forever swaner family: Memorial Day (ya, so I'm running a bit behind!)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Memorial Day (ya, so I'm running a bit behind!)

Over Memoril Day, we headed up to Warm River, just outside of Island Park. We picked up Erin on our way through Rexburg. We don't get up to see her near enough, so it was great to spend some time with her. We had a great time. On Sunday, we loaded up in the van and drove through part of Yellowstone. How is it that we've lived here for 4 years now, and never made it up to Yellowstone? It was a great weekend for all!

Derrick and Myah catching tadpoles

I have issues with river and lake water. Can you see the enthusiasm all over my face?

Skyler struggled with the concept of staying on the tube! But it made for some great laughs.

The weather was so beautiful for the first day (then it rained...a lot!).
Des tried to keep out of the sun though.

Mesa Falls

The girls.

The boys.

Yellowstone

Tannon and Myah

The kids patiently waiting for Old Faithful to show her stuff.

Erin and Myah. Aren't they cute?

And to top it all off, we were lucky enough to have recently purchased one of these....

....Only this is ours.....

...and we love it. It has a fridge, a toilet, beds, and a ton of character. Who could ask for more? I don't think we would dare take it very far away, but we'll sure enjoy it close to home.

9 comments:

tysonandmandimoser said...: Looks like you had fun. I am still laughing about the camper picture. That was quite funny!!! Was the river warm?; June 12, 2009 at 6:43 PM
Nicky said...: I was thinking that Tyson or you really gave that trailer a face lift! That was great!
What's wrong with lake and river water??? Just cuz there's microscopic buggy thingies EVERYWHERE, what's so gross about that?; June 12, 2009 at 9:04 PM
FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY said...: Nicky-it's not microscopic buggy things. It's that I can't see what is under the water. And the current scares me. My arms are always too short to really control my tube, and I'm scared I'm going to get swept away. Illogical, I know, but I terrifies me. If you all only knew how completely panicked I really was in the Belize caves. Darkness, and murky river water, and a current....my 3 worst fears.; June 12, 2009 at 9:12 PM
Unknown said...: Looks fun- I love yellowstone. Dave doesn't tho. :(; June 14, 2009 at 5:30 AM
Maria said...: So I have to ask; who drains the sewage at the end of the trip? I picture Derrick in a space suit to do that job. Hahaha! -Jordan; June 14, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Maria said...: We regret not seeing more of beautiful Utah when we lived there so we are doing our best to not do the same thing in CA. Island park area is beautiful!

Belize - yeah I didn't like not being able to see much in the caves and MY arms were way too short to control where I went - so I remember the zip line for Belize THAT was awesome!; June 14, 2009 at 12:04 PM
FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY said...: Jordan-we have yet to resolve that issue. So far, we haven't been allowed to use the potty.; June 14, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Nicky said...: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the picture in my head of you two in a space suit to clean the sewer - that is hilarious!! What's the point of a trailer if you don't use the WC??
And what are you afraid of not seeing what's below you in the river? You think a fish, or even better, a snake might bite your butt??!! :); June 14, 2009 at 9:39 PM
farmgirl said...: I LOVE your new home away from home...and I REALLY love the way you introduced it. :D :D :D You are funny, Lady. Your trip looks like so much fun, we have been saying we need to take the kids there for years--maybe some day we actually will.; June 18, 2009 at 6:48 AM

Crazy Things Our Kids Say

'Mom, Desmond needs to be changed. He smells like a waffle'. -myah- I've heard all sorts of descriptions, but never a WAFFLE!
'Mommy, How come all of our prophets names start with "President"?' Myah
'Mom, baby boys are special too'. Myah's words of encouragement shortly following the boy ultrasound. Thanks Myah!
When talking about what to grow in our garden this summer, Skyler said, 'Oh, I know...let's grow more zuccini so we can have more pickles!' Pretty funny coming from a really smart kid!
'Mommy, I want my armpits to look like yours, with all the black pokey things in them!' Yep, that's Myah!
'...Thank you for Santa Clause...and thank you for his reindeer.' Myah's prayers last night
'Daddy...You smell like Grandpa!' (Myah) Derrick has picked up a new second job, working with my dad doing sheet metal construction...aka 'manual labor', and apparently, he's starting to smell like hard work!
'When I grow up, I want to be....A MOMMY!' Myah
"But sleeping makes me tired!" Never heard this excuse for a later bedtime before!
'How does my water turn into pee?' Myah
'My eyeballs are melting!' Myah...We built a fire for fhe and made smores...apparently it was pretty hot!
'Can I pet the baby?' I was babysitting for a friend the other day, and Myah was so happy to have a baby around!

Quotable Quotes

'Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a Gift. That's why it's called the Present' -kung fu panda...master uguay
"The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude." William James (borrowed from Katie)
"As long as it stays outside" -my grandpa joe- let me explain this one, he was a farmer and was referring to the problems and trials we have. I interpret this to mean that as long as we don't let them into our homes and our families, it's all good!
"Remember, a good attitude produces good results, a fair attitude fair results, a poor attitude poor results. We each shape our own life, and the shape of it is determined largely by our attitude." Jeffrey R. Holland

Hmmmm....

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today!'

So she did, and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

'H-M-M,' she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today!'

So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail.'So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.'

YEA!' she exclaimed, 'I don't have to fix my hair today!'

Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Derrick

Derrick goes by many names around here, including Honey, Big Fatty (only when Zac is really mad or really tired), Babe, Appocolypse (his wrestling alias), Abomination (another wrestling foe),...but my definite favorite...Daddy (or Dad as the big kids say). I also think that to everyone in our home, Derrick is considered a great friend. He has a talent for turning those tense moments into funny and lighthearted memory makers. I guess that he is the perfect balance for me, since I have a hard time letting go of my 'schedule' and just having fun!
The man of our house stays very busy with work, play, more work, and a little more play! He still works as part of a management team of an imaging center, where he also does nuclear medicine, ct, x-ray, and lab work. When he's home, he acts as teacher, barbeque king, friend, companion, tutor, priesthood holder, elders quorum president, bedtime tucker-inner, and daddy!
So yes, Derrick wears many hats, and I have to say, I love every one of them!

Kelli

I am a middle aged stay at home mommy to five kids. I rarely get out, and I don't always manage to get a shower in every day. I cook, I clean, I sew (well, not really, but I wish I could sew!), I tutor, I clean some more...and I love my life! I am a wife, a new mommy, and an old mommy, a wannabe runner, a friend, a neighbor, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, a food network junkie, a inventor (of recipes, since I can't stand to follow a recipe as given), a hiker, a taxi driver, a librarian (my new calling in church...are you jealous???), and a really great sports spectator!
My goal over the next year is to try and be 'happier' on the outside while I'm with my kids. I'm always happy inside, but don't tend to show it as often as I should. Also, I hope to be able to give in service to those around me as much as they have done for me! I am so thankful to know that I am a daughter of God, and that he not only loves me but is totally aware of my trials and my weaknesses. I truly believe that he has surrounded me with special people to help me through those trials and to help me become better! How cool is that???

Skyler

Skyler has a whole variety of hats, and it's hard to know from day to day which ones he'll pull out! I guess that's all part of being a teenager! Skyler is a big brother, a babysitter, a son, a priesthood holder, a scout, a basketball player, a friend, a football player, an excellent student, a reader, an artist, a musician, a help (when he wants to be), a tease, and a future (and current) missionary! I appreciate Skyler's committment to the gospel and to living the gospel standards. I know that sometimes, we butt heads, but I have never ever been worried about him not honoring his gospel standards and covenants! What a great example to the younger brothers and sister!

Zacary

Zac is so often my life preserver! On days when I feel like I'm drowning, he is able sense that and jumps right in to save me! I often refer to him as our 'resident chef', since he absolutely LOVES to cook! He can follow a recipe pretty well, but he can also 'taste cook' (a boy after my own heart). Zac also wears many hats...soccer player (almost any position), student, resident chef, babysitter, big brother, cousin, scout, maid (really, the kid can clean...when he wants to!), missionary in training, manual laborer (loves to work on house and yard projects), and friend! I love Zac and so much appreciate his awareness in knowing when to jump in and help out!

Tannon

Tannon may be a skinny little thing, but his heart is HUGE! Tannon is a big brother (a fact of which he's very very proud), a son, a friend, a soccer player, a tease, a wrestler (just as home with Derrick), a student, a reader, a cub scout, a future missionary, an example, a food critic (since he doesn't like much of anything!), and a very tender hearted little boy! I love Tannon, and I think that his quiet, peaceful nature brings a smile to my face and makes his Heavenly Father very happy! I really and truly hope that we can instill in Tannon, exactly how special and amazing he is!

Myah

Myah is the cream on top of the Swaner family sundae! We are all just crazy about the only girl in the family! Myah's hats...big sister, little sister, daughter, friend, social butterfly, artist, student (preschool!), dancer, singer, comedian, peacemaker, and helper! If I can teach her one thing that she will never ever forget, it is that she is a daughter of God, and that alone makes her so incredibly special! She often says, 'I am a princess, because my Father in Heaven is a king!' I hope that she remembers that always!

Desmond

Little Des, is a true blessing in our family! He is the cherry on top of our Swaner family sundae. I never knew I wanted a cherry on top, but once he joined our family, I can no longer picture it any other way! Just when I thought we were moving along to the next 'stage' in life, there was a quick little u-turn along our path, and just about 10 months later...here we are with a new sweet spirit in our family.
So Des's hats...a little brother, a son, a sweet little spirit, a peacemaker (and he doesn't even know it), and a HUGE blessing!
Desmond joined us on August 18th, 2008 in Blackfoot, Idaho. He was born via planned c-section, and the whole process was an answer to many prayers! We are very thankful for our newest addition!