East Idaho/Home

Josh had a friend visit this summer so of course we took her around our area of Idaho to show her some of it's beauty and majesty. Here are some photos of the place I now call home.

Me at Cave Falls...about 20 miles or so from the house.

Me feeding Ollie the bear cub at Bear World.

Mesa Falls

My little monkey child

GRATEFUL

1. Beautiful sunshiny summer days to spend with Justace outdoors

2. Great girls I get to work with each day and have so much fun with

3. The man who stopped me in the middle of the road before I turned the corner and hit a tire sitting in the middle of my lane I couldn't see...he risked his life (I could have hit him) in order to save mine and I am eternally grateful

4. My coffee first thing every morning and getting to see the sunrise

5. My son's laughter at so many things each day

6. A husband who is trying to be a better person and pushing me to also be a better person (he suggested we both go to the track before dinner each day now and run together; he suggested we eat healthier meals and is pushing me to do the same and log what we eat each day; he also left some leeway for me to bake still one day per week; he started attending church and pushes me to go on mornings I really don't want to go; and he's working super hard to finish his last class and get his degree and trying to get a good job)

Fishing

I've been fishing twice now this spring/summer and I've caught a fish both times...probably because I told the boys I refused to go home until I caught one. The second time I caught this sucker...a 22.5 inch 4.5 lb rainbow trout. The first time it was much smaller but I was still happy to catch one. I'm falling in love with fishing...just being outside and then catching one and getting to eat what you catch.

Springtime Picnics

Since my computer was being wonky and not working for a while I wasn't able to post photos from when the weather first finally started to get warmer. As soon as the snow melted and it got above 50 degrees I was dying to spend all day outside again. Josh took Justace and I to the park in Rexburg for a picnic and these are the photos from that. Since then Justace and I spend several hours a day outside either walking the block or just reading in the sunshine while he crawls around the grass exploring and eating a salad of dandelions and grass...yum! Such a refined platate. ;-) I hate the freezing cold temperatures and being stuck inside for nearly 9 months of the year and driving on ice but when summer comes it almost feels as though that was all worth it for the sunshine and warmth and beauty.

Yum! Cookie!

I got my hair did after our picnic. It was gorgeous but unfortunately it didn't last. It was supposed to last 6 months but I think maybe all the wind and everything ruined it a bit. It is a bit straighter still but not as nice as this.

Awwww. He loves his daddy.

He was watching some kids fly kites here. Mesmerized.

Roooooooaaaaaar! I'm gonna get you daddy!

My cookie!

Memorial Day

Josh did color guard for the American Legion on Memorial Day and I took photos for them this year. We spent the day visiting all the graveyards nearby and doing a Memorial Day ceremony and putting flags in the grave markers of all the veterans. A few days later we took Justace to visit the grave of his great great grandparents and lay flowers on their grave. Justace had fun crawling all over the marker and playing with the flowers.

Birthday Boy

Justace celebrated his first birthday May 31. He's now officially one year old and moving from babyhood to toddlerhood. I know the next few years will be especially hard but I hope to hold on to all the precious moments to come. Part of me feels sad to be saying goodbye to that precious adorable tiny baby boy but part of me is excited for the next few years of adventure and play and learning and growing. We celebrated his birthday at the local park with hamburgers and brats and of course the famous cake. He loved the cake and all the attention and he really made out like a bandit as far as presents go. I was just happy to have all our friends there and watch the kids play and hang out on a beautiful spring day.

He had his one year appointment yesterday and is healthy and strong. He weighs 20 lbs now and is in the 30th percentile for his age for height and weight so still a bit smaller than average but much better than the 15th percentile he was in before. He's almost walking. He still holds on to things a lot when he walks but he took a whole 6 steps the other day by himself before falling and is getting more brave about trying to walk on his own. I predict he will be fully walking in the next two or three months. He's super active and loves to crawl around and play all day long. He has a ton of energy. He loves books...not so much me reading them to him because he refuses to sit still for any length of time but if I leave books on the floor he will go right for them and open them and point to the pictures and pretend to read out of them. However, he still hasn't picked up any language skills so he's a bit behind there. I read to him twice a day while he's eating and talk to him all the time but it doesn't seem to be helping. I'm not sure how much he understands but he doesn't say any words yet. The doctor said this is fairly normal for little boys though. He said usually girls will develop in the language department earlier and boys won't start talking till much later on so he said not to worry but to keep reading to him.

I made Josh take a photo of us together because I realized while scrapbooking the other day I have practically no photos of the two of us.

Molly, a friend's little girl, loves to entertain and play with Justace.

And the little baby flirt loves all her attention of course.

Justace and Logan playing together during his party. Logan, who is two years old, is the sweetest most well behaved little boy I think I've ever met.

Dad holds Justace while we sing Happy Birthday.

Oh cake slice.

Josh grilled for everyone and it was delicious.

Justace was so excited about his cake he wanted to dive into it.

Logan eats his cake.

First birthday cake. It was way bigger than we realized but that's ok because we have leftover cake forever now.

Justace practiced walking a lot during his party. I think watching all the other toddlers running around encouraged him to try too.

He made such a mess after eating his cake all I could do was take his clothes off and let him play in his diaper.

In Memory Of Kym

Kym holding Justace with Kitty lying in her lap. She really loved her grandson and I'm glad she got to meet him even if he won't remember her.

A graphic a friend created. Kym was a huge fan of the book
Where the Wild Things Are and of course motorcycles.

Kym with Josh on the left and her little brother Johnathan (almost same age as Josh) when the two were just little boys.

When I first met Kym she lay in a bed, barely able to move or talk. I've heard the expression "skin and bones" but this was the first time I saw it so literally. Josh had the two of us to stop by while we were in town for our wedding. He wanted to introduce his mother and his new bride I guess or just say hi to his mom who he knew was very sick, while we were in town. She didn't know me, had never met me, and yet, despite how weak and sick she clearly was I could see joy in her eyes that she got to meet me. I tried on my wedding dress and let her see it since she wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding. I've never felt more welcomed so quickly by someone. She was always that way. If she accepted you, you became family, no questions asked. She had so much love to give. She gave more of herself to those in her life than she had to give in the end I think.  She also was the most passionate lover of life I've ever met. She really did live every single day to the fullest more than any person I have ever met. She loved going places and doing things every chance she got. She loved riding - her Harley was the love of her life. She loved giving. She loved cooking and serving foods to friends and family. I hope, when Justace gets older, I can pass these two traits along to him from his grandmother. I hope he, like her, has a passion for life and also is loving and caring to others. Her life was cut short way too soon but at least she lived more in her 44 years than many people truly live in 100.