Dear Gram...

We've been thinking of you a lot lately. We all miss you, and I miss the spirit and comfort you bring to our home so much. *sigh*. I tried to call but missed you, so I thought I would upload all the summer pictures I have and tell you what we've been doing and how much we miss you...

It has been a VERY hot summer. Our normally-very-green-June turned yellow by the time July rolled around. It feels a lot like Arizona, minus the fabulous monsoon storms each night. So we've been doing a lot of swimming and sometimes we eat out when it's just too hot to cook. Here are the kids on the patio at Rib & Chop House on June 30th, after they worked hard selling lemonade earlier that day. 

Here is a picture of Rich blowing out the candle on his brithday banana split--it was too hot for cooking cakes :)

That big box on the table contained his new shirts and a black belt for Sunday...thanks for helping us surprise him. He looks spiffy in his new clothes.



This is a picture from Rich's phone. It accurately portrays our time at church these days. Niles is not a fan of sitting stil, nor of being quiet. *sigh* 4 more months til nursery...

Here's a better, happier picture of Rich & Niles. We call it "Pete & Repete on the Hammock"--it's so nice out back!

On Sunday, July 8th, we had Rich's family over for a family tradition--tortillas and cheese on Sunday night.

Silly James eating his tortilla & cheese.

We expanded the menu to full-on, make-it-yourself tostadas with beans, tomatoes, avaocados, lettuce, etc...

Uncle Jess with Lexi-Lou and an old-school tortilla with cheese.

Niles loves tomatoes & avocados

clockwise: Rosalie, TJay, Me, Summer, Addie, Lexi, James, Heidi, Angie & Danny
***

Last Wednesday ahuge grassfire started right off the highway about 3 miles south of the ranch. Rich went out with Mike and Dad to get the grass wet to protect the ranch and took these pictures with his phone...

Holy Smokes!

Fire across Hwy 89...too close for comfort!

The helicopters were flying over the ranch house and dipping into the river right in front of Rich.

Mike, Rich & Dad Melin worked hard to get the grass all wet in case the fire jumped the highway. We were protected and blessed, and so were a number of our insured houses, ward members' houses,  and our Bishop's house,  who lived up that hill in the fire--it burned right around them, and after much prayer, the wind blew the fire away from us and them. Phew!

This picture belongs back up with tortilla night...James had "DINOSAUR SCHOOL" with his younger cousins. It was really cute & hilarious.

Our garden starts did not survive the heat wave. Only the herbs, the sunflowers and the tomatoes are still growing (but the ranch garden seems good this year). Here, Addie is trying to transplant a sunflower that grew in the strawberry patch.



James got a little scruffy this summer--he didn't want to cut his hair. We finally broke out the clippers and trimmed up both boys last weekend, but here is James on Friday, drinking his favorite Apple Cascade Ice, showing off his last day of scruffiness.



On Monday night we went to Big Timber branch family night with Tom & Rosalie, They held a breakfast-for-dinner pancake supper for Pioneer Day. While we were getting ready to go, it rained really hard for a few minutes. Addie helped Niles run int he gutters--he loved it! (Heidi and James had just come home from day camp at the school down the street. They are really enjoying it--8am-5pm M-F July 22-August 3).

We came home fromBig Timber to a double rainbow!

James trying to catch the rainbow

James walking home after taking rainbow pictures Monday night...a good picture of our street in the evening.

Niles Monday night in the drive way, admiring the rainbow.

Well, Gram, life keeps rolling along. We miss having you with us, but we're glad you're home with your own space, with the Mayberrys nearby. Sounds like you're doing great--don't forget to drink your water. My nutritionist told me to drink a half ounce of water per pound of body weight, so do the math--for me, that's 3 litres-- and drink up! We love you so much!