Backpack trip to Shepard Lake July 2009

We are ready to hike! Can't wait to see Shepard Lake with Kelly and the Pettey's!

Cute shot of Greg & Joseph!

What a great dad for planning these activities!

Mom and Marissa enjoying some peaceful times together away from phones and schedules!

This is the beautiful waterfall we camped by. It is so amazing to me that all around us in Utah there are beautiful spots like this if you take the time to get off the beaten path!

Marissa at her favorite pastime, dreaming of hiking more! No, she enjoyed not getting up at 5 am for a few days!

Madison could be a model for a hiking magazine. Picture perfect, even after camping out!

Austy loves it out here!

The wildflowers were gorgeous from all the rain this spring...love it!

This is Janene. She is kinda like Trudy on "The Facts of Life", if any of you remember that show from the dark ages. My mom didn't allow me to watch it but a few times I was a sinner and sneaked off to my friends and watched it. Then I watched re-runs as a yearling rebel when I moved away from home. Still don't get what made her ban it from my empty youth. Anyway, Janene is obviously not black, but she is like Trudy in that, she takes care of and worries over everyone but seldom takes her own advice. She's not a hypocrite in any way, don't get me wrong. She just kinda puts herself last and is selfless. She is also like the aunt in my kids' life who isn't genetically related. Shows up to stuff and loves them and all that.

Anyway, this stash you see so lovingly photographed is her "extras" she sent up for us to eat. Here we have a HUGE jar of Prego (original, my favorite from my days at Delany's Sandwich Villa ((think Italian chicken on sourdough bread)), 2 fresh bags of buns, a bag of homemade meatballs and 2 unopened packages of provolone cheese ((think Delany's again)) all just "extras").

Who does she think she is dealing with here? I am not an amateur to her fake "extras". I must remember to take my "extras" of my gourmet meals to her in return. Unfortunately, as of late, this would be large quantities of milk and honey bunches of oats. Sad but true. I am a failure as a homemaker these days. But when I come back, it will be with a cooking vengeance. I plan to make my dear, sweet red-headed Trudy a macaroni dish and extra crispy fried chicken that will make her wish I were her chef. I saw this demonstrated on "country kitchen" on KBYU during my 8 hour TV marathon yesterday. I was productive, to say the least. Yes, I learned a lot.
I love Janene and so do my kids. And Kelly only wishes he were here for dinner tonight.