Flaming Boat

Alrighty today we left early in the morning with Daris and Lorraine to Flaming Gorge Utah. When we got to the boat dock we got on Jimmy and Yvonne's boat (Blake's aunt and uncle) and boated over to our camp grounds. We stayed for a couple of nights and it was really nice.
We jumped off rocks,went surfing behind the boat, air chair, and lots of tubing. I got lots of tub burns on my arms and legs to prove it! Jimmy threw us around and it was awesome!

On Saturday night we boated to the marina (an hour away) to watch the parade of boats and fireworks. We had to drive the boat back in the dark and it was pretty interesting (luckily there was a GPS involved). We had an awesome time with our cousins and family.
We also went to Vernal, UT to go to the dinosaur museum.

Raptor love

Rafting

Beautiful Wyoming on the Hoeback! We went with a bunch of our friends and went rafting down the Hoeback a couple of times.

We always bring water guns (the ones that launch water at least 20 feet away) and spray other rafts around us (The river guides especially love getting wet). We also love to throw each other out of the raft and see who is the last one standing (Derek's favorite game).

There is an awesome cliff near the end where you have to rock climb off and jump in. Then a rope is thrown out for you to catch so you don't get caught up in the current. That's Celeste jumping off.

Jordan (Aka Speedo Man), Brian, Ashley, Amanda, Derek, Jen, Celeste, Blake

We went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming afterwards to eat at the famous Bubbas. We had a really fun time!

R Mountain

Blake and I hiked the R mountain and it was my first time. The wind was super strong that day and almost blew us right off.

Huckleberry Picking

We went Huckleberry picking in Kelly Canyon for several hours. It is very tedious but worth the effort to get these yummy expensive berries

Together, Blake and I picked about a gallon full in about 4 hours. Blake picked me a wildflower bouquet. What a cutie! You put these berries in waffles, pancakes, muffins, anything you want to. But the ultimate is: Huckleberry Cheesecake. Now I am not going to lie, it i amazing and I just made some.

Can you see a monkey?

What to Do?

Hi everyone, I am here asking a favor. I have two and a half weeks left before school and work starts. I am trying desperately to keep myself busy. I need to keep busy because I hate to be bored. I want to do some projects. Do any of you have any ideas of projects or fun things I can keep busy with?
Thanks!

Four-wheeling

Today we went with Daris and Lorraine up in the mountains to go four-wheeling. We went up on the Garn's trail. The forest was beautiful of course. It has been very dry here this summer so there was lots of dirt that coated us.
This evening we got together with one of our friends in the ward. I made martinis and we played a new game called Carcassone. Every turn you pick out a new tile and fit it on the previous pieces and conquer roads, fields, or cities. We had a very fun time! Have any of you played it before?

Gone in Sixty Seconds

Well, Blake left Sunday after to go to ISU for a week camp about Nuclear Engineering. I had to go to a meeting before he left and I asked Blake if he could find my car keys before he left. I did this because I didn't lake see my keys that morning and I thought he would leave his keys (he didn't need them) if he couldn't find mine. When I got back from my meeting Blake had already left for Pocatello. I looked around the apartment for my keys and I called him up and asked if he saw where my keys were. He couldn't find my keys before he left. I then went out to look at the Rover and my keys were sitting in the passenger seat. I have a hide-a-key for the Rover that we made at Wal-mart but it doesn't open up the car doors it only starts the car. There is also a hide-a-key for the Honda but it only starts the car and Blake left that car unlocked. So, I had two keys that were worthless.
Blake thought he might come back to Rexburg to help me get back into the car. Instead we called up his parents to see if they could help us out. Daris (Blake's dad) has a slim jim kit to get into cars. Daris and Lorraine came over at about 9:30pm to help break into the Rover. With the help of a flashlight, a leatherman, a slim jim, and a prayer Daris got the door unlocked! Way to go Daris, he has never even tried it before! It only took him 20 min. which is not bad for an amateur. Sure it's no Gone in Sixty Seconds but hey we got the keys. Thanks Dad!

Tillamook Cheese Factory

We went to the Tillamook Factory were they make the greatest cheese! While we waited for everyone to get out of the car Maddy, Emma, and I did some dancing...or head banging. They are so fun! We got to see how they make the cheese and cut the cheese. We also got free cheese samples. My favorite is sharp cheddar. We got lunch there (Blake and I got fish and chips) and ice cream. Blake, Maddy, Emma, and I had fun in the gift shop.

Emma (3 years old) loved her cotton candy ice cream!

Bonfire at the Beach

This evening we made a bonfire to roast marshmallows. There was a ton of drift wood on the beach. We had a fun time walking out to the Jetty and looking at purple and tan sea stars. We sang songs and stories. It was a foggy and we made smores!

CRABBING!

We went crabbing on the Oregon Coast. Candice knows the best spots to crab because her family goes every year. We had 6 pots with dead fish inside that we dropped off . Then Shawn picked up one pot at a time and we had to sort through the crab. We could only keep the males that were big enough (we measured them all). When you sort through them you have to make sure they won't pinch your finger because you will lose it. After a while I got a little better at picking up the crabs from the back end to help see if it was a male/female, and then measure it.

Blake steered us ad he did a great job. It is really hard to steer in the ocean trying to get to the pots just right.Candice, Daris, Lorraine with baby Lorraine

We found a huge grandpa crab with barnacles on it's shell.

In total we kept 17 crabs! At the dock Shawn should use how to break their backs. You only eat the meat from their legs.

It was kinda hard to break their backs. Shawn, Blake, Daris helped to break their backs and clean out the guts.

Afterwards we boiled them and dipped them in butter. Crab is pretty good!

How high can you go?

We had too much fun trying to get a picture of all of us jumping at the same time. I think they are pretty funny! We are getting more dead fish for our crabbing trip later this afternoon.

The harbor

Daris and Lorraine Weimer

Tide Pools

Lorraine and Daris got a beach house at the Oregon coast for Shawn's family and us to stay at for a couple of nights. It was a really nice beach house and the beach was just a block away.
We were lucky that we got a minus tide at the tide pools. I have never been before and it was fun! There were mussels, clams, snails, crabs, sea stars, sea anemones and ect. to see because the tide was so low. Here are lots of pictures:
It was fun to poke the sea anemones.Purple Sea star!

Two crabs stuck together

More sea anemones

Sunday

Today Lauren was given a baby blessing by her father Bishop Weimer. All of Candice's family was there. Isn't she beautiful? She looks like Emma when she was a baby.

For lunch all the Cummings family came over and we had a huge meal. One of Shawn's friends caught tuna on Saturday and gave us one of the fish. It's so big!

Shawn cut open the fish and their was plenty of meat for all. There was over $150 worth of meat in this tuna. Shawn coooked it in teryaki sauce and it was yummy!

Portland, Oregon

This morning we left with Daris at 8am to go to Portland, Oregon. We got to Boise, Idaho around 12:30pm to pick up Lorraine from her GT conferences at BSU. We got to Portland later in the evening. We stayed with Blake's brother's family. Shawn and Candice with their adorable children Maddy, Emma, and baby Lauren.
On Friday morning we got up at 5:30am to go to an REI garage sale. The weather was pretty chilly and we didn't get inside until 9:30am. We found a lot of good stuff! I ended up getting a new pair of Smith glasses. Blake got a new watch and a pair of Smith glasses as well.
Later that afternoon Shawn took us out in the river by their house for some boating. They have this awesome tube that sits three people. I was the only one that ate it hard and I got a bruise on my leg to prove it! Emma and Maddy had a great time tubbing with Uncle Blake and Aunt Celeste.Baby Lauren, and Emma. Cutie pies!