Saturday, July 18, 2015

The End of June

Summer is flying by--FLYING, I tell you! And this is a wonderful new thing because I really kind of dread summer every year. This is the first year I wasn't dreading it, I didn't over schedule my kids, and we've thrown schedules to the wind periodically. It's working out nicely. So here is what June looks like in the rear view mirror...
 
Lots of Bike Rides
Addie, Heidi, and their friends joined Rich on several of the Boy Scout bike trips because they were working on biking merit badges in June.





Riding to Clyde Park

Rich took James to see Jurrasic World after Cub Scout Day Camp on 6/13--we was pretty excited!

Fan Boy!

This was Rich's very most favorite birthday card.
It's from Niles, and if you read from right to left you can decipher Happy Birthday Dad, with a few "Niles"-es mixed in.
 
 
Lots of hikes and backpacking
Rich took the boys on a Fahter-Son backpacking trip up Pine Creek on June 19-20.
Then this big storm rolled in.

Melin Boys at the trail head.


Niles on the trail

James and Niles making their way up the mountain

It was raining so hard, the trail turned into a creek.

So they went back down the mountain and pitched their tents at the ranch.

Their freeze dried back pack meals were so yummy!

Good morning, right on the Yellowstone River!

Finally, they really had it rough for breakfast...
they went up the hill to Grandma's house and had blueberry pnacakes!
 
Temple Trips to Billings with Post-Temple Shennanigans

Addie, Jeanette, and Clara at Candy Town

Clara and Addie trying on hats at Scheels

Sunglasses at Scheels
with Jeanette, Clara, and Addie

Jeanette, Clara, and Addie at the Scheel's "Harbor
 
Father's Day!

We had a nice dinner for daddy and Grandpa at our house on Father's Day...

...but you wouldn't know it form these pictures of my crazy kids at the dinner table!
This picture of James and Niles makes me laugh every time I see it.

The girls were laughing, too!

TRYING OUT THE NEW SPLASH PARK
Niles splashing

Niles and Ammon splashing

Cub Scout Fishing Trips


James posing with the trout he caught in the lagoon.

Ammy is so glad when Daddy comes home!
 
MUSEUM of the ROCKIES
Niles loves the firefighter costume

James loves the wildlife toys and the camping area

Heidi loves Ammy

and Ammy loves Heidi

Theres a History of Chocolate (Cacao) exhibit at the museum right now.

Hot chocolate was a fancy drink for European Royalty


Chocolate bars were "fighting food", giving soldiers energy in the world wars

In a very cruel move, the exhibit fills the air with the scent of chocolate and puts these giant chocolates at the end of the exhibit, but there is no chocolate to eat anywhere, dang it.
BARBECUES & unwise food choices

This si a picture of me while grilling some kebabs.
(I almost always get the "Legend" Coke can, and it's funny
because that's what my friend Ric used to call me)
 
SELFIES
Addie with her pretty hairdo. She and her "Sisters" (the Jones Girls) spend a lot of time trying out new hairdos, outfits, and make up styles. And then take selfies. Which is what you do in middle school while you're finding your niche, right?
SO stinkin' cute.

STAR GAZING
We've seen some pretty awesome stuff, like Venus and Jupiter almost touching on 6/30.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

FAMILY LETTER 06.15.15


Dear Loved Ones,                                       
 
It has been a busy two weeks at our house, finishing up school and starting summer. Somehow we still seem as busy as ever. Next week’s schedule looks more like summer to me.

The first week of June was super busy with end of school activities. Heidi had to prepare her final social studies project, the Fifth Grade Wax Museum, where she portrayed J.R.R. Tolkien. It was fun helping her prepare—we finally learned that he preferred to pronounce his name “TOL-keen.”  Wednesday 6/3 I helped her finish her backdrop—a quote from The Hobbit—and Friday 6/5, we attended the museum and concert (songs from American History Civil War through World War II). She did a great job! During Heidi’s museum, the middle school had an awards assembly and Addie got a few awards—A Presidential Scholar award for having a cumulative 4.0, plus awards from two teachers for being awesome and maintaining a 4.0 in their classes all year. We are grateful she is so self-motivated!

Thursday June 4th was the craziest day! The little boys and I had been pretty sick on Wednesday, and Niles was still a little woozy on Thursday, but it was his last day of preschool and they had a BBQ at the park. Rich met me there at 11:30 and we had lunch and let the boys play at the park. Then I took the very tired boys home to nap and Rich went to James’ Track meet. At 5 we went to Addie’s final Choir concert at the middle school—it was excellent, they have come so far in a year!  At 6pm we went over to the ball park for James’ last baseball game, which was really fun. All six of his team mates had a really good play and a good hit, so it was a nice way to end the season. Rich had to leave in the middle of the game to head to Bozeman for Scout Roundtable, so the girls helped me bathe the grubby boys and get them to bed. What a busy, fun day!

Monday June 8th we had Grandma and Grandpa Melin over for dinner, Family Night and birthday cake to celebrate Grandma’s 68th birthday 2 days early. We had a nice time with them. They’ve been traveling so much, we missed them!

Wednesday June 10th was the last day of school (and Grandma’s actual birthday). I had a doctor appointment at 8:45am, so grandma came and watched the boys for me that morning. When I got home, we ran to the park to meet the kids for an end-of-school picnic. We had bubbles and baseball and hung out with the Lowe kids and friends from school for an hour or so. I brought the little boys home for naps, but the girls rode bikes with their friends all afternoon. Addie went to the Farmer’s Market with her friends, and then they all went up to Young Women, then to a big party at her Beehive leader’s house afterward. I drove three girls home at 11:45pm and they were just giddy with Summer fever!

 James had Cub Scout Day Camp on Friday and Saturday. It was western-themed and he had such a blast. Rich was able to join him on Saturday, and afterward they went on a father-son date to “Jurassic World.” Meanwhile at home I tried to maintain the boys’ regular schedule while helping the girls get to all their social engagements. We went thrifting for summer clothes on Friday and the pool opened on Saturday, so we had our own fun during day camp. Saturday night just before Rich got home, while the girls were watching movies with their friends, I carried a big load of laundry downstairs and fell and slid down the last five stairs, bruising my right glute and ribs. I caught my breath and got up fine, but after a few hours of sleep I was in serious pain last night. I took some Aleve--I can only rest on my left side, can’t sit (well, it’s 6pm and I’m sitting okay now, but not this morning!). I hope an adjustment and some swimming will help me feel better tomorrow—ain’t nobody got time for that!

 Happy Birthday this week to Uncle Josh Craft, Uncle Ryan Layton, Daddy Rich and Cousin Liana on Thursday, and Cousin Raef on Saturday. Have a great week, everybody. We love you!

 
Love, Rich and Jamie and Family
 
Heidi painting her backdrop 6/3
 
Add caption


Playing at the park during Niles' Preschool BBQ 6/4

Ammon loves crawling through the tunnel at the park.

James throwing a softball at the track meet 6/4

James long jumping 6/4

Addie's Choir Concert 6/4


James' last at-bat 6/4

Heidi as Tolkien at the 5th Grade Wax Museum 6/5


End-of-School Picnic on 6/10:
Ammon, Addie, Amelie, Jeanette, Heidi

Summer Girls, Middle School Pals 6/10

Niles napping 6/10

James and Cubbie friends celebrated the last day of school with
make-your-own pizza and trampoline at our house 6/10:
Kinnick, James, Zane, William, Ammon, and Niles

A cubbie root beer toast to summer! Cheers!

One of the YW helpers posted this photo of the Beehives at YW 6/10
Addie, Amelie, Izzi, and Jeanette
(Addie tells me they were making "one eyed-one-horned-flying purple people eater hats for girls camp)

Paleo dinner with our missionaries, Elders Brock and McMahon
Lemon-Garlic grilled veggies and chicken with mushroom couscous.

Shopping at Target with my heroes 6/12

SpiderNiles

CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP! 6/12-13

Mustaches!

Jeopardy!

BB Target Shooting

Lassoing!
 
 

FAMILY LETTER 07.28.19

Dear Loved Ones,                                                                                                        We have just ...