Lounging at the Lake

A couple of weeks ago I received a phone call from Kim telling me that she and Mike were going to make a surprise visit to our humble abode and wondered if the "Wilkerson Suites" (what we nick named the spare room) was available for guests!?...I have to say, I was thrilled!!! Its always fun to have the kids come home. While they were here we took an evening and headed up to the lake for a little picnic and some swimming and fishing.

Erik did his best to catch a few fish...but didn't have any luck~

he even braved the cold water and waded out to see if he could have better luck out there...

BUT still, NO Nemo!

Halle was all smiles...BEFORE stepping foot in the water (it was too cold to smile much

after getting in)!

Mike considering a dive into the frigged water below

...while Kim cheers him on~

...even Little Mister was a little shell shocked by the freezing water

Little Mister and Papa playing in the sun...(much warmer than the icy cold lake water)

Since open flame fires have been banned (because of the EXTREMELY dry conditions here in UTAH)...

we took our little portable propane cooker and roasted up a pretty mean hot dog

We even made a few smores over our trusty propane cooker...(improvise, imporvise I say)

Little Mister enjoyed a cookie...smores are for big people

After dinner, I tried getting a shot of that "cool" jumping picture that you see EVERYWHERE...

we could never peg it right on like the PRO's 

BUT personally, I like mine best...everyone showed off their own style of jumping...

EVEN Averee put her own special "twist" on it~

Mike decided since the water was so stinkin' cold, he would try his hand at "rock skipping"

which, I would have to say, was pretty fun to watch.

Little Mister and Halle played on the beach and dipped their toes into the water

As the sun was setting, the gang turned their chairs around so they weren't looking into the sun~

the funny thing was every time Deron put his chair in the water and sat down, it sank...and sank...and sank...

pretty funny stuff...but I guess you had to be there

From the looks of it...everyone had a great time. There were lots of laughs, smiles and fun times to be had!

AND the sunset was GORGEOUS I might add...

made me want to spend more of my evenings on the sandy beach

The night was so still and quiet that we listened to this lady (look in the lower right corner of the picture) singing from the top of her lungs out in her kayak...couldn't tell what she was singing but whatever it was, she was having a great time.  

Deron enjoying the sunset.......

And so goes the Summer of 2012...a perfect ending to a perfect day!

My "little" pioneer children~

A couple of weeks ago, Cam and Halle ventured out with the youth in our church to attend a 3 day youth conference at Martins Cove. They got up before the birds and were on their way before the sun came up over the mountains. They walked, and walked, and WAlked, AND WALKED...just like the pioneers did coming into the Salt Lake Valley. They both had some very special experiences while they were there, some that will stay with them for years to come. I am so grateful for the many leaders who gave of their talents and time so that my kids could have this opportunity. It was a wonderful experience and my kids came back different people.

Happy Trails~

PS... I had to BEG for a picture before they left (because I thought they were so darn cute)...being the early hour, neither one of them were much in the mood for mom's picture taking fetish...but they smiled and pretended to be happy for me.

A peek at summer time in my busy little life #3.

I don't have time to get bored during the summer, there is always plenty to do (isn't it that way

year round?!) BUT when the wind blows, it only creates trouble around here.

Mother Nature is determined to keep me busy, she thinks if she doesn't create work for me I will have nothing to do but watch TV and EAT chips...therefore she is constantly making a mess

for me to clean up, making the weeds grow faster than the plants and 

making the grass grow faster than I can keep it mowed...no doubt I have plenty to do...

Summer round here means:

FIXING things that the wind has damaged...

FINALLY (after 3 months) finishing a book!!!

Putting together a NEW YARD SWING 

(really, Cam putting it together with a small amount of help from me)

It was Mine and Deron's  "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY"

to each other~

My endless craving's for Cinnamon Rolls..........ahhhhhhhhhhhh....

Lunch on our new picnic table...a daily, sometimes 3x daily FUN summer experience!

These darling little flowers that have grown every year BUT never bloomed...

finally this year they are out in hoards!

loads and Loads and LOADS of laundry...it doesn't seem to ever end!

AND...last but not least, Halle getting to take some time to REST and RELAX and READ 

on the outdoor swing........Happy Day to her too!

and so goes another week of summer...its going by so quick!
June is disappearing quick, which makes me so so sad. Its my favorite month of the entire year and its
going so quick....I've decided that I am putting in my request for an extra week (or 2-3) in June! AND while I'm requesting, I will put in for an extra week or 2 in July and August too...because after all, doesn't our
calendar end come December 31, 2012?! If we are going to be making up a new one, why not make
some of the FUN months LAST LONGER!!!??!
EVERYONE in favor say "I"!!!

My boy, "Bob"...the builder~

Cam loves to tinker...he always has. From the time he was little, he has always loved to build. He would play with legos for HOURS and HOURS building, creating and inventing all kinds of cool and exciting things. When he grew up, so did his projects....they are now on a bigger scale and much more exciting. He likes to always have a project that keeps him busy (preferrably an OUTside project) 

We bought some wood and thought we would have him build us a picnic table and take 

advantage of his "want to be busy", and our "want for a table". I honestly thought

that this little project would take a few Saturdays, maybe some evenings after work...give him 

something to do for AWHILE!

 But I forget sometimes how much the two of us are alike, we both like to finish a project

that we are working right away...not leave it for days and weeks, but finish it ASAP. 

He went out after breakfast today and started pulling wood from the truck...piece by piece 

he built the most amazing table I've ever seen...AND ALL IN ONE DAY (about 6 hours)! I AM super impressed, not surprised that he could do it, because I knew he could, but impressed

at his amazing talent and skill!!

 It's extremely sturdy...strong as an ox~

 He even customized it to fit the "needs" of our TALL family 

and their LONG LEGS by extending the seat by 6 inches...

its amazing what a little 6 inch space can do for a 6' 8" boy with legs that go on forever. 

 I LOVE everything about this gorgeous table. I couldn't be happier!!

Come Monday morning we will move it to the back

yard where we can begin using it for some fun outside morning meals 

along with dinner in the evening.... 

Cam is my hero...and a very talented one at that!

Bet your jealous huh?!....its pretty darn cool if I do say so myself!

A peek at summer time in my busy little life #2~

Summer time at our house means:

 NEVER getting to bed BEFORE 10:30 and usually NOT by choice, it just seems

to happen that way. With the sun not going down until after 9, the day just doesn't seem to wind 

down until 10:30-11PM...........makes for a tired family come morning~

It means:

 planting flowers.....I don't usually plant petunia's because I seem to kill them every time I do. It's been  about 5 years since they last tried to grow in my yard so I thought I would try it again this year. So far so good...I love petunia's, they smell divine when there are hoards of them covering my flower beds!

This summer I wanted to "start a collection" of something.......

I collect spoons and have always had a fascination with old salt and pepper shakers. NOT the novelty ones so much. Dayna bought me my first set of antique shakers (on the left). 

They are adorable!!!, not to mention I LOVE THEM...the other set she found at 

a thrift store for $.50 a piece...DEAL, so I grabbed them!!!

and so goes the bucket list....and my infamous daily pictures~

A peek at summertime in my busy little life #1

Part of my Summer Bucket list 

was to "take a picture every day of something to do with summer"...(starting June 6-Sept 6)

WELL..I kind of wanted a "theme" to go with my pictures...so its going to sort of go like this:

I am going to take pictures of  "MY favorite things about summer"...

THE first one being "MY birds"...I put bird seed out in the bird feeders JUST so they 

will come hang out at my house, chirp and eat all the sunflower seeds they want!

 I don't know, maybe its because I'm getting older (we won't discuss that matter) or maybe I

am just taking more time out to "stop and smell the roses", either way...I love watching and listening 

to my fine feathered friends!

I love them, I adore them and ....

I anxiously await their "chirping" alarm clock at 3:32AM every single morning! (really I do)

PRETTY much on the DOT!

Good Ridden's!

Okay, lets get one thing straight here...I am not afraid of mice, I just detest them in a way

that makes me want to cause them bodily harm, even death. I don't jump

on the counter, I don't scream....I chase- until they are captured and on their way to "Mouse Heaven"...

HAVING said that, the other day while I was hanging in the kitchen cooking up a storm

a little ARROGANT fur ball of a mouse comes out to say HELLO! (not cool Ms Mouse)

WELL, in my house, if you are mouse- you certainly don't go around showing your ugly little mug, your just asking for trouble and its sure to bring death upon your sorry little soul!

I just sat their and stared at the sneaky little monster...having a stand off. Who's going to win? I was hoping to get to the broom and beat her with it before she ran for cover.

SADLY enough, she scurried away before I could get to the broom.

THERE was no time to waste~

I turned off the stove, left Ms. Mouse to the house for a short time (figured I would give her a head start to HIDE) and headed to the store to arm myself with ALL

the ammunition needed to kill this furry little invader. 

 Although I'm not a huge fan of d-con (only because the little rodents often die in the 

wall and leave such a stench that you want to move out of your humble abode for a week or two), IT WORKS! I came home and put d-con in every room...sticky traps in all the corners and behind the washer

and dryer and then we set traps in places we thought

 ONE naive' little pest MIGHT lurk around to look for food.....

THEN I waited...and waited and waited, checked the traps over and over until I headed to bed at midnight.

AT 2:45 I couldn't sleep, SOoooo upstairs I came to make another round of checking the traps.

LO AND BEHOLD...there the fat little mama was (I'm sure she was going to give birth

somewhere in my house and expect me to play hostess to her and her little mongrels), 

smashed (yes, that might be TMI for some of you) in my $2.00 trap, deader than a door nail, on her

way to mouse heaven. I'm not going to lie, I did a little HAPPY DANCE AT 3am right there 

by the garbage can where she took her last breath!! 

She took the bait ( a little peanut butter with a pistachio on top) 

and I am sure, has regretted it ever since! NOW, 

hopefully she was a loner...and didn't bring any brothers, 

sisters, cousins or friends along as she scoured my house for crumbs...

BECAUSE they will meet their death as well. 

I replaced the trap that she so kindly pounced on and have yet to see any trace of another 

terrorist sneaking in or around my house.

I feel I have done a great service to all mankind...I have terminated another USA

invader (she lived here in the United States of America and SHE invaded my home), stopped the spread of disease (one mouse can cause a lot of havoc), even if its only in my house...and maybe even saved the life of some poor unfortunate soul who might

have otherwise had a heart attack and died from intense fear of this beady eyed fur ball.........

SO LONG and FAREWELL Ms Mouse

Happy Hunting in Heaven!