Inexpensive Toys

I cleaned out the playroom the other day since nobody really plays in it anymore. It seems it's always messy---yet "nobody" plays in it. I bought a couple of storage bins to store the toys we want to keep in the basement. For some reason though, I've been unable to get the toys INTO the bins nor downstairs. Any guesses why? Yep---they've become inexpensive toys.

Dustin and Darcie

Dustin and Darcie came down for a visit over the weekend so they could go to a wedding. We had fun visiting...although we stayed up WAY too late both nights. At least we could stay in bed a little longer both mornings, so that was nice. Jaycee carted Ella around day and night, and didn't like it if someone else took her. I'm surprised I didn't get any great pictures of them together. This is it.


Since we didn't get any pictures of Kaylee and Leilani last weekend, I told her we'd make sure and get one of her with Ella. The girls loved playing with her.

I got a cute picture of Dustin and Darcie too...

We did do a tiny bit of school clothes shopping this weekend as school starts soon. It always seems to hit us quickly---so I hope we got a little bit of a head start!

Garrin's new duds

Garrin gets his own post :) He just got his new uniforms in and I was taking pictures for a flyer we are putting out. He looks awfully official in his uniforms...which look like the Toyota ones he's worn all these years with our logo on them. He survived his first full week at our new shop. He has been so busy he hasn't gotten home before 7pm. I told him he was liking that new shop a little TOO much. We're so grateful to be busy though! And my garage at home is looking AWESOME! We can park all of our own cars in there again!

Cottonwood is comin' down

I work up at TOSH (The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital) 3 days a week and we were attached to the old Cottonwood Hospital. They've been working on renovating and building our new TOSH. Part of that was pulling down the old Cottonwood Hospital. We had a big employee appreciation lunch on Tuesday and hundreds of us got on a rope to pull down the side of the hospital. It was fun---but didn't work. We tried 3 times before they got a truck out to help us. The rope broke twice on the truck....so they had to get the big crane in to knock down the wall for us. Anyway, on Friday, this is how much they had done

This picture is at 8am when I got to work

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Same view....but on my lunch at noon

Still the same view---but at 5:00. By the time I go back in Monday morning...I'm sure it'll be completely gone. We had a great view of it coming down all day. Kind of fun to see all the huge cranes pulling huge pieces of concrete to the ground

Fun with Mark and Aki

Mark and Aki and Leilani came late last night (or early this morning actually) and spent the night with us. They had Aki's family reunion in Salt Lake today and tomorrow. It was fun to see them. We always get pictures of the kids, but not the parents....oops! Kaylee was also NOT happy that we didn't get a picture of her with Leilani.

She's such a cutie and starting to talk quite a bit

Painting and more Painting

Still working hard on the shop to get it ready. We've been painting and painting and doing more painting. We borrowed Teresa's paint sprayer and painted part of the shop in the back. The pictures aren't very clear because there was a LOT of paint mist in the air. The girls are at Youth Conference, so it's just been me and Garrin and Jaycee. I had to get a picture of Jaycee painting as she was dying to help.

Teresa came and helped this afternoon so that we could get most of it done. We had these big screws sticking up out of the floor and I fell on one while painting. OUCH! I have a really big bruise there and it's really sore. Stupid screws. The office area is starting to really look nice!

Dad has been helping every day with whatever Garrin needed help with, which was really nice. We had to move our heater from the shop area to a storage room, so he built a little closet for it. Things are coming along!

And the walls....came tumbling down

Ever since we bought our first shop 3 years ago and had to tear down a house, the kids have thought it was fun to tear things down and look forward to it anytime they get to. When we bought our new shop---they were excited that there were a few walls that needed to come out.
Garrin called and said he was ready for them---so I took over Kaylee and her friend Morgan and Jaycee. It didn't take long before they were all tired, so I'm not sure how much help they were tearing OUT the walls, but they did have fun putting lots of holes in the sheetrock.


Kaylee and Jaycee practised their best kickin' karate kicks to put holes in the walls

They had lots of fun goofing off too while getting the walls down

Kaylee and Morgan find a piece of sheetrock they tore off the wall that is in the shape of a heart. Ahhhhh.

Jaycee peeks through a hole she kicked in the wall

Charlie's Angels....Morgan and Kaylee....goofing off

Let the Work Begin....

Since closing on the shop on June 30th, we've been really anxious to get in and move our stuff in! The previous owners needed time to move out, so we've been patiently waiting. Now our time has begun! Garrin, Devin and some friends pulled down a 30 foot x 12 foot wall last night and the girls and I went today to help clean up all the mess. Here's where the wall used to be after we got it all cleaned up.

More Roomies

My former roommate from Ricks College stopped by with her family to visit. It's always such fun to catch up---we sure love her family.

Her oldest, Layne is on a mission, but here are the others. Jeana, Kade, husband Boe and Allie, Payson, and Lacey.


Jeana and Stefanie 2009

Stefanie and Jeana 1987--Graduating from Ricks. We had almost identical classes this year as roommates and studied together constantly. It was great to have someone in most of my classes!

Ellis Reunion 2009--Eden, Idaho

Uncle Harold giving Hay Rides on the Tractor. The kids loved that...even the big kids!

In the back of the tractor

Jeff, Diane, and Mindi had another reunion to be to, but stopped by ours for a few hours. Mindi looks happy to see us!

Garrin, Mom and Dad

Jaycee riding "the bull"

The kids would spin each other around on this merry-g0-round all the time. It make me sick to even watch---so I didn't! They sure loved it.

Leilani and Shawnee

Grandma Ellis being funny

Chalice, Lily, Jessica, Jhonny and Gavin Marcano

Gracie, David, Julieanne, and Addy Ellis

Late morning we decided to take a run down the canal. The kids had a great time tubing! Kaylee and Shawnee had to share a tube

Alyssa, Jessica, Sydney and Shelly

Kaylee gets her shoe stuck trying to stop for a picture

In the afternoon, all the "big kids" went to the Gooding-Milner Canal and floated the rapids over and over. Here we are making a big chain--from top: Wes Jones, Troy Egbert, Shawnee and Stefanie Ellis, Johanna Ellis. It was fun---lots of screaming when we the cold water went over top of us! And ouch---bruised bum for Kaylee and I hitting rocks....gotta remember...bottoms up! LOL

Whitney and Janet Marquez

Leilani, Mark, and Akeey Ellis

The girls all slept outside ont he trampoline each night. Here is Rockhard Waters, Shawnee, Constant, Tary, Spring Waters and Kaylee on the right.

Garrin was showing the girls what they used to do in inner tubes. They both had to give it a try!