Western Idaho Fair...

Thursday night, after being trapped in the house all week with Vertigo, we decided to brave an outing. With my prescription in hand we set out. Our date night found us at the Western Idaho Fair. There is nothing better than fair food, but I'm sure I already talked about that when I posted about the Payette County Fair. :) We spent the evening walking through the animals and vendors, with our last stop being an Onion Blossom and Swirly Fries. I had decided since it was just us going, no nieces or nephews, I didn't need to bring the camera, but now wished I would have because they had a 1,000 pound pig. Of course to see the pig you had to pay 50 cents, which we willingly did. Justin got a picture on his camera, but I don't have the patience to get that on here.

I will post a couple pics of the pig, since Jamie doesn't have the patience. After all, the blog is for everyone else......not us. Before I post the pics, I must describe the enjoyment of trying to get the whole pig in the picture.

I stepped back 3 steps from the pig pen, and reached my arms up as far as I could. Unsure if I would even get the pig in the picture.

I took multiple pics with the pig cut off one way or another. Some were also blurry because I must have moved. Who would think that with arms stretched fully above your head, taking pics with a phone camera, the photgrapher would move????

Oh well...you get what you get!

Enjoy

Can you see the tusk coming out of his mouth?

Here is one with Jamie!!

Pizza Night...

Friday also meant 'Friday Night Pizza Night'.

Braden's First piece of Grandma's homemade pizza.

Braden and Maddie
JD & Pa installing a new antenna
Josh doing his duty as the youngest delivering tools needed for the install. Justin doing his duty as the older brother taking the opportunity when he saw it...
Emma, Sarah, and Alex enjoying the pool


And what summer evening, when almost all of the kids are together, is not complete without a little bit of volleyball. (my arms are still bruised!)

Zoo Boise...

Friday, Justin and I decided to give Julie a day off. Little did we know, it's hard to have four kids, even if only for a few hours! We took Emma, Alex, Sarah, and Timmy to the zoo to keep them occupied for the morning. We had originally planned on having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the park afterward, but decided (after the zoo) that was too much work, so we headed to McDonald's instead, much to the kids delight! Lucky for us, there is no Play Place at the McDonald's on Broadway (THANK YOU!!)

Every time we go to the zoo we head to the Red Panda first. We usually don't get to see him so it was nice that we not only got to see him, but he was right out at the edge of their cage.

Alex and Sarah checking out the shell
Yes, I posed them for this picture, but only Timmy, the other three were already standing in their 'age-order' line.
Alex being a turtle

I think the Meerkats might have been Timmy's favorite
Although he really liked the bear too

Glenn's Ferry...

Saturday, mom, Justin and I drove over to Glenn's Ferry to watch the Three Island Crossing. Every year on the second Saturday in August they reenact the river crossing that the pioneers went through traveling on the Oregon Trail. It was pretty amazing. It's hard to think of just what it took to be a pioneer. Even today with all of our technology it's still very dangerous. There were volunteer members from the Coast Guard and Elmore County Sheriff's office on the river on jet ski's in case anything happened, and Idaho Power even reduces the water flow to the river so it's not moving as fast when they cross.

While we were sitting in the park having our huckleberry ice cream we sat next to a children's author, Kay Winters, from Pennsylvania who was traveling the Oregon Trail with her husband researching for her next book, Voices of the Oregon Trail, aimed at 9-12 years old. She said it will be written from the perspective of 4 children from different families in a wagon party and their experiences on the trail. It was really interesting to get to talk to her and hear about the different places they had been already. She's also written some younger children's books and if you email her she'll send you a signed and personalized book plate for your book.

The Payette County Fair...

Tonight we joined Tim & Jen & Mom in New Plymouth for the Payette County Fair. When we got to New Plymouth for the parade, Jack and Grandma were there too. We enjoyed the small town parade, then walked to the fair grounds where our first stop was for food of course, one of the best parts of the fair!

Jack, Grandma, Kaden, Jen, Tim, & Mason

Mason waved back at everyone who waved to him

Next we had to go see if we'd won anything...and good news...we did! Mom entered this picture I had taken of Faith, she was so excited to see that her picture had won the blue ribbon!!
One of the ladies my mom works with told her if she didn't enter this, she would do it for her. So as long as she was entering my picture she entered this one too.
You can't go to the fair without checking out all of the animals.
We were trying to get Mason to kiss a pig, thinking Kaden wouldn't do it. When Mason said no, Kaden thought about it while we all walked away, then bent down and kissed him right on the nose!

Later to try to get Mason to kiss a pig, Justin offered him $1. Kaden jumped at the dollar knowing already it was no big deal to kiss a pig.
Mason gave in too...what 4 year old can resist $1...that's big money!
Faith Marie thought the horses were pretty cool, she loved petting their nose.

I Love to See the Temple...

Friday, my mom, Justin and I drove to Twin Falls to the temple open house. I was excited to share this experience with my mom and to see the differences in the design and layout compared to the Boise temple. The temple grounds are beautiful and even though so many people were moving through the tours, the Spirit and serenity was unlike anywhere else. There is nothing I love more about the temple than the promise that our family can be together forever.

I love to see the temple.

I'm going there someday.

To feel the holy spirit,

To listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God,

A place of love and beauty.

I'll prepare myself while I am young;

This is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple.

I'll go inside someday.

I'll covenant with my Father;

I'll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place

Where we are sealed together.

As a child of God, I've learned this truth:

A family is forever.