Camping Practice

Since we decided to postpone our trip we said the kids would be able to sleep one night this week in the backyard. The girls were glad that McKenna could sleepover. They didn't want Matthew to be in the same tent with them so that is why there are two tents. Of course he didn't want to be alone so Josh slept out there with them and then Katie joined in. So I had the house to myself. I watched a movie and then went to bed. It was good practice because it was about the same temperature that is forecast for Yellowstone. So we know who needs more blankets and who was too hot. The weather is supposed to be beautiful so hopefully that won't change. I will need to change out some of what was packed because I packed all pants and long sleeves but we'll need clothes for warm weather.

Ready, set......don't go!

We were all packed up and ready to go and then I did one final check of the weather forecast. Rain, snow and cold. Not at all what we want for a fun-filled trip to Yellowstone. I had been worried ever since May when some of my family members were talking about the piles of snow that were still up there. But we just hoped it would get better. We'd checked the forecast the week before and it was saying rain for the next two weeks. I was feeling a little better last Friday when we bumped into some friends from church who had been up there that week and he said it was great. It was overcast but they only got sprinkled on once. Well it looked like it was going to get a little colder but we figured we'd just be prepared for anything. Last night Josh went to pick up the trailer we were borrowing from a friend and I checked the weather and it was a lot worse. Very cold, in the low 20's at night, and 1-3 inches of snow! Anyway after much debating (we really have a hard time making decisions) we decided to see about postponing our trip. Josh was able to change our reservations this morning and they were so nice we don't have to pay any extra money or lose all of the money we paid and pay again, even though it was a very short notice cancellation. So we are set to go.......next Sunday through Thursday. The kids are disappointed but they don't want to camp in the snow either. Now what do we do with all this stuff for the next five days! (I'm thinking just leave it packed and just pull something out if we need it.)

3/4 of the way there.

Saturday I went on a 75-mile bike ride. That's 3/4 of the way to my goal of 100 miles on "The 2008 Bike MS Harmon's Best Dam Bike Ride." It is a fund-raising event to promote multiple sclerosis research. If you're interested in finding out more about that you can click here. I'm mostly interested in going on a fun bike ride, and this has given me an excuse to go on a bunch to get ready. ATK has a cycling team and they have a big get-together at this ride, so I'm hoping it will be a fun event. The ride is in cache valley, so Andrea and the kids will get to visit grandma, grandpa and some cousins while I'm on the ride. I did 75 miles yesterday, because it's the last weekend I'll have available before the ride, June 28, so hopefully I'll be ready. At least I'll be ready for adverse conditions, I had to deal with wind, rain, hills, and a hard bike seat, but I made it home after 5 hours of pedalling... and several of rest breaks.

That's a big pile of rocks!

We had a load of gravel delivered a few weeks ago which we used to fill in under the trampoline and the swing set. The kids had more fun playing on the pile of rocks than they do on either of the other things. They were also very helpful filling the wheel barrow for me to load to the backyard. It turned out pretty nice, although we ended up with more rocks than we needed so we have a small mound under the trampoline, I don't think anyone has bottomed out yet, but our kids are pretty small.

Soccer Saturdays

We had a fun although cold spring watching Julia and Emma play soccer. There were a few cold days, and a couple games got rained out, but they also had a lot of fun. Below are some pictures of the highlighs.

Blogger's Block

Andrea and I have been suffering from a newly discovered ailment known as Blogger's Block. This occurs when you have plenty of things that would be worth posting on your blog, but for various reasons are unable to actual post anything. Andrea's block stems mostly from the idea that every decent post will have at least one relevant picture with it, and she believes that she can't remember how to get the pictures from the camera to the blog. My block comes mostly from laziness. By the time I get a chance to sit down at the computer and write something, I figure I'd rather just sit and read a book, watch a movie, or best of all, go to bed.

Fortunately I've had a restful afternoon "watching" Ben Hur, so I think I'm going to be able to get a couple posts written.

We also have another option to help keep our blog up-to-date, Julia. She recently received an award in front of the whole school for being the best typist in the 3rd grade, (23 words-per-minute with no mistakes) and she is very good at using the computer. She also has her own digital camera, and I think she could learn how to get the pictures from the camera to the blog. So stay tuned for some posts from a guest blogger.

Huncle John

I think it was Katie who first called John, "Huncle John," and she sure latched onto him. Of course all the kids think John is a "hunk" and have loved having him visit for birthdays and other times, and he's been great playing with them and letting them climb all over him. We're going to miss him now that he's graduating from BYU this week and will be in California for the summer and then in Washington, D.C. at Georgetown University for the next several years.

I askeded the kids to tell me what they like about Uncle John or what they like to do with him. This is what I got:

"Uncle John" (with a really cute grin on her face) -Katie

"I like that he's our uncle and he plays with us." -Matthew

"He tickles us." -Emma

"He's nice to be with, and funny." -Julia

We just wanted to say thanks, congratulations, and good luck in the future.