Elora Eats

Elora has been trying her hand at utensils lately.

Elora likes to ham it up if she's being watched. She does a lot of sound effects. Here she is saying, "Mmmm" about her banana and apricot porridge, after pouring the last of it on herself:


When there's still some food on your bib, try licking it off.


OR, if you're not quite full, you can try this:

A Good Cry

I just had a good cry. It was after I read this post. It was written by Amelia, one of my sister's best friends since childhood. I babysat her four youngest siblings regularly when I was in Jr. High. Their father passed away last week, he was a good man. I have five friends who are professional photographers, I must confess that I think I like Amelia's work the best. Feel free to stop by her blog, it is incredible.

A Few From the Wedding Day

Elora swinging with her great-aunt Bonnie.


Groomsmen


Bridesmaids


Our little family.


The hottest couple in the bridal party.


Cody ready to walk Linda down the aisle.


The beautiful bride and her only sister. Doesn't Andy have beautiful eyes?! Isn't Katie a gorgeous bride?!!

"No Dance"

Although I get a request from Jonah at least once a day to listen to Rock Tar (P!nk's So What) so he can dance to it, now I am forbidden from dancing along:(

Maybe the Sweetest Picture Ever

Bridesmaids' Luncheon

Friday, Linda's sisters threw Katie, her bridesmaids, and all her out-of-town female guests a luncheon. It was at Trio and the food and cake were fantastic. Katie has really surrounded herself with some great women.


Vanessa (Katie's 2nd cousin and maid of honor), Kathy (Katie's friend/ex-nanny/semi-sister), and Kathy's son Bryson.


Playing the charms game, a southern tradition (Linda and her sisters are originally from Kentucky).


Sisters:)

Katie's Bachelorette Party

Last Saturday:

Softball

The only times I've played softball have been for a church team a few times as a teenager. I wasn't really any good but I enjoyed it.
Last night I played again. I can't remember the last time I was so nervous. I was ridiculously nervous.
Here's the story how I happened to be playing right field on a women's slow pitch softball team last night:
A few months ago I got on our local Parks & Recreation website. I was looking into Mom & Tots swimming classes (which were brilliantly scheduled right at lunch/nap time). I saw stuff about a women's softball league that I'd also heard about and wanted to join last year. I called and listed myself as a free agent. I also called a bunch of women I know to try to form my own team, but failed. That was a couple months ago.
One of those women I called has a friend who mentioned to her that they might need another player for her team. Yippee! They had enough people but weren't a very competitive team (perfect for me) and there's always someone on vacation during the summer, etc. So when I called to talk to two of the women on the team they basically just asked if I would be their alternate to which I gladly agreed.
Last night they had games at 7:30 and 9:30 and I could only make it to the later game. I showed up and it was a good thing I did, we started the game with only eight players. Several people had gone home after their first game (which they were so far behind in that it was called before time was even up). Two players came back early in the first inning so we were able to continue.
The final score was 7 to 5 when our time ran out in the sixth inning. We didn't win but we had a good time. I struck out four times, but in my defense, in this league it's TWO strikes and you're out, which is really lame and the Umpire was totally inconsistent, calling a lot of strikes that should have been balls.

Garden

Our pea plants. This was taken about a week ago. We have four varieties of peas in there but who knows which is which. The plants are even taller and bushier now. We pick about 15 pea pods a day and there are always more.



Jonah enjoying his peas straight out of the garden.


Elora enjoying some fresh peas.


I don't know what these fabulous blue flowers are. I didn't plant them or the huge daisies behind them, but I love them both.

Upset Elora

My children are a little overdramatic. There are a lot of fits, screaming, and crying at our house on a daily basis. Usually it's over a lot of nothing.

Sometimes when Elora's upset she looks like this:


Sometimes she's really sad/dramatic/mad and she looks like this:



But ever since she was a tiny infant she has always been able to comfort herself by doing this:

Island Park

Playing a little catch-up here. These are pictures from our trip to Island Park, Idaho in mid-June.


Me with one of the two trout I caught on Island Park Reservoir on the trip. They were delicious with Linda's orange rosemary butter sauce and pecan crust!


The kids and I took a little field trip to Upper Mesa Falls one afternoon. They are the biggest, most beautiful falls I have ever seen and you get to see them from such a great angle.


Coach, Andy, and B fishing in the cold in the early morning. When they realized they were all wearing all black they had to pose as the fishing ninjas!

J. Family Reunion over the 4th

Brandon and I outside of the new teepee.


This thing can sleep 20!


Elora, Alan, Jason (Katie's fiancee), Katie, Jonah, and Brandon in the teepee.


Archery.


74th Annual Oakley Rodeo (I don't know why the soft feature is on on my camera).


Just a small part of the gang who went to the rodeo in our matching reunion shirts.


We threw Katie a family bridal shower at the reunion.


The competitors.


Prizes for the winners of the rocket competition.


Brandon's air-rocket "The Garden Gnome".


Breakfast-time.


New campground up on the cabin's grounds.


Elora's new best friend, her great-great uncle Garff.


Elora, Hope, and Scarlett swinging (2nd cousins).