BBQ in the backyard!!

Mom and Vern came for a visit ~ so we decided to get the whole family, (as many as could come) together for a BBQ. Here is Mom/Grandma with Jamon, Trent and Micah's oldest boy.

No blog picture would be complete without show the FOOD ... we had lots. It was a perfect late summer evening. The kids enjoyed getting to know each other as well.

Debbie, Tyler (Shell's oldest son) and Wyatt, their oldest son.

Brian and Shell

The adults at Ruthie's 60th party!

At Brick Oven ~ Tuesday August 26th, 2008.

The adults children + Seth! (l. to r.) Wendy, David and Michelle, Dave (behind Seth), Seth and Amy, Jodi and Mike, Ruth Ann and Dennis, Ryan and Alisa.

Thanks children for your love and support.

My official 100th POST!!

I just happened to notice that this is actually it ... the official 100th post!!! It is ironic that it happened for my 60th Birthday .... YES, I am admitting it ...

Ruth Ann is 60!!

I have been dreading/avoiding/denying it for long enough ... and I have had a change of attitude. Here is my new philosophy ...

"It is OK!"

(Because ... guess what? You can't change it ... it is going to happen - if you live long enough!!)

This picture was taken last night at The Brick Oven - a favorite restaurant in Provo of our family ... all of our children and their spouses were there. I will post more later ... this just happened to be the 100th and I felt it was appropriate to just post this picture. (If you can read the plaque - you will know why there is a tear in my eye ... Ryan and Alisa found the quote and had it made for me ... and it is perfect!!) It was such a fun night. Hey --- when I'm 62 I can get Social Security ... a good thing about the 60's!!!

It Looks Like Dennis ... LOST!!

I told Dennis that I HAD to blog this ... so we can remember how awful it was. NO ... this is not a result of a fist fight ... but rather an encounter with WASPS in our backyard. He was attempting to experminate a nest and a couple of them got a little mad and zapped him! He wasn't too bad the first day ... then when he woke up Sunday morning he looked like this!! He definitely reacts to stings!! Poor boy ... he had to stay home from work Monday ... and had to watch John Wayne movies all day! (There has to be some consolation, right?)

We learned a HUGE lesson ... one we never want to happen again!

This story began about 7 a.m. ~ Dennis and I got up and both went out to the bunk house ... to use the bathroom. It was quite chilly last night and so Dennis closed the door tight (which we haven't done since we built it ... too hot!!) When we went to leave ... the door was locked!!!

We were locked inside!

It didn't take us long to realize this was not good ... we were not expecting any visitors today ... the windows are too 'tiny' ... we had removed all the tools when David's family came to stay AND Dennis is the one who built the thing ... so it's made well!!

We had no way out.

Trying not to panic we surveyed what we had ... a couple of pieces of lumber that were stacked in the corner of the bathroom and a piece of rope. (that was IT) After a few minutes of contemplation, Dennis decided to go for the weakest point on the shed (I was thinking ... we may be here for days!!). He used one 2x4 as a hammer and the other as a wedge and started pounding on the piece of siding above the door. It wasn't easy ... but he finally got it loose (and probably broke/smashed his little finger in the process~it has turned black and is very swollen). With me propping him up he scaled the wall and reached outside and tried to hook the latch with the rope (it slid in further and made it worse). Then he had another idea ... he used the kids hiking stick (which Dallin had put in the bunkhouse for safe keeping ~ thanks Dallin) .. and he was able to pull up the latch and slide it out -- we were FREE!!!

This is the picture from the inside looking out ... he dropped several wedges trying to pry it open ... but luckily we had a couple to spare!!

This is what it looked like from the outside. He was still pretty high up - good thing the hiking stick worked ... it would of been a huge drop (and much more damage).

And this is the notorious LOCK!!! (Honestly, when I first tried to open it I thought someone was playing a trick on us ... but there was no one out there!!) When I opened the door for us to go in I didn't pull the latch all the way back (the lock was on it) and so when we slammed the door tight ... it slid just enough to lock us inside.

Here are the tools he used to get us out!! Pretty amazing, I must say. I kept saying "What if this had happened to someone else ... and not us?" I am so blessed to have a resourceful, strong, determined husband ... I have been telling him all day how fortunate I am!!

And here is the repaired bunkhouse ... it just needs a few touch up paint spots and it will be good as new. (And the LOCK has been repaired as well ... new rules applied ... and we will not let this happen again!!) The whole ordeal was only about 40 minutes ... but it certainly could of been much worse. We did learn a valuable lesson!! (When I phoned Wendy later to check in I asked her what she would do if we didn't come home when we said we would ... and she said she would call her brothers and come looking for us ... YES!! We all need a back up plan.)

Yet another PROJECT!!!

For years we have wanted a fire pit ... and now we have one!!

We found a place in Lehi that makes the ring and grate and then we got the brick from Home Depot (they sure get lots of our money!) ... hauled them all to the property, along with some leftover brick from our remodel ... and now we have a place to cook hot dogs ... and marshmallows!! We're excited ... but there is more to come....

Here is Dennis building the 'inaugural fire' -- it rained (no it POURED) in the afternoon, so he was lucky to find any dry wood -- but as you can see below, he was successful ... and we loved it.

It turned chilly in the evening - we have our CAMPING coats always in the trailer.

But the Project wasn't finished!!

Now you see the finished (as of today) project. Above, David helped put in the steps a few weeks ago, and Dennis hauled more gravel to make it more secure (this is a muddy area when it rains).

Here's a view of the path we created to get us down the hill.

Another view of the newest addition to the family ... the fire pit!!

A creative moment ...

OK, this is not a normal BLOG sort of thing ... but it has been ages since I used my creative-ness and this was my project today!! We have loved our patio ~ and the light that comes in ... so, deciding to cover the door has been a HUGE thing ... (what to do, is it necessary, what look do I want?). The decision to DO IT came as I realized the sun is fading our hardwood floors - so then came the WITH WHAT? (Life is full of many decisions!) We already had the wide blinds on the windows ... and putting blinds on a door is a pain (besides, wide ones would stick out too far) ... so, in my desperation, I found a piece of lace in the linen closet ... and this is what I came up with. I know the picture isn't the greatest ... the valances are tied up with dark green ribbons. It may still go through some 'tweaking', but for now I am pleased!! (And it didn't cost a dime!!)