Great Harvest!!

TAH DAAA!!! This is a sample of our beautiful harvest. I think we will get a crop like this 2-3 times a week!! I am so excited, and I will have photos of the raspberries (if I get some!)

Crazy Yellowston Photographers

You know how they say "a picture is worth a thousand words", we sometimes the real story is what is going on behind the camera.
In order to get family photos, I decided to ask other park visitors to take our photo, in exchange for us taking theirs. The woman who took this photo was very interested in photography. She told us how to pose so that my butt wouldn't look too big. (I'm not offended, just greatful!) In fact, you might say she was a little too interested in photography. We were shooting this photo on a bridge, when all of the sudden traffic started getting backed up. When I realized the reason, all I could do was yell "What should we do?"


Did I mention we were on a bridge. I looked down the road (about 30 feet), to see a 2,000 pound buffaloe. This time my mommy instict did not kick in. I was only thinking about how to save myself! "Should I jump off the bridge, no wait, that leads to waterfalls about 100 yards down....Maybe I should jump into this lady's minivan." As I kept repeating "what should I do" the buffaloe charged right past us (about 7 feet away.) You seriously could feel him go past. The lady in the pink shirt is the buffaloe photographer.

The next photo is by the French lesbians. Yes. You know me, always wholesome activities for my family. Not even thinking anything about 2 masculine women traveling together, I grabbed the first people walking by and said "I'll take your photo, if you take mine"--That even sounds dirty doesn't it. Shoving my camera at them I didn't even listen to their muttering. I just said "It's the button at the top." After the photo as I was collecting my camera, I realized that they could not speak English.
As to me taking their picture, some things are better left unsaid!

Okay, the final crazy photographer is me. I was taking pictures of the scenery, when I felt something funny on my arm. Here is a photo, I don't know what it is, all I can say is it was about 2 inches long and flies!

Just got home form Yellowstone!

Hey there! We just got home from Yellowstone. It was the best trip yet! I will give an update later (I need to go to bed!)

Paige is engaged!

Karen and Steve have a busy summer! A graduation and 2 weddings!!! A few weeks after Kendra and Kyler announced their engagement, Paige announced that she and Nathan were getting married. I met Nathan for the first time at Kendras wedding. He is a wonderful guy, and is so sweet to Paige. (She deserves it!) We are so excited for them. They have purchased a home on the 300 block of Fairmont. This is right behind our first home on Filmore. If they choose to attend their home ward, they will be in my moms ward along with the Swallows and Steins!

Kendra got married!

Congratulations to Kendra and Kyler. (Kendra is my aunt Karen and Steves daughter. She was born when I was in 5th grade.) We are so excited for them. They were married on Friday in the Idaho Falls Temple. They are celebrating their honeymoon in Las Vegas. They are a really sweet couple and have a lot of fun together! They had a beautiful reception with the colors, pink and brown with white accents. Paige caught the bouquet. Jaron wanted to help Kyler with the garter, and Nate ended up catching it. (Photos to follow!)

4th of July and Royce 70th

If you are not a Phelps or Gordon, this is probably of no intrest to you. Don't worry, it won't hurt my feelings if you pass.

For Family: Enjoy!!

For TJs view of the 4th of July: http://tjphelps.blogspot.com/2008/07/4th-4th-4th-of-july.html

Emily rides the bull

What kind of parent would let their 3 year old little girl ride the bull? Why don't you act surprised??!!

Jaron Jetstar--2nd time is the charm

For those of you who thought the vidoe of Jaron was kind of mean, here you go! Sorry, while it is cute, I don't think it is quite as funny.

Lagoon trip2, day 2

Sean and Nate in line for the airplanes at Lagoon. It was really fun to hang out with the kids on their terms. We loved going on rides with them and seeing their expressions. It was really special when we had one on one time with each of them. They have such fun personalities.
Jaron loves Trevor. Trevor has the ability to get down on Jarons level and a great imagination. It was great to see Jaron having fun and being treated well. It was also nice to know that we could have a little space from the kids and that they were perfectly safe and happy.
This was not at all an uncommon sight for the trip. Hailey was so sweet to Emily. She would walk with Emily and go on rides with her, and even carry her along.
We had to take 2 logs for the log ride. Eric, Kandi and the boys took the first on. Sean and I sat together with Emily and Hailey in the back. Note to self: If you are on the log ride weighing 7 times the amount of the back passengers, YOU WILL GET SOAKED!!

Kandi was so sweet. While the guys took the big kids on the bigger rides. Kandi joined Emily and I for the kiddie rides. She took Emily on the Puff the Magic Dragon roller coaster. They both looked like they were having fun!

So even though we just planned on 1 Lagoon trip this year, we are so happy we were lucky enough to have two! It was great to have had fun with the Swallows, and Eric, Kandi and the kids. It really makes you appreciate living in Pocatello, having so many great friends and family so close.

This video is Seans idea to capture the moment of us on the big ferris wheel. We have really had an awesome summer with our kids. I hope that they have had as much fun with us and made some great memories.

Photo Tag...Yikes!!!

My friend Heather sent this to me. You go thru your home. Right now, with NO CLEANING FIRST! You know me, I am not about putting on heirs, so this is right up my alley. I followed the rules and did not clean first. I also made sure to show the floor as well. Hope you can handle my filth and don't tell Sean--He would be totally embarrased and make me take it off!!

Here goes:

1. Dream Vacation

I would like to go on a 3 week American History tour with Sean and the kids (maybe a babysitter) and an RV.

2. Self portrait

Okay....I'm thru.

3. What the kids are doing now

Nate is downstairs tidying up his room and bathroom. Already pretty clean, and he wants to make Orange Julius.

Emily is Sneaking pop

Jaron is watching Sandlot.

4. Closet

No Laundry...You will see it soon!!

5. Favorite room

Our favorite room is the kitchen. It really is the heart of the home and a great place to gather. It is so awesome to cook in this kitchen, because there is so much counter space, and we have a blast visiting and playing games in the kitchen. There is plenty of room, we can see what the kids are doing outside, and you can quickly run downstairs to check on them WHEN you need to.

6. Favorite shoes

These are my "sexy shoes" They are really cute, and despite the heel, if I walk very slowly I CAN walk in them! After the sunbeam incident, I am a little nervous to wear them to church.

7. Laundry room

There it is. I actually really love the built in laundry bins. Seans complaint is the piles of clean laundry on the counters...At least it isn't dirty!

8. Bathroom

Not too bad. Today there is only 2 bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Some days you might find 6 or 7. BRAGGING MOMENT: The best part of the bathroom is turning on the steam!

9. Sink

Seriously this is pretty rare to see an empty sink. If it makes you feel better there is crusted fruity pebbles inside.

10. Fridge

Okay, so my fridge would be covered with stuff, but Sean won't let me do it. Also, magnets won't work on it, so I showed the side of the fridge, and my cabinent where I post my photos. If you do not see photos of your family, that means that you need to send me one!!

Hope you enjoyed getting a closer look at the way we really are. Are we still friends??!!!?? Now to the best part! Tag, You are it. I have seen Heathers, so Diggy, Anne, Cami, and Tammy. Looking forward to seeing your version of photo tag.

More family fun at Lagoon!!

Yep! This is truly what it is all about

So we really did think that this last trip to Lagoon would be our big trip of the summer, but earlier we had promised our friends the Swallows and Eric (Seans brother) that we would go with them. We never go back on our promises..LOL. Sean had a couple free nights at the Courtyard, we bought the Deseret Book discount passes, did the Bounceback and cooler thing and headed back to Utah.

The first day we did Lagoona Beach with the Swallows. I am getting better on the Outrigger waterslide. This time I never fell off at every pool. (Small improvements.) Troy had to get home for work, so we went on a couple rides before they left. We rode the bat and the Rocket.

We were sad to have to Swallows leave, but we went on more rides that evening as a family. It was so fun to see all of the kids having fun together. The last hour and a half I was able to go on some ride with just Nate. We did the Music Express, wild mouse and Collasus

Steadmans Place

Thursday, the Harpers had reserved Steadmans Place in Raft River. Steadmans are sod farmers who have this awesome set up at their home and let people come and use it. They have a 500' waterslide, 500' zipline, trampoline, swings, firepit and ampitheater, that you can use for free.

The Harpers invited the ward to come, so there were the Jones (Bev and Claudette's), Ellis, Gardners, Ramseys, us, Claysons, Jen Mecham, Grovers, Stacey Buffaloe..am I forgetting anybody???
Sean and Emily make their first trip down the slide.

It was mostly a contest to see how many you could fit on a tube.

I went down with Anne and Tiffany one time and the next time we had kids (maybe 5) wanting to join us. Anne chose to bail because our tube was full. As we went down Tiffany and I were going down backwards. When we reached the bottom, her and I both fell out on our backs. That water was COLD!!Lane and Tiffany and the kids joined us. We tried to do a train going down. We learned that I am not strong enough to be the middle person. Sean and Emily went down, I fell off my tube and went down without one, and later the Claysons went.

As I started falling down the hill without a tube, I began to realize the term "point of no return" I was going down, I missed the first group, and had no tube, so I could either fumble around hopelessly or throw my hands in the air and shout "WA HOO!!!" Guess what I did!

Next time I was the caboose and Lane held my tube, It worked much better!

The kids loved the zipline. Sean, Nate Jaron and my mom all went down it. I knew that I lacked the upper body strength to hold on, so I was the cheerleader and rode the slide.

The grand finale was the candy cannon. It took about 15-20 minutes for the compressor to build up enough pressure to shoot it off. As you can see it was a big hit.

This was one of the most amazing places I have been. It was so awesome to me that these people would lend their home to groups of strangers. (They weren't even home when we were there.) I thought to myself "with so many sue happy people these days I sure hope nobody gets hurt and sues them and ruins it for everybody.

This was truly one of the best family moments ever!!!