This Month's Adventures and Accomplishments

Catching up on the last month. It was action packed.

Here's a photo journal of the goings on:

Mike took the Teachers' Quorum up to the Snake River in Idaho for an EPIC high adventure camp. One of the leaders had a connection with a family up there that guides groups on the river and also opened their cabin for them to stay. Without charge. 15 boys, 6 leaders and dads. Mike says he's never met a more generous family. This scripture hung prominently in their cabin. A mantra which they live.

 Some of the action shots from the river. They took a GoPro too. Hopefully we'll get to see some of that footage soon. There were some dicey moments, some people to pull out of the water. The boys were in heaven.

They also threw in a paint ball and Airsoft war, an afternoon in Jackson Hole, and a visit to Lava Hot Springs.

 It was a trip that neither Mike nor Noble will ever forget. And it turns out it was Mike's last as their fearless leader.  I was called into the Young Women's Presidency, and so they released him from the Young Men's Presidency so that someone will be home on Tuesday nights with the kids. It made us all sad.

When Mike got back from the river we celebrated our 17th Anniversary by going to see Wicked. A lovely night.

We worked on the sand box and playground area. I sweep a lot of sand in the house these days.

Abner catching some sleep whenever he can get it during a rare quiet moment in the Melton house.

 Noble apprenticed with Grandpa Melton in the art of window washing. He's getting set to start his own little neighborhood enterprise. Grandpa gave him a set of professional window washing tools for his birthday and spent a day showing him the techniques he honed many years ago when he washed windows on the side as a young dad.

Construction time in the little boys' room.

Horses. It was a busy month for the horses and this team.

Shows and long practices....It's been a great year for both Jessie and Grace. Jessie brought her handful-of-a-horse Russel a long way this year. We are all impressed with the horsewoman she has become, how confident and competent she is. Grace, who had never really been on a horse before this season, did an amazing job with Pecos. She even placed first in her class in one show, and finished the season with a slew of ribbons at County Fair.

Grand Entry at County Fair

The Majestic Riders

Coaching from Grandpa

Grace on barrels

 The most impressive performance of all though came when Mike took over flags during the County Fair show as a volunteer Arena Steward. Look at that form!  ;) 

With Grace after County Fair with her string of ribbons.

The Majestic Riders. Such great kids. We'll be back again next year.

We got lucky one day when I picked the kids up from the temple  and we found the Waffle Love truck parked right outside the gates.  The take-away for the kids:  you never know what good things might come your way when you're living right. :)

I bottled 53 jars of apricot syrup.

We happened to have a free day together - so we went to the zoo.

We hadn't been up there for a few years. It's totally different! The exhibits were awesome! The kids had a blast, and everyone was cooperative and pleasant. It was one of those rare days when we climbed in the car after the outing and I said something to the kids like,"This has been awesome! You guys made this day so fun. We could do this again. I love you guys!"

The polar bear exhibit was amazing! We were so close!

 Monsoon season arrived. None too soon. I love summer thunder storms! So do the dudes. Here's Sully out in one of the recent down pours. Oh, the joys of childhood!!

All aboard the Potty Train!!!

Abner is on board. Here is the totally Pinterest-able chart I made for him (kidding). He was all about the Potty Train. Check off one more phase of my life closed. NO MORE DIAPERS!!!!!! 

(I won't miss that phase.)

 We fought it out in the 2nd annual neighborhood epic summer water fight. Intense as ever. The teams took the battle all the way up and down Corinne Drive, a glorified game of capture the flag - but everyone was more focused on the water than the flags. When the dad's get involved, mercy goes out the window. They were dousing anyone who was dry including mom's in street clothes who came to watch and babies in strollers. I love this neighborhood!

I tried to shield some of the little guys on the front porch. They still got caught in the cross fire. 

HAPPY times.

Southbound

Just as the most recent winter inversion was setting in we packed up and headed south for the 4 day MLK weekend. We have been anxious to meet our new nephew and see Mike's parents - so when the opportunity presented itself, we went.

We had to leave Jessie behind. She had school on Friday and basketball practice that she couldn't miss. It seems like this having to leave a child or two behind for family trips is happening more often as the kids get older. It is one of my least favorite things about having teenagers. We missed her.

Friday we got Jess off to school for late start day...which meant it was also a late start for us getting on the road. We had an uneventful trip and pulled up to the Melton's house in Washington about 4:30. 

It felt like a long time since we had seen them...a lot had happened since Christmas.

Saturday morning we took a beautiful little hike up into the reserve north of the house. The sun was warm, the air clean, and the views spectacular!

Looking north into the reserve. A lot to explore. We'll be back!

Zion on the horizon. So beautiful!

Sully schmoozed himself a ride for the last mile on grandpa's shoulders.

 Grandpa treated everyone to slushies at the nearby Marverik on our trek back home, and we sat out on the patio in the sun to finish them.

This is the life!

After our morning jaunt, we had lunch and put Abner down for a nap. Howard took the older boys to swim at the rec center pool, while Jacque and Grace stayed home with Ab. Mike and I drove south to Las Vegas to visit his brothers and sister-in-law and meet our new nephew.

We met Gary and Val at the hospital in Southern Highlands, where Mike and I were taken one at a time back into the NICU to see baby Pax. The little guy is up over 5 lbs. now and getting stronger every day. Hopefully soon he'll be able to go home. Here he is at 3 weeks old. 

He is one special...and beloved boy. I was so proud of Gary and Val. It is a beautiful thing to watch them as parents. I was brought to tears once or twice. I could have stayed and stared at Pax all night. (If you ask Mike, I practically did, staying in the NICU a really long time. I couldn't help it.)

We love him.

We had dinner later with Gary and Val and Tim, when he got off of work. I wish I had taken a picture of everyone together. We really miss seeing them, and being more involved in each others' lives. I am so grateful for all our siblings.

We left Las Vegas about 10 PM, and made the drive back to St. George that night, getting in about 1 AM Utah time. I slept content that night, having spent some quality time, making memories with family that day.

Sunday was a very relaxing day. After church we ate, the kids went with Mike and Howard to visit one of Howard's cousins up the road, and I got a nap. Woohoo!

Cleaning up Sunday dinner with Grandma

Monday morning we had a leisurely breakfast and packed up. 

Mike and Howard played a game of football with the older kids in the park down the hill.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Sully and Ab were hooked up with a movie inside their box/fort/spaceship.

...And cut playdo with Grandma.

We finally packed up the car, and then had lunch with Mom and Dad at Costa Vida before striking out for the great white north. 

We stopped at a gas station in Cedar City where the kids all purchased a Sobe for the road. 

Not sure that was the best idea. What happened afterward  will forever be known in family legend as

the "So-pee" incident. 

It was one potty emergency after another all the way home. We stopped several more times, including a gas station and the freeway off ramp at Holden. There were also a few episodes of "refilling" an empty Sobe bottle in the back seat, (I still laugh when I think about Grace asking pathetically, "Please can I come sit on the middle row?" so she didn't have to sit right next to her brother for that.)... as well as having to change a set of wet clothes. Sully somehow also managed to wet his stuffed sock monkey...which reminded us of the time when Tillman had an accident on a family road trip to Yosemite, after which he announced confidently to everyone, "Don't worry, I wiped it up with my pillow!"  ha ha ha.

Oh my goodness. Good times.

Thanks to all our south-western relatives for the great weekend! See you soon!