YeeHaw!

The Twin Falls County Fair & Rodeo has come roaring back into town for 2008! We try to make a point to catch at least one night of rodeo and several days of fair-food! The corn dogs, mini-donuts, elephant ears, raspberry lemonade, pitas...I could go on! It's great and ridiculously expensive, but I guess that's part of the fair.

Last night, Eric and I ventured out to the grounds to watch the first night of rodeo. We had some gigantic corn dogs, meandered around a little, then found a couple of seats in the grandstands. It was a good time, but he got a little restless, so we headed over to the animal barns! We had so much fun (after getting some mini-donuts, of course!)

That was one big loader!

The boy loves his mustard!

He rode T-Bone and did awesome!

The ponies were a hit--they were just his size!

This little piggie thought he smelled good!

We also visited the sheep and the rabbits and the alpacas! Shelley had her alpaca, Rocky, in the fair this year and she won 6 out of 7 first-place ribbons! The only one she didn't win was the Grand Champion, in which she received Reserve Grand Champion! We were so happy for her!

We're going back to the fair again today to brave the rides! The weather has been so spectacularly cool that it's enjoyable all day! And I'm really looking forward to it; this is the first year Eric will really be able to participate in the fair activites, instead of constantly being told "you're not big enough yet, honey". More pictures to come!

Underwear Goes Under There

It's been kinda blowing my mind that Eric will be 3 this year. He's already started talking about going to school! I think what really freaks me out is the thought of what I will do when my little shadow is away from me for a few hours every day. It makes me sad! But I know he (and me, too!) will be so proud when he starts bringing home the stuff he accomplished that day.

Speaking of accomplishments, Eric now owns official "big boy" underwear. Meaning, if he pees in them, he--as well as everyone else--is fully aware of it. :) He's not in them all the time; we're still doing the Pull-Ups thing. But he really loves knowing he has them in his drawer. And so do I. It means he's making progress and that's a big deal for a little man at the ripe ol' age of 2!

Here he is with his awesome camo and dino briefs!

H2H BBQ

My H2H (heart-to-heart) is my group of fabulous ladies--Tiffany, Shannon, Deana, Cathy, and myself. We started getting together officially just after the first of this year. I have loved it. We do lessons from women's study books, pray for each other, share tears and laughter (mostly that last one) and just have an incredible time together.

We try to get together for "fun-nights" regularly, to maintain the friendship outside of the study-group. We don't seem to have a very difficult time doing that. Last month we decided it was high-time we have a bbq and that it would be nice to include the men. So, it was decided: bbq, Aug. 23, men are invited, kids are not, bring chairs and a side-dish.

The day arrived and it couldn't have been more perfect. Wait...there were a couple tardy attendants, but otherwise it went off without a hitch. Levi manned the grill, Shannon brought chips & dip, Deana brought rolls & veggies, Cathy brought noodle salad, and Tiffany brought cheesecake & berries! They were all delicious.

We talked and laughed the night away--some of us sharing a little too much. But wonderful memories were made. Just a piece of advice: if you're ever in the pizza-delivering business, steer-clear of Crestview Drive!

PB&J All the Way...Across His Face

Eric and I love to eat outside in our backyard! We have a wonderful patio with comfy chairs and a canopy, so we try to get out there as often as we can. (The stars were a fun-find from a store called Real-Deals.)

He was eating his peanut butter & jelly sandwich really well; by that I mean I didn't have to keep reminding him to eat it. And he was making headway right down the middle, giving himself a rather large purple smile.

I just had to take a picture of it. The whole scene just screams "SUMMERTIME!": being outside, with pb & j, overalls, bare feet, and a little blonde boy.

My Birthday at Galena Summit

As my birthday was approaching, I approached Levi. I don't usually wait for him to ask what I want because it saves him from forgetting the day altogether! That, and I had already decided on what I wanted to spend the day doing quite some time before.

Horseback riding.

So darn it, we did it! I called a place I found on the internet, reserved 2 spots on the half-day trail ride, and next thing I know, I'm in one of the greenest places God ever created. And what made it even better was that I was viewing it from the back of a beautiful Mustang named Lola. How fabulous is that name?! And here she is:

We went through streams and over fallen logs and up the side of the mountain. Millions of purple wildflowers and orange butterflies on both sides of the trail. It was like something out of a calendar.

Me and Lola

Levi and Popeye

Beautiful moss along a tiny creek

We made it! Titus Lake is between 2 mountains.


Enjoying the scenery (and the break from the saddle!) Doesn't he look thrilled?!


On the way back down. Lola tried to eat the entire time!


I thought this sign was great.

We finished the day by hanging out in Ketchum. We ate a delicious Italian dinner at a place called Rico's and then watched Batman: The Dark Knight at a tiny theater! We had planned to spend the night, but there were no rooms. Not in Ketchum, Hailey OR Bellevue! So, we took our sore butts and drove all the way home! But it was so worth it!

On the Lake

I just have to say that I am so excited to get into August. I have a bunch of FUN work coming my way and I canNOT wait for it! Baby shower invites, baby announcements, and just recently, more wedding invitations! I am in heaven! And all these things are for girlfriends of mine! How much better can work get??

Also, I couldn't believe this, and if you know Levi at all, you won't believe this either, but we actually took the jet skiis out yesterday! It was fabulous! We went down to Lower Salmon and met my parents and siblings with their boat! It was so much fun! Well, it was until Levi's jet ski pooped out! He stayed at the shore and tried to fix it while Eric and I took off on mine to go track down my folks and the boat. All was great until we all stopped and tried to get started again. This time, my ski wouldn't start and neither would the boat! Ack!

Finally, my dad fiddled with something in the engine compartment and got the boat going. Unfortunately, my ski was flat-lined. So, I got Eric on the boat with them and they threw me a rope. So, I did get to ride my jet ski back to the dock, but it was via boat-power. A little less cool, but fun anyway.

On the ride back, my mom opened the cooler and was passing out snacks. She counted to 3 and tossed me a KitKat. I didn't catch it but it landed near the front of my ski, so I was still able to grab it! It was great! Sunshine and chocolate! Yay!