June 25--Back to the City

Packed everybody up today and headed back to the big city. What a great break--thanks for all the help mom & dad. Here are the boys with Super Grandma and Biker Dude Grandpa. My dad is training for LOTOJA and seems to be in the biker shorts most of the time. If you look real close you can see the same squinty eyes on my Miles as on my dad. Miles actually looks like my dad's twin 60 years later. Not only do they look alike, but Miles adores my dad and would have followed him around for many more weeks if he had had his way. Maybe next year we'll drop the boys off and head to some exotic beach far far away.

July 23--New Toes, Dead Voles, & Short Grass

Started the day off with a quick 8 mile bike ride. Short, but biking in Cache Valley is glorious. No constant traffic zooming by, no traffic lights every two blocks, no gutters running through each intersection...although we did almost get ran over by the Munk's farm truck.

After the ride we (mom, Mindy, & me) went into town for pedicures. I have never had one and let me say it was the best $25.00 my mom ever spent on me. Sorry no pics, my toes still long and cheeto like, but adorned in glitter red and rhinestones.

While we were gone my dad decided to educate my boys in the ways of the country by having them hold the hose down some vole holes while he conked the voles on the head with a shovel when they ran out the other side.

After the pedicures I sat on the porch soaked up some Cache Valley sunshine, admired my dad's garden, and watched him mow the lawn with the boys. Notice the headphones that are as big as Miles head I think they were suppose to make Miles think the lawn mower was not as loud as it really was.

Can't wait to collect on this stuff when it is ready in the fall.

June 22--The Zoo, a Pile of Dirt, & 'Smores

Today we ventured out to the Cache Valley Zoo otherwise known as Willow Park. It is very small, mostly birds, ducks, a snake, a few monkey's and the star of the place a bobcat. Now most people would find this a disappointment, but not me--I love it. The kids are so impressed by the animals and never remember there is no lion or elephant. It is small and compact-no pushing the stroller 20 miles to see all the animals. It is cheap--$1.00 donation bucket at the entrance. We did a quick tour and then wrapped things up with a picnic lunch and the playground. My mom came with us and we had a fabulous time. Here is Wes--he has been in a swing before, but you would have thought this was his first ride he was full of giggles and wide eyed expressions.

Later that evening Mindy brought the girls out and the kids headed for the dirt pile. Now most Grandparents shower their grand kids with toys and treats--not my parents they buy a truckload of dirt each year for the kids to play in. The dirty bums in the photo show what a success it was.

After a roll in the dirt we had a hot dog & 'Smores roast. Growing up this would have never happened-we would have been carried away by mosquitoes. Thanks to recent mosquito abatement we can now stay outside at my parents house after 4:00 in the afternoon.

Brynn likes her mellows black!

June 21--Camping out in the Driveway

So, we decided to take a trip up north to visit Grandma & Grandpa while Ian was off track. As soon as we got there mom whisked me away on a shopping trip and dad hunkered down to entertain three boys. After a fabulous shopping trip dad gave me the rest of the night off by loading the kids into their new camper (or "camp" as Miles calls it) and watching Jungle Book on the TV. Okay, slight revision--they started to watch Sssss.....

Okay more explanation--my dad likes bad movies. The kind of movies that never make it to the movie theater. Movies that star oversize frogs or mechanical ants, and some people who really can not act. Thanks to Netflix and the new channel THIS my dad now has an endless supply of such films. Dave decided to contribute to his bizarre movie list by giving him Sssss... a movie about a snake scientist who turns his lab partner into a snake and then the snake/lab partner eats him. So, my dad decided it would be fun to watch on the widescreen with Ian & Miles. They lasted about 15 minutes until the lab partner shed his first skin and dad opted for Jungle Book. Good choice.

Miles decided to venture inside for the night, but dad and Ian had a camp out in the camper during which Ian learned that Grandpa snores and Grandpa learned that Ian grinds his teeth.

(The photo above is of Grandpa taking the boys on a morning walk through the field.)

July 10--Saying Good-bye

On the 10th we attended Ian's funeral. As mentioned in the previous post he and Dave were best friends. Dave spoke at the funeral and if I can talk him into it I will post his talk here later-I know many of you who could not attend would like to read it.

Funeral's are never easy and Ian was so young and with his wife expecting their first child in September it was especially hard. Here are a few photo's from the day, and a few of my memories of Ian.

I met Ian when I met Dave. In fact you never really met just Dave or just Ian you usually met, "Dave & Ian." I was working in the Teton's summer of '98 and I just remember thinking how funny and charming he was. He and Dave could carry on this crazy silly banter that would make anyone laugh. Ian also had this goofy laugh that he would insert at sometimes the most random places in conversation and soon everyone would be cracking up. He would often say something silly or even slightly inappropriate then smile and laugh, "Did I just say that out loud?! (Dave does this too)

Ian loved adventure. He loved to climb, hike, camp...when I knew him he was always planning to scale some peak in the Teton's. The summer of '98 was when I first started really getting into backpacking and climbing and Dave and Ian were my rock climbing idol's. Dave spent many afternoons climbing up Odgen Canyon with Ian, they climbed the Middle Teton together, I think they made it up Mt. St. John in the Teton's and I know they summited a few more peaks in Salt Lake and just outside of Brigham City.

Ian had this innate musical talent that he was born with. He never took a music lesson yet he could write amazing songs for both the guitar and piano. I remember playing the piano one day (with music) and he sat down and just started improvising on the other end of the keyboard. At the funeral they played a song he wrote and sang called, "If I Were." At first I didn't remember it, but after the chorus I remembered him figuring out the lyrics and tune while in the Teton's.

The night before our first baby was born Dave and I went out to eat and while we were eating we decided if this baby had dark curly hair he would have to be Ian. Well he had dark curly hair when he was born and so the name stuck. It was neat to see the connection Ian's family had with our Ian--they all wanted to meet him and hug him.

Good-bye friend.

June 9--"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Dave's best friend Ian Kuester passed away on June 3rd after complications following brain surgery. This picture was taken the night of his viewing. We went to my parents house to spent the night and after dinner this amazing rainbow appeared arching it's way over the green Cache Valley mountains. Little did we know that at the funeral the next day someone would sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

May 31--Memorial Day

I have been snapping pictures like crazy to keep you all posted on our exciting life, but my computer has decided to throw a temper tantrum. Whenever I plug in the camera it screams "Device not recognized" or "Error code ******" or "Unable to upload images". We've tried disabled Norton while we upload, but no luck. We've tried about every combination of plugging in the usb and turning of the camera, but to no avail my pictures are still trapped on the memory card--maybe we need a card reader. I'm thinking a new usb cord might solve the problem because both the desktop and the laptop are mad at me right now. Any advice would be so appreciated (my camera is a Canon-Rebel xti).

So, let's jump back to the last of the photo's I was able to upload. Here is little Wes sweating it out in the sun on Memorial Day. We spent the day with Dave's family for the annual
Germer Memorial Day Celebration. This year we picnicked at Russ & Rita's "lower 48". Russ and Rita live on a hill and after a massive mudslide the lower 48 (flat area now equipped with swing set, picnic tables, basket ball court, and sandbox) was created. We had a great time catching up with cousins, watching the Germer talent show, eating Mary's lemon bars, and watching the kids play together. While we were there Mary figured out this tradition has been going on for some 50 years!