Scrapaway!!

Every year I look forward to the invite to go to scrapaway with my friends from Colorado. We usually go to a place in Colorado Springs where the lady runs it out of her house. It is so amazing because she cooks and cleans and we don't have to lift a finger. We hang out in the basement and watch movies, conferences and get in the hot tub. Well, this year, the owner called and said her father-in-law had unexpectedly passed away and she was going to have to cancel for the first time ever. This was on Tuesday and we were supposed to drive down Thursday. Well, my dear friend Carli and some of the other ladies scrambled to find a substitute place for us to go to. Luckily they stumbled across this fabulous cabin by Buena Vista. It is a 3 hour drive from their homes but it is a GORGEOUS drive!!

My flight left really early Wednesday morning and Carli came and picked me up. From there we went to Costco and Target to pick up food for the retreat. That was the only drawback of the new place. We had provide and cook our own food. We picked really easy things to put together and got tons of delicious snacks and junk food too :) Later that night, Carli had a debate party at her house for the first presidential debate. It was like Christmas for Carli. She loves politics and especially loved how well Mitt did. It was fun to watch with someone so passionate about it.

Thursday morning we spent preparing food so we wouldn't have to make it at the cabin. I made coconut waffles and I helped Carli with her cheesy vegetable soup. We left around 2 to caravan to the cabin. On the way up, we stopped in Silverstone to shop at the outlet mall. It was really chilly and I had only packed summer clothes so I bought a couple of long-sleeved shirts. We spent a few hours walking around the shops and then ate at Old Chicago. Our waiter was really out of it and seemed to be on something. We were laughing about it but then became really annoyed when the whole thing took over 2 hours. He kept forgetting things and taking forever to get our stuff (food, dessert, checks). Oh well.

 

We arrived at the cabin in the dark with sleet coming down like crazy. I'm amazed we found it when there was no light or signs. Thank goodness for GPS! We unloaded and warmed up with hot chocolate by the fire. The cabin is 3 stories and was completed in 2010. Everything is really nice and cozy.

The big chair is a great spot to spend in the sun, eating breakfast

Micaela, Carli and Jamie

My spot for the last 3 days

Erica and Kris

The view out the big windows

Micaela, Me and Carli waiting to eat

Kris, Carli and Erica helping with dinner

A group shot on the front deck

These ladies are so fun!

Carli and Me!!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday we spent scrapbooking, watching movies, watching conferences, and eating great food. 3 of us, including me, brought our laptops to work on stuff so we got the comfy couches in front of the tv. The other 3 set up tables behind the couches so they could watch as well. It was a great setup and everyone got a lot accomplished. I wanted to do an online photobook but the website kept freezing and losing my pictures. After several attempts to do the same page, I gave up and caught up on my blog. I'll do the photo book when I get home.

After spending the weekend here, we've all decided that we would rather come back to this place every year. We like having the whole cabin to ourselves and not having to worry about disturbing a family upstairs. Obviously the cooking thing would be better done by someone else but it was easy enough to all share the load and we made simple meals.

We'll drive home after the last session of conferences today. Tomorrow Carli and I will spend the day doing fun things (yet to be planned). She has to teach a voice lesson at 4 and then we'll go out with her family to dinner at Cinnzetti's. It is an amazing all you can eat Italian buffet that is so wonderful it makes my mouth water thinking about it :). We don't have it in Idaho so it is definitely a rare treat! Then they'll take me to the airport. My flight doesn't leave until around 10ish and I won't get home until around midnight. Perfect!

I love getting away for a while but it always makes me appreciate my family. I can't wait to see them. I've missed them! Mark is so great to encourage me to go and helps me so much with getting the kids taken care of. He takes over everything at home and is so great! I'm so lucky!

Happy Birthday Mark!

 

Mark's birthday was actually Sept. 5th but at least it's only been a month ago. Mark is my knight in shining armor! He is so wonderful and I have loved being married to him for 12 years. He is a great husband and father and does so much for our family. He is funny and uplifting and can always put a smile on my face. Mark has always been supportive of me and the things I do. He encourages me to do things and get out (as I'm typing this from the middle of Colorado!). The kids love to be around him and cry and cry if he ever goes out of town for business. I am so blessed to have Mark in my life and am so grateful for another year that has come and gone with him in my life.

My mom and dad came over for pizza and cake. They are so wonderful!

Jared loves a good birthday party :)

 

We were supposed to go out and celebrate Mark's birthday that Friday with our great friends, Jen and Chet, but I ended up getting really sick. Jen was so sweet and came over and put together strawberry shortcake (Mark's favorite) as a surprise. Mark was at Makayla's soccer game so she came over while he was out. She put up a bunch of crepe paper and tissue paper for him to walk through when he came through the door. Chet and the kids came over as well. Even though I could barely get off the couch, she still came over and made it nice for Mark. What a great friend!! He loved it!

 

 

 



Brigham City Temple

 

 

 We were fortunate enough to attend the Brigham City Temple open house in August. My sister-in-law, Julia, lives in Perry and had us come and stay with her. Our kids were so excited to be able to go inside a temple. The Brigham City temple was constructed to look like some of the older temples and has gorgeous woodwork and details all throughout. There is such a wonderful feeling in the temple and the spirit was so strong as we walked through. It hadn't even been dedicated yet!

 It was a beautiful day and we took several pictures outside. I love how the

church makes everything so beautiful and the upkeep is immaculate. Every

temple is like that and represents such beauty and pride in what is most

important to us.

Wow!

 

Im just listening to conferences while I'm up at a scrapbook retreat in Colorado. President Monson just announced that worthy 18 year old males and worthy 19 year old females may serve a mission. What an announcement!! I'm just bursting with excitement and joy! I can't wait to tell my girls that they can go on a mission right after high school if they want.

                                           
The call for senior missionaries is still strong and I am excited to one day serve with Mark. What wonderful opportunities lay ahead! I'm so greatful for conferences and modern revelation. I love President Monson and know he is our prophet today.

            

1st day of school

 

I know I know. I'm way behind, but oh well. Here are the pictures from the kids' first day of school. Makayla is in 5th grade, Emma is in 3rd and Derek is in Kindergarten.

                                                 

 

So I am the absolute worst mom. I didn't even take a picture of Derek on his first day. I did catch him going into his class though. His teacher is Mrs. Frazier. He loves kindergarten!!

 

 

I know I know! I didn't even get a picture with him looking at the camera :(

Oh well.

 My kids are loving their teachers and I haven't had to fight with any of them to go.

Mark's family reunion in Utah

We had a great opportunity to go to Utah to see Emily and David and their families who were visiting from Florida and Tennessee. It's not very often that all of Mark's sisters and brother get together. That meant that there were 16 adults and 34 children all together. 50 people we all had to feed and plan for! It is quite the group! But they're all fun and amazing :)

Fountain Green is a quaint little town toward southern Utah where Paul and Rita restored an old pioneer home. It has a great big lawn and is a great spot to host a lot of people. Mark's sister, Julia brought a blow up slide/water play thing that the kids loved playing on.

Emily hosted the DeBry cousin Olympic games which included races, tug-of-war, a shaving cream/cheese ball game, silly string and other chasing games. The kids loved it!

Lining all the kids up to start the games

The adults were ready to race too!

On your mark, get set, GO!

The kids had to take turns covering the boys' heads with shaving cream. Then they tossed cheese balls onto the shaving cream. The team with the most cheese balls, won! There were plenty of cheese balls in this family :)

The five lucky team candidates

Some more cheese balls!

tug of war

 

On one of the nights, we drove up to a great picnic spot in Provo canyon. David brought hoagie sandwiches and cake to celebrate the recent birthdays. Mark played football with some of the kids and David had a treasure hunt for them. He also had a Family Home Evening lesson on patriarchal blessings and brought copies of Mark's ancestors' blessings. It was really neat to read through them.

 

Chowing down on hoagies

Opa, Grandma, Mark and Makayla

Happy Birthday!

Adaline, Kay-Kay and Marilyn

Mark and the kids playing football

Emily and Laura. Beautiful!

Me and my honey-pie

David doing FHE on patriarchal blessings

 

 

On the way back down the canyon, we stopped off at Bridal Veil Falls and let the kids hike up. Mark tried to take Derek up the rocks at the bottom while I watched Jared cry because he wanted to go with Mark and Derek.

 

 

 

 





One afternoon we were privileged enough to take a tour of Michael Coleman's art studio. He is a famous western artist with paintings that usually start at $30,000. He has painted several things for multiple temples and sells a lot of paintings in the Jackson Hole area. His studio is eye candy and a little overwhelming. It was hard to even try and focus on one area of the room. He has traveled the world and is a huge hunter. Every animal in the room with very few exceptions was killed by him. His collection consists of mostly animals but has lots of Indian artifacts as well. Nothing is a replica. Everything is authentic! The craziest part was that he let (and encouraged!) all of the kids to look and touch and handle anything they wanted. Here are a few pictures from this amazing studio.

 

Where the magic happens

Yup. A shrunken head. Yup, it's real.

Anthony checking out a lot of Indian stuff. The belt hanging down is made of rows and rows of elk? deer? antelope? teeth. I can't remember which. Each moccasin is worth between $8,000 and $10,000 dollars. He has a ton of them!

Some of his latest paintings just strewn around the floor

Makayla loves owls. I don't know if she realized it was real....

More beautiful Indian stuff. Very heavily beaded and decorated

There were swords and guns everywhere!

A lion with a leopard skin on its back. Michael is in the background telling hunting stories 

Several cool animal heads. I like the gator skin behind

Posing in the treasure trove

That, my friends, is a Narwhal tusk. Illegal to even get in the U.S. anymore

A sarcophagus from Egypt. The Smithsonian had it in the basement and sold it to Michael

A real, genuine, samurai suit. There is a box below that Michael hasn't even opened yet with histories of some of the Samurais

Michael's library

Michael loves this set. It is illegal to own these birds so he has them on loan from the Bean Museum. Whenever they want to display them, he takes them back. Otherwise, they sit perched in his hallway.

How many heads can you count?

We asked Michael what one of his rarest possessions is. Here is one of only two known buffalo fetuses. Obviously the head is missing. The round, beaded patch is where the umbilical chord was.

This is the only replica in the whole house. Michael used to have a real flag like this but the government found out about it and made him turn it over to them.

Michael Coleman is a wonderful, talented, fun person to be around. It was such a fun day and he was so gracious to all of us. I could have stayed and listened to his stories all day. What an amazing experience!