Even best of friends....

...sometimes steal each other's socks.

Happy B-day Decca poo!

(The one on the left is Maddie Jo Pickering, Riley's BFF and Decca's OTHER niece)

You are no longer a teenager!!!

Ev's B-day Highlights

He always thought it would be funny to have a "skunk-skin" hat, so Buzzy got him one. (This wasn't actually his b-day, but he wanted a nap for his b-day and he got it!!)

This was about as perfect as Ev could have it for his 30th b-day.

Opening Grandma & Grandpa I's present...

Happy B-day Hyrum!

Eagerly waiting to open his first gift, Hyrum waits with Grandmummsie. (Notice that he is sitting on the bar so that he can't runaway?)Opening his big present. He had a smile on his face all day long!His dispproportionate "farm with a pivot" birthday cake...and Trace.

Corgis

Two years ago for Christmas, Ev brought home a little ball of fur for me! We called him Whizzy b/c he whizzed on the carpet. He was my very own corgi.A month later, Ev brought home Molly. Talk about the sweetest dog ever!Two batches of pups later, we decided that we couldn't sell pups out here very well and I didn't get to play with them as much as they needed. So we sold Molly and Whizzy to Ev's cousin in Raft River. I wanted to cry the day we took them away. This is Hyrum on the way to Raft River with Miss Molly.

But they're at a good home, and we kept the male from their last litter. His name is Herbie and he is the perfect blend of wild Whizzy and sweet Molly. So here is my little corg.

Pine Nut picking

I had never even heard of pine nuts before I moved out here. Ev hadn't picked pine nuts either. But it is the THING TO DO! And this is the year to do it (apparently some years are definitely better than others). So we went, prepared to fill two 5-gallon buckets. We found some good pinenuts (thanks to Matt) and picked and picked and picked and picked. We covered the bottom of our bucket, barely. So we picked and picked and picked some more. We filled a bucket 1/4 full.

Hmmm....so much for our over-achieving goals.

But we had a fun time together as a family and the weather was BEAUTIFUL. We'll do it again next year...with more realistic goals :)

"The Chichen"

aka the Kitchen. Yay it is done. After over a year, I finally have my kitchen done! I painted it this past week and I LOVE it!

While You Were Sleeping....

...a sneaky Halloween kitten was hissing at you....

General Conference 4-wheeler ride

I have really enjoyed Conference...I always do. It always seems to give me such a spiritual boost. Hy has a tent set up in the living room where he has hauled all of his toys and Ev has the La-z-boy all set up (er...reclined) and Miss Riley did really well.
After the morning session, I wanted to go on a ride--it was such a beautiful day and I feel so much better!! I woke Ev up and told him I was going with Buzzy and that Riley was asleep in the swing.This is Mount Wheeler and where we headed up. We only went up to the base.Here was the little creek we crossed.This is me and "bobble boy" at our destination. This is where we go "shishin" or fishing to the non-toddler world.That is our house and part of the ranch...I zoomed in on the camera.Bobble boy fell asleep....But where are his boots?They are resting on Mom's boots as she is crusin' down the mountain hoping they don't fall off.

Bobble boy's head kept falling forward toward the handlebars, so I turned him around. So I laugh at all of these pics of him asleep b/c I was trying to get good ones and hold Buzzy at the same time. But it was such a pretty ride and we had a good time.

When we got home, Ev woke up and said, "Where have you been?" I told him. Then he said, "Did you take Riley?" I guess she was pretty good for him!

Thanks, Amy!

My friend (who was just sitting around waiting for her #4 baby....right) made me the cutest headband for Riley. I was so excited to get it (especially after everybody in town mistook Riley for a boy in a hand-me-down blue bunting from Hy) and think she looks so cute.
Evan thought she looked like a miner with a light on her forehead....what a guy thing.

A day at the Zoo

Evan and I wanted to take Hy to the zoo all summer and we finally got it done! He loved it and to make it even more perfect, Grandpa and Grandma Israelsen met us there. What a great day. Everytime I told Hy to "smile" he'd smile and then look away right as I snapped the pic.

Hy and I were the only ones to brave the carousel. Hy picked a praying mantis.

Since Grandpa was afraid he'd get bucked off, Grandma and Riley decided to sit it out with him.

I never thought I'd call an elephant cute, but there was a new baby in the zoo and it was stinkin' cute!! It was so fun to see the baby giraffe as well.

Same dress, same kewpie curl

This is me on the right and Riley on the left. We're almost twins, but we are different.