Did you notice....

Did you notice the new layout? I would love to take credit, but it was my sister Sara who did it for me. No doubt you have seen her work on other blogs on my contact list. But I was being stubborn and not giving out my password for her to do mine. But she did one anyway, and showed me when we went to visit this last week. It was so cute, and fits out family perfectly! She is truely an amazing mother, wife, music leader, soccer player, blog designer......the list could go on and on. So, back in November I showed my sister, Sara, this great new thing called "Blogspot" that my sister in-law intorduced me to. Now 6 months later she is a blogging expert, and I am still figuring out all the bells and whistles. Typical. Oh well. Thanks Sara!

Yeah...that's right...a Def lepard concert!

Ok, funny think happened Tuesday morning. I get home from taking Emily to school and there's a message from Blake. He's all excited about this Styx, Reo Speedwagon, and Def Lepard concert he heard about on the radio, and could I find out when and where. So I look it up on the internet, and the concert is that night in Nampa, at the Idaho Center. So I call Blake back to break the news that it's not going to happen. Then he tells me about how he mentioned that he really wanted to go to this concert, and his United Rental rep was standing there and said "let me see if I can get you tickets for that". To make a long story short (who am I kidding this is still a long story) we end up with 5 (free) tickets to this concert, in Nampa, on a school night (no hopes of a babysitter, especially for that long... right?). But it is amazing what you can accomplish when you really want to do something. So we conned Blake's dad into watching the kids, and found 3 other people to share the tickets with. My cousin Ashley and her husband Travis said they would go. I had called our friends the Moore's next door to see if they wanted to go, but her husband had early meetings in the morning and didn't want to be out so late (what a grown-up!). So I thought Stephanie wouldn't go either, but she was totally still willing to go. She is hilarious! 37, but just keeps getting younger instead of older. Gotta Love It! Anyway, it was pretty tight picking up Blake on are way, and getting to Nampa in time. We met up with Travis and Ashley at the Idaho Center. Styx, and Reo Speedwagon were good. Their sound was still the same, and Stephanie and Ashley and I picked out all the "stake dance songs" they played.
Then they started gearing up for Def Lepard and there was a completely different VIBE in the audience. The crowd started to roar even more in anticipation. The people watching alone was beyond entertaining, and there was a lot more "skin" walking around (if you get my drift) than earlier. They gave a good concert. I mean, how can you not love the one armed drummer! He was by far the most impressive. They said something about recovering from a cold, and you could tell their voices were pretty "weak", but still a blast. I have never seen so many accomplished "air guitar" players in one audience. Facinating! It was fun to let loose a little, and have some fun (on a Tuesday night no less). Due to the insane! alcohol consumption we observed many around us indulging in, we left alittle early to beat the crazys out of the parking lot. We had to leave right as they started "Pour Some Sugar on Me". Steph and I embarassed Blake, I am sure, by singing along all the way out into the parking lot. So there you have it. The "prude" of the family went to a Def Lepard concert!!! Go figure!

Mom, this walks for you!

My mom has always loved a good walk. I remember her asking me to go on walks with her often. I am sure I would roll my eyes or something, but always go, and always enjoy it by the end. I remember trying to keep up with her long gait. The whole time the saying "lengthen your stride, lengthen your stride" going through my head. But it seemed that no matter how hard I tried to keep up, I always had to "trot" every so often to catch up. She would coax me to go just a little longer, saying, "lets just see whats around the next bend". While I was sure it was probably just a big dog waiting to chase me, she was always the "observer". She never failed to find something interesting on every walk that anyone else would have easily missed. Whether it was the "smiling barn", the "love tree" or naming every wildflower, and picking one to "press" when we got back to the cabin. So thank you mom for walking with me. And by doing so teaching me how to "lengthen my stride" just alittle longer, and take the time to notice the things that really matter! This walk was for you!

My cousin Ashley called me up and told me she was organizing a team to walk in the MS Walk in Boise. I was so touched that she would go to the trouble, and effort to support, and in a sense, honor my mom with this walk. It meant so much, and was such a wonderful opportunity for my little family to reunite with many of the Plant aunts, and cousins we have been some what out of touch with due to our "globe trotting in recent years. Here are the Plant sisters saying "this one's for you Connie!"
Here are the kids posing for Aunt Priscilla. It was really cold, but they all wanted to show off their shirts. Emily, Jack and Sam on the back row, then Brooklyn, Jareds oldest, and Addison, Ashley's oldest. In front of Emily and Jack is Kendall, Ashley's second daughter. Emily looks so "mature" next to everyone else, it's alittle reality check to me. She is growing up so fast!
The kids and I attempting a "photo finish" The walk was just that, a very low key walk, which was perfect for the kids. I only had to break out the "crazy legs" when I heard Ashley calling for Addison, who was on her new bike. I spotted her way up ahead, away from the group. So I ran after her, only to find that Bernie was right on her tail, and I probably just embarassed my self more than anything. Oh well, there is just something about a mother calling for her child that brings out the "mother bear" in me, and I have to find that child NOW!
I couldn't resist taking a picture of Heather, taking a picture. This was just one of many that she took. As always, she documented the event with an entire roll of film. Just like old times. We love you Heather! Don't ever change!
As you can see in above pictures, Ashley made sure everyone had team shirts. She was worried when I talked to her, that she hadn't gotten any for my kids because she didn't know they were walking. But I just got some white t-shirts and had them make their own the night before. They had alot of fun doing it, and I think they turned out great! We love you Grandma!

Can't Get Enough of That Idaho Hick Fun

So, some friends of ours, the Staples, wanted to go looking for some "hot springs" this last weekend. Now, we are in kind of a "hot springs belt" here in the Twin Falls/Hagerman area. There are tons of Hot Springs around us. But Blake and Ben were looking for "hidden" hot springs they could find using the GPS Blake got for Chistmas. So we found a website with all the Idaho hot springs and the GPS coordinates for finding them (apparently we were not the first to have this brainstorm). After much deliberation they decided on the Bruneau River area. And we were off. We only past 6 other more "discovered" and "civilized" Hot Springs on our way (I'm just saying...). After getting lost a couple of times we did actually locate Indian Hot Tub, Hot Springs. It was definately "hidden" but not undiscovered. There were a few other people there when we drove up. We made the guys do a "nude bathing" check before we let the kids out of the trucks. But by the time we let our 3 kids, and the Staple's 5 girls out of the cars, and surrounded them with our "family atmosphere" everyone else cleared out rather quickly, and we had the place to ourselves. This is the Bruneau River. You can't really tell, but there is a 200 ft drop down into a canyon where the hot spring was.

Here's the trail down, and Blake and the kids "testing" the water. It was the perfect temp. Like a really hot bath. There was a cave back in the wall of the canyon, and a place to have a campfire. We roasted hot dog and smores. You couldn't ask for a better day. Where is that nice weather this week?

Jack hurrying to get in with everyone else.

The Staples

The kids had tons of fun. It was sandy on the bottom, with rocks to sit on. Big enough that the kids could play, and feel like they had a "swim". Then it was home for some baths, with lots of soap! I promise, the next post will have us doing something civilized. Some of you may be thinking we're alittle wacky with our "Hick Fun", but I love that my kids are gowing up in a somewhat rural atmosphere.

The Shelves Are Done

Here's the boys just wanting to get in on the picture action.

Here are some pictures of the shelves Blake built. Aren't they beautiful. Excuse me while I gush. Anyway, I think they turned out wonderful. Better than anything I had imagined he would do. Now I am struggling to accesorize them. The details of decorating have never been my strong point. So, if anyone has ideas I am open. Now that the shelves are done, I thought we would have a little repreave from projects. No luck, we are already hard at work on a shed/playhouse in the back yard, and we expanded the garden. I won't complain too much though. How many wives can say there husband's get "too much" done. Blake was in charge of the lesson last night for FHE. It was on "everyone working together in a family". One of his activities was to make a family pyramid to show how important it is for everyone to help to accomplish something great. Anyway, the only downside was that Blake and I were the "base" and could not see the kids struggling to get to the top, or the end result. All I know is that they did it! So I took this picture afterward. Still wish I could have figured out how to get a snap of the real thing.

Spring Break????????

So, unlike everyone else who ran to warmer climates for Spring Break, we decided to enjoy some of the great snow they have had this year up in Island Park. We started off in Rexburg where Blake helped dad take an engine out of an old Camero, to put in his other project car (sorry dad, the name of it escapes me). Mom and I went and got our hair done. Then, mom and dad watched the kids while Blake and I went to the Rexburg Temple. It was beautiful, and is very similar to the one they are building in Twin Falls, so it was kind of a "sneak peak". Then we went to the cabin and enjoyed great snow, and beautiful weather. We snowmobiled into West Yellowstone, had an easter egg hunt in the snow, and went sledding. While we were in Rexburg, Blake just HAPPENED to stop by the 4x4 dealer in town and found a great deal on a 4x4 for me (of course). It's smaller than the other one we have, which is fine by me, and we had fun testing it out on the snow. Island Park has had great snow, as you can see, this year. And just down the road alittle ways from my parent's cabin was this collapsed cabin someone didn't even get to finish before the snow load sent it sideways down the hill. You can kind of see the snowmobile trailer that is holding up the one side of the roof. What the picture doesn't show very well are the 4 snowmobiles, and suburban trapped in side. So Sad! (Emily is Chad crying yet?)

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