BBQ at the PARIDISE

 We had a BBQ in our backyard on Monday.

We invited friends.

There was a new family that moved into the ward.

The guy, far right, introduced himself as the most obsessive fly-fisherman you will ever meet.

When people in the ward heard that they laughed, knowing Nate.

They had to meet.

It was funny listening to them talk about fishing together.

Nate's animation.

Ty's faces.

A lot of, "What?"

"Are you serious?"

We will have to do it again sometime soon.

BAILEY's BIRTHDAY PARTY

One of Sierra's best friends had her birthday party today.

The kids played Wipe Out.

Then went inside to play board games when the weather turned.

Bailey was so gracious.

When she opened a present she gave the person a big hug and said thank you so much.

She was cute to watch.

She has blossomed a lot over the last year.

Sierra loves spending time with her.

Happy Birthday BAILEY!

 

FREE CHICK-FIL-A

 We have never gone to free Chick-fil-A day.

I thought it would be a fun.

I did a lot of research and I got the kids dressed up.

I didn't want to hit the lunch hour rush but ended up pulling into the parking lot at exactly 12:00.

NO ONE WAS DRESSED LIKE A COW!

I MEAN NO ONE!

I was worried I had the wrong day or maybe this location doesn't honor free Chick-Fil-A day.

What was going on?

I called and confirmed it was in fact the right day and every location honored it.

We went in.

Sierra was so embarrassed but they gave us our food.

We got to order whatever we wanted.

It was delicious.

About the time we left a couple of kids walked in with there grandma dressed like cows.

Sierra said, "It wasn't worth it that was humiliating."

I thought it was awesome.

If we had of been in Utah we would have waited an hour or more.

Here we walked straight in.

I guess public humiliation is too big a price for free delicious food in Grand Junction.

We will see if I can convince her to do it again next year.



4th of JULY

 We are blessed to have really good friends.

Nate loves them as much as I do.

I am grateful.

They invited us over for the forth of July.

We were grateful to have a place to go and celebrate.

WE loved the food.

WE loved the company.

The fireworks afterwards were really fun.

Thank you Nattalie and Bob for giving us a place to go.

DURANGO

 We went into Durango to get the brakes on Nate's truck fixed.

While we were there we played a park.

We found a fish hatchery and watched fish for several hours.

We had lunch and Wendy's.

After the breaks were finished we stopped off at this hot spring.

Madison and Sierra took of there shoes and waded in it.

The truck smelt like sulfur all the way back up to camp.

 

We stayed up and played night games with the girls and roasted smores.

After three nights without any sleep we decided to call it a trip.

We packed up.

We stopped off a on the way home for Nate to finally throw his line in a river.

He didn't stay long.

He wasn't having much luck.

There were some guys on the river that weren't being nice.

We stopped off at a Chinese buffet on the way home.

I really don't like Chinese buffets but Nate likes them.

He said it was the best he had ever been to.

It did not disappoint.

It was in Delta.

I may drive out there sometime just for some more Chinese food.

 

Then we were home.

I was so happy.

Hopefully in a few years I will be a better sport.

I want to be.

I really do.

It will be easier when I kids sleep better and our baby isn't one years old.

However, that will probably not be for a while.

A NAP and A HIKE

 

Nate took a nap with James, while Sierra, Madison and I went on hike to find unicorns.

I cut our hike short.

It felt like we had been gone forever.

When we got back they were still cuddled up sleeping.

Sierra still won't forgive me.

She knew if we had of kept going she would have found a unicorn.

The San Juan's looked like the perfect place for them to hide.



 

 

FISHING with DADDY

The girls fished with their Dad a few times.

James just wanted to dive into the water.

His pregnant mom didn't like chasing him.

Eventually, we all decided it would be more fun for everyone if mom and him waited back at camp.

There really is no prettier place on earth.

Look at those mountains.

 



WILD FLOWER CROWNS

Nate nor I could really remember what we did the second day of our trip.

I do remember taking a nap with James in a hammock and making a wild flower crown for Sierra.

Nate took Madison fishing.

We made Shish-kabob's for dinner.

I don't remember what else we did.

I know Nate was exhausted and I suggested several times he go fly fishing for a few hours.

He said he didn't have the energy.

I know. I was a little shocked and worried.

I still am. Poor guy has been going on empty for a long time.

The girls loved every minute of it.



THEE PITTS AGAIN

 Thee Pitts Again was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

It is in Silverton.

Nate suggested after the mine tour we go over there for lunch.

I was excited to try it out.

I thought it was delicious.

I loved their onion rings.

They are the best I have ever had.

I liked their fried pickles.

I could barely eat my meal.

It was yummy.

100 YEAR OLD MINE

 I did a quick internet search to see if there was anything cool to do in Silverton.

I came across a mine tour.

You take a tour deep into a mine and learn how to mine.

I thought the girls would love it.

James fell asleep on the way to the tour.

I waited in the car with him while the girls went with their dad.

I read a book.

It was nice.

Nate said the cave was freezing.

Glad I didn't go and take James.

Besides he thought it was pretty cool to just explore outside after he woke up.

The girls loved the tour.

Nate let them pick out some rocks as a souvenirs afterward.

CAMPING IN SILVERTON

 Nate had a week off of work.

He hasn't had that much time off to spend with us since he started his practice two years ago.

Last year he did take a week off and went fishing with his buddies.

He had a trip scheduled again this year but it was cancelled.

 

He wanted to take his family camping instead.

I tried to think about it from his perspective.

He was going to go fly fishing and camping all this week with his buddies, until it was cancelled.

He really wanted to go and here was his chance to go and take his girls.

So sweet.

 

No matter how hard I tried to like the idea, I couldn't.

I was spent.

Between living in a half moved basement, renovating our house, and working on the yard and taking care of the animals and being pregnant, the last thing I wanted to do was go camping.

Maybe that is why hours before we were suppose to pull out I broke down. I cried and cried.

Something I haven't done in years.

Nate had no idea why I was upset or how to help.

He volunteered to take the girls alone and let me go to my mother's house or just stay home and relax.

I didn't want that either.

I didn't want to miss our first family vacation in two years.

I wanted to be the type of mother that sang songs around the campfire, weaved flower crowns from nature, play night games, hiked, and fished.

In that moment I had nothing left to give.

I begged to go rent a hotel in Denver and go to the zoo.

I wanted a simpler vacation.

 

Nate couldn't understand how being in a hotel that had been slept in by millions of other people covered in millions of people's germs could be relaxing and how being elbow to elbow with people in some hot stinky zoo could be fun. 

 

Nate put off the trip for a day.

I got some good sleep, that helped.

Then we went to breath in the fresh air of Silverton, Colorado.

 I don't know if you have ever driven highway 550 between Ouray and Silverton.

It is scary.

Really scary.

The highway is undercut with thousand foot drops.

There is no railing.

It is really curvy.

There is no room for error when driving.

Frankly, I never wanted to drive the road again by the time we got there and then I realized I had to in order to get home.

It was quite the VACATION.

We will use that term loosely.

 Before I get too negative.... look at the beautiful mountains.

Look at the cute small town of Silverton.

Imagine a few days of Nate's undivided attention.

No electronics or dentistry.

The girls were in heaven.

They never wanted to leave.