Back to school

Here we go back to school. I started my final year at CWI, Ashley is a 7th grader, Owen is a 5th grader and Alysha is a 12th grader: SENIOR. They are all getting so big and grown up. Getting back on a school schedule is going to take some getting use to. We have all been staying up to late and have enjoyed many lazy mornings. We are not quite ready to give up all the fun of summer so have been enjoying the pool in the afternoons and playing on the weekends while the weather is still nice.

Alysha actually had friends come over.... She always talks about her friends but we never see them. Was starting to think she was making them up. Her friends names sounds a lot like Disney Princesses and video game characters.

First Day of School

Walking home from school

Alysha playing board games with Ashley and Ashley

Alysha does have friends, Mario, Ashley and Alysha

Ashley, Alysha, Ashley and Chelsie playing Tickets to Ride

I was cleaning and found the Lowes aprons the kids got when they were little.  I had not finished putting on the badges they earned so I decided to finish them and made them pose for a photo. The aprons are just a little to small. :)

Kids with their Lowe's aprons from at least 5 years ago

Burnt Owyhee ride

Mike and I went for a motorcycle ride to check out where the Soda Fire had burnt the land in the Owyhees. We rode out to Jump Creek but the road was closed so we took a public access road around it that went right into the burn zone. It started off as just a dirt road then there was some gravel, ruts and then larger rocks. A few miles in I hit a large rock and knocked my chain off so Mike had to back track to fix it for me. Then we continued up to a fenced in area with a very large propane tank and antennas that the fire had burnt around. Then we took a different road back to the highway. The second road ended up rougher than I was expecting and challenging for a new rider. By then I was getting tired and ended up belly flopping in the middle of the road. I was fine but my bike was a little bent and scratched up. Mike once again came back to fix it for me. When we finally made it to the highway I was exhausted. It was a good ride even if it pushed me out of my comfort zone a lot but I did it..

Mike fixing my chain

After my crash that knocked my seat off

Mike fixing my bike again

I made it back to the Highway....

I like my bike. It is perfect for me. 

My Mike goes riding with me, you see. 

I like my Mike, and this is why: 

Mike does all the fixing when the hills get to high.

reworded from Dr. Seuss's One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.

Table Rock at Sunset

We decided to drive to Table Rock to watch the sunset over the valley. The sun had been bright orange from all the smoke but it quickly disappeared behind the haze so we did not actually see it set.

Last minute camping

Last Sunday we realized the whole summer flew by and we have not gone camping. So we decided to go for a quick last minute camping trip. We headed to Idaho City and stopped to eat lunch. Then we turned off the main road and went to Black Rock Campground. By the time we got there it was empty and we had the place to ourselves. Mike and Owen set up the tent, then I inflated all the air mattresses. We played in the water, climbed rocks, and collected firewood. Mike gave Owen his first pocketknife and read him the Cub Scout pocketknife oath. Owen was working on a few requirements for cub scouts so he helped make our backpacking dinners, chopped wood and started the fire. Ashley wanted to help so she chopped wood and help stir the meals. We had fun taking photos as the sun was going down then we made smores. Of course you can't have a camping trip without an air mattress going flat so Mike ended up sleeping on a flat mattress with a few extra blankets under him.  The next morning we packed up and went back to Idaho City for ice cream and looked around a little bit. It was a fun over night camping trip.

Girls in Idaho City

Idaho City where the fire burnt the ice cream place down

Mike and Owen setting up camp

Owen setting up the tent

Owen with his new pocket knife, Mike reading to him

Playing in the river

The water was cold

Collecting firewood

Owen getting ready to make dinner

Owen helping boil water for the backpacking meals

Black Rock campground

Girls rock climbing

my mountain goats

My pretty girls

being goofy

family photo

Owen building a fire

Roasting marshmallows

s'mores

Back in Idaho City having ice cream

Looking at history by the rings on an old tree