Summer Round-up

Last week I told you about Allison & Christian's lovely wedding.

This week I'm backing up to July again!

After the 4th and fireworks, Nick began a tradition he has looked forward to I think since he found out he and Diana were having a baby boy. He took his little buddy to a Saturday morning

 Home Depot Kids Workshop "make-it/take-it" activity. This is something he and his brothers had done with his Dad when they were younger. The item of the day was a "Bug House" for holding all those caterpillars and creepy crawly things little boys tend to collect! Lucas got his own work apron and when the project was finished he got a Bug House pin to put on the apron.

He loved using the little hammer and helping his Daddy!

He also loved hopping off of his bucket and running off to see what everyone else was doing! 

That's what Pa came in handy for!

When we got home from that event we found that Roxie's new kennel had arrived by UPS.

 Nick helped us put it together and Lucas thought it was a dandy place to have his juice!

We also enjoyed visiting the local shaved ice shack called "Shiver". So cold and yummy!

 I love this shot of Auntie Britt and the boy so focused and looking cool in their shades.

 Um, yeah. We could not keep this guy out of the "Puppy House"!

The week was capped off by a giant family sprinkler run and water fight! I did not get the memo that said, "Hey! Wear turquoise to the water fight!"

 Summertime brought on a new obsession for our grandson. he loves "Choo-Choos"!

Cool summer evenings mean lots of playing fetch out in the backyard. It's Roxie's favorite game and she always dresses to match the ball!

Dee's garden was just taking off in July and looked so pretty. Even the onion flowers can be appreciated as long as you don't stick your nose in them and get a whiff!

We also took a little trip to Bloomfield, NM for our annual "Mother and Child Reunion". It was held at my brother Dean's house again this year. I love the drive south through Utah's red rock and arches country!

We try to get together every year. It doesn't always work out that way but this year we were all there. We just didn't pose for any group photos.

Roxie came along for the ride this year and she did very well.

 She's a very drowsy traveler (just like me!) but when she is awake, she's a character!

 

 This is the same trip we took when we went to visit my parents before my father passed away. There are some really bleak and dreary parts, but I love Green River through Moab! First you come to "Hole 'n the Rock". It's a strange house built in a cave on the other side of this bluff. Our kids always got excited to see it because it meant we were half-way to Grandpa and Grandma's house! The kids always wanted to stop and go inside, but at this point we were 16 hours into out 22-24 hour drive and Dad always said "No!"

Wow. We really missed out! I include these photos for my poor deprived children! Apparently this man started this home for his family in the early 1940's by blasting and carving away at the rock. He then opened a roadside diner that was a great place to stop and rest on your long journey...Dad!! 

You can pay big bucks for a tour but I prefer pulling pictures off of the internet. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Hole 'n the Rock, a great American roadside oddity!

Wall-to-wall carpeting...no dirt floor here!

I would NOT live in a rock without some pretty big windows!

Think, "Flintstones"!  Oh, and do you SEE the horse in there?!

I would take this furniture when nobody was looking. I love it!! It's a shame it lives in a rock...

 Hey Honey! How about a bumpy little bath!

The graves of the Mr. & Mrs. are even there!

 Speaking of oddities...I've always wanted a llama in my living room!

 This is all we ever saw of the famous house...The creepy carving 

of Franklin D. Roosevelt over the entrance!

Wilson Arch comes next along Highway 191. The kids always wanted to stop here too and run up to the arch. You guessed it...we must be the worst parents in the world. SO what do we do when the girls are all grown up and we only have the son along? We got into so much trouble with the girls for posting this on Instagram! 

We finally arrived at Uncle Dean's house and immediately got into the family friendly game playing! About all we did was play Farkle and card games. It was a blast just to sit around the table and be together!

Here are my three living siblings, Richard the Great, Georgena the Amazing, and Dean-o the Wise!

  Here are R-L husband Dee, Sis-in-law Renda, and Richard-the-Younger watching the former CPA keep score. No cheating in our group! (Was that thunder I just heard?)

 Roxie was a hit with the dog overs in the gang and Renda was a sport for letting us bring her along.

She even took the opportunity to curl up with my Mom and nap every day! In fact, that blankie that covers Mom's lap is actually Roxie's. They shared!

The guys took an afternoon to go fishing up on the San Juan River below Navajo Dam.

They caught a lot of fish, but brought home Blake's Lot-o-Burger for dinner!

Here's their attempt at a Selfie.

It's good for The Master to get out and fish once in a great while! He loves it so much!

We have a favorite little place we go to every year we are there called Panda Garden. It's a great Chinese food place in what used to be a western themed steak house! Kind of odd and fun!

Steven, we missed you this year!

 L-R Mama Helen, Renda, Dean, Dee, Richard Loose, Gena, Richard Ellsworth, & Sherri.

 One afternoon we were all inside when Dean's attention was caught by a delivery truck out front. "It's the UPS truck! It's here! My birthday present is here!" I asked if someone had told him they had sent him a gift and he said, "No! I ordered it for myself!" IT turned out to be an awesome new pellet gun! (Oh, my brothers!) He was a really nice guy and gave everyone a chance to shoot at the little fake rabbit target that Miss Roxie attacked when she saw it!

Four days goes by too quickly and we were soon on the road home. I love the way we go, up through Mancos and Durango, Colorado. We used to vacation in those very mountains nearly every summer when I was a little girl. I can tell you about some harrowing jeep rides my Uncle Smitty gave us kids nearly to the tops of those peaks looking for Fool' Gold!

Here's another little roadside attraction the girls always ached to stop at. 

It's a Trading Post with giant Native Americans, apparently!

We didn't stop...

Below you see a photo of what the early settlers called "Church Rock". I always thought it looked like a snowman but...

 Do you see that little cave door at the base? Oh, how the kids wanted to climb through that barbed-wire fence and go exploring. We didn't go exploring, but we DID stop!!

Sorry girls!

I love how the wind makes Roxie look like a bat!

And that ends our July! 

One more post to go and summer will be all wrapped up...and I'll be sad!

Gramma Heaven!

The Little House seems awfully quiet these days. For ten glorious, loud, busy, crazy days it played host to our grandson, Lucas! He arrived with his Mom, our daughter Diana, on big airplane that let his Thor action figure zoom up in the clouds...WhoOSH! His Daddy arrived three days later and together they graced our home during their spring break. Bless their little San Diego hearts...they froze! We had enjoyed several sunny warm days up in the high 60's up until they got here. The temperatures dropped dramatically and rain came in to remind them of their former Utah home.

In preparation for their arrival Auntie Britt bought a toddler bed so her sweet nephew would sleep in comfort. The old Pack-n-Play was way too small anymore. Uncle Richard deserves a medal of honor for trying to put that thing together! It was very tricky but he persevered with great patience.

Lucas was very impressed with the results.

"What is this strange sort of crib that I can get into and out of all by myself?"

 Tackle!!

Pretty soon Aunt Britt came over and we all visited while Diana unpacked.

Soon after, the young Jedi master snuck (sneaked?) up the stairs. Only one of the adults noticed.

 "This is not the toddler you want to keep an eye on. Move along..."

What he found next fascinated him for the rest of the visit.

The dog's bowls!

"Whatcha got there doggy? Can I try some?

Does he look innocent enough?

And thus went the rest of the week with this very active, very curious 18 month old! He goes from one thing to another to another to another to another! His parents joke that he's like a shark. 

If he stops moving he will die. I fear they are right!

The first few nights were rough. He had a bad cough. So bad, in fact, that the 2nd night his Momma and I took him to the ER. Her insurance likes out-of-state ER's better than Urgent Care places. The doctor worried about RSV, but gratefully that test came back negative. His lungs were clear too. Just a horrible virus that plagued him for the next week.

He was not happy after that x-ray and nose sucky-thing! It was midnight and he wanted to be in bed!

It didn't seem to bother him much during the day. I was tired trying to keep up with him! Diana welcomed the extra hands and hearts that loved and took care of her son so she could have some moments of freedom and we all had the BEST time!

 Roxie soon grew used to all of the attention and loved following Lucas around because he tended to drop Goldfish crackers and Cheerios!

 One morning Diana was resting after a rough night of coughing. Gramma found it difficult to put on makeup while trying to keep this boy out of the toilet, shower, bathtub, hall closet,... so I resorted to the old stand-by, "Jake and the Neverland Pirates". Awesome!!! (sheet washing day!)

 Louie was everywhere! The window seat was a favorite spot. Roxie stayed close! I am a bit annoyed that Lucas taught her how to get up there!

 Pa had fun showing Lucas all of the old toys we had saved for this very time in our lives. The wooden blocks were a hit, as was Uncle Richard's old car mountain.

He loved to play with our old play dishes and kitchen.

Some people get rid of all of their toys when the kids outgrow them. I never could. I am too sentimental.

I'm glad we kept them!

Aunt Britt came out almost every night to join us. She loves this boy so much!

Isn't she looking quite "Google-y" these days?!

 There was the fun night that Nick and Diana bought "Frozen".

 There were "Man Cave" moments too. Like the guys watching "Miracle" together.

 Pa cried again for the 40,000th time!

 More to share next time!