Last of June

Lots of fun stuff for this post!

We've been having busy times.

Just look at that cuteness!

Paige's shower gift, swaddling blankets.

The lame deer and her two fawns.

All smiles, as usual.
(We probably do look pretty funny jumping all around and waving arms and legs all over the place!)

One of the fawns got separated from its mother.  Matthew spotted it when he went out to grill one evening.  She made little crying sounds and then eventually made her way into the brush where the others were.

It had been a lot of fun going to the track a few mornings a week!

Thought this bird sitting on the line was cute.

Got to babysit Annabella!
It was a lot of fun.

We were looking at the computer where I had it distorting our faces in different ways.  She got to giggling, and giggling!  It was cute.

Matthew and Bodie playing a bit of soccer after sing.

Rinconada Hike!

Been so busy since May camp that we haven't done any hiking.
 We set aside this Saturday to go down past Santa Margarita to the mercury mine.
It was rather a warm day, but interesting sights and beautiful scenery!
We really enjoyed the solitary hike - only saw one couple way off in the distance the whole time.

This was the mercury mine.  They collapsed some of it for safety purposes, but it is a BIG hole!

After walking around the mine, Matthew found the trail that goes up the hill.  This is at the top.

We climbed this rock at the very top of the hill.  What a view!

I'm not very good at math usually, but I had a good laugh when we got this ad:

Baby shower for Paige!

They asked everyone to bring their gift unwrapped.  It was practical because then we didn't have to worry about trash blowing away and stuff, and super cute!
  Notice the barn with the cow on top at the bottom of the picture.  Eric and Annie made the barn!

Kids' table.  Sorry about the lighting on a lot of these.
My phone didn't do a very good job with the BRIGHT sunshine and then dark (and cool, thankfully) shadows.

I pushed Charisa in the swing for a bit.

The three preggers!!!

The sisters and Gail.

I didn't snap quickly enough to get the whole quilt (I don't remember who made it either)
but it is a work of art.  Really cute.

Kim and Lindsay helping pack up the gifts (and getting a closer look!) 

Jennifer's Bridal Shower!

There are a lot of people in this picture and I don't know all of them!  Plus is it blurry, sorry!
The blonde haired girl second from left with the pinkish/coral dress with the box on her lap is Jennifer.

We ate, played some games (a really fun one was 8 or 9 little bowls with a tablespoon of a spice in it. We had to sniff and look at it to decide what it was!  I think Aunt Carol won that missing only 1.  I think I had 5 correct.)

The little girl in the pink dress is Mackenzie.  I didn't pick up on why she is a flower girl, but once I heard her name, it confirmed what I had been thinking... Matthew and I helped her ice-skate last winter!  I even remembered that her birthday is in November!  Yep. same girl.  That was kinda fun.  And Aunt Polly met the wife of someone Uncle Jerry has known for years!  Another girl I met is the daughter of the lady Aunt Polly substitutes for sometimes.  Someone Matthew knew a bit as well, since she worked for the school (retired this year) AND when I was telling Matthew, he says, "Oh, I went to school with her."!!!

The girls had fun bringing Jennifer the gifts, though it made it take twice as long!
They kept choosing the next one to give her, no not the one on the edge but that big one RIGHT in the middle!
So cute.

Once again, not a good pic, but the lady in the purple dress is Jennifer's mom, Sonja.

The girls eventually got distracted making hats out of plates and the ribbons!

Since hot dogs were on the menu, we called up Austin and SB!

Kind of a weird tradition that started I'm not sure how, but we always have lots of fun.

Oh but wait!  It was hamburgers this time!

We taught them how to play 42.
At first SB wasn't liking it because she didn't understand.
On the second hand she started connecting dots and it was fun to see it start clicking for her!
"Oh, so that means......" and "Okay, so I need to do this then...."
And she is really good now!
Austin caught on quickly as well, and like Matthew likes to strategize, which paid off a few times.

SWIMMING!

Hailey loves the water!
Been fun to spend a few hot afternoons chilling in Cherisa's pool with her, Hailey, SB, and mom.

VISITORS!

Uncle Thomas and Aunt Cindy, Julie, Brooke and Jordan were in town for a few days.
Many thanks to Jim and Carol for including us several times so we got to be with them some!

Playing ladder golf.
Rules in the box are a bit different than we played in NL!
But it was fun and more competitive. 

Biking to Cherisa's one morning I just had to stop and take this picture!

Happy Canada DAY!
I had fun being patriotic!
(But I also wore denim skirt, white shirt and red headband 4 days later ;)

Was it Tuesday or Wednesday, I don't remember, but I went with Cherisa to the airport to greet Uncle Jeff and Aunt Donna, Andrew (and Andrew's girlfriend, Laura) and Nathan from Pennsylvania.
 Most of the family stopped at In 'n' Out for lunch.

Hailey getting fed a banana and entertaining Andrew and Laura.
It was fun to visit with them a bit.

Renae had all these ladies over during a men's meeting.

The next morning Brooke joined us at the track and spent a few hours with me.

ummmm.... so recently someone mentioned that Christ went many times to a hill to pray.
It seems like someone else also mentioned another person in the Bible that went to a hilltop to pray.
When I read this about Elijah, the first sentence, well the last part of the sentence, I found it interesting.
Matthew and I've climbed lots of hills and mountains in the last few months, and there just is something about sitting up there with the world spread out below, nothing between you and the open sky...