We usually decorate cemeteries sometime in June because May gets crazy busy. Not so this year! Instead of being late, we were well ahead of the game when we postponed our Friday field trip for Saturday, May 9. And Rebekah got a few hours of driving under her belt when she drove us to Annis, Archer, Ririe, Ammon, Iona and Lincoln.
Seth taking a pictures of his grandparents' headstone in Archer.
Bekah and Ana goofing off at another cemetery.
Week 7: Hell's Half Acre
We again postponed our Friday field trip for the day after so Seth and Grandma and Grandpa Scott could go with us to explore Hell's Half Acre west of town on Saturday, May 16. We didn't hike the entire 4.5 miles back to the origin of the lava flow, but we went about halfway so we could see what the area was like.
Winnie next to a fissure.
The girls on a giant lava lump. (I'm sure that's its official name.)
Seth, Ana and Bekah.
Sitting down for a rest.
Checking out the geocache we found.
Eating ice cream from Reed's on the way home.
Week 8: Henry's Lake
We lumped in a whole lot of fun during Memorial Day weekend in Island Park May 21-25. Rachel and Justin weren't able to make it, but they opened up their cabin to us, so we enjoyed the view and being together. Our family went up Thursday evening, and the rest of our group (Grandpa Dennis, Grandma Susan, Calvin, Lily and Cooper) joined us Friday night.
Ana pulling her bow after Seth set the weight on it at the cabin on Friday, May 22.
Bekah, Miri, Seth, Ana and Winnie checking out Quake Lake just across the state line in Montana on Friday.
Ana, Cooper, Calvin and Winnie making origami claws on Saturday, May 23. It turned into a whole big role-playing game that involved an emperor, a general, some gladiators ... and I'm not sure what else. It snowed pretty much all day, so we stayed inside for the most part and saved the fishing for Monday.
Rebekah passing the time reading on her Kindle.
Ana and Bekah checking out the pier at Henry's Lake to see if the fish were spawning on Saturday. They didn't seem to be.
Winnie watching Ana unwrap her present from the family on her birthday, Sunday, May 24.
Ana trying to figure out why her copy of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" (the new Hunger Games prequel) is blank. Turns out, we ordered a "Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" journal. The Amazon post for it made it seem like it was the novel and not a blank book. Why would you have to pre-order a blank book?! We returned it and got the right book for her.
Ana trying out the bath sheet she received as a present. Her bath towel was too small and "not fluffy."
Grandma Susan, Seth, Bekah, Lily and Winnie looking at the Madison River from the Refuge Point trail. After having home church at the cabin Sunday morning and having Ana open her presents, we took the afternoon to go on the 2.3-mile loop trail and explore other points of interest related to the 1959 earthquake that transformed the landscape in the area.
Group photo on the hike: Grandma Susan, Winnie, Ana, Seth, Andrea, Bekah, Miriam. Lily took the picture for us. Grandpa Dennis, Calvin and Cooper stayed back at the cabin.
Ana looking at the remains of cabins that were destroyed during the 1959 earthquake.
The crew fishing from the bank at Henry's Lake on Monday, May 25.
Winnie with her first catch of the day. She had never fished before (just practiced casting with a little Barbie pole with a weight on the end), but she pleaded with Seth to let her use a real fishing pole with a hook and bait and everything. Then she prayed every night for days that she would catch a fish. She ended up catching two.
Ana reacting to her fish flopping on the line after catching it. Ana had never caught a trout before (just chubs), so she was excited to also catch her limit that day.
Analee making friends with Willow the dog.
Bekah poking the dead fish.
Miriam, Ana, Lily, Winnie, Calvin and Bekah with all our fish.
Ana learning how to gut the fish. She made the cut, but Seth removed the guts. None of the rest of us was willing to learn how to gut fish that day.
Winnie's reaction to Seth gutting fish.
Week 9: Moving furniture
Instead of running out somewhere and doing something cool, we spent the weekend of May 29-30 moving most of our heavy furniture into the shop. Our remodel/addition has finally begun (see later post), and we wanted to get as much out as possible while we still had a garage floor. Grandpa Scott lent us his trailer and his dollies, and we managed to move out all the couches, the bunk beds, the piano, the stove, the end tables, the fireplaces, the Barbie house, the oak closet, the cedar chest and the headboard from our room to the shop.
Ana and Bekah acting as counterweights tied to the piano as we rolled it down the ramp from the kitchen to the garage.
Bekah practicing the piano in the shop after we moved it.
Winnie, Miriam, Ana and Bekah riding on the loveseat and couch as we move it to the shop.
Week 10: West Barnes Mountain
Bekah went with her friends to hike to Lower Palisades, so I took the other girls to explore a new trail: West Barnes Mountain past Kelly's Canyon. It was a steep 1.2 miles to the top (and back down again), but it was fun to take Peach and enjoy the view and trail mix.
Miriam and Winnie headed up the steep trail.
Peach's muddy paws on the trail.
Miriam and Peach at the top.
Miriam, Peach, Ana, Andrea and Winnie at the top.