Getting ready to leave and goodbyes.

We have been busy thinking about being gone, and what to bring with us. And worrying about how much our suitcases weigh.  At the same time we have three daughters and seven grand kids here for a week.  We also gave our farewell talks in sacrament yesterday.  Settling matters here and enjoying the kids for one last time while being one foot in the mission field is distracting, tiring and fun.

Our talks went well, it was the second week of us in our new ward, so it is odd to speak about something so dear to us with mostly strangers.  Lucky for me several friends from our previous Wards, Eagle 8 and Beacon Light were able to attend.   It was nice to talk with them afterwards.  

Pool time saved the hot afternoons. 

Maggie, Carrie and Audrey still got in the hot tub.

Our activities with the family have mostly centered on the pool at home, it has been hot here.  The cousins generally get along very well.  We have been out to eat and had a very nice evening without the kids at Joe's Crab Shack.  The posted pictures will show some of us and our outings.  

Amos and Morgan always like Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Diner.

Driveway scooters, cars and bikes keep the cousins busy.

Levi loves trains, and Amos has been sharing the trains he brought with him this week.  This set is a new one Liz got out while Levi was in bed to check it out.  Maggie, Audrey Morgan and Amos gave it the stamp of approval  Levi woke up and looked over the balcony, by the time he climbed down the stairs the new train was put away and forgotten.  I think he thought it was Amos's train. 

Joe's Crab Shack made a good location for our night out. 

Eric gets a lesson in eating a crayfish.

After Joe's and our mega-meals we stopped for ice cream at Fanci Freeze in Boise.

Liz flipped over her snow crabs legs.  Slow but sure she finished them all.

Yesterday, Josh, Eric , Maggie and I went to Parma to try josh's new boat and to have Eric show us how to fish.  Maggie had fun swimming to the new platform with her dad, walking and climbing with me and riding on the ATV with her Dad.

Eric landed this large-mouth bass.  Hopefully, we learned enough to catch our own soon.

Maggie climbed the asphalt mountain and did a celebratory jig.

The Yamaha Badger ATVs continue to please the novice and experienced riders alike.  These have been with us since 1994 in Ft. Myers.

Hurricanes

Today I was reminded about one thing I didn't like when we lived in Florida:  hurricanes.  Specifically Hurricane Irene is heading for the Dominican Republic.  Getting ready for and worrying about hurricanes was not fun in Florida.  Watching this one is no different.  I hope it will stay weak and not cause the people much trouble.  When we are there I don't think I will worry much because it won't be my stuff that gets blown away, and God will watch over us there. 

All in all I am very excited to get trained in the MTC and get underway.

Trail of the Couerd'Alenes II. Aug 8-13, 2011

Resting on the bridge

The old railroad bridge has been "terraced" for bike riders.

The kids rode very patiently.

Sorry about the tilt, Josh ascends the bridge.

We returned to the bike trail on an old railroad grade for the second year, last year we had a nice trip with Carrie, Anna, Cindy and I.  this year we brought everyone willing to come, so we had Shawn and Anna, the Iverson's and Cindy and I.  We had our tent camper and the roof top tent, worked pretty well overall.  We towed my utility trailer with bikes and camping equipment.

The Harrison City campground works well for us, we had two lake-side sites and easy trail access.  We brought plenty of firewood too.  The weather was good, mid- 80's days and mid 50s in the night.  Some people rode four days and some, like me two.  We had one day in Couer d'Alene the city, a fun marina and pier and some shopping.

All in all we had a good time together.

Liz in camp getting ready for first days 30 mile loop to Plummer and back.

Ready for departure

Allison waiting to lead out.

Pier at marina in Couer d'Alene

Archway on pier.

Shopping in Couer d'Alene

Allison got a flat in construction zone while going to Plummer for ice cream.

Naps helped pass the time.

One morning Levi had a fuzzy do. 

Some nights Morgan and Levi were both up on the queen with Mom and Dad.  Morgan slept at our end with us two nights.

Sunset, ready for driftwood story time.

Carrie's story involved a peg-leg pirate, pretty good use of her driftwood.

The camp spirits were calmed with this offering by Shawn.

Morgan was kind to serve as support for Levi on some of his naps.

Josh pulled them most of the time, Shawn helped on the hill to Plummer.

Carrie had a wasp sting while we cooled off on some rocks along the St. Joe river.

The cool water helped the feet and energy level.

Morgan cooled right down.

Liz and Allison had a moose right in their path, this one was off the trail a hundred feet or so.

I hope we will be back to Harrison in two summers, it is a fun place to bike.  Even if you aren't a serious biker.

Another lightning trip: Eagle to Springville Aug 2-5, 2011

As the time to depart for our mission draws closer we have tried to see the grandkids as often as possible.  Hence, we took a quick trip to see Amos, Maggie and Audrey with Laura and Eric in Springville.  Anna and Shawn went with us in their Land Rover.  The drives were uneventful, we did have a nice lunch in Snowville, UT,  never had stopped there before. 

While in Springville we took a guy's ride up a mountain road to look down on Springville and Utah Lake.  We had an afternoon to see the new Smurf's movie and play in the water fountains at a shopping center in Provo.  We had a fun time playing with the kids for one "last" time.  

View from our mountain road.

Audrey got stuck under Amos' bed.

Maggie loves the water fountains.

Could be one of those Ensign conference shots.

PF Changs provides the horse. 

Eagle to Wilmington. Delivering Meg 10 - 18 July 2011

This trip was somewhat ill-conceived from the start.  Driving to Delaware across the whole country in the heat of summer?  Not so bad in the Mercedes s600 though, smooth, quiet ride and turn up the A/C.  but, what if...the Mercedes had trouble while we are in the Dominican?  Not the best car for Meg perhaps.  Well the Trailblazer will do...not the rig desired by Meg.  So, three in the MINI for forty hours?  As I said, ill-conceived.

We started after Church on Sunday, we planned to drive through the first night.  Meg had so much stuff there wasn't any room for us at all.  Cindy was the only one that could fit in the back seat, forty hours to sleep and read her Kindle.  She had it the best, maybe.  I drove the most time, but Meg took the night shift from midnight until 4am, I dozed sitting up, no room to recline or lean on the window much.  Stiff neck for sure.

But we survived and occasionally had a run at flourishing.  We looked forward to the gas stops, the MINI gets too many miles per gallon, so we had to stop for us sometimes, not for me but for others.  We had a meal or two where we sat in a restaurant and could get up and walk around whenever we wanted. We drove the first day and night to a Day's Inn near Dayton Ohio.  I slept like a log.  We had a fairly short day of 10 hour into Wilmington on Tuesday, driving through the night seems hard but works for us, we were glad to cut a day off the drive.

We had a great visit in Wilmington, the fifteen month old Leah and Andrew were too fun to watch and play with.  Meg got into their routine and is ready to Nanny on.  We visited Longwood Gardens and Rehobath Beach.  I was able to corrupt the diets of Kate and Steve enough to get some Costco ribs and a trip to a Asian fusion restaurant, Jasmine.  The pictures tell the story. 

Gas stop in Nebraska.

Everyone loves to play.

Drew is sure he is a cool dude.

Leah wanted to be sure she wouldn't drown, this is not the day we went to the Beach.

The kids area water features result in very wet Leah.

Drew stayed drier but had lots of splashing too.

Nannyism.

Loading for the Beach.

With Kate, and others, there is always some excitement related to needing a bathroom.

Asian fusion cuisine. 

We are cleaned up for Church.