The mighty Sunflower

Lately, I've been trying really hard to catch up on my blog. Everyday I post a different event or experience from this summer. Dutifully I decided if I posted one a day, I would catch up quickly. The funny thing is life just doesn't happen that way, now does it? Yesterday I saw this small sun flower in the middle of my enormous rock wall and couldn't stop thinking of my sweet niece Miranda. It's easy to be a part of a field of sunflowers they don't have to work for the sun or moisture. They don't even have to work for protection...they use one another to wart off the wind and other elements. They all get the same amount of sun and the same amount of space, which causes them to grow the same height . A field of sunflowers is beautiful to behold but how often do you stop to look at just one? In a field they really only catch your attention when there is hundreds or thousands, right?

But tucked away in my rock wall is this one sunflower amidst all kinds of adverse conditions. The first condition it faces is it's seed was blown into a place where flowers don't always survive. Next it has to force it's way to the sunshine through the massive shadowing of the boulders. Finally, it struggles for water. Yet after all this it blossoms into a glorious site. This small little flower has beaten the odds and is worth taking note of. Just like my niece Miranda. She has been blown way out of her field of comfort. She no longer is part of a field of peers that she knows and could grow with. Winds come but the boulders (her family) protect and keep her from the storm. The greatest blessing of all is Heavenly Father is looking over her like the sun, warming her heart helping her stretch. Like this sunflower reaches up towards the sun, she is reaching towards Him. Hence, this is my special moment with this simple sunflower. God bless you "Roo" in all that you do! I love you.

Face painting for the forth of July

A'leese and I were asked to do face painting again for the Perry City carnival. I think we did a bazillion faces....here are a few of them. Natalie and Brynn wanted the same look.
Stephen went with a "Jack Sparrow" thing. Notice his eyes are closed.
This was one I practiced on K'Lee....before the carnival.

A'leese did this amazing face on Natalie, it is the cat from Alice in wonderland. (my personal favorite) Of course, she did this out of her head. A'leese is so talented!

More practice....K'Lee was a great model.

Here is one I did on Natalie.

Tennyson Rocked his look. It was a good fund raiser for the girls.... A'leese and I were tired when it was over but we earned quite a bit for camp next year!

Let's hear it for the girls!!!

YAHOO!!!!! We are on a girls trip!
Here we are at the Shakespearean Festival getting ready to watch Romeo and Juliet.
This is one of the most famous petroglyphs in the United States.

Mom is climbing over the cement fence to get a look at the other petroglyphs on the other side of the mountain. Sexy pose, huh?

Dawnell and I are standing at the base of a bunch of petroglyphs... there is even some right next to Dawn. If you look hard you can see them.

It was so cool to look at these ancient writings and to try and in vision what it was they were recording.

This was a dinosaur footprint we found in the rock.

Stephanie and Dawnell hiked up to a cave-like hole in the mountain. It was interesting to think this is where the Indians slept and lived for a time.

The rock formations were amazing. This one framed Dawnell so perfectly I had to take a picture.

Ok, ok now mom is out in the middle of no where and being blown away too. The wind was so incredibly strong through this pass we took turns trying to walk through it just to experience the intense wind...

This picture shows just how much we were trying to learn about the site. Here Dawnell, Stephanie, and Karolyn are reading the sign that told about this particular petroglyph site. This was a terrific weekend...I loved being with my mom and sisters.

Mantua Poppies

A'leese and Dale wanted to have their picture taken in the poppy field up in Box Elder Camp ground.

I loved this one of A'leese cause...well it's typical A'leese but if you notice she is choking poor Dale.

The poppies are always breath taking.

We took a lot of beautiful pictures.... and decided to use none of them because the lighting just wasn't GREAT. It still was fun being a small part of such a huge moment!

Off....on a Perry/Stokes Adventure

Grandpa sat up front with John on our way to the City of the Rocks.
Grandma sat in the back with the rest of us heathens.

The three amigos sat in the very back....

When we reached the road that drove straight down the state line we decided to get out and be in two states at once. We are so clever, aren't we? We were in Utah and Idaho at the same time.

Then of course we took sides as to which side was best... girls were on the Idaho side and the boys, Utah.

This was a really cool old cabin we found out in the middle of no where. I sure do love going for adventures. Notice it is two stories high. Someone had bought it and was diasembling it like a puzzle... cool, huh?

These two climbed to the second level of the cabin.

I took this picture from inside the cabin looking out the window. It almost looks like Grandma and Grandpa are in a picture framed on the wall.

This is a picture from the front of the cabin looking out towards the valley.

After that little adventure we drove for a long, long time to get to the City of the Rocks.

Then we had lunch and explored at City of the Rocks.

Natalie, K'Lee, John, and Johnny climbed all over the rocks.

The rocks were HUGE! I mean ENORMOUS!!

It was a super fun trip, hot, long, and full of adventure. I can't wait until next summer to do it again!

The family graduation party for Miranda and Johnny---- Yay!!! Class of 2011

It was Johnny's year to celebrate! The class of 2011 graduated in June.
And we threw a party for Miranda and Johnny right after the graduation ceremony. Miranda is the one pictured here being consumed by her little sister Cierra.
We partied every which way....
We went to a mexican resturant in Brigham City.... and tore it up.
We were so in your face happy it wasn't even funny!

We hugged and kissed each other.....

and some of us snarled...cuz that's what we do....

We were just down right ecstatic .

We were proud......

and amusing......

We hung from the ceiling.....and swung from the chandeliers...

It was GOOD.

There is absolutely no doubt about it....IT WAS GOOD!

It was so good it left some of us wondering what to do next....guess we will see when Natalie graduates in 2014......