Families are Forever

We had the great opportunity to go home for David and Staci's wedding last week. We decided to drive to Boise on the 15th and fly from there to Portland. Jim had a work retreat in Sun Valley the 10th-13th which I was invited to but not the boys. Since we don't currently have any family in town to watch them I stayed home. Dave and Staci are moving out here after their honeymoon, I can't wait that means babysitters next door! YAHOOO!!!!
We headed home and the boys did awesome on the drive. It was so good to be back home and be with family. Jim and I have great relationships with each one of my siblings and for that I feel very blessed! I think my brothers were more excited to see Jim than they were to see me! We had lots of fun, Sean took the boys to the Oregon Zoo, which Connor loved! We played at Happy Valley Park at their Water Park, and got to go to the Oregon Coast with Jims family. Jim is an amazing husband, one day he surprised me with where do you want to go shopping today?! What husband is so supportive of shopping??:) He came with Mom and I to help watch the boys, I love Bridgeport Village! Sean met up with us there for lunch at Paradise Bakery which is one of my favs when we are in town. Visiting home has changed so much when you have to consider how to entertain children. It made me really appreciate Rexburg and all the activities for children.



There was so much to do to prepare for Saturday, Dave and Staci did an excellent job planning everything and it all came together beautifully. Jim had the wonderful opportunity to escort Dave through the Temple and be a witness at their Sealing. It was so sweet, tender, and beautiful! How wonderful it was to see two worthy young adults with so much love for each other be sealed in the Lords Holy House. I realize more and more how blessed I am to see the Lord answer our prayers--in blessing our family. We have had our struggles, but to be in the Temple with Dave and Staci, Nikki and Adam, Dustin and Ashley, Mom, and Jim was such a sweet moment. It was the first time we were all together and a truly treasured experience. I couldn't help but keep looking at David and thinking how surreal it seemed, I think my mom was in denial.

The reception was beautiful and held at the Colonial Heights building, which has amazing architecture. Their colors were red and white, they had strawberry shortcake and cheesecake and a great layout of all kinds of salads, fruits and sandwiches! The dance was beautiful, they looked amazing and by the end of the night they truly rode off into the night on the hyabusa (crotch rocket) with her veil blowing in the wind!

The very next day we flew home, we spent the day lounging and watching them open their gifts. The trip went by way too fast! I think Sean and Kevin are flying out here for Thanksgiving with Dave, Staci, Jim and I, which will be so fun! Dave and Staci are in Kauai, they spent 5 days in Oahu in a private cottage right on the shore, then they flew to Kauai for 8 days. I am totally jealous! They have had a blast, I get random texts about how much fun they are having and can't wait to see them on October 11th!

I will post pics later I don't have them yet, long story short, my camera had no battery and everyone else forgot theirs in trying to juggle all the babies while we were in the temple. Sean thank you!!! We wouldn't have gotten to go to the sealing if it wasn't for Sean watching and wrangling all the boys!Oregon Zoo Salmon Exhibit
Me and my boys at the ZooJess and the boys watching the Zebras

The best trip yet!

Grandma and Grandpa Thornburg came to visit and we packed the days full of adventures. Tuesday they flew in and while the boys were hanging out we made a quick trip to Porters for some fabric shopping, then ran home to pick the boys up (the boys as in Gordon, Jim and Preston) and headed to Bear World. Wednesday we visited the Legacy Flight Museum. Thursday we headed to Kelly Canyon and stopped on the way at Big Judd's. What can I say...their burgers are massive. We shared one Big Judd Special between Jim, Grandma Joclyn and I, Grandpa Gordon ordered the Double Bacon Cheeseburger, which he thoroughly enjoyed but maybe later regretted a bit. He was told that was his last one for the year! We had made reservations to stay overnight at Cutthroat Inn. The Cutthroat Inn is a really great little place outside the canyon. There are 4 log cabins, with 2 queen beds, a large pond and great picnic areas. I headed to Heise Hot Springs with the little boys while Jim and Joclyn took a ride together through the canyon to some great trails. They did Poison Flat trail and another shorter trail. They had so much fun! We ate at Heise Pizza Parlor which was a neat log cabin turned Pizza Parlor. Their pizza was awesome, or maybe after swimming and wrangling the boys for 3 hours it seemed like the best pizza ever! We ordered the kitchen sink, it was loaded and sooo good! At 7:30 Jim and I left the boys with Grandma and Grandpa and had the first ride alone together! It was so much fun, we tried to find the best view of the sunset, and seemed to just miss it everytime we got to the lookout points. It was a little scary coming out of the canyon at 9:30pm, we couldn't see a thing, and kept riding faster before it became completely pitch black. The next morning we hiked the Cress Creek Trail, which offered awesome views of the Cottonwood forest, Snake River, and farmland on your way to Swan Valley. We visited Heise Hot Springs again and then packed up to head home. We wanted to show them Mesa Falls, so Saturday we visted the Lodge there at the Falls got great pics of the Falls. They have this great area in the back of the Lodge for children to touch and learn about the animals in the area. They had about 15 various animal pelts, skulls, pawprints, hoof prints, claws and talons, and a fish tank with trout. Preston loved touching the pelts. I wasn't quite ready to head back so we looked up a Spring located not far from Mesa Falls, it is called Warm River Spring. A 6 mile jaunt off-road and you've made it. The scenery is breathtaking, crystal clear water, mountain views in every direction, warm smell of pine trees...the warm river is pretty shallow, you can easily wade in it if you are up to numb limbs...it is ice cold. On the way home there were many vendors, and mass amounts of people at the park...it was the annual Celebrate Youth at the Park and it is all about the kids! Vendors taughts about hygiene, physical fitness, nutrition, DARE, and offered families free dinner. They had a horse drawn trolley that circled the park...the line for that was insane. Preston loved watching the firetruck shoot water fromt he top of its extended ladder, completely soaking anyone in its path. The National Guard had a Tank and Helicoptor...a little boys dream! We had great BBQ thanks to Jim, the master of the grill. Sunday we had to say "Goodbye," we were exhausted. It was a great trip with Grandma and Grandpa full of wonderful memories!

Opening a Webshop

A few years ago I started quilting. After a few quilts, I really loved the creative outlet it gave me. It seemed that I only quilted as the weather changed in September and I needed a hobbie since the snow kept any outdoor activity very limited. The best thing about quilting in September is all the holiday fabrics that are available with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner. I had never done wall hangings, applique, or paper piecing until I met Holly. Thanks to those late poker nights at the Dicks and Holly's crafty talent, huge amount of patience and great teaching abilities (I am a huge fan, can you tell??), I started making Holiday wall-hangings and Christmas gifts. I mean what else were we supposed to do as the boys were out in the playhouse playing poker till 2, 3, sometimes even 4am. This soon developed into, "oh, what to make so-in-so for Christmas this year." I got tired of our stockings every year being a total free for all, no one knowing whos was whos, all miss-matched, and there never being enough stockings to go around. So that is were the idea originated from...and you wouldn't believe how difficult it was to find a good stocking pattern, I had no idea how a stocking was made and put together. After many attempts at different patterns non of which I liked, I designed my own. Many people have commented on them so I decided to start a website for them. http://www.hollyjollystockings.etsy.com/ It is still under construction, and I am still trying to figure out how to mange my time so I can make them on demand, but I am super excited! Here are some pics of some of the stockings I have made for the family.

It's all play...random pics of August...we are tired.

We played hard, we have a few scraps and bruises to prove it! This month we had lots of company, thanks everyone for making August a great month of memories! Mom and Dad, Joclyn and Gordon, Ashley and Dustin, David and Staci, Dick, Meagan and Chris, Jared and Shalissa, and Sean.

Da Dunes

From far away the St. Anthony sand dunes are pretty impressive, but they are even more impressive when you are riding them. As everyone knows this is Jim's 1st year riding, he's been getting up at 5:30am to go riding at the Dunes, so that he can make it back by 8:30 and be to work at 9. Here are a few pics of the last few weeks of playing...Sean sitting at the top of ChokeJim sitting at the top of ChokeJim making it up Choke
Sean posing for a picJimSean and JimDave- This was his first time up...totally loving it!