Ange is 30!

Erica, Maysen and I made Ange a birthday cake this morning. The girls did such a great job. Cassie, Ange and I all went to the Cheesecake Factory tonight. I had been craving the carrots I had there last time and was anxious to have them again. But I ordered corn. I didn't realize it until the meal came. But my main course was delicious so that was good. Funny story. Our waitress was not the best. So, when our bill came Cassie left her tips on how to be a better waitress on the bill. I thought that was so funny.

Maysen & Erica

Ella, Ange, Lincoln
Preston LOVED the frosting

Cassie & Preston

Happy birthday Ange! We love you!

Upper Bell's Canyon Reservoir

Mike, Steve & Spencer went on a day long hike (up to the 2nd reservoir) today. It is a old reservoir built in 1938 up in the mountains about a 4 hour hike from Mike's dad's house. They blew up the dam in the 1960's - I guess because they were worried about it breaking and flooding somebody or something. Anyways, it is one of Mike's favorite places on earth - very serene and the hike up is simply beautiful.

View of the old dam

Lower falls - on the trail to the topView looking back near the topSteve with a fish

When they were done we met them at Grandma Honey's house for dinner. The kids had a great time and they were able to spend time with Scoop and Cori. Sherry and her kids came up also.

Preston Stockton

Jorja with a potato bug

Preston & Mike

Maysen covered in burrs

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

Today we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple openhouse today. Preston stayed home with Shannon. The temple was beautiful! The girls especially loved it. Stockton liked how it was a silent tour - and the cookies at the end.

Stockton, Jorja, Mike & Maysen

Stockton
Stephanie & Jorja

Two of my good friends from high school were ushers at the temple! I couldn't believe my luck! I ran into Maralee Black and then Tiffani Knowles. I felt very, very lucky. Stockton felt very, very unlucky.

Stockton's Half Birthday

For Stockton's half birthday we celebrated at a water park in Lindon. It was perfect. There was a water slide, a lazy river, and zero entry pools for Preston. There was also a Flow Rider, but we didn't do that. I love how Utah is so child friendly. Sherry paid for everyone and bought them ice cream. It was Miah's 6th birthday. Thanks for inviting us Miah! We had a great time.

This morning I ran a mile with Shannon. That was good enough for me. I was walking back to the house, and as I went past the park I saw my good friend from high school Kristi Bell! Loved it!

Grandma's Blankets

Maysen, Grandma and I went shopping today. We were looking for new material to make Maysen a new blanket. We found a pretty blue pattern that Maysen loved. The back of Maysen’s blanket was a tricot fabric. Maysen and I went all over town until we found it. But it will be perfect! We are so pleased.

Grandpa & Grandma Parry

Stockton & Grandma Preston
Preston & Otis

Maysen's favorite blanket ~ it's been loved

This will be Maysen's new blanket

We drove back to Utah today. Mike and I read my mom’s letters the entire way. It made the trip go really fast! I am going to put the letters on a blog. Lettersfromharriett.blogspot.com. I will make this blog private, so e-mail me if you would like to read them. I can’t wait for my brothers and their wives to read them. My dad is going to get quite a kick out of them as well!

Brett & Rachel, hope you had a great day with Marie! I can’t believe she is 1 . . . and I can’t wait to see what kind of cake Rachel made for her!

Cabin Letters

Today was our last day at the cabin. My dad, Matt & Bubs’ family left this morning. We cleaned up the cabin, went on little walks, chased grasshoppers and Maysen almost caught a few lizards. It was nice not to have to rush to be somewhere. Jorja was cute. She said, "I don’t think this would happen, but if we lived here, which room would be mine?" She decided the kids would have the room with two beds upstairs and mom and dad would be in the little room next to them. It was so cute to see her little mind planning everything out just in case. She is now excited to move to Utah. She hasn’t been too thrilled about the idea because she loves our house in Georgia, but after this week she sees the advantages Utah has to offer. I hope one day we are able to make it back here.

Preston, Grandpa Millburn, Jorja, Ella,

Bubs, Lincoln, Stockton, Maysen

Stephanie, Preston, Stockton

Mike, Jorja, Maysen

Palisades
Jorja
Jorja and her grasshopper
Preston & Maysen

After the cabin, we headed to Grandma & Grandpa Parry’s. Jorja spent a lot of time picking raspberries with Grandpa. Tammi came over and we chatted for awhile.

Grandpa & Jorja

Maysen, Stockton, Jorja, Preston

After we got the kids to bed, Mike got out the video camera and we had Grandpa tell us stories about the war. He had talked to us about some of his experiences at Christmas time last year and I regretted not getting it on camera. His stories are so interesting, I just wish it was all his imagination and he didn’t actually live it.

Grandpa brought out boxes of letters he had written grandma while he was in the war. He wrote about 900 letters and grandma saved every one of them. He wrote her everyday. One of the boxes he brought out wasn’t his letters. They were letters from my mom! My mom wrote home once a week and my grandma has them all saved and indexed! I was so excited! I’m going to type them all up and put them on a blog. I can’t wait to learn more about her, but I think it will be so great that Ange, Rachel, Christen & Cassie can learn about her as well! Ange was the only one to know my mom, but I’m sure she would love to read about her as she went through college. Who knows, maybe it will get her to enjoy the Internet!

Uncle Georges

Mike talked me into riding the ducky this morning. We went down the river early this morning with John & Cassie, Bubs, Matt, Steve & Sharon. My dad stayed at the cabin and watched all six kids.

The ride down the snake river was great. I was a little nervous about riding in the ducky. I was worried about 1. Being labeled a ‘piece of crap paddler’ 2. Ruining Steve & Sharon’s equipment. 3. Falling in the water. In that order. The ducky was great fun and we got splashed a ton. Mike and I took the Big Kahuna straight on. We got dumped! Both of us came up under the boat. When we got out from under it, we were in the middle of these gigantic waves. I was frantically trying to remember everything Steve & Sharon have told us about going in, but I mostly succeeded in laughing my head off. We made it over to the big raft and Steve pulled us in like a giant fish. We got loaded into the big raft right before we hit Lunch Counter. That was great fun.

John and Matt took the ducky down the rest of the trip. We went through the ropes next and it was amazing. Cassie loved every second at the front of the boat. She was dripping wet when we finished. Luckily Steve & Sharon have all this gear that we can wear so we don’t become wet fish. All in all, that river is very fun.

When we came back from rafting, we hurried and packed up for our family reunion at Uncle George’s. Uncle George is my grandma’s brother. He has a cabin surrounded by his farm land. They have made their cabin so enjoyable. Our kids spent most of their time on the zip line and the water slide. When they rode in a train (14 or so kids), they went so fast! Maysen especially loved the zip line. She said it was probably as close as she was going to get to flying.

Harriett & George

Leah, George, Ray, Lois (my grandma), Rendon, Myrna

Maysen
Stockton
Jorja

Stephanie & Preston

Jorja & Stockton

Preston fell asleep after the waterslide

Jorja loved this spot

At the end of the day, Mike went down the big slide. It had been raining, so when he hit the bottom, he just flew! I made him go down again so I could take a picture - but I choked and took it too early. I love Idaho.

Maysen

Stockton

Jorja

Mike

fast, wet & muddy = fun

River Rafting

Mike got up early this morning to go river rafting on the Snake River. Bubs and I switched off watching the little ones. Mike and Matt went in the ducky, which is kind of like a two person kayak. Maysen, Mike and I went in the raft on the second run of the day - along with my dad, Steve & Sharon. (Matt & Paul went in the ducky) We sat Maysen in the front of the raft for the Big Kahuna and Lunch Counter. She got SOAKED! At least she stayed in the raft! My Uncle Steve & Aunt Sharon have the greatest hobby. They love to go river rafting, and love to take people down the river. That works out well for us.

Mike, Maysen, Stephanie

Maysen's first time rafting the Snake River

We relaxed around the cabin for the rest of the day. Preston has a different definition of relaxing then we do. His idea is to see how many different ways he can hurt himself. I’m pretty sure he will have a black eye tomorrow (from crashing into a table). He did have a lot of fun playing catch with my dad and being crazy with Lincoln.

We got a great surprise when we saw my Grandma & Grandpa! I didn’t expect them at all. Before they left, I got a picture of my grandma with Jorja & Preston. One of my favorite pictures in the world is Maysen and Stockton with my grandma at the cabin.I think I’m headed to bed..

Preston, Grandma & Jorja

Maysen, Grandma, Stockton

Preston, Jorja
Ella, Grandma, Lincoln

There is a Pirate game going on in the corner. I have been mocked mercilessly because I threw away cookies that didn’t turn out quite right. I told them it was on a magazine, on a doily, and didn’t even break the surface.

John & Cassie should get here about midnight. I hope they make it here safely!