Befores and Afters

I've been trying to get Jaycee to cut her hair for MONTHS. She just refused...yet it ALWAYS hangs down and looks scraggly. She looks like she is an orphan...I tell her that all the time...but she likes to do her own hair and she's 9...so enough said. Yesterday she was begging for a icee and I said that I'd get her one AFTER she got her hair cut. She quickly agreed! WOW...could it have been any easier? Why didn't I think of that before? Anyway--here are her before and after shots...I think her new "do" is cute! Sorry the lighting is so bad...it's from my phone and at the hairdressers!

Kaylee didn't get but a smidge off the end of hers...but decided that it was time for bangs. It really shows off her eyes now...especially now that she wears eye make-up.

Pioneer Day...hard work, hard play

Well--there was LOTS to be done today---which isn't always fun when it's a holiday...but it's got to be done! I started at 8:30 weeding the yard and was joined by most of the other sleepyheads at 9:30-9:45. For some reason---I cant' sleep in on holidays and some Saturdays--but when it's time to get up for work or church---I'm tired as can be! How annoying!

Anyway---we started in the front and got it all weeded, and then hit the garden. I thought I'd hurry and post some pictures before it got weedy again---which I'm sure won't take long!

Here's an overview of the garden...plus our nice little dead patch on the lawn---don't know what happened there.

Let's see.....we have raspberries on the left, then tomatoes, potatoes, watermelon and pumpkins, green beans, squash and corn. I think that's everything! I hope that it all produces since it got planted so late this year! The weather was NOT cooperating!

Anyway---we got done at about 12:00 and cleaned up. That took a LOT longer than I expected! Garrin's back still gives him lots of trouble and hurts after working all day in 108 degrees (inside the shop) and I'm tired after work and trying to keep the rest of my life running smooth when I'm not working--so we hadn't weeded in several weeks!

A friend had invited us over to their house to swim in their pool so we decided to clean up and head over. We swam for a couple of hours dunking each other and playing a game. You close your eyes if you're "it" and try to swim and tag someone else. It was loads of fun and we got cooled off after working so hard this morning!

After swimming, we had to run a car up to South Salt Lake from the shop. We decided to finish off our nice day by stopping by Burger King for some burgers and fries :) We don't do that very often these days so it was a nice treat! Great Pioneer Day I'd say!!!!

Then....and NOW....21 yrs later

July 23rd 1987----July 23rd 2008

21 years ago today we got married!

I got the best one out there----so sorry for the rest of you! :) I'm so glad that I have Garrin to share trials and successes with! We've had more trials than normal over the past year or so---but we're still plugging through them together! We haven't changed much, do you think??? (ok...other than the extra weight! lol!)

Success!

Today I did something out of the ordinary....helped make 35 dinners! While I've been a huge fan of Freezer meals----I've never done them other than for myself...and that's been awhile! I met my mom and sister Teresa over at my sister's house at about 8:15 am and we got started making meals for my sister. My sister-in-law Deni was able to join us and between the 4 of us....we did it! I might add it was WAY more fun doing it with 3 others---and it went really quickly! It normally takes me all day---12 hours--- to finish that many for my family. We finished up technically by 2:00 I think---but stopped for lunch and to rest a bit and to get the chicken that hadn't come into the store yet. Kaylee did awesome at keeping 5 kids entertained and Grandpa took them for an hour to swim in the kiddie pool at his house. Wish I had gotten a picture of Teresa's freezer before I left! YEAH!!! Now I need to get busy and so it again for my family! Hmmm.....wonder who I could invite over to help! hehehehehe....they've already all offered and we SHOULD get together and do it again...fun!

Behind Bars

Jaycee came running in the house tonight to tell us that there was a RACCOON in our garage. Well--since we live right in the city---we told her no---it wasn't a raccoon...maybe a weird looking cat or something. When we went out to look---she was right! A small raccoon was under the car! These pictures were taken 7/16/08 despite what the date stamp on the camera says. How annoying :)

We followed him out of the garage and all the way around our house into the backyard. Our neighbor Mark got a kitty cage and we tried to coax him into it. He hissed at Garrin and didn't want anyone close! When we were finally successful, the adults (with lots of help from the neighbor kids) discussed where to release him.

We decided to take him a few streets down where there was a creek and release him. So Kirstin loaded 10 neighborhood kids in her suburban to take them down. Here they are right before taking him down to the creek. How excited they all were!

Ouch...it's Laffy Taffy Time!

I've been meaning to post these pics for awhile but keep forgetting! Shawnee went on a 4th year overnight hike with the YW in the ward at the end of June. Most "normal" people roast smores on a fire---but Shawnee and the YW usually roast Starbursts. If you do it JUST right---they are still hard around the outside and soft in the middle. Well, apparently they were OUT of Starbursts---so Shawnee decided to try roasting Laffy Taffy over the fire. It fell on her finger and burned it pretty good. She says that NOW she has a scar just like the one *I* did to her.

When Shawnee was about 3-4 months old we owned a pellet stove. One day I had her on my hip and I went over to the pellet stove to push the pellets down into the hopper better. When I leaned over, her hand fell on the stove. Even though it was just a second---she has a little scar today on that finger. I guess I never told her that story when she got older (I forgot?) and she always wondered how she had gotten that scar when she ran across that story in her baby book and it all made sense. Some things I'd like to stay forgotten.........ya know? At least she inflicted this latest wound on her self---but ouch---it looks sore!

Ellis Family Reunion Fun

Here's the Willow Flats campground we stayed at above Logan near Franklin and Preston, Idaho. I'm not sure if the hazy picture is due to the sun or water and mud that was sprayed all over my camera...but that's a WHOLE other story!

Let's see---we got up to the campground at about 8:30 on Thurs. and only Kim and Tammy and some of their kids were there. Cory, Joanna, Gabe, Hunter, Ashley, Logan, Lexie and Lincoln, Linzy had been there most of the afternoon. We quickly set up and then visited. As the night progressed...we waited and waited....but nobody else came. At 10:30 we decided to call it a night and get some sleep......and then who should pull up but Grandma and Grandpa with Lacey, Travis, and Carson. They left town at NOON but had 2 blowouts on their camp trailer (at 2 different times) and it took almost 11 hours to make the 3 or so hour trip. Glad they made it there safely!

Friday morning brought Ranley, Bonnie and Blake---who apparently made it to the camping spot about midnight but couldn't find us, so slept in their truck (if you call that sleeping). Ashurity, Wes, and Piper trickled in along with Jeff, his friend Diane, Mindy, Dustin, Darcie, Ella, Cody, Natalie, Tyree, Lanett, Barry, Ethan, Hayden, Dawson. And let's not forget Kevin and Sylvia with Matthew, Mark, Akey, Leilani, Janet and Whitney. Friday night brought Merilee and Harold, Constant, Spring and Rockhard. We also saw Spencer and Shelly, Sydney and Samantha on Friday night. Saturday morning brought the last 2---Cori and Chase.

Friday was a lot of visiting, and getting camp set up. We made close to 100 newborn hats for a Humanitarian project while the kids played games like giant bowling and launched water balloons. They also played in the creek across the way and did a few 4 wheel rides.

Here is Jaycee playing in the creek. Shawnee is washing up after a muddy 4 wheel ride. Bonnie driving with her son Blake on front and Mindy on back. Grandma and Grandpa Ellis have rigged their 4 wheeler with a seat for Mindy to be strapped into and she loves going on rides! She didn't smile for my picture--the turkey--but she sure was grinning after the ride when I asked her how she liked it. Kaylee was playing in the lake.

Saturday we had to be out at noon so we packed up and did LOTS more visiting. After we had to be out, some of us went up the canyon on a long 4 wheel ride for lunch and had a great time. There were amazing fields of flowers, snow, and lots of mud and water!

During the ride, we came around one corner to be hit with snowballs from Aunt Tammy and some of the kids.

There was a huge snowdrift that Garrin thought looked pretty fun. He started through it and found that it was really solid and rolled the 4 wheeler over on himself. He was able to throw himself free and wasn't hurt. Fortunately when I looked back---he was getting up so I missed seeing it. He got pretty muddy on one side of his body. He had been riding the Polaris and didn't have anyone on the back--which is pretty unusual. He usually rides one of the 300's--but his back had been hurting from his car accident and the 300's beat you up pretty bad going over rocks.

As we went on---we found MORE snow...and isn't it JUST like an Ellis to want to play in it! First Cory got his Ranger stuck and Kim and Tammy had to pull him out, then Shawnee and Kaylee both got stuck and quite a few others.

Since Garrin was all dirty---this is the area he decided to play around in more. He flung MUD all over the place and I think most of it landed on ME. I'll get him back SOME how.... Even Gabe (who's 2) had a speck of mud on his face from Garrin. I decided that since I was muddy already---why not have some fun?! I went through lots of water/mud puddles on the way back---and was pretty soaked by the time the puddles were gone. Garrin was looking pretty dirty himself as he pretty much did the same thing. It was fun though! I don't have pictures of myself--thank goodness! Here's Garrin 1/2 way through his muddiness at lunch time. Joanna is in the picture with him.

Jaycee skipping rocks in the lake with Aunt Tammy, Gabe, and Hunter and lunch time break at the lake.



Here are a few of the water puddle pictures. First is Cory--going through so calmly with Gma and Gpa and Joanna and their kids. Then there's Kim with Jaycee going through a big water puddle. She whined a bit about getting wet---and we missed the picture...so Kim did a do-over. He backed up through the water and ran through again. Too funny!

Kaylee got to be pretty good at riding the Kawasaki since she hadnt' really ridden it before. Devin didnt' go with us as he had to work, so she had to take it up (and down) the very rocky roads.

Here is the ride down.....such pretty trails---really rocky going down...but we practised Hyper-miling ATV style! LOL! It's called turn off the engine and coast all the way down---GREAT for the gas mileage!

Part of the Final Day ATV Group. Apparently I cut out some of the group---but my viewfinder was ummm.....wet and hazy and dusty and dirty and I didn't see through it very good. I think it's time for a new camera---mine bit the dust so to speak! What a fun weekend!