Our Recent Events

Though it seems like summer is flying by we have managed to cram in some fun with family! In no particular order, I present: "Our Recent Events!"

At the beginning of July the Laurence Family headed down for the second semi-annual Scott reunion held at the Flaming Gorge in Utah!  We used to camp here in the summers while growing up and we've all tried it out with our kids, twice.  Sadly but necessarily this year may be the last...at least until the kids aren't as likely to eat dirt and run away far into forest.

Holland and Daddy before the Green River Raft trip.  Holland loved it!

Holland and Mommy.  

Brooklyn stayed back at camp and tried the fire pit on for size.  

Holland is keeping grandpa company while he and the others fished for crawdads.

Holland and Mom on our way back to Bozo from Flaming Gorge.

Brooklyn and Mom on our way back.

I was so lucky and excited to have my sister head up to our house after our family reunion.  She lives in Texas and was able to make it up to view the scenery in Montana for the first time.  

This little train is in Nevada City, about an hour from Bozeman.  The girls loved it.  Here we learned how to pan for gold and took home our finding...not gold but pretty pink stones ;)

The girls are happy with their rock suckers that we got from the candy shop down the road in Virginia City.

My sister Holly is entertaining all of the kids with a music video by Katie Perry.  They loved "Firework" and my nephew Andrew informed us at this time that he "likes bad girls".  It was hilarious to hear him say that and so adorable to see them all huddled around the computer.

The rest of my sisters came up to Bozo and stayed with our family for the weekend.  We headed over to Billings to roll in the mud at the "Dirty Dash".  We had a blast!  

As it turns out, grinding mud between your teeth is worse then nails on a chalk board and mud in the eyes makes it hard to see where you're going.  Most importantly, throwing a sister in the mud makes it all worth it and feels OOOOOh sOOOOOO GOOOOD!  Ha ha ha!

That night, most of the dare devils decided to watch a scary movie.  Callie and I can't hack that flavor so we settled down on my bed and watched our own movie.  There came a time when Callie and I may have snuck out the window. We each draped a black skirt over our shoulders and tip-toed around to the open front window and stepped in front of it without a word.  No one noticed us until we gave out a yelp.  That's when they all jumped.  WE GOT THEM!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha!  That's what you get for watching scary movies!  It was perfect. 

The time quickly came for everyone to leave.  Merry sat down and started playing some familiar tunes and gradually one-by-one we were sucked into singing along.  There's nothing like standing around a piano and harmonizing to familiar songs.  It brings back so many good memories and creates THE atmosphere.  Those who've done it know what I'm talkin' about.  I love singing with my sisters!  

Thanks to you all for coming up!  We had a great time!

As I was attempting to move the piano to the garage all by my self my little Holla comes up to me and tricked me.  I thought she was going to lend a hand and whip out helpful mode by trying to push with me.  Instead she wanted to hitch a ride.  That's ok.  Pianos aren't heavy.  I know what you're thinking all of you worried souls out there. Don't worry, I ended up waiting to recruit a couple of guys who brought me some sod to carry it to the garage for me!  Thanks James and Jesse!  You two are buff.  I've got some good friends.

As company departed I switched mindsets into full house purge mode (Thus, moving the piano to the garage). Naturally, I've completed all of the landscaping projects and that means it's time for something else to crop up!  We've decided to sell our house!  Actually, I wish we could say it was our decision but if we had it our way we would keep our house and refinance.  As it turns out that option wasn't an option.  So, I've spent the last week crazy cleaning and packing.  The house looks amazing!  It makes me wonder why we have all of that junk I stuffed in that garage...until I make one of my regular trips to look for something else I need.  

Here is a flyer I made up. We listed our house by owner for a couple of weeks and didn't get much out of that. So, what else was there to do then to call up our trusty friend, Crystal, and invite her over for dinner. We signed the papers tonight and she will be putting our precious home on the market this weekend.  Thanks Crystal!  

I was thinking about my cute little home and how much I love it. I tried to think of one thing I didn't like about it.  I guess it could use one more bedroom for the far future but other then that I couldn't think of a thing I disliked about our home.  I love the layout and floor plan and I love the colors we originally picked out. I'm even okay with our cupboards.   It's got a lot of personality and time invested into it.  Though we should want to sell it fast, we are all sad to think we could be leaving it very soon.  It's starting to hit me and make me super sad so I'm going to stop writing about it now. 

We love you!  Sorry house, we will dearly miss you.  :(

I thought that once I completed our landscaping we would be rid of the mud.  I guess I have to wait for the neighbors to complete theirs too before that happens.

I made eggs the other day and without trying I cracked them into a circle!  It makes me feel like an artistic chef!

Speaking of eggs....look who tried to help us cook! Don't even get me started.  Let's just say we are busy cleaning up a lot of messes from attempts to help or create.

Look who got to clean this one up.  Thanks Jaret!

What's summer without lounging with a couple of Popsicles?

KAYAKING BABY!

Who wouldn't want to go kayaking with a few chicks looking like this?

Sarah and Amy went on the first run and ROCKED IT!

 

Angie and I went next.  I happen to kayak laying on my stomach.  I pushed my boat into the current and jumped in onto my knees expecting it to keep going.  It didn't.  I did.  It stopped on a rock and I face planted.

Crusin' along.

Why do I look so mangled and worn out and terrified at the end of this ride?  Let me tell you:

Angie and I were floating along for like 45 minutes doing our thang.  Paddling. Sitting.   Suddenly I think of a funny prank to play on Sarah and Amy waiting for us at the end of our course.  "We could lay down in our boats with our paddles and try to make them look empty."  I don't think Angie thought it was so funny, but I thought Sarah and Amy would.  Anyway, We are paddling down and are taking turns being first when this one particular time Angie was first and I was coming in with a close second.  She goes down some white water and I tap her back end.  Her back end swings her sideways.  She slides over a one or two foot rock waterfall.  Her boat tips.  She falls in.  My boat tips.  Once I realize that I'm actually in the water I hear this ringing in my ear, "Whatever you do, don't lose the paddles!"  I look in front of me and start swimming.  I grab one paddle easily.  I then use my free stick arm to try and catch up to the second paddle.  I have all kinds of things going through my mind.  "Is this worth it?  Is this safe? This water is moving quickly and I can't touch the bottom.  I'm not catching up very fast".  I finally grab on to paddle number two and feel that the bottom is closer to my feet now.  I try and dig my feet in, drag them, do anything I can to slow down and it was not working.  I lose my crock (yeah, I don't have water shoes but I was glad to have these today).  I didn't want to lose my friend of seven years and I was happy to remember that crocks float and it was an easy catch when my trusty old black foot covering surfaced.  Speaking of friends, "where is Angie?", I wonder.  I turn around and see both of our boats about 100 yards up stream but I didn't see Angie.  "What?  You've got to be kidding me?  What do I do?  Throw the paddles on the side and start looking?  Where is she?"  After what seems like FOREVER I see one of the boats turn and Angie is hanging on.  "Thank goodness!!!!".  After not wetting my swimming suit I realize that I am still not stopping and that I need to figure out how to stop my boat that is drifting along in the river.  Angie made it to the bank and slowly started working her way toward me.  I continue to drag my feet and try and catch hold of a rock in the water to slow me down.  Instead I am getting scraped up and banged up as I keep running into boulders wondering if I'm going to be swept under the current and die.  "Is it worth it to save the boat?" I wonder.  Suddenly I stop.  What a relief! On one end of the paddles was a log on the bank and on the other was a boulder.  I didn't move a muscle.  I was so happy to be wedged in my corner and my boat eventually came to me.  When Angie was able to finally reach me I took a shaken up breath and asked how she was doing.  Like nothing she said she was fine.  "...yeah, me too" I tried to convince myself.  Really, I was shaken and stirred and wanted to be done...forever. That wasn't an option in the middle of no where with no ride.  I mustered up my courage and returned her paddle to her, threw mine in the boat and hopped in.  As the current swept me down stream I wondered if I would ever attempt kayaking again.  I sure was glad that we were using inflatable kayaks because I don't know a thing about rolling the other kind.  After my wake-up call my earlier joke didn't seem as funny as it felt almost real. Instead of letting myself be distracted by the scenery as I was earlier and not really paying much attention I was all business now. I was focused and payed attention.  I paddled hard when I needed to and avoided all the white water I could.  As I cruised I began to change my mind from never wanting to do it again to admitting that it was pretty fun.   Thus, the tongue at the end of the adventure.  In the end I welcomed land but was glad I was forced to get back in the boat after the spill because I just might consider kayaking again.

Do we look alike?

Brooklyn is totally into putting things over hear head these days.  She loves peak-a-boo and gets a kick out of hiding under baskets and blankets.

So does Holland.  Just add a box to it.

Still cutting up foam...just more relaxed with it.  

Jaret and Brooklyn sliding out back.

The girls and I had a little mid-day movie time.  It was really cute to see them in their chairs with their popcorn and drinks.  They loved it!  Brooklyn spilled her popcorn all over the floor.  Anyone surprised?

Here are the girls at the park today.  They happen to not only enjoy swinging like this but they also enjoy spinning like this.  He he.

  

With the garage filled with our stuff, I've found it to be a fantastic TV and bike room to entertain the girls while I'm cleaning. 

I like to take pictures of my girls while they are sleeping.  Half the time Holland has fallen out of her bed and sometimes ends up under it. 

Brooklyn never sleeps under her blankets.

Who can dispute that kids are cute when they're sleeping.  Sleep tight my little monster princesses.  Thanks for letting mommy blog. ;)

Oh, and our Jeep is totaled so we're buying a truck!  My brother checked it out for us all the way down in Utah and we're gonna pay for it and pick it up this weekend.  Jaret's been wanting a pick-up for so long and wrecking our Jeep is all it took to push us over the edge to get his ever desired rig.