Dear Loved Ones,
The last day of May already! It was finally warm today, a glimpse of good things
to come. We have had a very rainy couple of weeks!
This week has been a fun one and starting out with a Monday holiday
made it really fly by. We spent Monday out at the ranch and we are so glad we
did! It was sunny and beautiful until late afternoon. The kids went fishing
early in the morning, then we played pirates and went swinging, walking, and
even took a little nap on a blanket in the sunshine. The Jones family stopped
by for an hour or two on their way to a Pine Creek hike. We had lunch at the
pavilion and roasted some marshmallows for s’mores dessert. I walked with Robyn
down to the beach where the kids played in the sand and we talked about how fun
this summer is going to be. We headed
home in time to do laundry and take a good nap and get ready for school the
next day. It was a very nice family day.
Tuesday I did my mom jobs during the day and packed some
awesome brown bag dinners for my family that night so we could all drive down
to Gardiner for James’ baseball game. It was a pretty drive—we saw elk,
antelope, bison, Angus cattle, sheep, horses, and gophers a-plenty. The
baseball field in Gardiner is right along the old railroad line from Livingston
into Yellowstone Park, and the Roosevelt Arch (Yellowstone’s North gate) is
right by the field. James played well,
though his team had 5 players and the other team had 12 ;) We didn’t get home
until after 8pm, and we missed helping the Roberts family move back into our
ward from Idaho, but it was another good time together as a family.
That night after the game, James woke up sick and came to
sleep in our room. He ended up throwing up and I was afraid a bug was passing through
the family but everyone was fine by Wednesday afternoon, so we let James play
in his second to last baseball game that night. Addie went to Bozeman for a Girls’
Camp meeting, Heidi stayed home to do homework, and Rich and I took the little
boys and met Grandpa and Grandma Melin at the baseball game. Bless their
hearts, the grandparents had just arrived home from New Jersey at 3pm and they
still came to cheer for James.
Thursday we were so relieved to have a stay-at-home night,
though we had signed up to feed the missionaries dinner. We planned
breakfast-for-dinner (pancakes, bacon, and smoothies) but the Elders were in
Big Timber that night. So we ate the food ourselves and did homework. Rich and
I watched a show called “I Hate Christian Laettner,” which did actually make me
like him much less. Rich and I have a fundamental disagreement about Duke
University—I have warm fuzzies about Duke because I served as a missionary there
on campus in 1994 and I think Coach K is an awesome person, though I am much
more a Tarheels fan; Rich hates Duke and he hates Coach K. I was indifferent
about Laettner, but my eyes have been opened…lol.
Friday Rich took us to Noodles & Co. for dinner in
Bozeman, which was a fun surprise (he needed to get stuff at Home Depot). We
also stopped at Costco, Staples, and World Market. While we wer out, I got a
text from Jordyn Yarborough with a cute photo of here and her man at Temple
Square with a ring on her finger! She and Jake Ontiveros plan to be married in
August. We are so happy for her!
Saturday we planned to sand and paint our deck and put in
our garden because it was supposed to not rain over the weekend. HA! It poured
over night, but the morning was sunny. So Rich could not paint the deck or
patch the roof around the chimney (there is a drip in the chimney). We did get
our garden planted; the transplants seemed a little shocked, I hope they
recover! Instead of the deck, Rich refinished our Adirondack chairs and they
look great. Saturday afternoon it got rainy, so I napped with the little boys,
the girls had the Jones girls and Izzi over, and we grilled burgers in the
evening with the Roberts Family. We are so grateful to have them back in our
ward family!
I’m embarrassed how sore and tired four hours of yard work
made me. The aging plus the arthritis and chronic fatigue make me feel 90
sometimes. Somehow we made it to church Sunday morning and got to sit with
Grandpa and Grandma this week! We had good talks about self-reliance and then I
taught Niles’ Primary class. It was such a nice day, I told them we could have
the second half of our lesson outside, but then one of them ran away and
another one gave chase, so I sent Heidi after them. It was kind of funny, but
we all made it to sharing time safely. I miss Primary, they are so cute. We
napped today, then Rich had a priesthood meeting in Bozeman and left at 5pm. I
helped Heidi with some research, then cracked the whip and had the kids clean
up and get in their jammies, and we went on a Sunday drive. The river is high and
beautiful, we saw ducks bobbing on the rapids at Mayor’s Landing and the kids
called it “duck surfing.” When Daddy got home, everyone was in bed reading or
asleep, which was a nice surprise for him. I had a good chat with my brother
Sam, then sat down to write this letter. It has been a most peaceful Sabbath
day.
Some of you are out of school already—HAPPY SUMMER! We still
have school until June 10th. This is the first year that summer
break hasn’t filled me with anxiety (“what will I feed them? How will I keep
them busy?”). It’s going to be AWESOME (yes, you should come visit us and join
in the fun…2 bedrooms and four couches and beautiful Montana/ Yellowstone all
around!). We wish you all a happy week!
Love, Rich
and Jamie and Family
 |
| Ammon swinging on Memorial Day at the Ranch |
 |
| Niles and Addie fishing at the ranch on Memorial Day |
 |
Jeanette, Clara, Addie, and Eden at Pine Creek, Memorial Day
(photo: Robyn Jones) |
 |
River Drive in Livingston, Memorial Day
(photo: D. Perryman) |
 |
| Tuesday Baseball in Gardiner near the arch |
 |
| Walkin' Man walks on (5/26) |
 |
| Friday news! Jordy & Jake! |
 |
| Our garden and the cool birdhouse James built in Cub Scouts. |
 |
| One of many flower boxes we potted last week |
