More waterskiing

When we are in Idaho during the summer we pretty much just pack lots of swimming suits.  If we are not at the lake with the boat it is sprinkler and hot tub at the house, or Rigby lake or the river at the cabin, or a puddle.  If there is water and a little sunshine-we are there.

Back to Idaho on our way back home and we squeezed in a couple more boating trips.  Here is Olivia showing us her stuff on the wake board.  Way to go Olivia, she has become a pro.

Tanner, Mason and Zach watch Olivia do her thing.

Go Olivia-I think she got some air!

The party planners!

Tirzah-in a rare moment of not sitting on my lap.  Nana was bribing her with licorice and it was working.

I can't believe they have mission calls and will be leaving SOON!

"Good luck Tanner see if you can jump higher than I did!"

Wow Carson you did go pretty high.

Showing off with a board grab.

And he can even clear the wake!

Boating cuties!

No jumping for me, just back and forth, again and again and again!

I think they all take a nap in the boat when it is my turn because there is nothing fancy to watch.  Carson and Tanner hardly stay on the water they are so busy jumping and flipping and spinning around.  I am just plain old safe and staying connected to the water!

A little more excitement on the tube.

Zach-Me-Mason

The kids really like to tube.

We don't even have to hang on, but don't speed up Grandpa!

Not it is Olivia with the boys.

I think I need a new camera to take better boating pictures, but I like the pretty sunset in the background.

The boys actually had dates that night so we dropped them off at the dock and they ran home to shower and change.  They were supposed to come back to get the boat before they left, but no one came.  So we left Dad with the boat and Mom and I took the kids home to fix dinner and bath everyone.  Carson and Tanner were still at the house and it turns out only Tanner had a date and Carson was hanging out with a friend.  They had forgotten to come back to get the boat and headed out right after we got home.  The river is only a few minutes away, but it was getting dark so they needed to hurry.  Carson called a while later and asked where we left Dad and the boat, he wasn't at the dock.  A while later Mom asked where Dad was and I remembered Carson had called and couldn't find Dad.  Mom calls Carson immediately and they try to decide where to start looking, it is 9 or 10 by now and Mom is getting worried.  Carson calls just as she is about to leave and said they found Dad.  It turns out he had to move off the small dock area to let another boat load, as he was driving around waiting a life jacket flew up and he stopped immediately as he reached out to grab it.  He saved the life jacket, but the boat wouldn't accelerate.  He is on a boat by himself, moving quickly downriver, and the boat won't go.  I feel bad for not acting more quickly, but I don't worry about my Dad because he can fix anything and get out of any tough situation.  So what does he do, but grab a ski and paddles to the shore.  He said it was really hard to do and I am sure only a guy like him could paddle a ski boat to shore in a RIVER using a ski.  He secured the boat to some shrubs and started walking.  Now this is the directional expert and he was able to figure out where he was and start walking in the right direction.  He said he walked for a long time before he came to the road just at Carson was pull out to go downstream to look for him.

He was a frustrated, tired guy when he got home

They retrieved the boat the next morning, yes it was still there, because my Dad is also a Silver Beaver and boy does he know knots!

So glad he made it home safe and sound.

We even watch the Olympic swimmers in our swimming suits.

It was so fun to have the Olympics on all day at my parent's house.  As we did our stuff throughout the day we could stay informed about gold medal counts and amazing stories about the athletes.

 The next boat party was on my Mom's friend Robyn's boat.  She called to invite us to go with her and we never turn down a chance to hang out with her.

She has an outboard so they could "surf".

Tanner was awesome and took Rylie, Mason and Zach each for their own surfing lesson.

Carousel Ride

My cousin Logan's daughter had a birthday party at the Carousel in Rexburg.  We crashed their party and rode the free carousel a million times.  Thanks Ella and Happy Birthday!

It was VERY fast.

Not really Rylie just moves very quickly!

The kids even started doing tricks.

Everything is more fun with these two.

Faster horsie-faster

Backwards again.

Tirzah really liked it.

One more trick!

Fun with friends

I have a great friend who will drop everything and drive many hours to meet me for the day.  Even though we live very far apart we manage to get together every so often.  We met at the lake for the day and had a great time.  It was fun to get to know Kate a little better and see Megan and Ryan being awsome parents to their own sweet little girl.

I didn't take many pictures because with four kids at the water by myself there is hardly a moments rest.  They loved the sand and of course the water.  We missed Jacob a lot that day.

Megan turned Rylie into a mermaid.

We stayed at Megan's parent's home that night (they are so, so good to me) and watched the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics.  It was fun to spend a little extra time together in the evening when all the kids were in bed.

Harris Cousins

So tired she couldn't even take the sucker out of her mouth before she fell asleep.

We don't get to see our Harris cousins very much so it was good to have a couple of days to spend with them.  We walked up to Bridal Veil falls and played in the water for a while.

Zach-Rylie-Mary-Savanah

Rylie-Zach-Brigham-Mary-Mason

Lilly in the background.

Sam (who is so fun with the little cousins)-Mason-Spencer

Rylie and Mary

Spencer and Sam

These boys suddenly grew up.  I hardly recognized them!

Lilly and Zach

Savanah and Mason

Matt and Mary

Racheal-Me-Becky

Becky and Eric

Mason-Dallin-Mary

The girl cousins

Savanah-Mary-Rylie-Sarah-Lilly

The boy cousins

Spencer-Mason-Sam-Brigham-Matt-Dallin-Zach

Walters Reunion 2012

The Walter Reunion is here again!!!  We were in Jackson again from Thursday to Tuesday in July.  We are really getting to be a large family with almost or at 90 people gathering in one area for several days.  I love to see my cousing and Aunts and Uncles.  We stayed at several places in Teton village and enjoyed many activities each day. 

You made it Brynlee.  We hiked straight up the Snow King ski hill it was a 1.8 mile trail ascending 1,500 vertical feet to the top of Snow King Mountain.  I am so glad we decided to ride the chairlift down.  Jacob was a little delayed taking care of some work things so I carried Tirzah and sometimes Zach.  I did have lots of helpers though, my dad and mom and Tanner helped carry them some of the way and Jacob eventually caught up with us on the trail.  It was a very steep hill and we had a ton if little kids with us.  Nicole even did it with a big toe that had had surgery (by Devin, with laughing gas at the dental office!) only days before.

Nicole and Callen are happy to be and the top and riding the lift down for sure!

Eating lunch at the top, resting our feet and enjoying the view.

I love the Jackson mountains!  I am so glad we kept going and made it to the top together.

Tanner and Zach are chairlift buddies for the relaxing ride down.

Mason LOVED this bungee jump that was in the Teton Village

He was even brave enough to do a few flips.

Callum tried to catch a rock chuck type animal for several days by setting and trap with bait and a string attached.  He would sit for long periods of time holding the string, waiting for on to take the bait.  He finally suceeded and caught one.

The catch was very popular, they just had a hard time getting it into a more permenant home.

Rylie, Zach and Mason looking at Callum's new pet.

Here is the not so smart rodent!

We went to a very fun wagon ride and dinner show.  Our driver was very entertaining and fun.

Our wagon group.

It was fun to see everyone in their reunion shirts.  They all had numbers on the back that corresponded to when you joined the family.
I was 15 (I have lost my shirt and I think that was my number)
Jacob-, Rylie-52, Mason-58 , Zach-66 and Tirzah-

Here are the wagons lined up ready to pull out.  I think there were 10 wagons all together.

Tirzah LOVED looking at the horses pulling the wagon behind us and squealed about them most of the ride.

Here come the wild indians to get us.

Here are the performers/cooks/wagon drivers.  It was such a fun place to go with the wagon ride, the tin plate dinner and fun skit with western singing.  

Here are some of the other things we did at the reunion:

Family Games:  Roll a dice and if you get doubles start unwrapping a massive ball of tape and candy before it gets stollen by the next person that rolled doubles.

Eating:  That was the best time to visit and see each other.  We had breakfasts on Shawn and Patrice's lawn and dinners were at various parks.

White water rafting:  Rylie got to go with my mom and dad on the rafting trip.  They had to be at the place very early in the morning and it was a very cold day.  There was much debate that morning about who was really going to go.  Some backed out (Mason), but most went and they loves it.  They had wetsuits and sun came out and everyone was glad they went.  I had to let Mason do the Bungee Jumping because he really wanted to go, but I was nervous about sending him.  Those that went from our family include Dad and Mom, Olivia, Carson, Tanner and Rylie.

Rylie and Olivia on the Alpine slide.  Mom and Mason were on the other track and they were stuck behind some very, very, very slow ladies.

 

Swimming