My Conclusions from 1,918 Miles in 28 Hours, 52 Minutes...

During our travels over this past week to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during the time spent with my family and the miles back I have come to the following conclusions:

1. This is the third annual 'meet my parents half way' vacation and on the previous two treks I had to prove to myself that I could do it without a stinkin man! I proved that I can. Conclusion, I am not doing this again without our man and I feel blessed to have found such an amazing one in Joe.

2. Ethan is a great little traveling companion when he is not instigating fights in the back seat.

3. My dad is a great grandpa and that he and EE are cut from the same cloth.

4. My children being true north westerners melt in the heat.

5. Jackers will do anything to make people laugh...including make faces from his food!

6. Wyoming is beautiful and this resort full of little cabins was great!

7. You can't keep brothers out of trees.

8. There are endless places to explore and not enough time to do it.

9. Jackson Hole is a cool little place complete with archways made from Elk antlers and the world famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, too bad I didn't have time to go in... :)

10. Jackers knows how to make a Wyoming centerpiece.

11. My parents are amazing people. We celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary during our trip. I admire their marriage and am thrilled to see them so happy! God had definitely blessed their marriage and that makes me so full of joy!

12. Grandpa is a great teacher

13. The landscape in Grand Teton National Park is truly breathtaking! You can't tell when the mountains end and the water begins.

14. Even these two boys need a break once in a while.

15. Bellie finds her true happy place in a pool of water.

16. If you are a true fisherman to your core even the smallest ones excite you.

17. My dad makes a delicious breakfast.

18. Boys can pee anywhere, in 1918 miles I am thankful for that!

19. A huge heap of antlers are completely fascinating to little boys.

20. This little girl loves the outdoors despite the fit she throws to leave her movie behind and you can't get her out of her pajamas to do it!

21. My dad, my son and myself love white river rafting!

22. Despite the Snake Rivers calm appearance The Big Kahuna got everyone on the boat soaked!

So my final conclusion is that I am incredibly blessed to have had this great experience! If you have 28 hours and 52 minutes and a willingness to endure countless fights from the back seat I highly recommend the drive!
Ajf
The complete set can be seen here on my flickr site.

Short Visit, but ohh so Sweet!

Jack is anxious to show Joe everything!

Pringles.. Joe and Ethan had to fight over them.

A little football...

We were privileged to have a short but sweet visit from our man Thursday thru early Saturday morning. The kids and I picked him up at the airport, the anticipation of Joe's arrival was very exciting. I loved seeing the boys greet him at the gate with hugs! We headed straight to Larabee State Park for our picnic lunch before the kids were off with their dad. It is hard to give them up but I do appreciate the time alone with Joe, it is hard to share him! I will be headed to see him on August 2nd, three weeks, that is about the very longest we can be apart! I miss you already baby! Thanks for the great visit!
Friends~ Please pray for Gods guidance for the right job opportunity for Joseph to make the transition to Bellingham as smooth as possible! We appreciate all your prayers, there are a lot of changes on the horizon for all of us! All amazing none-the-less, we just want every move to be Gods will for our future together. Thanks for praying!

Love, Amy

One Glorious Decade!!!

Ten years ago from today- 7/7/7- I became a mother to this beautiful girl, and what a decade it has been! We celebrated at every ten year old girls dream... Build-A-Bear and then a big girl lunch with our best buddies Auntie and Emily.

The precious girl and TEN! candles...

Build-A-Bear actually became build-a-bunny...

She stuffed her and then gave her a bath...

Then Bellie picked out a cute bikini and matching pink flip-flops...
And Mommy does not even get to hold her!

What a sweet girl!

MMmmmm lunch...

We named the bunny Izzy...

Isabelle and Emily

Kaboom!

DSC_0935.JPG, originally uploaded by Bare Feet.

We had the most fun this forth of July! We spent the day in Blaine at the parade, I have not seen this much down home fun since Nebraska! Speaking of NE check out the tractor entourage, apparently pretty amusing to me! This little hometown parade made the ski to sea ones seem boring! Our fun continued at the Sudden Valley Marina HooRaw... unsupervised, scary, a bit like the middle of Baghdad but exciting all the same. You know you are too close to the show if your deaf daughter reaches up and turns off her own hearing aids! You can see the photo set by clicking here.

We hope you had a Fun Forth! Stay tuned, you won't believe what tomorrow is!!!

Ahhhh... now we're talkin!

The pool by day and the lake by night. The warm summer sun was the ingredient I was missing for a parenting gig I can actually handle with ease!! All this sunshine is proving to be a nice break from the kicking, fighting, punching that would be happening otherwise! Welcome sunshine, please stay awhile...