Our Vacation in Five Photos

Family photo.

The tailgate acting as tripod.

Lovely roadside somewhere in Montana.

Smores with Friends.

Out the window driving through Glacier National Park.

Yes, we did stop at the top for a while, that will be its own post.

Touring a Silver Mine in Idaho.

They were learning all about how to properly lay out a network of explosives here.

Silverwood!!

Been Awhile

I had an absolutely wonderful experiance a little while ago.  This experiance was prompted by my wonderful Mother.  She wanted all seven of us girls (yeah you read right) to be in the same place at the same time for the first time in seven years.  I think it is a little ironic that there are seven of us and it's been seven years since our last get together.  But that is beside the point.  The point is that all seven of us women who grew up in the same house have gone different directions with our lives.  Yes, we all still sound the same over the phone, even our husbands get us mixed up when only hearing our voices.  We've all done slightly different things.  Several of us are mothers to our own children now.  But with jobs, school, and distance we've not all been in the same place at the same time.  We have each grown into beautiful women with our own personal outlook on life.  It was so much fun to see all my siblings, do some catching up, and really get to know my sisters all over again as women.  It was wonderful.  And it was the icing on the cake to see Mom's smile as we all stood together.  All seven sisters together in the same place at the same time.  For the first time in seven years.  That smile.  Beautiful.

Can you do the Can-Can?

Circumstantial Evidence

My children had an unfortunate experience the other day.  We learned that some people are mean just to be mean.  In trying to play with a child who lives a few houses down my kids got into trouble.  Not for doing anything that they shouldn't have, they were just playing.  They got into trouble simply because this child took a dislike to them and pulled out all the stops when her grandmother (her guardian) came to get her for dinner.  She cried and pointed, didn't even talk (she's 6).  And grandma did what anyone would do in that situation and got upset.  I don't fault that at all.  If my kid was crying, I'd get a bit upset too.  The fault I found with that is Granny didn't ask any of the other kids, which there were 5 others playing in close proximity, what happened.  She just took immediate action and glowered.  I have a feeling she would have bawled Mr O and Peaches out, but I was right there.  She also didn't ask me what happened either, me being the only adult on scene.  Had it been me in her shoes, I would have asked others what happened, instead of taking immediate defence.  So, long story short, my kids are not allowed to play with that little girl any more.  All they were trying to do was be friends and play.  And in all honesty, I feel sad for that little girl.  She is growing up thinking that it is ok to be mean and manipulative.  She's going to be in for a very rude awakening when she gets into the real world and out of Granny's house (where that behavior is apparently totally acceptable).  And I really feel sorry for the Granny when that kid gets to be a teenager.  Wow, is really all I have to say. 

I'm saddened that my children had to have this particular experience so early in life.  I'm sorry that they cannot be friends with everyone.  And I'm especially sorry for those people that are just mean, because they are the ones missing out.  My kids are perfectly ok with not playing with that little girl, they have plenty of other friends.  But that little girl is growing up to be manipulate and pushing everyone out of her life.  Eventually, if she continues this behavior, she'll end up sad and alone, and because of that I am sorry for her.

But even though it was an unfortunate happening, we all have learned from it.
Ask the witnesses, don't just take the situation at "face" value.
Some people are just mean, and the best relationship in that case is No relationship.
And finally,
Happiness is your own doing.  You have to find it for yourself.  No one can hand you something and tell you to be happy, it is your choice to be happy or not.

Happiness isn't a destination, it is the journey.  ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Truck Bump

As y'all may remember when we put trees in our backyard we ruined the tailgate on Handsome's truck.

And just like magic, it's brand new again!

Well, not exactly magic.  A little elbow grease and some bolts, washers, and nuts.  And a nice pretty paint job since a black tailgate would have bolted on just fine, but didn't really match the truck.

Pink Tire

So Peaches can do something new and exciting.  Well, she's been able to for a little while, but I just now got pictures of her in action.  Peaches can unicycle!  As the school year came to a close, she was so very very close to making the team.  To make the team you have to ride across the length of the school gym unassisted.  Well, she did it!  On the last summer practice that we were here for, Peaches made the team!  WooHoo!!  Mr O has been very encouraging throughout the whole process.  Reminding her that she can do it, just try one more time, and saying other great little things like that.  It has been a joy to see them working together towards a common goal: to see Peaches make the team. 

Because, you see, Peaches is a little stubborn.  And if she gets an idea in her head, either right or wrong, she sticks with it.  She had it in her head that she couldn't unicycle, so getting her to try was a little challenging at first.  She wanted so badly to ride like Mr O, but she didn't think she could do it.  So it was a huge personal triumph for her to prove herself wrong over something that really is very difficult to do. 

And she did it!  Peaches has a team shirt, is going to ride in the Shindig Parade (yes I'll get pictures), and is so proud of herself she's just about bursting buttons.  Of course riding on the street is quite different than riding on the smooth gym floor, so she's working on that challenge.  But all in all...I'm really proud of my little girl.  She did it.  All on her own.  Way to go Peaches!!

Of Ceiling Fans and Fairy Dust

Handsome and I went out on a date.  Just Him and I together.  Just us.  Oh it was so nice!  Handsome had told me about a particular restaurant that he went to on a working lunch one day and he wanted to take me.  So that was where we started.  Oh.  My.  Word.  The decor wasn't anything spectacular, it was what I expected from a place called The Claim Jumper.  The amazingly cool feature was above our heads.  The ceiling fans.  These fans had specially made casings that allowed every ceiling fan in the whole place to be run from a central motor. 

Yup.  All 20+ ceiling fans in that restaurant are run by a central motor that is up in the ceiling of the lobby.  They are run with the belt and pulley system.  Each fan has a pulley on its base that is attached to the fans on either side by long belts.  I'm actually kinda bummed that I didn't have my camera, because they are really really cool looking.  Once we finished dinner (which was absolutely fantastic, by the way), and finished geeking out over the fans (I may or may not have looked like I had a twitch from looking at them so much throughout our meal), we wandered outside.  For this area, we were having a unseasonably beautiful day.  Slight breeze, few clouds, and sunshine.  Oh it was beautiful. 

So Handsome and I walked.  Just to walk.  Together.  Hand in hand.  We walked.  Probably the better part of a few miles.  It was wonderful to be by the side of the man that I love so much walking, talking, and just enjoying each other's company.  As the sun was setting we did something I don't think that we have ever done together.  We went to DQ, got blizzards, and sat on the truck eating them while watching the sun set.  Handsome parked the truck next to the lake so that we could watch the sun sparkle on the water as it disappeared.  Oh it was so beautiful!  And just as the sun was about to dip behind the opposite shoreline a large Bald Eagle came swooping over the lake.  It was the perfect end to a lovely evening.  Oh how I love my man!  He even pulled the truck over to the side of the road so that I could pick some wild daisies.  I love daisies.  They are so pretty (even though they stink).  Handsome is a wonderful man, and I love him so much.

Learning while on Vacation

Here's what we learned yesterday:

Elephant Ears and Funnel Cakes are easy to make, and just as fantastically fatty at home as they are at the fair.

Writing your name in the air with a sparkler is lots of fun.





The ones that just go "poof" are fun to watch.



Jumping Jacks are fun to light off!



Running away from a lit firecracker is indeed the better part of valor.



All in all the kids learned how to be safe while handling small, as safe as you can get, explosives. 

Think that they're ready for gunpowder yet?

They think they are...