projects

well, my first project for the day was obviously updating our blog from the ENTIRE summer. I didn't realize I was so far behind! I put so many new posts that google shut it down because they thought it was some automation from a computer. So now I have to log in on my other computer.

now that that's done....here's another fun project I just finished today (that distracted me from finances for just a little bit longer)!

I found the idea a few months ago and wanted to do it for Laree's blog give away project (assuming she still likes butterflies a little bit at least), but I couldn't find the materials and since she's going off to college, it's not an easy thing to take with you anyways. I found the stuff a few weeks ago and started it. It came out a little different than it looked like, but I think I still like it!

another UT trip

Micah happened to have a conference up in Provo last week, which worked out perfectly. I had been trying to get to Provo once more this summer because one my Latvian girls is in town for 6 weeks! So this worked out very well! No weddings, graduations or other big events, so we thought we'd just have a laid back week and get to see family and friends...which it was, but we ended up not having a free moment (even me, who wasn't working!) and kept so busy the whole time it was great, but we still didn't get to see everyone we thought we would. But we had a great time. Unfortunately, we didn't have pics of it all.

We took a different route this time on the "Million Dollar Highway" which was absolutely impressive!

We loved this town...totally in the mountains

We ate in this teeny old town called Silverton. Everything looked like the original times of the mining towns. This place had an old fashioned bar, served ice cream, and even had an old cowboy plinking around on the piano the whole time!

Micah started calling this place Switzerland & took a movie of it & thought we could convince people that we went to Switzerland...

then we found this sign a little ways down the road (before this favorite little town of Ouray) that actually called it officially 'The Switzerland of America"!

Sunday, we had stayed with B&T so we went to church with them, then went to family dinner. I got to see Sveta (my mission friend) for the first time in years! She came to dinner with us. Sophie wasn't quite sure of this second language thing and kept looking at Sveta kind of fascinated, kind of confused. Monday, Micah had to check in then we spent the day visiting some of our favorite Provo spots (aka Jamba Juice and such). That night we went to a birthday party for our friend, Royce! Great timing on that one! I had a short chance to run over and see one of my freshmen roommates, Jenae & her cute family! (no pics of this stuff, though :()

Tuesday, I got to visit with Sveta shortly, and see my friend little Heather & her boy, who's getting so big!

That night we went jet skiing with Best & Tan

'ello farmer's tans!

Wed morning, Bryce surprised me and visited for a bit before our hiking trip. That was fun, don't ever get much one on one time with siblings these days... Then Jamie & Michelle & I went and got Sveta and hiked Stewart Falls. Sveta had never been out hiking in the mountains, despite this being her 3rd trip to Provo. She loved it! I forgot she has had heart surgery and we might have strained her a little bit...she did really well and took a bunch of pictures.

After, she despite being in America for 2 weeks, she hadn't had ice cream yet, which she had been looking forward to since she left a few years ago! She had spotted the Creamery, so her and I took a lunch trip there.

That evening we threw a pool pizza party, and had all our local siblings there. This is the only pic I have of it, though, I believe. We got a pretty good whirlpool going, enjoyed an outdoor pool while the sun was out, then moved indoors when the sun went down, loved the sauna and topped it off with a hot tub! We were pretty spoiled! We went after that night to play games at Bryce & Lisa's.

Thursday, we both went on a BYU tour, as the closing part of his conference, then had Micah's cousins & brother over for another pizza and pool party. No pics of that either, of course.

Friday, we checked out, had lunch with James & Michelle, ran some errands, spent time with Jason after work, then went camping by a lake with Best & Tanner. It was the perfect camping spot...

We introduced them to a Lillrose tradition "Tonk Toasters"

It was the perfect spot until the morning we realized why it was so big...we were in a site, but we set up our tent further off in a big wide open area. Yeah, it was a parking lot and had some fisherman there in the morning when we woke up.

our tent:

theirs:

Saturday after getting home from camping, we met up with Micah's cousins, Jason & Jamie & Michelle again and went to a rope swing down in some canal way south of Provo!

Jamie, Jason, Brian, Mark

Brian

Mark

Jamie....

flipping

Brian flipping

Mark's girlfriend, Sara

Michelle photographing

Jamie's casualty

Micah didn't want to hurt his body any more than it already is (we're working with the back and a knee right now) and I wasn't fond of being the sole attention of the huge crowd gathered behind the rope and the big lines, so we went further down the path and swam back up and enjoyed swimming on this hot day!

We had some dinner later that night with Jason & Brian and enjoyed pizza for the 4th night in a row!!! Micah & Jason stayed up late fixing the AC on our car, so we could survive the drive home the next day, 9 hours through desert, then we spent the night at Jamie & Michelle's before taking off the next day!

and there you have it, another jam packed, no free time, completely fun, make us miss our family and friends trip to Provo....

a sunday afternoon

We've hardly seen a sunset here we haven't been impressed with! and there's hardly a bad seat in the city!

Girls Camp July 16-18

We went to a wildlife class that lasted a loooong time, so on our way back, she had me help her look like she'd been lost in the woods for a while. I put pine cones and needles in her hair, she rolled in the dust, I made some mud and wiped it on her face. Sadly enough, teenage girls can be very gullible

The girls made up this skit where they were the Beatles...our YW Pres thought it was hysterical to watch these girls imitate people that she probably idolized in her time and they didn't know much about

My machine....

Micah had a business trip in Bloomington IN the week before the 4th. We had also met up with Mother & Daddy on Easter weekend to switch cars so Daddy could do a lot of work on our VW (they have ALL the tools & know how there). So we needed to switch cars back, plus Micah had wanted to go home for a nice relaxing summer week. Since his business trip was scheduled only a few hours away from K-zoo, we decided to go the weekend before, then drive down to IN for the 2-3 days of his trip, then go back up for the last few days of the week/end. Great timing for all of it. This is where the machine part comes in. Micah has driven to Provo straight from Abq a few times, but this was about a 22 hour drive and he proved to be a machine! With only a 10 minute fillup-bathroom break (thanks to the amazing mileage we get) HE DROVE the ENTIRE 22 HOURS STRAIGHT! He is now offically 'my machine'.

I tried to capture the arch in St. Louis but it was hard to get a straight shot with the sunset while going 65 mph on the highway, but you get a glimpse of it in these 2 shots

On the way to his business trip in IN, we passed RIGHT BY the exit to this famous spot just during the re-HYPE of it!! (anyone know what this is?!?) ...Micah didn't want to stop & sightsee, though...there probably wasn't much to see besides a memorial or something though

This seems to always be the most popular chore when we're back home during the summer

We spent the 4th with longtime family friends, The Hamptons, which consists of a traditional BBQ, home made ice cream & fireworks! We have no pics, but we even played croquet! (which reminded me of the block parties we used to have at Vern's house)

Cassandra is working at EFY all summer & it was Savannah's first summer going! Since Cassandra was the only sibling missing out, and we were driving back to ABQ that way & dropping off Savannah, everyone took the 4 hour drive to Normal, IL to take Savannah to EFY. Here we are early in the morning before setting out with the newst additions of VW,

the Silver Fleet

Family Picnic in Normal

I think Savannah's trying to do a goofy pose, otherwise I would put up a different one.

What a happy bunch!

As the family splits off into 3 different directions...

Micah's Birthday!!

Birthday Breakfast, Menu, package stack, 'to do' birthday plans list, streamers that didn't hang low enough to make it into the picture & Simply Orange OJ (breakfast doesn't get much better than simply orange!)

The Lillroses sent birthday 'cakes' & sang to him over the phone!

He was spoiled because after that he got a second 'cake' (strawberry shortcake)

and a solo sing from yours truly

Here's a funny little birthday story. Micah's not usually spacey, but a few weeks before his birthday he asked me how old he was. I told him he was 25, turning 26 (when in reality he was already 26). Then he said, "It's 2008, right?" Sure is! When I started laughing, his justification was that at work, they go by a fiscal year and it's still the 2008 fiscal year so he sees that date all the time and it messes him up. Maybe next year I can convince him he's turning the BIG 30!

We missed our flight....

to watch these ones.... The Hill AFB Air Show! We decided this was more fun and ditched our own flights to stay & watch the show and drove Jason's car home the next day instead

This new F22 never actually took off, but was guarded by soldiers the whole time!

Jason let the boys on his bike & rev the engine. I wish I'd had the camera in Wendy's, because he let them try on his helmet and they looked like bobble heads it was so big on them!

Say Cheese! Jason on the highway, posing...h0pe Mother doesn't see this one