Youth Conference and EFY

Up at 3am, ready to hike at 4 am....  watch the sunrise, testimony meeting, service, breakfast and then build a boat out of cardboard and plastic wrap and race it across a lake.  Fun youth conference for Megan and Melissa.  I went along as a leader and it was really a great day, no matter if it did start at o' dark thirty!

Unfortunantly, EFY was the same time as youth conference for Katie so she had to choose between the two.  So she and Krista Petersen took off to Tacoma and had an awesome week there.  Poor Katie had to drive the van at the last minute because the Acura had a weird rip in the tire.  Ryan and Andrew were playing catch on Saturday and the football landed right at the tire so Ryan couldn't help but notice the rip.  (Tender mercy.... I think so...) He pointed it out to Mike and after some research we decided that we needed to get new tires for the car and that it wouldn't be safe for Katie to drive it such long distance.  She was disappointed because how fun would it have been to take a road trip in a fancy sports car....  But they did have a lot of fun.

The EFY fun continued when later on in the summer some of the boys they met came to Spokane and got stranded with a dead car battery.  So they posted on facebook their troubles of being stranded in a little town called Liberty Lake and Katie came to the rescue.  They ate Sunday dinner with us and spent the night, had breakfast the next morning and spent some time touring around Spokane with Katie and Krista.  Funny how it really is a small world...

Fun with the Silhouette

OK -  I am having so much fun with this new hobby of mine – I. LOVE. MY. SILHOUETTE.  Oh my goodness, I am addicted.  It has so many possibilities.  When I used to tole paint Mike would tease me and say, if you stand still around here, you’ll get painted.  Now, I’ll put vinyl on you. I even put a creativity quote from Pres. Uchtdorf on the actual machine itself…

So, I have learned so much from Tammy.  She came up for the garage sales and we did vinyl non-stop!

I stopped by a sign store right here in Liberty Lake and they gave me some vinyl scraps.  FOR FREE!  Their garbage is my treasure! 

We did some school tumblers to sell at the garage sale.

Tammy has done so much more than me.  She has started a little side business to pay for her addiction.  One lady ordered water bottles and crayon cases for all her grandkids.  They turned out so cute

Tammy did an awesome Steelers Subway Art.  I love it – lucky for me, she made me one too.  LOTS of work.

I’m doing names on water bottles for camp…

A cute teachers gift for Melissa’s teacher.  She told me what she wanted and we designed a super cute tumbler.  We put a gift card inside.  Mrs. Watson teaches Language Arts and Melissa was also her TA for Spanish.  She is so energetic and has been such a positive influence on Melissa this year.

Then Mike and I sat down together and designed a cool logo for his truck.  He came up with the basics and I dressed it up with fonts and curves.  He even sent one to Marty.  Looking official!  I cut it out of reflective vinyl and Katie was driving the truck one night and actually pulled over because she saw lights in the rear of the truck.  We were afraid it was the sticker but it turned out to be a lightning storm!  :)

One of Mike’s friend in the Marines is being transferred to Virginia so as a going away gift Mike designed some custom beer glasses for him.  We etched it onto 4 glasses.  Major Stevens has a hobby of beer making and had talked to Mike about a name for his custom lager.  They turned out so cute!

I made a bumper sticker just  for me.  I love this saying, saw it on a jacket a few years ago.  I cut one for Major Steven’s wife too.

Tammy made some cool shirts for the girls.  They just get on line and find any design and we trace and create. 


I’m putting words on my wall!

And labeling all my craft stuff…
We even pimped out the boys Little Tikes Police Car that we found at the garage sales.


The possibilities are endless.  Vinyl is not too expensive and I love love love to design.  It is really a fun hobby.

Pictures of the Boys

After having the boys here twice in May and June it is hard to have them go home and continue their life without us.... Tammy is good to call and send pictures.  We all miss them so much.  Blue is changing so fast, he is losing his baby look.  Wes and Dallas are full fledged big brothers!  They are becoming tech savy with the ipad and the kindle.... Tammy finished their Copper Jeep shirts and they are sooo cute!  They are enjoying summer days with popcicles and swimming.  Soon they have to start packing to move to Salt Lake, so they are enjoying their last summer in Boise.

ATVing With Dad

Megan and Melissa are pretty good troopers to go with Dad on his adventures.  Melissa reports that they got air on this trip, a few jumps I guess?  Not sure where Mom was to control things....

Lucky Us–Another Visit!

The stars have aligned and Tammy and Toby were able to come up for a visit again.  This time they drove – a quick 7 hours….  It is so much fun to play with the kids, craft with Tammy, and just be a family.  Yeah for time together.  We may not be perfect but we’re in it for the long haul.  I like to think….FOREVER!

Shopping…

Playing Lovey’s piano

Car washes on the patio

Lincoln Logs with Papa

Crafting with the Silhouette

Fire Pit fun.  Making s’mores

Golf cart rides are probably the most favorite activity of all.  The boys discovered the digger at the Bear park.  We went there quite a few times.  They love rides on the golf cart.