this year we went with them for a little weekend trip. It was a great weekend.  Mostly because Brooke has become like another sister for me....so the whole weekend was relaxing and laid back. 

I posted a ton of pictures...but John took 388.  388 pictures!!!  That's a lot of pictures to sort through.  so here is a nice little photo montage of our weekend, with a little commentary from me :)

Craters of the moon (on the way there):

Our first day in Yellowstone, with the first buffalo we saw.

I love how in Yellowstone when you first see buffalo it's exciting and you pull over and look.  And then by the 50th buffalo you drive by and say, eh...probably not worth stopping. 

Stinky geysers.  This particular geyser is Spasm Geyser.  Weird name I think.

Snuggling at Old Faithful.  It was chilly and windy!

Hence the hot chocolate.

And the picnic in the cars instead of at the picnic ground 30 feet away!

Not sure what Brooke is scared of in this picture :)

The views from our cabin...I wanted to get a family picture in this meadow.  But we didn't.  We totally missed that photo opp.

We left Yellowstone early the first day because we were sick of being cold.  So on our second day there (after a morning of swimming and being lazy) we headed back and enjoyed gorgeous weather that day!

 

I think Owen climbed a rock every where we went.  Maybe we should consider getting him into rock climbing.  Or maybe he's just a normal boy?! 

Emmie was insistent of getting her picture on this rock.  Like brother like sister I guess?

The whole group....except for "photographer John".

Contemplating the geysers and hot pots...

The most enthusiastic park ranger I have ever encountered.  John's parents were there the weekend before we were there and I couldn't help but think that John's dad would have fully appreciated her stories about the geology of Yellowstone.  Her stories were wasted on the ears of our children.

Ainsley took this great shot of the grand canyon of Yellowstone.  She even got the rainbow!  Beautiful.

Proof that John was there!!!

Cute girl!

John always takes random pictures of me (usually of my back side...the kids think it's hilarious. I'm probably the only one in the family that doesn't).  Anyways, here are 2 random shots of NOT my rear end.   The first displaying the lovely zit on my lower lip that somehow morphed into a massive cold sore and is now a nasty scab the size of Kansas on my lip.  It's gross and it hurts.  Feel sorry for me please.

And here is another beauty....That Ains thinks is hilarious.  So, in an attempt to humor her and keep this picture alive and well documented on our blog, here is a picture of me doing....actually I have no idea what I was doing.

And we ended the weekend with s'mores.  And we all stayed up way too late and came home waaay too tired. 

Oh, and we celebrated (I use that term very loosely) father's day while we were there too.  We had a nice breakfast and gifts and then a long drive.  Good times.  Nothing reminds me of fatherhood more than putting up with kids in the car for a long drive.  Am I right?!