October!

SO...where did September go??? For that matter, where did August go? In August, we took our annual trip to the Oregon Coast. We met Missy, Kip, and McKena in Seaside for some fun family time. Eden had her baby boy, Durham, on August 13...then we sped along toward the first day of school. I took a long-term sub job which started with the "Sneak Peek" the day before school started. I had the most wonderful group of fourth-graders (32!) for the first four weeks of school...they kept telling me, "Mrs. Bates, you're like our REAL teacher." That's how I felt too. I did Back-to-School Night, and an all-day field trip to Celebration Park. September just flew! Reed and I both celebrated birthdays. We took a quick trip to SLC for Conference last weekend. The men of the family are enjoying the BSU football games. The leaves are turning. I just put up Halloween decorations. How can it be October already? Vaca photos will be up soon. Hopefully, I'll catch up.

Grandma Camp...The 9s

Three of my granddaughters are nine years old, in the fourth grade, are great friends, and decided to all have french braids at camp!

Oops...out of order!

We tried our hands at Native American beading...

Of course, we read in the "reading tent"

We "hiked" the Oregon Trail following the markers throughout Boise.


We finished camp by making "fairy houses" our of leaves, seeds, twigs, pine cones, etc.

Yellowstone (in May 2011)

We went to Yellowstone with Eden, Dan and kids the last weekend in May...who knew the weather would return us to frigid temps, rain, sleet, and snow. I had never been there...it is spectacular! We met visitors from France, Germany, Japan, and all over the U.S. Fantastic!





Right on time...we got there, the snow came down, Old Faithful erupted, the skies cleared, all within about 15 minutes!!