Belly Acres Garden

This year we planted a garden at Belly Acres again.  We scaled down a bit and didn't plant so much.  I thought having a smaller garden would be a lot better to manage and keep weeded.  Ha Ha Ha.

We did really good at first and then when we leave town or miss a week, the entire garden is smothered in weeds!  One day the kids and I were out weeding for 2 hours straight!  We all had blisters, which is great!  Garden's are for teaching kids to work...right?  either that, or for actually seeing how lazy they really are : )

slave driver~ eating the peas while I shout out orders.

We are getting some great produce for our efforts.  A lot of stuff died in the frost that came the day after we planted.  Who would have thought that on May 30th it would freeze.  Note to self...don't ever plant the garden until after Memorial day.  Our pride and joy this year is the watermelon!

It's always a highlight when we eat what we planted and the kids get to see where their food comes from.
We love going out to the garden.  It's so peaceful and quiet.  It makes me feel like I'm on the farm again. 

Roaring Springs!

Living right next to roaring springs is full of temptations.  The first 2 summer's we lived here we got passes and went all the time.  After that we didn't go at all.  Last year and this year we bought tickets from Sienna Elementary school for $16.  I bought enough so we could all go twice. 
Shalean's family went with us once a couple of years ago and wanted to come again, so they also bought tickets.  We had to use the tickets in August so we planned a weekend and they came over.

They arrived Thursday night and we went to Roaring Springs all day on Friday.  I had been with the girls in June and was so excited to see chloe's head ALMOST touch the 48"bar, which allowed her to go on all the rides.  We decided to take her down Thunder Falls and the Weston's would go on the family ride, when we got to the top and waited in line for a while, they wouldn't let Chloe on the ride because her head didn't TOUCH the board.  We were so mad!  When we came in June they let her ride everything.  We decided to go to the office and have them measure her and give her a wrist band that said she was 48" tall and the lifeguards would leave us alone the rest of the day.  Riley was right about the 42" which allowed her to go on a few of the bigger rides, so we had her measured too.  The girls had to stand in front of a wall that was marked for measuring.  The manager who was measuring them told them to stand up super tall and put their arms out.  Riley made us all laugh as she took this rather seriously, she not only did exactally what he said but held her breath too!  When it was Chloe's turn we tried to get her to stand a tiny tippy toe, and stretch her neck up, but she couldn't get the top of her head to tough the 48" mark.  He tried to let her pass, but wouldn't let it go, so Riley got a 42" wrist band and Chloe got nothin.  We still had fun and made sure everyone had a chance to do the bigger rides.  It was a great day weather wise, not too hot and not too cold.   Hailey and Kayla took off from the beginning and had the entire park mapped out.  I think they did

each ride 2-3 times.

 

Avalanche!  it's a scary ride~

What's your ugliest swim face?  This is Hailey's

Sadie, Riley and Chloe had a great time in the wave pool and the little kid area.  They also liked the lazy river, and the 2 person ride.  Sadie doesn't like water all that much, but was a real trooper and went on the more scarier rides with her Dad and Shalean. 

There was a little girl Chloe's size, with the same blond hair cut and swim suit running around and we found ourselves chasing after the wrong Chloe!  I hope this is her.

DADDIES and DAUGHTERS

Caden had XC practice Friday morning and had to walk over to the park and meet up with is later.  He was a good sport to come and play with us all when he had no one to hang out with.  The best part was when we were getting ready to leave and one of Coelton's friends, who is the head life guard, asked Caden if he would do a "red cap".  This is a life guard training thing.  He would swim out in the wave pool and put on a red cap, he would then pretend like he is drowning.  If the lifeguard are doing their job they will jump in after him and save him.  Then pull him out and do CPR etc.  He agreed to do it.  (there were some pretty cute life guard chicks on duty)  He was so embarrassed, since so many people thought it was real.  He was a trooper and  did a great job!!

THE WESTON'S

We were missing Coelton, but he once again had to experience those life lessons and work so he can pay that tuition next month.

We were all pretty worn out after spending all day at the park.  We went home and made some home made pizza and then the adults went to a movie.  We saw Salt, which was pretty entertaining.  Of course we all slept in the next day.  We found enough energy to do a little shopping, and since we were at the mall, we ate lunch at the cheese cake factory.  Loved it all, and had a great time with the Weston's!!

My Dear Sweet Visiting Teachers

I have always been blessed with wonderful visiting teachers.  It seems that every where I live I get an elderly sister to be my visiting teacher.  I just love them and look forward to hearing their wisdom each month.  I especially like to listen to stories of how they met their husband or raising children etc. 

Jessie Powell has been my visiting teacher since I moved here, 5 years ago.  She is 92 years old.  Her sweet husband Elmo just passed away a couple of months ago.  He was 97. 
Jessie comes over each month in her baseball cap and reminds me so much of my Grandma Robertson.  She wears pins on her outfits, all different kinds and each one tells a story.   I love her giggle and her interest in my life.  She has a simple, yet strong testimony and I feel the spirit when I am with her.

Sister Bastian is always great to share her wisdom with me on raising boys.  She has 3 returned missionaries and one still in high school.  She helps me a lot with all the new steps I take with Coelton, it helps so much to talk to someone who has done it before, and done it well.   She also is am amazing homemaker and shares great advice and tips with me.  We both were on the Ricks College Folk Dance Team, she was there a few years before me, but we love to reminisce of the good ole days.

I hope that I can be a visiting teacher like my own.  It's a work in progress ; )

MTC CAMP

Joel, Fernando, Jonathan, Brother McDermott, Jake, Nick A., Travis, Parker, Coelton, Cameron, Nick T. Eric and president Bastian.

     This summer our priests went to an MTC camp that our stake puts on every 3 years for their high adventure. This year is was held at a girls scout camp in Garden Valley.  They do a really good job and the boys get a companion, and they do service projects; this year they cut and split several trailers full of wood.  They are all interviewed by President Miller; our Stake President.  They also listenend to some amazing speakers and had study time to write in journals and read scriptures.  They all went on several high adventures which included mountain biking, geocaching, rifle shooting, rapelling and hiking.

Joel's calling is the priest venture leader.  He attended the entire week of MTC camp, except for the last night when he came home to surprise me.  He had been in England for 10 days, then we were at his family reunion and then he left that Tuesday for MTC camp.  He came home Friday night at like midnight and then flew out to Reno for work on Monday.
He LOVED the camp and loves his priests.  He is really good with them.  Joel worked with President Miller in getting all 53 boys ready to be interviewed.  He would sit and visit with them before they went in to see President Miller.  He also was in charge of the Mountain biking.  He said it was the most difficult course he had ever been on.  The firts trip was with about 10 boys, one of them crashed into Joel and rode down the mountaiin on top of Joel.  Joel's knees and hands got the worst of it.  After sadeling back up and finishing the ride Joel found the same boy laying in the road.  He went to him and saw he had a pretty bad crash and his knee was in bad shape.  He could see his bone.  The kid was Jake Taylor, a friend of Coelton's who runs XC.   Joel could see he was in a bit of shock and was trying to keep him from looking at his knee when a man on a 4-wheeler drove up.  The man offered to drive him the 4 miles to camp.  Heavenly Father was watching out for them, that is for sure.  Jake was able to get into the nearest town and got stitches in his knee to close it back up.  He's a varsity runner this year and can't run until his knee is healed.
Joel said after the boys saw what happened to Jake everyone was extra careful and no one else got hurt the rest of the week.

Joel and Coelton both said how good the food was.  The Ward's in our stake volunteered to be the cooks.  They said it was amazing food and every day they surprised them with ice cream, brownies and cookies. 

Coelton's companion was Cory Hall.  He was so excited about that.  He had a great time and gained a lot spiritually.  He is looking forward to his mission this Spring.  He will be a great missionary and will work hard.  Coelton is a very hard worker and will be blessed for it.
 One of his very best friends just recieved his mission call last week.  Elias Lines will be serving in the Santa Cruz, Bolivia mission.  Spanish speaking.  He called me this week and asked if Joel and I could attend the temple with him tomorrow night.  We just love Elias.  Coelton has been blessed with good friends.

Hammer Family Reunion

This year the Wray's were in charge and did a fabulous job.  It was held in Burley at Camp Oakley. 
Joel had a business trip to England and was unable to go with us the first day.  He did drive up the next day to join us. 
It was up to me to get the kids and trailer to Camp Oakley.
 Unfortunately my first mate had to work, he is trying very hard to earn enough money to pay his books and tuition this fall at BYU-I.  He's had some tough decisions to make this summer, and has missed out on a few things, but that's those hard life lessons for ya.
So my second mate stepped forward and helped me get the trailer to Burley safe and sound. 

Joel's parents were in Glenns Ferry at Three Island State Park for their annual Boys Cousin Campout.  They had 7 little boys this year.  Jason drove Logan down and ended up staying with their new trailer and Ethan. 
Stephanie came over to the house at 7a.m. and we loaded all of her stuff and 3 remaining kids into the car.  We drove to meet the Hammer's in Glenns Ferry by 9am.  We actually beat them there and waited in the high school parking lot for a few minutes before they came.  We arranged everyone where they wanted to ride and hit the road to Burly.  I followed Jason and Mom and Dad Hammer followed me.

I called my Dad to see if he was driving spuds to Jerome and sure enough he was, we calculated when and where we would pass eachother.  He calmed my nerves about driving the trailer and gave me a few pointers.  It started to rain and the semi trucks were going awfully fast and I was getting a bit stressed.  I was looking for the exit; Jason had gotten ahead of me and I couldn't see him anymore.  I was trying to call him and my Dad was calling me at the same time.  Amongst all the comotion, we passed eachother and I didn't even see him. 
I got off the exit fine and saw Jason ahead waiting for me.  My phone rang and it was Mom Hammer telling me that I missed the exit.  I told her I took the same exit Jason did.  She said, "You took the exit?"  I told her I did, and she said "Well, who are we following then."   I had a good laugh at that.
So, we headed to Camp Oakley, which was about 30 minutes from the exit.  I was feeling pretty good that I had made it that far without anything major happening.  Suddenly the road became gravel, then it became one lane and then it became very steep, washed out and lots of big boulders!  I noticed Jason stopped, he came walking back to my car and said he couldn't get his trailer up the hill.  He was driving a Toyota Tundra!  I figured we were done for.  He told me to BACK IT DOWN as far as I could.  Ya right...drop off with creek on one side and tall mountain on the other.   I tried and got it backed up a bit.  He got a run for it, this time in 4 wheel drive, but still couldn't make it up.  The camp wasn't too far ahead and Andrew had driven down in his pick-up (chevy) and chained up to Jason's truck and pulled him up.  I was shaking and very nervous to drive my outfit up this mountain.  My brother in law, Vince showed up and I gladly handed him my keys.  He put it in 4-low and up the hill we crept.   Yeah!!
Later on we figured out that Jason's truck never went into 4-wheel drive.  (just a little plug there for the Tundra : ) 
I figured that I have been officially inducted into the "Pioneer Hall of Fame".  I may not have driven Ox and a wagon, but a Suburban hauling a 24" trailer going 70 MPH on I-84 is about the same thing right?

After FINALLY arriving at the camp, I was in charge of feeding everyone lunch!  We threw it all in the back of the car and drove BACK DOWN the mountain to the neatest place in Burley...Harris Pond.
This place was a little piece of heaven.  It was so hot, and we drove into the Garden of Eden.  There was grass all around this beautiful pond that was equipped with a slide, zip line, diving board, 2 swings, several paddle boats and canoes, a bridge, a fishing area, and lots of gold fish and big fish too...oh, and water snakes which the Jordan Hammer boys tried to take home ; )  The owner also gave train rides to all the little kids...and big kids. 
                                   
                                       Caden hanging onto Jace on the zip-line

Caden letting go and dropping into the pond

Hailey

Hailey walking her zip line stuff back

Chloe and I also did the zipline together, no pictures of us though.   Chloe had her life jacket on and did everything there was to do.  She has no fear. 

Caden and Jace on the rope swing

Uncle Jason helping Chloe

Hannah and Chloe

There was also a nice area for toddlers with little swimming pools and the play houses and toys.  There was a nice shelter with tables and chairs that I was able to make lunch in.  You reserve the pond, and then just pay a donation.  Everything they made goes back into the pond.

We played there until the rain clouds rolled in and it started to thunder and lightning. (around 5pm)
We made it back up to the camp and our trailer.  I was finally able to walk around and see the camp.  It was also very nice.  New clean bathrooms and showers.  A lodge to eat and cook in.  A lovely creek that ran through the camp, and a couple of swings and an area for tents.  The best part was the beautiful view into the valley.  It looked like a patch work quilt with all the fields of crops below.  The sunsets were amazing too.

The Reunion was filled with fun activities.  Thursday evening we had a night to honor Dad Hammer who had just turned 75 years old.  Donald made a fun video of him that we watched.  The families acted out skits that were about memories of "growing up" with their Dad.  Joel told me of the time they were in NYC on a family vacation.  The cab driver told him how much it cost, and he wouldn't pay him the full price.  The cab driver got really mad and he finally just payed him the full fare.  hahaha.
So We acted this out in a skit.

Part of Donald's video- Grandpa is Lord of the Dance!

On Friday morning Joel drove over and arrived in time to go to the City of Rocks.  I had always wanted to go there and am so glad we did.  It was very hot, but fascinating.  Andrew had a Geocashing type activity planned where we followed coordinates with a GPS and found letters tied to trees.  We had to unscramble the letters to discover Grandpa Hammer's favorite TV show...which is WALKER TEXAS RANGER.

Our group searching for the letters

  We had our niece Chantelle and her husband Adam and their little girl, Brinley there...all the way from St. George.   Also our nephew Andrew and his wife Ashley and thier 2 daughters, Riley and Reece.  They live in Burley and helped put on the reunion.  We have 2 other nephews who are married too, but couldn't make the reuinion.  Chris and his wife Mandee have a little boy, Hudson,  and live in St. George.    Josh and his wife Dina live in Oklahoma while Josh is going to podiatry school.   Donald's son Jeremy and his wife just had a baby boy and are going to BYU-I.   

Austin, Caden, Cade, Connor and Bryson

The Brothers in order of age: Jeff, Jarin, Joel, Jordan and Jason

Joel, me and Hailey got brave and decided to climb this huge rock-more like a mountain.  Caden and his tribe did it and it looked fun.  Uncle Jeff and Aunt Julie were also going to do it with us.  It was scary in some places, but really fun. 
                                                              Caden at the top

making our way up

Cliff Hanger!

At the top~ We did it!

Who invited him?  Uncle Donald, crashing the party.

When we got back to camp, the men, boys and kids played games that Grandpa Hammer used to play when he was a kid. 
The women got together and shared 5 of our favorite things.  It was really fun to see the great ideas and things that they all liked or inspired them.  Everyone gave a sample of one thing.  I shared my Nike Plus, my blog book, I shared the carmel apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory, Dave Ramsey, and my "God's hand in my life" journal.   Others shared their favorite web sites, books, story, recipe, cleaning tip, pastime and treat.  Very fun...probably the highlight of the reunion for me.

                                         The 3 sisters and GRANDMA'S~  Jan, Jill and Julie

That night we played MINUTE TO WIN IT.  This was really a good time.  We were divided into teams and each person had to perform a task in one minute.  The team with the least time after all the tasks were done won.   My team came in SECOND. 
The first task was to empty an entire kleenex box.  Chloe had to do this one. 

The second task was to fill a bowl with cotton balls.  You put vaseline on your nose and picked up the cotton balls with your nose and drop them into the bowl...without using your hands.  Caden and Hailey had to do this task. 

The third task was to holding a spaghetti noodle in your mouth you had to scoop up 6 long noodles onto your noodle without dropping one.  I did this task.

The fourth task was to hold a pizza pan and make several bolts stand on top of eachother using a stick.
Joel did this one.

On the last task they taped an empty kleenex box to your waist with the box in back of you filled with small balls.  You had to shake the box, using your hips or anything that would move, and shake all the balls out-no using hands! 
                                                      Grandma and Mel (cheating)

One other task that I didn't get a picture of was the contestant had to eat several saltine crackers in a minute.  It was also Grandma Hammer's birthday!  Isabelle and Riley help Grandma blow out her candles.

On Saturday we ate breakfast and had a family home evening and drove home.   The kids loved seeing cousins and we all enjoyed being together...that's what a family reunion is all about. We are so happy to have Jordan and Melissa back in the area.   It was very successful. 

                                     The little kids, J.T., Brinly, Landon, Ethan and Reece

Chloe, Hannah and Riley

The girls playing scum with the big boys, Austin, Connor, Taylor, Tayson and Caleb