Sunday, August 24, 2014

August Photos

These photos accompany the stories in our
08.24.14 Family Letter...
 
Dr. Niles giving Uncle Jess a shot 08.02

Dr. Niles checking Uncle Jess' heartbeat 08.02
August 4th Family Dance!
Niles dancin'

Lexi dancin'
James, Jess, Kelli, TJay and Addie in the background

Addie and Me dancin'

Addie, Me, Lexi, and James

"Everything is AWESOME" when you're dancin' with
your family at the ranch!

Niles break dancin' Gangnam Style

08.03.14: Niles in shades
08.09.14 SCOUT HIKE in YELLOWSTONE
At the trailhead

MUSHROOMS!

Our 11yo Scout Troop plus their new European Tourist Friends

Wurzburger and Mushroom Man
Cousin Fun at the Ranch
Simon and Niles

Simon and Niles with dump trucks full of ice cream

Silly Matthew

08.10.14: Patti Blake sent us this picture of Niles
 and Owen Triplett in nursery at church

08.10.14: AMMON is 3 MONTHS OLD!

Sweet Happy Face

Such a cute cry face!

Niles and Daddy 08.12.14
 
08.13.14-TJAY's 12th BIRTHDAY at THE RANCH

Gorgeous Rainbow after a nice rain storm

Niles and Simon, always with the dump trucks

James ready to boogie

Summer all a-glow!


Summer, Addie, and TJay at TJay's Glow Dance Party--SO FUN!
GOODBYE COUSIN BOWLING PARTY

Uncle Mike and Niles

Simon and Niles with bowling balls in their shirts

Mamas (Kelli and Me) making pizza in our kitchen

Simon, Heidi, Niles, Summer, Lexi, James, Addie holding Ammon, TJay and Matthew

Farewell, Crazy Cousins!

A Gaggle of Silly Geese

A fine farewell sunset  at our house 08.14.14
More Cousin Fun in UTAH!
08.15.14: Niles playing with Gavin's toys in Layton's backyard

Ammon stretching out after a long day in the carseat

James and Uncle Sam

Niles and Uncle Sam

The Great Salt Lake from Layton's back yard

A panoramic of the sunset over the Great Salt Lake
from the end of Layton's street 08.15.14

08.16.14- Niles and Ammon in Papa Bill's chair

Heidi and Owen photo bomb!

Heidi and Addie found piggies at IKEA

Nana, Cooper and Heidi--SWIMMING at Nana's

Niles and Kaylee

Cooper, Heidi, Nana, Niles, James, Kaylee, and Brady swimming with Nana

Aunt Abby with Ammon


Addie with Ammon t Petersens


Ammy on Sunday morning at Petersens

Niles learning to catch a football 08.17.14
Family Birthday Dinner

Uncle Drew teaching Niles to catch

Go, Niles!

Ally, Niles, and Addie

Heidi, Belle, and Cooper

James and Jack

Isabelle, Addie, Ally, and Liam

BAM! Photobomb by Raef..love it!


Birthday cake!
Heidi, Nana, Owen, Brady, Spencer, Gavin, Kaylee, Melanie
and all the cousins gather to sing to Brady & Melanie

Ben and Niles, two peas in a pod!

Teenaged Cousin Conference:
Melanie, Marshall, Abby, Belle, Liam, Ally, and Addie

Grandkids with Nana and Papa Drews:
Gavin, Raef, Maeby, Brady, Melanie, Kaylee, Liam, Owen, Nana with Ammon
Belle, Cooper, Addie, Papa with Ben, James, Ally with Niles, Spencer, Jack and Heidi.

Ditto

Nana & Papa with Kids and Grandkids:
Standing-Audrey, Kristen, Sara, Melanie with Maeby, Liam, Isabelle, Sam, Willy, Addie, Rich, Spencer, Jill, Niles, Drew, Jack, Jamie, and Heidi; sitting-Owen, Raef, Cooper, Brady, Kaylee, Nana with Ammon, Papa with Gavin, Ben, Ally and James.
Ditto

Heidi, James, Owen, Jack, Kaylee, and Gavin with treat bags from Nana


After-dinner dancing at Nana's

Gavin, Nana, Niles (on the floor), Owen, Kaylee, Papa, and Ben
Monday Night Dinner with Mayberrys
Addie with Ruby, James, Me and Ammon at Mayberry's

Addie and Ruby

Niles and Henry wouldn't stop digging out front

Ruby tackling James

Niles with Henry's ukelele

Heidi with Ruby, Henry, Addie with Ammon, James, Miles, and Niles...
Two cousins turned into a gang of 12!

Autumn, Brent, Me and Rich...Best Cousin Pals Forever!
08.19.14: Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig!
Uncle Drew gave James this Lego set as an early birthday gift,
and what do you think he did first thing when we got home?

Niles and James with the finished Coast Guard Helicopter
 
 
***Some Stuff From Facebook**

Throwback Thursday photo of me with Great Grandma Jayne, 1971

Baby Me, 3 months old, December 1971
I thought it was fun to see a little of myself in my babies, even though they are mostly Melin ;)

Totally feeling this lately...I sure do love my nieces and nephews!

Monday, August 04, 2014

FAMILY LETTER 08.03.14


Dear Loved Ones,                                                                                                                          

The past two weeks have been a mix of some really busy days and really lazy summery days and it’s all been good!

On Monday the 21st Heidi enjoyed a fun park activity with the Activity Days girls, including cousin Summer.  After the activity, Uncle Jess and Aunt Kelli brought Heidi home and stayed for Stir Fry Dinner and Family Night. Rich also helped Uncle Jess get our trailer ready for their family camping trip to Ennis and Dillon later that week. We filmed all the cousins wishing Grandpa Melin a Happy Birthday on the 22nd. From all reports, he had a good one, and got to take a little road trip with Grandma later that week to Nauvoo, which we know firsthand was AWESOME.

On Wednesday the 23rd, all the youth and Rich’s scouts plus Heidi  hiked to Pine Creek Falls for their activity. I stayed home with my boys and watched a show about elephants…Heidi would have loved it.

On Thursday the 24th, we went to play at Sacajawea Park and eat Food Pantry’s lunch in the park. I saw a bunch of my Bible Study friends there; it was fun to catch up. After naps and dinner, Addie and I headed up to the church for Shelby’s baptism. We made punch and Kim Strupp brought fruit and Shelby’s favorite cookies. Matt Triplett gave and awesome talk about baptism and I spoke about the Holy Ghost.  The same Elder who baptized her mom came back with his little family and baptized her. It was a sweet service and we are so happy for her and her family.

Friday night we had a ward barbecue on the church lawn to celebrate Pioneer Day. Right before it started, Jenn Claar’s nephew Josh (the sweet boy with cerebral palsy) passed away. Other than that sad news, the dinner was a lot of fun and it was a gorgeous day to be outside. Jess and Kelli were back from their camping trip and they came, too.

Saturday the 26th we did some fun school shopping as a family. We started at Bozeman’s Goodwill because it is so organized and fun to shop there. I found hoodies for all the boys and some really nice hiking shoes and converse sneakers for Heidi. We got all the school supplies and some other necessities at Target and had yummy lunch at Wendy’s. I think Rich took the kids out to float at the ranch, but I took a nap and got ready for Sunday with baby Ammon. I was feeling feverish and achy (AGAIN) but I rested up and didn’t get super sick this time.

I still didn’t feel well Sunday, but Rich had to go speak at the Big Timber branch, so I had to get our family to church and lead the Primary music—the kids sang Pioneer songs in Sacrament meeting, plus I subbed as chorister one last time (I did a lame job, but I did it J). I was so exhausted when we got home and had a fever of 100, so I went straight to sleep with the baby. Rich made gyros for the kids and they loved them! He took a rest with me then took the kids to the ranch for dinner and a cousin sleepover that night. It was perfect timing (bless Jess and Kelli’s hearts!).

Monday was my mom and Mark’s 25th Anniversary! I got caught up on rest and vitamins and was able to get some things organized in the morning before I went out to pick up James, Heidi, and Addie at the ranch. I literally had to drag them out of the river at the beach where they were having a blast with their cousins (Addie’s best friend was having a birthday party that afternoon). That night for FHE we watched “Heaven is For Real,” which was a nice little movie.

Mark & Mom, July 1989
Speaking of movies, we had several movie nights this week for some reason. We also watched “The Saratov Approach” on Tuesday and loved it. Earlier, Rich and I watched “Tim’s Vermeer” and loved that, too. We also watched “Noah” on Saturday night and it was just weird. I could have respected it without the rock people, even though it doesn’t even begin to follow the story (I kept waiting for Egyptus...hello!?).  I did love some things about it, though, especially the animals coming and how the seed of Eden from Methuselah provided them everything they needed to build an ark in a barren land, a symbol  of the truth that God provides; he gives no commands except he prepares away for them to be fulfilled. Anyhoooo….

Wednesday the 30th Heidi and I had morning haircuts, then Addie had a physical and immunizations for 7th grade. Her arm hurt all day! Uncle Mike brought cousin Summer into town when he went to check out Cousin Sheila’s storage unit. Summer and the kids jumped on the trampoline with the sprinkler then we headed over to the Farmer’s Market from 5-6pm and met up with Jess and Kelli and Mike for a few minutes. We gave Summer back, then hurried home to eat dinner and get Daddy to scouts and Addie to the Bishop’s Youth Fireside. Everyone was overtired from all the sleep overs and fun, so it wasn’t hard to get them all to bed that night.

Thursday the 31st I got the wonderful news that my BFF Erin was pronounced Cancer Free! She still has surgery and radiation to get through the next few months, but for now there is no cancer in her body and for that we are grateful!!! I spent most of Thursday finishing up a slideshow video for Josh Hill’s memorial on Saturday (Jenn’s nephew). It turned out really nice.



Friday after chores, I took the kids to Museum of the Rockies. We got a 2-year membership as part of Niles’ Preschool, which is AWESOME! First we stopped at Costco for gas and lunch, and then we went to MOR.  First we looked at the Gecko exhibit, and then the big kids saw a planetarium show while I took the little boys to the Yellowstone playroom.  When we got home, we took naps and had homemade Pizza night (our Friday night tradition).

Saturday Addie and I got up early and went to do two service projects. First the Young Women met at Livingston Christian Center to help blow up 200 balloons for Josh’s memorial service later that day. Then they joined the Young Men at the animal shelter to build a fence and landscape. I went back to LCC for the service, which was really beautiful.  Again, all my bible study friends were there, plus the Claars. Julie (Jenn’s sister) was/is so diligent in caring for those special needs kids—I don’t know how she does it, but I am sure the loss of Josh leaves a huge hole in her heart and in her daily schedule. Everyone, though, seems to understand that Joshy’s sweet spirit is now free from his broken body and he’s “dancing with Jesus.” 

Balloon Release for Joshy
This Fast Sunday was a sweet one—a nice testimony meeting and good lessons, lots of visitors and new people at church. We had a good afternoon –napped, broke our fast, headed out to the ranch after dinner, but when we texted Jess to see if we needed to bring anything, they’d already done s’mores without us and were putting kids to bed. So we turned around and took a drive, mapping out our routes to school, checking out some new houses. We had a treat and played UNO as a family and finally hit the hay at 10pm, which is when I started writing this.

Little Ammon seems to be not feeling well. I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong. It seems way too early (he’s 12 weeks old!!)  for him to be teething, but he keeps running a fever and has swollen gums and a stuffy nose.

 
Poor little man. At least he’s fairly cheerful about all of it—he even tries to smile at me while he’s fussing from pain, bless his little angel heart. We are looking forward to visiting Utah in 2 weeks, hope we get to see as many loved ones as possible. In the meantime, there is a ton of summer fun we need to cram into the next two weeks because school starts right after we get home. Time is FLYING! We loved hearing from the Holm family, the New Jersey Melins, and Grandpa and Grandma this week. Sounds like everyone is making the most of their summer. We’d love updates from any and all of you and hope you’re all well and happy and feeling our love, and Heavenly Father’s love, too!

Love, Jamie and Rich and Family

FAMILY LETTER 07.28.19

Dear Loved Ones,                                                                                                        We have just ...