Poor, neglected blog..........

I realized it's been about three months since I posted anything (sorry mom!).  I can't promise that will change TOO much in the next little while, since we're moving to a different house, but I will try.  For now, here's some pictures of a little day trip (couple of hours trip, more like) we took with one of Chanon's co-workers (Barb) and her husband (Lewis/Louis...not sure how he spells it) on Memorial Day.......

 This is a little outdoor "museum" of sorts with a walking path.  Lots of interesting things to see.  The property was the home of "Pappy" (that's what he went by...don't remember his first name) and Cleo Swayne.  The place is a little eccentric, but the kids liked it and we had a good time.

 All along the path there are signs with various sayings:

There is even a replica of the empty Garden Tomb 

Pride, Gluttony, and Greed!

~Chillin' with Abe~

.....Mark Twain

Even Benjamin Franklin!!!!!

Einstein!

No one wanted to get their picture taken with Shakespeare.......huh.

Hansel and Gretel.....

It's a good thing I came along or we would've lost Dean and Amy to the witch!!!!

Sarah made friends with Thumbelina

(Ain't it the truth!!)

Snow White and the Seven Dorks

Peacocks!

Look.....it's Kevin!!!!!

(I bet you didn't know that peacocks can fly.  We didn't either!!!)

Ringing the bell

Barb, Lewis/Louis, and Chanon:

More to come later!!!!!

Did somebody call for an excavation expert?

Um...............don't think so!!!!!

But we got one anyway in the backyard.

It's one of the joys of living in Idaho, as well as living in a newer subdivision with some recent new home construction (which means "critter displacement"....causing said critters to scope out new turf.  I guess our yard was prime real estate since we have no dogs, unlike the surrounding yards).  We had high hopes that the neighbor cat was going to help us out with some free extermination services:

But alas, apparently Garfield needs to read "Rodent Hunting for Dummies".  

We probably needed one of these instead  

(where were my snake-catching brothers when I needed them?):

 (gopher snake)

Or one of these:

(Some kind of predatory bird with a long beak that likes to eat gophers)

But instead I emailed the property management company and they sent over an exterminator.  

He dug a hole next to one of the mounds:

 .....inserted a gopher trap at one of the tunnel openings:

 And about an hour later, the trap was sprung:

I called to let him know and then he came by and removed "the body".  

Thank you "Bug Boyz Pest Control" of Boise!!!!!

Sorry, Gopher.  Your digging days are done, and you are DEFINITELY "not in the book" now 

(nor will you ever be, heh heh)!!!!!!

I've been a posting slacker, I know.  I have a new job at church, though, which is my excuse!  The Ward boundaries in our Stake changed on January 1st.  We lost quite a few families to other wards, but also gained quite a few.  That of course meant that there were callings needing to be filled, and I was very excited when the Bishop asked me to be the Primary President 3 Sundays ago!!!

(the 2012 Primary theme)

 It's been a lot of work trying to get things updated and figured out.  We gained quite a few children and the total is at "95" (not counting the Nursery....there are 19 in THAT class).  Last week I pretty much only did Primary stuff...my family was neglected and my house turned into a disaster.    My biggest challenge?  I haven't served in this Primary, and I know only about a handful of kids.  We also have 11:00 church, which means we are sandwiched between two other wards and have no time to set things up, and then we have to hurry and rush out so that the next ward can come in and get ready.  I have a wonderful Secretary and Counselors, though.  I didn't know them when I submitted their names which made me a bit anxious, but they have proved to be very willing, hardworking and dependable.  (Hopefully my brain will function, and I don't drive them crazy!!!!!).

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We finally got our first "real" storm last Wednesday (a whole 5 inches!).  We didn't even have to shovel because it rained afterwards and melted/washed the snow away.  OH yah.....now that's MY kind of storm!!!

 We seem to get more rain than snow here, which is FINE with me!!!

Sarah throwing snowballs at the fence

 Nathan playing with a plastic baseball bat: 

(as a side note, he's pretty darn good at throwing a ball up in the air and hitting it with the bat!)

Here's Frosty (they finished him after dark.  By morning he was pretty much gone thanks to the rain!):

I'm a little confused, though.  I've never seen a snowman shaped like THIS before.  Have you? (o: