Grandpa's little Cowboy

"I'm so excited Mom! - I love my new outfit!"

Luke is the lucky recipient of my dad's little cowboy dress-ups! There is a special little connection between Luke and Grandpa Ray. I don't know if it's that they share the same birthday or that they look like twins! Maybe it's personalities or something yet to be seen. Either way, these two are adorable! When my dad was three he wore this cowboy outfit just as Luke is now! It's so special! We just got it in the mail last week and Luke has a new love - his cowboy gear! The outfit includes boots, a vest, chaps, a gun holster and a gun!We just need to get him a hat and he's set!

The little cowboy is all tuckered out after a great day of exciting play and make believe! Luke couldn't quite make it up to his bed and in seconds was asleep on the first step!

Something New

I have learned something new. I have always wanted to do this and I was never quite sure how to. I have taken up CANNING! There are so many people around here that know how so I've picked their brains (AND SO MUCH TIME!) so that I could learn how myself. Of course, it will take time to continue to do and I would like to learn more techniques and other fruits and veggies for the future.

So here is the run down on what I've done... 2 weeks ago I put up (with the help of my friend, Heidi Nordgren) 12 pints of apricot jam. Heidi has an apricot tree and she allowed me to help her pick the fruit and process it. I had done freezer jam but not cooked jam. I loved it. And of course, how yummy! Then, on Tuesday I made salsa. The tomatoes were from my garden and Heidi's garden. The bell peppers were from my garden and the other hot peppers were from Heidi's garden. The rest, dang it, were from the store. So we made it and processed that too. It made 17 pints. Then yesterday, my nieghbor, Kristen helped me put up my peaches. I bought a bushel and was able to get 22 quarts out of it! I just love this! Thanks to these ladies for their time and knowledge! ( Oh, if you counted the bottles in the picture, yep, they don't match the numbers I wrote...I gave some away!)

Soccer!

David gives a big grin for all of us at his second soccer game! He has totally loved playing this season! He's so anxious for every practice and game! He's one of the tallest, if not THE tallest player on his team. He goes after that ball like there is no tomorrow! Check out that defense!! David is not going to let his opponent get that ball!
Amber's first official game was on Saturday, the 6th. They are a competative traveling team. This first game was in Park City and we won 5-0! It was so fun to watch. The team's name is Stansbury Elite: Extreme! but of course, we just say Extreme. Their coach is just outstanding. He really coaches -teaches and is patient! Amber just loves it all! This particular picture shows Am taking the ball away from her opponent, something she's really good at!
CHEESE! I had to get a quick facial shot in between plays!
So on with the soccer season we go! It's so much fun to watch the kids play! We are just waiting for Jake's flag football season to start. I guess I should say, the games to start. They've been practicing for several weeks now but have had some issues with uniforms for the whole organization so we've already had to postpone one game and hopefully we can start this coming Saturday! Here we go.....

A little Piece of Heaven!

So we have another adventure to tell about. We were absolutely thrilled when our friends, the Nordgren family, invited us to go to Lake Powell with them on a houseboat for 4 nights!! We have been truly blessed with amazing friends that have taken us on fun trips. We probably wouldn't have seen or done some of these things if it weren't for our great friends. You know who you are and were we've been. All the countless times to Lake Tahoe, all the boating trips, camping trips, and places yet to come! If you haven't been to Lake Powell, like we hadn't before this, we thought we had a little piece of heaven right there. The sights were truly amazing and the water was deliciously warm! We went down on Thurs. Aug. 28 and came home super late on Labor Day. The kids loved it all, with Luke being the biggest fish! He had no fear of swimming in those deep waters. Amber had to gain a love of it. It was scary to her at first and then she realized she'd be safe with all of us there and her life jacket on. The boat was anchored on the shore (the only flat piece in the area of Navajo Canyon that we were in) and at the end of the boat (54 ft. long) the water was about 25 feet deep. About 10 -15 yds.from that, it was around 150 feet deep!!!! Wow! The canyon walls show how the water meets right up to and it's just sheer drops into the water several feet deep! The first night we slept on top of the houseboat under the stars! I've never seen so many stars and they were twinkling and shooting all over! The next 3 nights were spent in the houseboat due to rain and extremely high winds! It was fine, however, stars as a canopy are much better! The first picture is of Wahweap Marina where the houseboat sits in it's slip until it's in use. What a breathtaking sight to come up to! The next one is of our own part of lake that we were in as we are standing looking off the back end of the boat. The 3rd picture is just some scenery of the massive canyon that we were amongst. Continue further for more pics and more captions....(I know there's a lot but there's so much to share..just hang on!)

Here we are on top of a cliff looking down at the houseboat and our own personal playground! We were way up there! Amber and KaSandra (her friend) on the water trampoline!

Davey just enjoying a nice swim in the warmth of the waters

Amber ready to go!Jake going down the houseboat slide - it has about a 5 foot drop into the water! So Fun!!!Luke doing his Superman dive into the water! He kept doing this over and over!

Yes, I know, I should be considered a pro or something!! Josh showing off on the wakeboard! Yep, we know....we're studs!!!!

The houseboat - above. Some of these silly Spauldings and Nordgrens.It rained, rather poured! on Sunday. Now I see why flash floods are scary and dangerous! As it was pouring waterfalls were coming down these mountains all over the place. Some were huge and others small. They almost looked like natural waterslides - this water just gliding down these smooth rocks. What a sight!