Playground of the Rich and Famous

Mike had to pick up some law credits and signed-up for classes in Sun Valley.  Who wouldn't want to go along for a few days?  (Maybe a 2 and 4 year old.)  We picked the week after Oprah and Bill Gates left.  The weather was perfect and the resort was immaculate and we managed to keep the two kids from falling in the pond. 

We weren't able to browse through the shops and check out the fashions, but there was a toy store and a candy store that held their attention.

Haddie trying a hip Sun Valley look.

Gondola going nowhere

Instead of lunch at the lodge, we opted for Wiseguy Pizza Pie in town.  It was a great pick!  Salads, pizza, and garlic knots were scrumptious.  I could have taken every meal there.

  

 Forget the playground of the rich and famous.  The second day there we found a real playground in Hailey.  That was the best part for Huds and Hads.

 Huds followed a new friend, Decker, up a tree.  Not bad climbing considering it was a pocky pine tree.

Hadley and I found a picture of a kitten in a magazine.  She was obsessed with cupping her hand and pretending to pet the "itty, bitty, kitty, kitty".  We were lobbying her dad for a kitten until she found a new friend at the park.  Their hair matched.  Now she wants a big red dog.

Our Morning Constitution

Terry and I use to walk together every morning for exercise.  We would always cover about 2 miles at a good clip.  Now we take the kids on a walk almost every morning.  It doesn't matter which direction we go, there is always a playground that catches their attention.  It's not really exercise.  We don't cover 2 miles and we don't walk at a good clip.  We do have a chance to talk.  The kids point out the airplanes and the bugs, and we have fun.  Best of all, Stacey has an hour to get something done, like take a long quiet shower in peace.  

Landscaping Help Wanted

I like doing a little gardening.  Our yard is small and usually easy to keep on top of, but this summer has been different.  The cool weather gave everything a late start.  Hadley likes to pick flowers, and Hudson likes to pick just about anything.  He has a sandbox in the yard, but dirt is better, so I find things like this:

Ernie and Cookie Monster bulldoze a cucumber plant.

He also sword fights with the clematis.   There's a plastic bat in the Chinese maple.  The rocks in the water feature have been moved, exposing the tank.  We've had to take the handle off the outside faucet and lock it in the shed - not very handy.  Now Huds has decided to make up for the destruction by helping out with the Saturday yard work.  This is what that looks like:

It's like having a back seat driver.

He wants to help every week.

Fourth of July Celebration

We didn't celebrate much.  It was great having a holiday, but all we did was fly our flag, barbecue hot dogs, eat watermelon and light a few fireworks for Hudson at about 7:00.  It wasn't even close to dark. 

Looks a little pathetic, doesn't it?

Safety First - a small bucket of water for our small display.

It's funny that on the night when all the firecrackers were going off and the dogs were howling, we slept soundly.  It was the first night that we needed to have the air conditioner on all night.  The sound from that noisy unit drowned out everything else.

Oh no! Say it isn't so!

I had the same post title in June because I did the exact same thing.  I left my new camera in a restaurant on the way home from McCall.  I can't believe it!  I had the camera that I left in the Chinese restaurant for about two months.  I had to replace it last month.  My new camera was about 2 weeks old!  Thank goodness the people at the Homestead Cafe in Weiser are kinder and more honest.  Some Saturday morning coffee people turned it in and it was kept in the kitchen safe.  They were so happy that I called.  I left it on Friday and didn't realize that it was gone until Monday.
We wanted to avoid the Fourth of July traffic so Terry went with me for a lunch date on Tuesday.  I really like the signs that welcome you to Weiser - We love our kids, our community, and our country.  I like this town.  There is a real community feeling there.  When you stop for lunch or drive around you can tell there is a slower pace of life - simpler.  The prices are lower too. 
After lunch we went to the Weiser Chocolate Shop and Deli.  We each picked out a handful of chocolates and then enjoyed a ice cream cone.  Terry's huckleberry ice cream looked good, but I know my butter pecan tasted better.  We drove home on the back roads and avoided the freeway.  I can't believe I did it again, but this time everything turned out a lot better.  We had a very pleasant day and I have my new camera back.

McCall

Huckleberry Patch and the yarn shop next door.  (By Paul's Market)

Park on the shore of beautiful Payette Lake

While people watching we spotted this rainbow dog.

We bought the new(er) Corolla from a young couple in New Meadows, so we made a day of it and enjoyed a summer afternoon in McCall.  It was the Friday before the Fourth of July weekend, but since we drove up the back way through Payette and Weiser, we missed the traffic.  The town was busy, but the restaurants weren't full.  We had a good time people watching, good pizza, good warm weather (but not hot), and I had time to wander around a couple shops that I love - a quilt and needlework shop and a yarn shop.  I came away with two stitchery patterns and a new(er) car!

New(er) Corolla in the Fam

I bought my first Corolla in 1992.  Ty was just a few months old so he and the car are the same age.  When Ty started driving he took over the little red Corolla.  Now we have a new Corolla in the family - 2004, silver, and in need of a good cleaning and a little touch-up paint.  It will take Terry a while to work his magic, but by the time I go back to school, my new wheels will be sweet.  These are my favorite things about my new Corolla so far: 

• No power windows, you have to roll them up and down.  Terry has had to fix the power windows in a couple of our cars.  Right now the passenger window in the Maxima can only be put up by the driver.
• One of the seats in the back lays forward so that you can access the trunk.  I could put skis in the trunk, or long 2x4s.
• 39 miles per gallon, and that's not all freeway miles.