Extending the Porch

The pictures are out of order, we've been having trouble with our blog lately so deal. On Saturday we decided to extend our back porch to accommodate our new grill as well as the ten or fifteen people that show up every Sunday evening. The picture above is the finished project. It only took me, the two missionaries, and my neighbor ten hours to finish. We used 100 80lb. bags of concrete, mixed by a gas powered mixer. I think next time we'll have it delivered. We were just about done when it started pouring rain. I was not a happy camper to say the least, in fact I'm pretty sure I said a bad word or two in my head. We had to refinish it all over again, then our dog Alex walked through it. Stupid dog, we had to finish it once more. Luckily it turned out pretty good. Was it worth it?.... Ask me in a week or two. Oh by the way don't ever finish concrete bare footed, one of the missionaries stood in the concrete all day without boots, he looked down at his feet and some of the skin was falling off. I felt pretty bad for him, but he did get out of tracting for a day, so it's all good.

Megan's Baptism

On Sunday June 30th at 1:00 pm Megan Taylor was baptized. It was one of the most spiritual baptisms I have been blessed to attend. We are so proud of the steps she made to be baptized. Some of you may not have realized Megan dated Clay for 3 years and remained very close to Clay and our family prior to Clay's death. She amazes me everyday by her commitment to live a christlike life. Thanks to Megan for being our example.

At the Lake

This weekend two return missionaries were in town. (Elder) Ben Goates from Salt Lake area and (Elder) Cayson King from Gunnison, Utah came and spent the day at the lake with us. We had a good time. Kim, Kelly, and Megan had a good time being pulled on the tube.

Canning at Grandma & Grandpa Ray's

If any of you have a garden they know how busy this time of year can be. The girls are learning first hand how to harvest and can homegrown vegetables from the garden. Grandma and Grandpa Ray have been putting out this huge garden for over 40 years now. Crazy!

Hangin Out with Curtis & Shandy

Fun at the park, playing with sparklers, and Camilla chasing Lola...good times.

Hangin Out with the Oram's

The only home-cooked meal we all got to enjoy on our adventure to Washington was from the Oram household. Thanks to all the Oram's for your hospitality. It was so fun to just hang somewhere for a while. And Courtney and Camilla loved being able to hold new baby Cannon (sp?). Congrats to Maile and Nate.

Vallene LRa Dunkley Bell

I'm sure Grandma Bell was smiling from above to see so many of her children gathered in one place. There were so many family members that we had not seen in so long. It was nice to visit with each of them and get a glimpse into thier lives. I learned so many wonderful qualities about Vallene Bell that I never knew before. Thank you Grandma Bell...you truly were an amazing woman.

I want to climb that Mountain

As we were on our long journey west, Camilla kept commenting on how she wanted to climb one of the mountains. Then at one point when everyone had to stop for a rest stop she said, "Can't I just run up and around that mountain and use the bathroom." I have no doubt that someday she probably will be climbing a mountain.

Visiting Childhood Memories

On our way to Washington last week, we journeyed through Ucon, Idaho where Michael grew up. We were able to see the house he grew up in. Luckily the house is owned by a cousin of his so he graciously let all of us roam through the house. It was fun for Michael to reminisce about the good ole' days. He always talks about how perfect his childhood was.