Beware... Very Long Post!

So I guess it should be a very long post since I'm such a slacker. But anyway, we are finally home, and we are not going anywhere else before school starts! I'm still trying to just get caught up on all of the things I've been neglecting while we traveled up and down the road the whole month on July.

So... Here we go!

We went to Eagar, AZ for the 4th of July to Michael's Grandparents. We decided to go at the last minute, but we are so glad we did. The weather was so nice and the company was even better!

Ty did not enjoy the parade. The noise was really bothering him, so from the second the fire trucks and police cars fired up their sirens at the beginning, he was not in a good mood. He kept covering his mouth like he was just so upset. It was pretty cute, but he didn't act like he felt very good.

Ty was finally old enough this year to really have his turn to help Papa put up the flag. It's become a tradition for all the kids to help him raise the flag, and Ty jumped right in.

Here is Logan enjoying the parade. He actually had a pretty sweet deal because Triston would run for the candy and then split it up with him...

Papa brought out the pellet gun one afternoon and he and Max let both Logan and Triston give it a try... they only shot at a paper plate target... I promise!

On the way home from Arizona I got the word that my Grandpa Bithell had passed away. He would have been 95 on the 18th of July. He had been very ill and suffering for the past several months, so I was relieved for him that the suffering was over. But it is still hard to imagine that he is really gone. I had planned to go to Idaho towards the end of July, but we moved our plans up so we could stay for a while. We got to see all my sisters and brothers and all the cousins, including two new baby girls that I hadn't met yet! And we got to take a day trip to Yellowstone which is a necessity in my book.

Here are the boys at the Lower Yellostone Falls. The water was so so so high this year. I think it's probably as high and raging as I've ever seen it! It was truly breathtaking. It always is, but even more impressive and powerful this year.

This view of the Upper Falls is called Lookout Point and we have a habit of taking silly pictures at this sign, but I couldn't get either of the boys to "look out" for me.

The weather was really nice, in fact a little too hot for comfort occasionally, but it was a fun day.

Such an amazing waterfall! Visiting the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is always a must for me. It's about my favorite spot in the park.

So, we came home... before my 15th high school reunion because I just didn't come prepared to stay that long. I should have, but I was kind of in a rush to make the trip and wasn't thinking clearly. After I got home we took the Jeep in for some maintenance, and we were told it had some fairly major problems. I, of course, called my genius mechanic brother in Idaho and as we talked about what was wrong, he told me I should just get in the Jeep and bring it up to him. He didn't think it would strand me on the road, and he is almost always right when it comes to these types of things. So that's what I did. I left the boys with Max and Peg for this trip (Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks to you two blessed people... I love you). They are great travelers but were not eager to get back in the car and drive any more. In the end it was well worth the trip because my brother fixed it for less than the place in Cedar was quoting me just for one of the parts... Thank you Travis!!!! You are the BEST!

And I was able to go to my high school reunion, the 24th of July parade in good old St. Anthony, and I spent the whole day on the 25th with my good friend Dayna and her husband Denmark and their sweet little baby boy Luke. I also got to see Dayna's parents and little brother... so cool! Thanks for letting me be the tag-a-long you guys! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it... yes... the movie too! You guys are great...really you are... I had SUCH a great day with you. I also had dinner with my friend Jeremy and his wife Danielle and their cute girls... thanks for buying my dinner you guys and for the replacing the windshield in the car on my first trip! My reunion was such a good time. Because of Facebook I've been able to catch up with a lot of my classmates, and I can honestly say that the class of '94 rocks even more now than it did then! It was great to see everyone! It was really fun to just hang out with my mom and dad and siblings for a couple of days on my own, too... haven't done that in a long time. In all, it was a really great trip, and I'm so glad I went back... even though I missed my boys and especially my sweet husband terribly... you are the bestest and the mostest and my absolute favorite... love you. Thanks to everyone who helped me make it possible.

And to end this too long post, I have to post a picture of my latest conquest at the Smith's double coupon extravaganza!
I got all of this for $68... but I saved $135! AWESOME! I got the tide for $2.88 each... the toothpaste was FREE... the mustard was FREE... the yogurt drinks were FREE... I love unlimited double coupons! I was really able to stock up on all kinds of stuff.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... I am really going to try and be better about posting more often and spare you the torture of such long, catch up posts! If you are still reading this... you are a trooper!