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!

Life According to my iPad

I finally found an app to transfer iPad photos to my home computer, so here are a few gems from the 'pad (minus the zillion photo booth self portraits the kids have taken ;))



Melin KIds at the rest stop in Sheridan, Wyoming on Spring Break 2012 trip to Rapid City/ Mt Rushmore



Addie & Niles in my bed on Mother's Day

Mother's Day morning in the family bed

Heidi self-portrait

Niles in his stroller outside the office on June 30th during our lemonade stand

Heidi selling lemonade on June 30th

James manning the lemonade stand on June 30th...the kids made $26 in 3 hours...not as great as our last sale where they made $40 in about 75 minutes, but good for spending/ pool snack money.

Addie's photobooth pic form December

James- photobooth-December

Aunt Abby & Heidi- photobooth-January

I think this is Heidi's eye- photobooth

Mommy & Niles, April

Nephew Jared Lehman- photobooth- January

Mommy & Niles, April

The Second Week of July

Saturday after cleaning up from camping (I left the 8th load of laundry in the washer), Rich took me to Ted's Montana Grill in Bozeman on a date. We had Bison Chili Nachos and BBQ Chicken Salad and it was all delicious! The whole building that houses the restaurant (the Baxter Hotel) is gorgeous. Two thumbs up, but Rib & Chop House is still way better.

On Monday we welcomed our friends from North Carolina, the Smiths, for an over night visit on their cross-country road trip. Jessica and I had a great visit into the wee hours of the morning, then we got up and went to Yellowstone Park.

We stopped for lunch at Gibbon Creek...Niles loves grapes!

Hannie ate her sandwich then ran to play in the sand with James

Rich & James eating sandwiches

Baby Bridger, Hila & Heidi eating lunch in Yellowstone

James, Hila, Hannah, & Gabe in the creek.



James & Gabe



Jess taking pictures

Sweet Hannie doing some SERIOUS wading

Me, Jessica & our boys in the creek

Jessica, Bridger, Addie, Niles

Bridger, Jess, & me

Hila, Asher, Jess & Bridger at Old Faithful

Thar she blows!

Addie, Asher, Hila, Heidi, Gabe, James, Hannah, Niles, Jamie, Jessica, Bridger at Old Faithful

Niles, Heidi, Hila walking away from Old faithful

Two Peas in a Pod: James & Hannie at Old Faithful Lodge

Way too much cuteness

Jessica, Bridger, Jamie saying goodbye at the lodge

The whole gang with ice cream...thanks for coming Smiths! We love you! Happy Trails!

After Yellowstone, we hurried home for Danny's & Mike's birthday party, (which got moved to Grandma's because we were late getting back, which was regrettable because it was 199 degrees in Grandma's house with nary a fan or a breeze or ANYTHING). Angie made this fun ice cream cake for the party. We had a pasta bar, cousin play, then gifts and cake, then headed home. Seems like Dan  & Mike had a good time and felt loved, which is kind of the point, right? ;)

Delicious ice cream cake with all kinds of fudgy goodness hidden inside

On the way home Tuesday night we saw smoke north of town. We drove up to highground and saw this over the hill toward 89/ Clyde Park. SUPER SCARY! It spread fast, but was contained quickly. PHEW!