8 is Going to Be Great!

Isabella will be eight in October and will be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Monica wanted to get some photos by the temple while the flowers were still blooming and the weather was nice.

With Aunt Karen

Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa 

She's a Daddy's girl!

Eternal love!

Grandma and Grandpa. 

The whole group, including Monica's dear friends, Claudia and Paul.  Claudia is from Argentina and her husband, Paul, served his mission in Barcelona.  They are a great support system for Monica.

I do love to see the temple, especially with the people I love.

 

It's Always Fun for Everyone When Karen Comes!

 George's sister Karen came to visit.  Because she is fluent in Spanish, she and Monica have developed a close relationship through frequent calls.  Directly from the airport, we dropped Karen off at Monica's apartment so that they could spend the day together. Isabella loves Karen too!  Later we got together for a pizza dinner and a walk on the Boise Greenbelt.

On Saturday Matt and Cady joined us for an afternoon in the mountains.  The cool Payette River afforded some relief from the hot weather we have been having.  We couldn't complain about the heat to Karen since she lives in the Phoenix area and they have set a new record with 31 consecutive days over 110! Now that is hot!

Isabella loved it, of course.  She is a little fish.

Cady's dog was less excited about did manage to at least get her feet wet.

Monica dipped her toes in.

Karen and George enjoyed quiet conversation but stayed dry.

I always plan activities for Isabella.  This time we worked together to make her a beaded wind chime.  

I think she liked it!

Our traditional 'tin foil dinners' were a hit again thanks to Matt's skill at the grill.

And of course, we had to have s'mores....with gluten free marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers.  These were the biggest marshmallows I'd ever seen!

Isabella loved the giant marshmallow s'mores.  Her teary face is because she was so sad that Daddy wouldn't let her swim with him cross the river to play on a rope swing.  The current was swift even for John, much too strong for even an excellent swimmer little girl.  She was so sad not to join him, as evidenced by her swollen eyes. 

Every time I'm around Cady, I like her even more!  She is a great addition to the family group. And not just because she has two adorable dogs!

Another perfect day in the mountains.

Driver of the Year

Our Johnny has certainly caused us happiness.  

He was a darling little curly headed boy and now he is a handsome man with a family that I adore.

Since 2020 he has delivered for Amazon.

The other night when I was chatting to Isabella she told me that her Daddy was the 'best Amazon driver in the whole of Boise.'

She's not the only one who thinks so.

Amazon tracks a lot of information about their drivers....delivery speed and accuracy....whether you drive the speed limit,...how close you follow other cars....number of complaints or compliments from customers...how you take care of your van...

Based on all of that, John was selected as 

DELIVERY ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR.

Now he is entered in a national competition for the best 8 Amazon drivers.

His boss said that based on his numbers, he has a good chance!

Wouldn't that be awesome?

Still it's fantastic that his hard work is being recognized!

Our John certainly causes a lot of happiness!

 

 

Wallowa Lake State Park

I love little adventures so after attending the wedding in Hood River, Oregon, we drove up to North East Oregon to Wallowa Lake State Park.  So many people have told me of the beauty of that area and we weren't disappointed!

The most popular thing to do is to take the Wallowa Lake Tramway to the top of the mountain.

Built in 1969 and opened in 1970, it's the steepest gondola in North America.  The ride to the top takes 15 minutes.

The elevation at the top is 8150 ft and you can see Oregon, Idaho and Washington. 

To reach the very highest point you still have to climb lots of stairs.

But the view was worth the climb!

Obviously lots of hikers had been feeding this guy.

I've seen little begging chipmunks before but never one who held his paws out in supplication!

How cute is that!

Anyone interested in hang gliding?

Pilots only....trained pilots only!

We enjoyed lunch at the Summit Restaurant, which is the restaurant at the highest elevation in the Pacific Northwest.

Delicious!

On the way home we took the Hell's Canyon Scenic Road.

There is really only one view down into Hell's Canyon.

See the mountains way off to the the left?  Those are called the "Seven Devils' and many years ago we enjoyed a week backpacking in those mountains.  

Good memories from the past! New memories made!

 

Ghost Town

Years ago we took our kids to a ghost town high in the Colorado mountains.  There were a couple of minor river crossings to get there, which delighted our children.  Walking around in the totally deserted town was a bit eerie but we all loved it.

When George told me that there was a ghost town just north of Enterprise, Oregon where we were planning to spend the night, I was interested.

Turns out that Flora, Oregon is not your typical ghost town.  There are abandoned buildings but somehow it isn't very spooky when the road by them is busy and modern farm equipment is all around.  Founded in 1897, by 1910 it had a population of 200 residents and an eight-room school.  It is considered 'the most substantial town to fail' in North East Oregon.

The Flora School, which was built in 1915, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is now a pioneer arts education center.  You can see it back behind the precariously leaning church building.

The town was names after the daughter of the first postmaster, A D Buzzard.  

Flora Buzzard

The post office operated from 1890 to 1966.

Not quite as exciting as I had expected but it was a pretty drive up Joseph Canyon.

Best Wishes to the Happy Couple

 Shortly after we moved to Boise in 1988, 2nd grade Matt became friends with a darling girl named Erica Emory.  Her Dad became our kid's dentist.  And interestingly enough, Erica had a brother Brian who was Johnny's age and a little brother Logan who was Scott's age.  We've been friends for a long time.  

Scott and Logan played soccer together after we moved back from Spain.  Together they made the transition from Capitols Soccer club to Nationals Soccer Club.  Through the years we have spent many hours with the parents, Rod and Tanya, on the soccer field.  Scott and Logan hung out quite a bit during high school even though they went to different school.

When Scott moved to Portland, he roomed with Logan for several years.  Scott was cheering from the sidelines for Logan as he met and fell in love with Kesia.  Scott, Logan, Kesia and two other guys lived together during Covid.  Portland really was shut down so it was important to have friends when you were stuck at home.

Still makes me smile to think about one of their 'Covid' excursions!  The famous 'In and Out Burger' opened in Salem, Oregon, about an hour away from their home.  Those kids drove down there, waited in the drive-through line for close to an hour and finally ordered.  The funny thing - Scott is a vegetarian!  His order - French Fries!

Last weekend we drove over to Hood River, Oregon to attend Logan and Kesia's wedding.  Such a beautiful night!  Kesia's mom is a master gardener who had worked tirelessly to have a stunningly beautiful backyard for the wedding.  Kesia's dad had almost died of Covid a couple of years ago.  He was intubated for several months.  I know that there were a lot of happy tears watching them both walk their daughter down the aisle. It was a true miracle.

Scott remembers sitting with Logan as he worked on a appropriate response to Kesia's early messages, saying to himself, "I can't mess this up."  I'm glad he didn't mess up! So fun to see them all so happy!

It was a treat for us to catch up with several of the soccer team parents.

And to see Scott with his old teammates!

Andrew Burris, Chris Dodd, Logan and Scott

I can't believe that this is the only photo I got of Rod, Logan's Dad.

Gus, the dog, loves him.

Sadly, Tanya is in the late stages of early onset Alzheimer's and wasn't there.

I felt sad. I can only imagine how Rod must have felt.

I am glad Gus showered him with kisses.

The Emory kids all grown up

Logan, Erica, and Brian

So much joy and love!

Two strong families coming together!

A new little family started!

July Fun

 We were happy to celebrate the 4th of July with Johnny and family.  

First with a delicious shrimp boil and sparklers at our house and then to Ann Morrison Park for a big fireworks show.

They put on quite an impressive show!

Isabella is a big fan!

And I am a big fan of Isabella!

Jackson is living his best life having fun with lots of cousins.

Because the Reynold's family business, Carriage House Automotive, is a sponsor of the local baseball team - the Frederick Keys- the family goes to the games quite often.

I think Jackson is so lucky to have lots of his cousins so close!

Take me out to the ballgame!

After the game the kids can all run around the bases. 

The week after the 4th is Eagle Fun Days. 

Our water loving little girl loves the Wet and Wild Parade!

And YES, you do get wet!

Very wet!  And Isabella loves every moment!

Truthfully we all do!