We ended June and began July taking a spectacular trip to Glacier National Park with Deon and Gary Fuller. They flew into Salt Lake Airport on Monday, 27th of July, and after renting a car, came to Heber to pick us up for our 5 day trip to Montana. We crammed into the Chevy Cruz Gary had rented and quickly realized we needed a larger car as we would be spending lots of day on the road in that car. We stopped at a rental place in Ogden, upgraded the car to an Impala, and in much more comfort, traveled on to Idaho Falls to spend the night. We stayed at a Marriott hotel, thanks to Deon and Gary's Marriot rewards program. After dinner at the Olive Garden, we sacked out for the night, wanting to get an early start for our 7 hour drive to Columbia Falls, Montana the next day.
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| Yummy dinner at Olive Garden - one of Gary's favorites |
We arrived at the Meadow Lake Resort in Columbia Falls about 4 and checked into our condo, thanks to our Worldmark RCI exchange program. The condo was beautiful and overlooked an incredible golf course. The set up was unique. Our unit included a master bedroom, bath with a large jetted tub, living area and kitchen while Deon and Gary had their own private bedroom and bath, with another jetted tub, just off the front entry way. It was also in a very convenient location for every place we wanted to visit - Glacier National Park, Whitefish, and Flathead lake. We had a delightful dinner at the resort's restaurant and then went shopping for breakfast foods and snacks for our stay.
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| Relaxing at our condo before going to dinner |
Pictures taken outside the resort's restaurant where we enjoyed a good meal and good company
Wednesday morning, we left early enough to be at Glacier National Park soon after it opened. We wanted to beat the crowds on the 'going to the sun' road. We drove past Lake MacDonald with the idea we would return in the afternoon to take a cruise. Soon we were on the 'going to the sun' road, a narrow two lane road carved out of a mountain side with spectacular views of the lush valleys below. It was an incredible drive where we saw beautiful waterfalls, lush green forests, a weeping wall, glaciers, and many wild flowers. We stopped at Logan Pass, the summit visitor's center, to walk around a bit. Off on a mountain side were two mountain goats, visible mainly by binoculars, but there none the same. We walked across snow covered paths and took lots of pictures of the surrounding mountains.
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| Majestic views |
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| View of the valley |
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| Taken along the way to the 'going to the sun' road |
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| The weeping wall |
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| One of many waterfalls |
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| Logan Pass still deep in snow |
When we got to the end of the 'going to the sun' road, we decided to drive to Many Glacier which was just up the road a few miles. It was beautiful and we were glad we took the time to see this area too. We found a lovely picnic spot there and had some cheese and crackers and fruit for lunch.
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| Going to Many Glaciers |
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| At Many Glaciers |
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| Lunch at a picnic site at Many Glaciers |
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Lake MacDonald
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It was then back on the 'going to the sun' road for our return trip. It was fun to see it all from a different perspective and we found it equally enjoyable as driving it going the other way. The traffic was a little heavier than it had been in the morning but we were not in a big hurry. Our only plan was to make it back to Lake MacDonald before the 3:00 lake cruise. We made it in plenty of time, even having time to sit and enjoy the cool breezes off the lake and take in all the beautiful scenery. Gary took the time to talk with some most interesting people visiting from back east. They were of the Mennonite religion and were there on vacation as a whole family - grandma and grandpa, sons and daughters, in-laws, and grandchildren. The cruise was very enjoyable and especially informative as to the history of the area.....A great way to end our visit to Glacier National Park. Later that night, we had dinner at a pizza place in Whitefish.
(A sad note: when we got out of Glacier Park and to an area with cell phone reception, I got a message that Andrea was going into surgery to repair a broken ankle which had been shattered from a fall at their stake's pioneer trek. She was in surgery for several hours and ended up having 11 screws and a steel plate put in her ankle as every bone that holds the foot to the leg was broken. We were relieved when she was out of surgery and doing well.)
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Gary talking with his'new friends'
which he makes where ever we go. |
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| Looking at the lake from the boat |
A most relaxing hour long cruise
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| The lodge at the lake |
The next day it was off the explore Flathead Lake which is just south of Glacier. The resort had a lakeside facility at which we thoroughly enjoyed relaxing by the lake. For most of the morning, we sat under the shade of the trees looking out at the beauties of the lake. There was a pier on the lake at which a few private boats stopped to pick up families for a day on the lake. There was also a home where there were game to play, lake toys to check out, and a kitchen in which to cook. It was a very nice place for the members of the Meadow Lake Resort. About lunch time,we decided to do some more exploring and drove to a little lakeside town where we had lunch at a local restaurant, the Pocketstone Cafe. Later that day we drove to Whitefish for dinner at a Mexican restaurant and and then drove to see the lake at Whitefish.
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| Beautiful Flathead Lake |
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| Just relaxing |
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Throughout our drive we marveled at these beautiful
yellow fields. We never did find out what they were. |
All to soon we were loading the car to begin our 10 hour drive back to Heber. Gary and Deon flew out early the next morning and Paul and I began doing all the last minute things necessary before leaving for our family reunion the next week.
About mid week we learned that Andrea would not be able to come to our reunion as traveling in a car for 8 hours would be very uncomfortable and there would be a chance she would develop a blood clot from sitting that long. We were very sad but figured out that Casey could bring 4 of the girls with him and stay Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Charlotte would need to stay home to help Andrea at home and at work.
The week before our reunion was spent getting everything ready. For Paul, that meant getting the yard ready to go which meant weeding and mowing. For me it was cinnamon rolls, bread sticks, and cookie pizza to make, things to pack, last minute shopping to do, and crafts to get ready. I also prepared journal booklets for the grandchildren with questions for them to answer about their pasts, hopefully to prompt them to begin a personal history. It was a busy week but we did find time to go golfing one afternoon.
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| A selfie taken while riding in the golf cart |
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| The view of the lake from our condo |
Our family reunion was held at Coeur d'Alene Lake in Idaho, about 45 minutes from Spokane, Washingtion where our children all grew up......hence our reunion theme, A BLAST FROM THE PAST. Check in was Monday, July 11, after 4 p.m., so Paul and I left Heber after we taught our primary class on Sunday. We wanted to make it to Idaho Falls so our drive on Monday would be shorter. We arrived In Coeur d'Alene around 2 on Monday, stopping at Costco and Safeway to shop for food before heading to the resort. The resort was on the Harrison side of the lake and took about 25 minutes to get to from Coeur d'Alene, a beautiful but curvy drive. The setting of the resort was breath taking as it sat right on the lake. The condos were lovely and very spacious, with a view of the lake from the balcony. We unloaded the car, put away the food, unpacked, and started dinner for those who would be arriving soon.
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Enjoying dinner
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Casey and his girls were the first to come, with Ryan and Katie not being too far behind. Jon and Todd and families were coming the next day. Dinner was spaghetti, bread sticks, and green salad with chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Of course the first thing everyone wanted to do was swim in the pool so that's where we spent the evening hours.
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| Even in the pool they were singing in harmony |
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| Of course, Aria was the big hit at Zips |
Todd, Kailee, and Aria flew into Spokane Tuesday morning and waited for us to get to Spokane to begin our 'Blast from the Past' Photo Rally. About 1:00, we all met at Zips, a favorite eating place when the children were teenagers. We ate lunch there and quickly realized that things are not always the same as we remember them. The french fries and shakes were good but everything else left us all wishing we had found another place to have lunch. From there we started our 'Blast From the Past' photo rally. Each family was given a list of places to go to take pictures with their children. The list included places such as our two homes, their best friend's homes, their schools, places they worked and hung out as teenagers. We were to meet up at Riverfront Park as close to 4:30 as possible. Dad drove in our car and led Casey and his girls to all the places Andrea would have taken them to had she been there. I went with Todd and Kailee to help take their pictures. We all had a great time trying to take the most creative pictures at each of these places. These pictures would be shown at our devotional each night.
At Riverfront park, we walked around, fed the goat, rode the carousel and then had dinner at Rocky Rococo's, a favorite pizza place downtown Spokane. The pizza was as delicious as we remember. We bought has extra pizza for Jon's family who arrived later that evening. After Jon's family arrived and ate, we all gathered in our living room for our devotional which we began each night with bits of trivia about family members. Casey showed us their photo rally pictures and then he read a letter from Andrea. The theme for these devotionals was 'lessons learned while growing up.' Andrea wrote about knowing her Heavenly Father loved her because of two events in her life...getting to keep the neighbors dog, Casey, and moving to Eugene, Oregon after graduating from college, where she met her future husband, Casey. It was very moving. It was time for bed after our family prayer.
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| The iconic clock tower |
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| At the beautiful Spokane Falls |
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Feeding the ducks
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After we all fed the ducks
we noticed this sign
DON"T FEED THE DUCKS!! |
Riding the merry-go-round is always fun
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Ending our day at our favorite pizza restaurant
Rocky Rococo's |
Wednesday was our day at Silverwood theme park. After a sourdough waffle breakfast, we handed out matching T-shirts, loaded into our cars and drove the 45 minutes to the theme park. Everyone was so excited for this day and it did not disappoint. We arrived as the park opened and many stayed into the evening hours. There were lots of roller coasters and water rides as well as a big water park to keep everyone happy. Even Ryan and Katie's family stayed to the very end as their children were having such a good time. Most of us had lunch at an 'all you can eat' buffet which featured pulled pork sandwiches. It was very good and perfect for our growing grandsons who love to eat. Todd and Kailee and Paul and I left around 4 so Todd and Kailee could shop for the dinner they were in charge of the next day. It was good to get home before everyone else and get things set for dinner of tacos, prepared by Ryan and Katie. Todd and Kailee were on the hook for the devotional on this night. Their picture were put in an order so Todd could tell a story with them. They were darling pictures and Todd's devotional was very inspirational. He spoke of the importance of earning and maintaining your parent's trust. He related an experience he had between his junior and senior year were he went against our wishes. He lost our trust at that time and talked about how he felt and how important it was to obey your parents and keep their trust in you...a very effective message for a roomful of teenagers. A family prayer and treat concluded each night and this night was no different. We had bought dilly bars for the treat but so many had eaten huge ice cream cones at Silverwood just before they left that more ice cream was not in the cards for them. Oh well, that just meant I didn't have to make a treat for the next night.
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| Aftershock was the big and scary ride |
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| That's our family upside down on the Cork Screw |
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So very wet after
the raft ride |
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| The giant ice cream cones |
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| Ready for our nightly devotional |
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We were sad the Westovers had to leave early
but grateful they could join us for a few days. |
After breakfast on Thursday, Casey left with his girls as he had to get back before the busy weekend at work. It was our day to spend at the lake so we packed what we would need for lunch, got in our swimsuits, and headed down to the lake right outside our condos. I had arranged for Gloria and Denny Linerude to come with their boat and spend the day with us out on the lake. They met us at the resort's pier about 11 and took the first group out on the boat. About every hour, thereafter, we let a new group go out with the Linerudes for some real fun. They had brought a big tube that allowed 4 people to be on it at the same. Many times most everyone was thrown off, much to their delight. At the end of the day, Paul and I got our first ride along with Jon and a few of his boys who wanted to try their hand getting up on skis. Jaron was the only one who was actually brave enough to try and he was amazingly successful. We filled the boat with gas and then it was time to say good bye to our dear friends. A totally fun filled day.
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| The boat and fun four person tube |
Ready for some serious fun!!!!!
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| Jaron up on skis like a pro |
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| Blowing bubbles |
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| Our own little mermaid |
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On the last ride out for the day, all the boys
on the boat had to jump in the lake one last time. |
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| Our first and only ride on the boat |
That night was our traditional hamburger and hot dog grill night complete with J Dawg sauce, french fries, fruits and vegetables. A delicious dinner followed by another successful devotional time. It was Ryan's turn to show their family's pictures and then give the devotional. He talked about the times in his life when he was directed by the spirit and how those times make a difference in who he has become. The pictures were fun and the message wonderful. It was dilly bars again for treats, family prayer and off to bed.
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| The golfing group |
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Jon and Mindi and family
at Riverfront Park |
During the night three of us got sick, Ryan, Julia and myself. When I got up in the morning I recognized I would not be able to cook breakfast so I called Mindi and she came right over to help feed our hungry clan. It was our golf day so Jon, Todd, Dad, Gavin, Jaron, and Braydon got up early Friday morning and went golfing in the morning. They got home in time for breakfast of french toast. Jon's family headed out to do their photo rally in Spokane and spent most of the day there. Paul came home from golf not feeling to good so he and I stayed in bed most of the day. Katie kept her children busy with crafts and a hike on Tubb's hill while Ryan and Julia stayed in the room. Todd and Kailee kept Aria isolated most of the day, in their room, so as not to expose Aria to the flu bug we were fighting. If we had to get sick it was the best day as we had nothing specifically planned except for Jon to do the photo rally.
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| Feeding the goat at Riverfront Park |
Some of the clever pictures taken on their photo rally in Spokane
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| At White Elephant - amazingly still in business |
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| Katie and children ready to hike Tubb's Hill |
In the afternoon, Mindi and Katie met up at a nail salon so the girls could all get their nails done. Then it was time to come home for more swim time and dinner. Jon and MIndi fixed a delicious dinner of pulled pork. After dinner, we played a game of Family Jeopordy, using some of the trivia facts we had learned during the week as well as some other things that had not been mentioned. It was fun and everyone loved trying to guess who the facts were about. It was Jon's night to do the devotional and we all enjoyed their family's extensive pictures. They went way beyond the suggested list of where to go and took pictures at places we had all forgotten about - the sand volleyball courts at Brown's park, the water park where Jon broke his nose, the White Elephant toy store etc. By that time Jon's was not feeling well but was able to keep us laughing while showing his pictures and, in tears, as he shared his lesson growing up. He talked about the unconditional love he felt from Dad and I as he was growing up, not always being the most obedient child ever. He mentioned how I was always up waiting no matter how late he came in and how he always felt unconditional love for Dad even though he knew Dad did not approve of some of the things he was doing. A very powerful message. Luckily I had made Rice Krispie treats the night before so we had them for treat before family prayer.
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Because Julia had missed going to the nail salon,
Olivia and Carly gave her a private spa and nail salon treatment,
complete with low lights, soft music, and soda pop.
Of course, Julia came away with beautifully done nails on her toes and fingers. |
The next day was everyone's departure day. Jon and Mindi got off around 10:30 with zip lock bags handy in case someone else came down with the flu. It is a good thing they had them as Clark began vomiting sometime on their trip. Ryan and Katie left about noon, planning only to drive to Portland but couldn't find an available hotel until Cottage Grove which is past Eugene. Todd and Kailee were able to change their Sunday flight to a Saturday morning flight so they packed up and left before everyone even got up for breakfast. It's a good thing they got home when they did as a water connection had broken in their backyard and was flooding their fire pit area.
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Before everyone left, the children completed a banner for their bedrooms
to remind them of this wonderful 'blast from the past' reunion. |
With everyone gone, we decided to pack up ourselves and head out, too. We were originally going to stay and go to church in our old ward and then visit the Ostheimers, dear friends, and the Borders, our mission president. With us still not feeling one hundred percent, we thought it best not to expose them to any bugs in case we were contagious in anyway. Home sounded really good to us right about then so we booked a hotel, loaded the car and drove the 3 hours to Missoula, Montana where we spent the night. It was good to get a head start on Sunday's drive. We arrived home around 5, grateful for the extra day to get ready for company arriving Monday afternoon.
Deon and Gary, and 4 of their grandchildren and a son in law came to stay in our home for the week. Aspen had just complete an ACT camp, Sydney was at EFY, and Berlin was in a daily soccer camp all at BYU. We had a houseful. It was the first time Carrie and Than's children had been in our home and loved the fishing, the hot tub, the trampoline, the movie theater, and the good food. We love sharing that with which we have been blessed. Needless to say, by the time they left on Saturday morning, both Paul and I were ready for some quiet leisure time.
We tidied up the house and about the time we finished, I got a call from Jon wondering what we were doing that evening. He and his family were going to float the Provo river and wanted to come up for dinner afterwards. We are always thrilled to have them up here so I fixed Salsa Verde Burritos for them which they thoroughly loved. Their float trip was not without excitement. Jon and Jaiden were flipped out of their raft and, in the process of making sure Jaiden was safe, Jon gashed the bottom of his foot and bruised his ankles on the rocky bottom of the river. We hope it will all heal quickly and completely.
On the last Saturday of the month, we attended a high priest party in Kris and Christine Pollock's beautiful yard. They barbecued brisket and everyone brought appetizers, salads, vegetables and desserts. It was all delicious and we enjoyed putting names to faces of some of the new members of our ward. A fun night.
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| The sunset as seen from the Pollock's yard |
It was a very busy month and we were both pretty tired. Paul and I are looking forward to our Alaskan cruise with our adult children coming up in August - no cooking, no cleaning, no deadlines, no having to carry out plans - just relaxing, enjoying beautiful scenery, and letting someone else cook, clean, and take us to the things we want to see. It will be a welcome change, for sure.
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| Kissing Mr. Wonderful |
And then there's Aria - a joy every Sunday that we get to see her.
These pictures were taken on the last Sunday of the month
which was the last day of the July.
The week before our reunion was spent getting everything ready. For Paul, that meant getting the yard ready to go which meant weeding and mowing. For me it was cinnamon rolls, bread sticks, and cookie pizza to make, things to pack, last minute shopping to do, and crafts to get ready. I also prepared journal booklets for the grandchildren with questions for them to answer about their pasts, hopefully to prompt them to begin a personal history. It was a busy week but we did find time to go golfing one afternoon.
Casey and his girls were the first to come, with Ryan and Katie not being too far behind. Jon and Todd and families were coming the next day. Dinner was spaghetti, bread sticks, and green salad with chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Of course the first thing everyone wanted to do was swim in the pool so that's where we spent the evening hours. 
At Riverfront park, we walked around, fed the goat, rode the carousel and then had dinner at Rocky Rococo's, a favorite pizza place downtown Spokane. The pizza was as delicious as we remember. We bought has extra pizza for Jon's family who arrived later that evening. After Jon's family arrived and ate, we all gathered in our living room for our devotional which we began each night with bits of trivia about family members. Casey showed us their photo rally pictures and then he read a letter from Andrea. The theme for these devotionals was 'lessons learned while growing up.' Andrea wrote about knowing her Heavenly Father loved her because of two events in her life...getting to keep the neighbors dog, Casey, and moving to Eugene, Oregon after graduating from college, where she met her future husband, Casey. It was very moving. It was time for bed after our family prayer.
Wednesday was our day at Silverwood theme park. After a sourdough waffle breakfast, we handed out matching T-shirts, loaded into our cars and drove the 45 minutes to the theme park. Everyone was so excited for this day and it did not disappoint. We arrived as the park opened and many stayed into the evening hours. There were lots of roller coasters and water rides as well as a big water park to keep everyone happy. Even Ryan and Katie's family stayed to the very end as their children were having such a good time. Most of us had lunch at an 'all you can eat' buffet which featured pulled pork sandwiches. It was very good and perfect for our growing grandsons who love to eat. Todd and Kailee and Paul and I left around 4 so Todd and Kailee could shop for the dinner they were in charge of the next day. It was good to get home before everyone else and get things set for dinner of tacos, prepared by Ryan and Katie. Todd and Kailee were on the hook for the devotional on this night. Their picture were put in an order so Todd could tell a story with them. They were darling pictures and Todd's devotional was very inspirational. He spoke of the importance of earning and maintaining your parent's trust. He related an experience he had between his junior and senior year were he went against our wishes. He lost our trust at that time and talked about how he felt and how important it was to obey your parents and keep their trust in you...a very effective message for a roomful of teenagers. A family prayer and treat concluded each night and this night was no different. We had bought dilly bars for the treat but so many had eaten huge ice cream cones at Silverwood just before they left that more ice cream was not in the cards for them. Oh well, that just meant I didn't have to make a treat for the next night.
Some of the clever pictures taken on their photo rally in Spokane
In the afternoon, Mindi and Katie met up at a nail salon so the girls could all get their nails done. Then it was time to come home for more swim time and dinner. Jon and MIndi fixed a delicious dinner of pulled pork. After dinner, we played a game of Family Jeopordy, using some of the trivia facts we had learned during the week as well as some other things that had not been mentioned. It was fun and everyone loved trying to guess who the facts were about. It was Jon's night to do the devotional and we all enjoyed their family's extensive pictures. They went way beyond the suggested list of where to go and took pictures at places we had all forgotten about - the sand volleyball courts at Brown's park, the water park where Jon broke his nose, the White Elephant toy store etc. By that time Jon's was not feeling well but was able to keep us laughing while showing his pictures and, in tears, as he shared his lesson growing up. He talked about the unconditional love he felt from Dad and I as he was growing up, not always being the most obedient child ever. He mentioned how I was always up waiting no matter how late he came in and how he always felt unconditional love for Dad even though he knew Dad did not approve of some of the things he was doing. A very powerful message. Luckily I had made Rice Krispie treats the night before so we had them for treat before family prayer. 
The next day was everyone's departure day. Jon and Mindi got off around 10:30 with zip lock bags handy in case someone else came down with the flu. It is a good thing they had them as Clark began vomiting sometime on their trip. Ryan and Katie left about noon, planning only to drive to Portland but couldn't find an available hotel until Cottage Grove which is past Eugene. Todd and Kailee were able to change their Sunday flight to a Saturday morning flight so they packed up and left before everyone even got up for breakfast. It's a good thing they got home when they did as a water connection had broken in their backyard and was flooding their fire pit area. 
