Not quite twelve

My eldest son turns twelve on the first of August. 

He is not quite old enough to participate in the 12 year old scout camp outs, but because the scouts were short a fearless leader last weekend, they made an exception for Andrew if Steve could come along.

Steve and Andrew obliged and happily went back to Kane Lake.  Steve took our boys on this six mile hike last year, but this time he and Andrew backpacked and spent the night at Kane Lake.

 (They both admitted it was MUCH harder carrying 25-35 lbs on their backs.)

The 12 and 13 year olds....plus one 11 year old.

 They are still smiling here because they hadn't yet started hiking.

It took the pack six hours to reach the lake.  Steve was proud of Andrew keeping up with the older boys and not complaining.   I was proud of Steve for the exact same reasons.

The view at the lake. 

Note the tents way on the right bottom corner.  What a beautiful place to camp!

Please don't tell Steve, but this picture makes me want to go camping...just a little.

After a night of not much sleep, Andrew got up early and started catching fish.  Yes, that is snow...and he's wearing shorts.  I will never understand boys.

 He caught a total of seven trout and twice as many mosquito bites.

The fish were smelly and the bites were itchy.

...oh, and the red-neck sunburns were hot and painful.

Next hiking trip they will pack more sunblock and bug spray.

Ready to head home on Saturday afternoon.

The entire crew...not so smiley because they know what they have to climb down.

I'm so happy Andrew had a fun experience and that his dad was able to go with him.  This is just the beginning of my son's scouting adventures.  He and Steve are actually leaving for Camp Bradley Monday morning for a week long scouting extravaganza.  I will try to survive without my husband and best babysitter.   I hope they survive the bugs and bears.

I also hope Steve takes a larger sleeping bag this time around.  When he was ready to go to bed Friday night at the lake, Steve realized he brought a Colby sized sleeping bag instead of the super light adult sized sleeping bag.  The stuff sacks for the two are extremely similar.  The one Steve brought only came up to his waist.  He had a long cold night.  Poor guy.  But I think the copious amounts of Red Vines and cold Pepsi on the drive home made up for it.

Happy Birthday To Our Country

We celebrated in true Dixon style with not a lot of fan fare.  We stayed home, got wet in the backyard, made cookies (pumpkin with maple frosting...don't knock it until you've tried it), took naps, and then went to a BBQ at our friends house.  

It was quiet and nice, and this is how I'm starting to think all holidays should be. 

The less money I have to spend, the less I have to travel, the more time with family and friends with the least amount of work seems like the most fun these days.  

(I must be getting old.  I should order my front porch rocking chair right now.)

Andrew did get a tad patriotic and decorated his sister with the Stars and Stripes.

The parade was short and consisted of Saylor walking through the back yard.

If only I had some salt water taffy to throw at the three bystanders.

After the BBQ, the Dixon and Humble kids took turns with their dads blowing up fruit and extra hot dogs.  Nothing like blowing up the bounty our country brings with illegal fireworks to show our love and devotion to freedom. 

Note to self:  Pineapples don't really blow up...they just turn black.

Hot dogs, however, can make a really big mess.

I was too relaxed to take tons of pictures.  They just would have showed us all stuffing our faces, and that's just unflattering.

I did, however, catch these three faces...

 

 See no evil, hear no evil and say no evil.

Oops...I mean Say(lor) no evil.

Andrew was a tough sell and didn't want to pose in any particular way.  But, he did have the most eventful day and went fishing with my dad most of the morning.  He caught one trout, by accident really, and we grilled that fish to perfection.  I hope my dad takes Andrew fishing more often.  It was delicious.  After dinner Andrew took a spill on the trampoline that I'm positive had our neighbors almost scrambling for their home owners policy. ( I think they were catching their breath more than Andrew was.)   His back is pretty sore today and he is taking it easy.   This incident...which could have been bad, but luckily wasn't, is another reason I won't buy a trampoline.  Too many accidents.

Birthday Shout Out and Swim Team Mania

Hurray Hurray...JaNae is two years older than me today!

Today is my sister's thirty "something" birthday.  She is 14 long months older than me.  Growing up, I HATED the fact that she was two years older for two whole months.  It about killed me.  I mean, who wouldn't be jealous of a beautiful older sister who could date and you couldn't?  She drove 14 months sooner too.  It was torturous.  Now, I don't hate it so much.  (hee hee)   Happy Birthday Sister Dear!  Can't wait to see you this weekend.   And don't worry...September will be here way too soon and then you will only be one year older than me again.  Whew!

Swim team has been going for about a month now and I finally brought me camera.

It's a miracle.

Carter is doing much better than even a few months ago and this smile tells everything.

He loves it.

(I knew he would, it just took some convincing...bribing...threatening.)

He even smiles while doing the backstroke!

Three Cheers for a floating Carter! 

This boy is in his element.  The water has become Andrew's favorite place.

I love watching him swim and keep up with the much older boys in his lane.   I'm excited to see how he fares at the meets in a few weeks.  If he keeps working as hard as he has, I'm sure he will put up a good fight!

Oh yeah, and the cowboy is still holding strong.  The hat and vest have been worn constantly for the last three days.   He cracks me up tipping his hat to the girls.

Really, I'm in trouble with his man.

Saturday and Sunday Adventures

In a moment of insanity, Steve and I decided to join some friends at the drive-in movie theatre Saturday night.  The kids were ecstatic, happy, giddy and all together ridiculously overjoyed that we would watch a movie way too late at night, in our pj's, from the back of our car, all why enjoying the smell and sights reminiscent of a county fair.

What more fun could a family have in southern Idaho?

Because Carter and Andrew staked out the back of the Acadia...

and Saylor didn't really care where she was sitting (or whether it faced the movie screen or not- she fell asleep on the way over)...

Colby tried staking out a few non-traditional places to watch the movie.

I vetoed this one.

And I also vetoed another spot that needs a little bit of back story.

Once upon a time, when I was 17 I may or may not have gone to the drive-in with a boy...and not watched a bit of the movie.  That boy and his beautiful wife may or may not be one of Steve and I's friends.  That boy and his beautiful wife may or may not have parked their truck next to our car Saturday night at the drive in.  Colby may or may not have asked to sit in the back of their truck.  I may or may not have not said, "I don't think any Dixon should sit in the back of a truck at a drive in with a "beep" (name withheld to protect the innocent).  

We may or may not have laughed our heads off.

Moral of story for my children:  DO NOT do anything on a date that you will be embarressed to see that date and look them and/or their spouse in the eye when you see them 17 years later.  Because...you WILL see them later.  You might even go with the drive-in with their family.

Second learning experience for my children from the evening:

If you don't want a picture like this posted for all posterity to see...don't make this face.

Earlier on Saturday, Andrew mowed my parents' three acre lawn for like the millionth time...and finally earned enough money to pay for half his new bike.

Steve and I paid for half for his birthday in August.

He has been happy to ride ever since.

But, he is wearing his helmet even though this picture shows otherwise.

I was happy to take pictures of my kids.

We took some before we headed to the park Sunday evening to fly kites and some at the park.

Here are a few of my favorites from Sunday night.

My cute girl.

My cowboy eating a cookie.

Andrew testing out his monkey skills.

 His tongue hanging out helps I guess.

Steve checking the kite for rips. 

It's good.

He made it to the top.

Cute 8 year old.

"Helping" Saylor on the swings.

Helping might be over-rated.

I'll just swing myself.

The crew.

It is dang impossible to get a decent picture of these four!

Our family really does have monkey skills.

The kites didn't last long...we heard thunder.

Kites and lightening don't mix.

 We headed home shortly after arriving.

But we apparently didn't leave soon enough.

Yes, this is what you think it is.

And so is this.

My children could not hold it for the 1/2 mile trip home.

"Mom, I bet you can get a shot of me while I'm running!"

 "I bet it CAN!"

Cute girl in her church clothes, minus her sweater.

Lastly, we stopped by the office to take a picture.

As of 7-1-12, this is how the new office looks.

The windows and masonry will be up next.

snapshots from camp

I was asked to take pictures at camp.

I am no professional, but I tried my best.

Here are a few of my favorite shots.

YCL's before thier rafting on the Payette.

From the looks of it, I think they had a good time.

Me explaining the scavanger hunt.

I wonder why I always look like a political protester in these types of shots.

The entire group.

The women crazy enough to be in charge of all these teenagers in the woods.

Three of these girls are in my ward.  They were punished with facial hair for defacing their YCL's Justin Beiber cut-out.   

I'm sure glad it wasn't me...but if anyone could make uni-brows look cute, it's these girls.

I may or may not have been thrown into the pool by the same girls who gave out uni-brows.

President Holmstead and President Walker (yep, my dad).

They came and spoke to the girls and did a wonderful job.

The stake young womens presidency.

Andrea Jensen

Elena Hicks

Me

Linda Cragun

I absolutely love working with these women and have learned so much from their example.  They all make me want to be a better person.  It is an honor serving with these women.

Contemplating blowing up this picture and hanging it on one of my walls.

My dad speaking to the girls.

Uh...I'll call this one, "Showing my love to Justin so I don't get even more unwanted facial hair!"