One last summer hurrah!

We had a little family reunion. John's parents (John and Jean) and his sisters' families (Julie, C.J., Cameron, & Juliana--Chris couldn't make it; Terri Daniel, Kelda & Corbin) all went camping at Cliff Lake, MT, and then did a quick Yellowstone tour. It was a fantastic time! We played with the inflatable kayaks and other floaty toys, and spent time on the rope swing across the lake. The food and company were unbeatable. It is hard to believe summer is gone!

all the Hull cousins...

making a funny face...

and being pirates!

(Bethany brought Brian, an extra adopted grandkid for the weekend, with her from BYU--actually, he brought her up in his car, which was much appreciated!)

a turn on the rope swing!

Summer storms...

Last night there was a terrific summer storm to the west of us. It stretched across the entire horizon. We climbed into the back of the pick-up to have some shelter while we watched. I went inside when the wind started to rock the vehicle. The rain came down in sheets. Taylor's screen was ripped out of her window before it was through. I think more storms are forcasted for this weekend.

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We ran down and met Bethany in Salt Lake on Tuesday. We had a lot of fun seeing the sights. We headed down to Provo and I made dinner in Bethany's apt. while the girls swam in the pool. After dinner we left Bethany in Provo and drove to Lehi to stay the night with Tom, Denise and Clark Bench. It was fun to visit with them, and it was very nice of them to let us stay.

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The next day we spent looking around Provo. We went to the temple, volunteered at the MTC for a couple of hours as "investigators", and walked around BYU's campus. We ate lunch at the restaurant Bethany works at, Pastorero. Then of course we swam again.

(The word “Pastorero” in Mexico comes from Tacos al Pastor and is used to describe the artist who prepares and carves the Tacos al Pastor. In Spanish the term has also come to describe the loyal consumers of this style of tacos that has become so popular. As one of the originating chains of these unique flavors in the United States, PASTORERO™ Taco Grill was named after the Pastoreros throughout Mexico who inspire our effort and diligently please the hearts and stomachs of visitors from around the world.)

On the way home we stopped at the church historical museum--which was really great (if you have little kids, the new "I Am A Child of God" exhibit is really fun!), and then headed north, out of the traffic to our home, in much quieter, Rigby ID.

And now it is August...want to try a service berry tart?

This post really starts out in July. We took a little trip to Island Park and camped in the Box Canyon Campground. Taylor cut the tip of her thumb off while carving on a stick, and then caught her shirt on fire while sitting around the campfire toasting marshmallows. The next day we floated through Box Canyon on the Henry's Fork down to Last Chance before you get to Harriman Ranch. Taylor said it was one of the best camping trip she has ever been on.

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There has been a count-down to August 2nd going on at our house. Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the Twilight series came out at 12:01 am. Madi and 2 friends, Allie and Whitney, joined hundreds of other kids at the Barnes and Noble in Idaho Falls to get their copies. The theme of the gathering was Twilight Prom. Just for your information, these three are on team Edward, not on team Jacob. Their t-shirts read: TEAM EDWARD--1. because he sparkles, 2. because Jacob doesn't write lullabies, and 3. because only a vampire can love you forever...

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(Edward is a vampire, and Jacob is a werewolf.)

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Getting ready to go--have to have the red glittery nail polish!

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The damage...(it cleaned up fine!)
.Ready to Party! The Charlie's Angels pose...

Yesterday after church we climbed in the car for a Sunday drive. We ended up at Mesa Falls. It is one of my favorite places--I love water falls!
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John pointed out the service berries to the girls, and they decided to take a chance and try them out. They ended up filling a water bottle with them to take home to Seth. They are hoping for a service berry tart from the master pastry chef of our house.
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P.S. When we came home from our drive last night, a hot, home-made apple pie was waiting for us--what a life!

Our Saturday

Please refer to the last post before you read this one--it will explain the insect music and the pictures of our oldest daughter!

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I do not have any recent pictures of Bethany that are not silly. That is because the last few times I have seen her, she does something funny each time the camera is turned on her and I also haven't seen her for a couple of months. The girls and I are going to Provo to visit the first week of August. Until then, these old pictures will have to suffice.

Bethany and her friend Molly

Pirates of the Caribean opening
Christmas Around the World at BYU
Seth ran in our stake pioneer fun run yesterday. No, he wasn't the only one running--people were just spaced out. Then he went to Idaho Falls looking to purchase a new bike. Madi was babysitting down the street for the day, so John, Taylor and I drove up to Victor and floated Fox Creek into the Teton River.
Taylor is pretty good navigating her own kayak. It is a beautiful place, even though everything is a little hazy. We wish California would quit burning so that we could see the Tetons a little clearer. A funny dog ran along the river bed with us. Every once in awhile he would jump in the river and cross so he would be closer to us.
Taylor found a snail along the way, and she let him ride on her kayak. When we got to the take-out, she released him into the wild. Then we stopped at Rainey Creek Corner store in Swan Valley for world famous square ice cream on the way home. John and I had huckleberry and cream. Taylor had Oreo, but she said it tasted more like Heath Bar.We had really good sushi and homemade french fries with fry sauce for dinner.

It was a successful Saturday!

Listen closely...

We have crickets in our basement.

About the song after the crickets--John wanted me to change it, but I really like it even if it is a little hillbilly-ish.

By the way, we have not turned into country bumpkins as of yet. And we haven't adopted Rigby-ites ways completely either. We do not own a four-wheeler or a snowmachine. But we do think it would be nice to have an RV (we don't want to be grizzly bear snacks!). I would adopt the riding lawn mower thing if the price tag wasn't so high. Our grass is growing so fast that it needs to be cut more than once a week.
All of the songs on my playlist are of my own chosing, and do not reflect the preferences of anyone else in our household, except the one that is by the Beatles--Seth found that one.

This is a photo I took of Madi on our doorstep. The smileys are from her picture file. I think Bethany would like me to post a more flattering picture of her (see Bethany doing the "Karate Kid" pose below and comment 4 of the last post). I'll see what I can find...

TA DA!!! We have grass!

We have been working hard to obtain something besides mud and dust on our acre, and we have come up with...grass! And weeds. Lots of really tall weeds. But at least there is less plain old dirt.John put in a drip system to water our 150+ trees, and they seem to be doing well. He also put in a little garden. The tomatoes have flowers on them! The corn is only about 2-4" high, but we are cheering it on--even though it definately is not knee-high by the 4th of July.

Seth graduated from Boise High School May 27. We were able to go to Boise for Memorial Day weekend. Even Bethany surprised us by showing up. It was fun to be all together. We hopped in the car(s) and spent a night at Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park. We took a couple of friends with us--Holger and Nora.

Taylor and Nora Harren

Watch this for a splash!

a little frisbee...
alright Madi!
Seth, Holger and the Harren's went on a float trip last week in Oregon. Seth forgot his fly rod, but had some leader and flies. He found a stick, tied on some line, and landed quite a few small mouth bass. Holger will be returning to Peru July 7. He made Seth promise him that he would visit him there some day.

Seth is working almost full-time at Journeys here in Rigby. He works with developmentally disabled individuals helping them to achieve goals. He found an ultimate frisbee team to play with in Idaho Falls, and has been doing that a couple times a week.
Madi has been busy with summer band and a little babysitting. She marched in the Jefferson County Stampede Days parade a couple of weeks ago, and tomorrow morning she will march in the Menan 4th of July parade. She turned 14 and went to her first stake dance. In her own words, "It was amazing!"
Taylor is making new friends and learning to work in the yard. She is very good at weeding and raking now. We have taken a couple of trips to Rigby Lake and she is still an excellent swimmer. Bethany is working 2 jobs in Provo this summer--one at the archaeology/ethnology museum on campus, and one at a Mexican restaurant. She has immersed herself in Spanish to learn the language more quickly--she has moved into an apartment half-filled with Spanish-speaking returned missionaries and instructed them to only speak to her in Spanish. She is planning on the fall semester at BYU where she will be the teachers aid for the Spanish dance class, and also dance with a folk dance team. She is preparing to serve a mission as soon as she turns 21 (Jan. 1, 2009).I'm going to give it a try! I've found a place to rent, I have some interested people--I guess it is a go! In September, yellowstone clogging company STAMPEDE! will begin. Take a look at my website http://yellowstonecloggingcompany.cabanova.com/ to see what I've been up to!

adventures in april...

Bethany came up for conference weekend, and we went for a little hike to the top of one of the Menan Buttes. It was supposed to have been a little hike, anyway, but it turned out to be much more challenging than we thought it would be. Only a couple of us actually made it to the top...it was a great break in between sessions on Saturday, and it was beautiful to look out over the valley.
I have been substitute teaching for different schools around here. So far I have taught kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 7th grade social studies & drama, 7th grade language, and elementary PE. I have taught at Harwood Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Midway Elementary, and Midway Middle School. I have signed up to teach English at Rigby Jr. High in a couple of weeks. Hope I'll be ready! I am not going to try high school for awhile yet...

We have been contending with a bird at our house. Every time I go outside to use our gas grill, I open it up and there is a nest in it. In one week's time I cleaned out 3 nests! Leaving the lid open is the only way we have discovered to keep it out. I don't blame it for wanting to build in there though--the wind is relentless here.

We finally have a smoothed out front yard, and we are working on getting a little fill dirt for the back. Then will come the sprinkler system, fence, grass seed, trees... and I put the numbers on the house yesterday. Now if you come out to see us, you'll know which house is ours!

march in rigby...

March in Rigby is not like March in Boise. We closed on our new home on March 21, the first day of spring. It was hard to get up the front steps because the ice was so thick. Just when we think it might warm up a little--surprise! we wake up to white again...

However, the snow has begun to melt, and in a couple of the yards in our neighborhood, they actually have green grass! Next year it will be us. We ordered a whole bunch of trees yesterday to plant around the perimeter of our property--they will look like twigs for the next five years, but we will be patient. We are enjoying our new home; we can finally unpack boxes. I haven't found my pizza peel as of yet, and I accidentally broke one of my pizza stones moving across town #:- ( , but other things are slowly turning up! We have a jetted tub in our master bath, and we have been taking turns lounging in it. Taylor's barbies have had their turn as well. And we love our gas fireplace, even though it is fake. We think we might put a wood stove in downstairs, some day.

We have changed wards, so we are new again. We are looking forward to getting to know everyone--and hoping that they will let us use the talks we just gave in the other ward when they ask us to speak in this ward. Just kidding--we are glad to prepare on whatever topic we are assigned (sigh).

John's parents brought Seth over for a couple of days and we celebrated his 18th birthday. We put them up in our unfinished basement (I made walls in the bedrooms out of unpacked boxes), and they survived despite the fact that it is not yet heated. We took them to Charlie's for dinner while they were here, and also to the local bowling alley (They actually took us--just try and pay for anything with Grandma Jean and Grandpa John around!!!).

Seth started working at Maggie Moo's at 8th Street on his birthday. Go by, have some ice cream, and remember to tip well!