New to us!

We got a new car this month!!  Our poor Explorer decided it was finished with us.  We managed to blow an engine rod and were faced with the decision of buying a new engine.  We were pretty sure that a new engine would quickly lead to a new transmission, plus there has been something else wrong that we could never pinpoint – so who knows what would break next.  We decided to cut our loses and look for something else.  Plus, we needed a bit more room with the new baby on the way. 

We found what we needed in this Suburban!!

I love it!  It is clean, clean, clean and drives so great!  This picture shows it dirty from the county road – but the inside is still very clean!!  I hope it lasts us a long time.  We had been looking and looking all over Idaho.  We searched in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, and eventually found it in Salmon!  I found it on craigslist at the beginning of our search.  I emailed the owner and received a response.  Then I asked him a few more questions and he never got back to me, we assumed that it had been sold.  Then Leonard went to Stanley for a fishing trip and on the way down called me to say, “I think I found that Suburban you were looking at!”  Sure enough, same one. 

On his way back from Stanley he and his brother stopped so Leonard could test drive it.  He was impressed and ready to buy.  Only problem was it was Saturday, and there were no banks open in Salmon.  We had been pre-approved through a credit union and the dealer was familiar with that bank.  He said, “You can just leave me a check and I won’t cash it unless the loan doesn’t work out.”  Leonard never carries a check book.  Our plan was to return to Salmon on Monday and work out the details but the guy felt bad that we would have to drive so far, plus he found common friends with Leonard in Salmon.  So he let Leonard drive home the car without paying a dime.  Only in Idaho…..!

For the record, the loan went through with out a hitch and the dealer had his check in hand from the bank on Monday afternoon.  Thanks Beasley’s River City Auto!  Your generosity saved us time and money – you’re awesome and we LOVE our new car!

TIMMM…BER!

Timber fell.  I was gone for the evening to Time Out for Women with Kay and Sara.  Grandpa watched the kids until Leonard got home from work.  As they were getting ready to go home, Timber was happily running to Leonard to give him his hat.  She tripped and the corner of her eye landed on the corner of the wood stove hearth.  Brick meets skin doesn’t usually go well.  She almost needed stiches but it never actually broke open all the way, just a little weepy.   She has a pretty good shiner now as proof of her tumble.  Poor girl!

 

Still a happy girl, none the worse for wear! 

Turkey Time

Spring season also brings Turkey hunting season for our family.  Leonard had been looking forward to taking Kaydra turkey hunting again this year.  The youth get to hunt for two weeks before the general hunt opens.  My little girl was successful in her turkey hunt again this year!  It’s sometimes hard for me to believe that I am raising a hunter in my daughter – but she seems to enjoy it and especially enjoy her time with dad. 

Her dad called the turkey to her and she shot it with her first shot.  Not bad for a girl of mine!

Haircuts All Around

This past month has been a month for haircuts in our family as you may have noticed from some of the other pictures.  First, Miranda and Kanyon had their hair cut before we left for spring break.  Kanyon just needed it, as all boys seem to do so often.

Miranda and I were tired of fighting over combing her hair in the morning.  It was a struggle each morning and it seemed to always be in a tangled mess.  She wanted it cut, and I wondered why I was fighting her about it.  Her hair is SO much better and easier to take care of now!

AND so cute!  But don’t ask her about it because, as she says, “Why does everyone keep saying that—I know my hair is cute!”  She is full of questions and comments about life lately.  One of our favorite recently was when she was playing the game, “Here is the church, here is the steeple…” with Michelle in Boise.   When it came time for the part, “Open the doors, and they all run away”  Miranda said, “They can’t go yet, they haven’t been to class!”  Awesome! 

While we were in Idaho Falls, I made appointments for Kaydra and I to get hair cuts.  Kaydra has been asking for quite sometime for a haircut – I mostly just wanted to make sure it was what she really wanted.  She was able to donate 13 1/2 inches to Locks of Love.  It was a HUGE change for her!

I just trimmed a few inches and had it thinned a lot.  I told the hairdresser, “Thin it a lot and then, when you think you are done, thin it just a bit more.  I promise I won’t notice!”  I think I lost 10 pounds!

We are going through a lot less shampoo at our house now!

Spring Break

Our spring break this year was was packed full of many fun activities.  We got to see many people we haven’t seen in quite awhile.  It was awesome.  We started by heading to Boise for Easter and Emma’s baptism!  We were so happy that we could be there for her special day and we are so proud of her choice to be baptized. 

Isn’t she pretty!  Timber doesn’t look too happy, but she was – promise!  While we were there we were able to celebrate Easter with them too!  We decorated eggs and had an egg hunt in the backyard.

The weather was beautiful and the kids even got a little sunburnt!  Can’t wait for summer!!  Thanks for having us, Stephans!  We had a great time!  We enjoyed going to church with them the next day and just visiting with them.  We are so blessed to have them be part of our family!  On Monday, we dropped Leonard off at the Boise airport so he could fly home and work while we spent the next week in Idaho Falls. 

We had a great time there too – except each kid took their turn having a stomach bug so someone was sick most of the time we were there.  This limited us a little bit, but we were still able to do the things that were the most important to us.  We saw cousins, played with cousins, saw Jackson (just home from his mission to Peru in February), saw Iriel (Courtney and Dan’s new baby girl), and PLAYED WITH COUSINS!  It’s the one thing that the kids wanted to do.  It was good to see everyone. 

We also had the opportunity to be there when the family celebrated my grandparents 70th wedding anniversary!  They are amazing people and I feel so blessed to have them as my grandparents.   We had a little program where Kaydra played the violin, uncle Steve sang a song he wrote, and Grandpa and Uncle John spoke. 

It was awesome to see so many family members that I haven’t seen for awhile.  After the short program we had a delicious lunch.  My slice of prime rib was absolutely perfect – even now I would like some more! I totally stole some of these next pictures from my cousin Stephanie’s blog – but I don’t care because they are awesome!

Thanks so much to everyone who went to all the trouble to make it happen.  Our family is so blessed!