Branding

Branding is always something to look forward to in the summer. Even though it is so dry and dusty it always is a good time. There are so many cute calves this year. We had a great time with all that came to help on both days.

Week with the cousins

Colten with his new pet

the crew ready for a ranger ride

Colten and Jay

Harvey getting ready to go gather cows




We had a fun week with the cousins. Josh and Savannah spent the week with us while Jen and Boyd were on the trek. They had a great time running wild.

NH

smoke at the NH two days ago

NH

smoke from horsesprings

This fire is making me sick! We spent the last few days over at the NH and the smoke was so bad. It looked like the fire was right there by the color of the smoke. It got really bad a few days ago that I just had this sick feeling of having it make it our way. Then that night two sheriffs came to the door and gave us a pre evacuation notice saying the fire isn't real close now but it could come this way in a hurry. I can not imagine what everyone who has that fire in there back yards are feeling like. It is a horrible thing. I hope they can get it under control!

Harveys Graduation

Harvey with his teachers

Harvey is officially done with his first year of school. They had a little kindergarten graduation and spotlighted him. They also had an award ceremony and he got the best artist award and also awards for his track meet and reading. He is glad to be finished but had a really fun year.

Part 2 Europe Trip

Vatican City

Tuscany

Florence

Vatican
Rome

Inside the Vatican

Vatican City

Tuscany, Italy

England

Europe Adventures

Jay and dad had quite the pool rivalry going. Dad has become a pool shark. Jay could hardly sleep at night thinking about how to beat him.

dad with his game face on

Yorkshire Dales

One of the manner homes
near Leeds

Venice

Our Gondola ride in the Grand Canal. It was so awesome!
This city almost looks fake. It is so neat.
I was very disappointed in our gondola man he wouldn't sing to us, but he was a little on the tipsy side had a few to many drinks so he took us on a lot longer ride than expected which was really cool and he gave us a really good tour of Venice.

Florence

Rome

The Colosseum

The ruins and the Colosseum in the back ground

England

These fields where so beautiful next to all the green.

We went to England a few weeks ago to visit Jay's parents who are on a mission in Leeds. It was such a beautiful place. The green was almost eye piercing after coming from so brown and dry at home. It looked like green lawn with sheep and rock walls everywhere you go. It was so much fun to spent time touring around with mom and dad and seeing where they are living. We got to meet all the kids at the institute and spend a little time with them. Talk about some hilarious kids. We really enjoyed seeing mom and dad in action with them. One of the highlights at the institute for Jay was playing his dad in pool. They would have played all night if we would have let them. Dad has learned some serious moves! We spent 5 days in Leeds then went to Italy for 5 days. We started in Pisa then went to Rome then Florence and last of all Venice. What a beautiful place Italy is we loved it. We rode trains in between the cities through Tuscany it was just like in the pictures, beautiful. Then we returned to Leeds for a few more days before heading home. It was such a fun trip!

HARV THE SNAKE TAMER

Jay brought this 5 ft snake for the boys the other day. It coiled up and was hissing and not very happy. I thought it was going to strike. Then Harvey put his magical touch on it. He is the new snake tamer. Crazy kid.

NEW YORK

Central Park
Looking back at the city going to the Statue of Liberty

The Brooklyn Bridge

NY at night from the top of the Rockefeller Center

It was such an awesome view!

Me with my mom and Jen at the Statue of Liberty

We saw the Lion King on Broadway it was so much fun.

Great show!

Central Park on one of the only warm days in that week. It was packed.

It was so cool to see this huge beautiful park in the middle of this crazy city.

Time Square

Remember the movie "Big" Jen and I had to go to FAO Swartzs and play a little chop sticks on the giant piano.

Getting ready to see WICKED. It was such an awesome performance. Loved it!

I went on a girl trip to NY with my mom and sister Jen a few weeks ago. My cousin Kristin lives there and kindly let us intrude on her studio apartment for a week. She was a great tour guide and host! We had such a great time and went to as much stuff as we could possibly fit into a week. I have to say that by the end of the week my feet were aching and I could barley function from a major lack of sleep but it was all very worth it!